Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg first met in 2006 when they were working at CBS Digital, where together they produced one of the first web series, Clark and Michael, starring Michael Cera and Clark Duke. They followed that up in 2010 with MTV's first scripted comedy, The Hard Times of Rj Berger, and made their partnership formal with the launch of KatzSmith Productions in 2011.
Katzenberg, son of former DreamWorks mogul and current WndrCo chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, has become an in-demand TV director (The Goldbergs, Ballers), while Grahame-Smith, who grew up in Connecticut and moved to Los Angeles after graduating...
Katzenberg, son of former DreamWorks mogul and current WndrCo chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, has become an in-demand TV director (The Goldbergs, Ballers), while Grahame-Smith, who grew up in Connecticut and moved to Los Angeles after graduating...
- 9/7/2017
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thirty-three-year-old filmmaker Max Winkler has practically lived a mini-filmmaking career over the last 10 years. While he released his directorial debut, the Paul Thomas Anderson– and Wes Anderson-influenced “Ceremony” at the age of 26, the precocious filmmaker had, by that point, already directed episodes of David Wain’s “Wainy Days” and Michael Cera’s extremely underrated and influential web series, “Clark And Michael.” Normally a young filmmaker waiting seven years to make his next film might panic, but Winkler kept himself so busy between features, he likely didn’t have time to be anxious.
Continue reading Max Winkler Talks ‘Flower,’ Firecracker Star Zoey Deutch, Realist Influences & More [Tribeca Film Festival] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Max Winkler Talks ‘Flower,’ Firecracker Star Zoey Deutch, Realist Influences & More [Tribeca Film Festival] at The Playlist.
- 4/19/2017
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
For the last ten years, Michael Cera has more or less been playing the exact same character, just put into many different situations. From Arrested Development.s George Michael to Scott Pilgrim to Michael Cera in the webseries Clark and Michael - which is a cheat, I know . Cera has epitomized the role of the slightly awkward, mumbling nice guy, so much so that he seemed to have spawned Jesse Eisenberg. But somehow Chilean director Sebastián Silva has managed to disrupt that status quo with a pair of films releasing in the next few months. We.ve already seen Cera.s malevolently creepy side in the Magic Magic trailer, and now we have our first full trailer for the spaced out comedy Crystal Fairy, thanks to Apples. All right, all right, I hear you. This is probably more like Cera.s past roles than I.m willing to admit, ...
- 6/20/2013
- cinemablend.com
Keeping it small and simple, Max Winkler made a notable first feature with his 2010 outing, “Ceremony.” Starring Uma Thurman, Michael Angarano and Lee Pace, that film, a coming-of-age dramedy, displayed some impressively tender moments in his first venture behind the camera, and now a new period project looks to (further) establish Winkler with his own distinct directorial voice.
Winkler is set to team with producer and frequent collaborator Matt Spicer for the 18th-century set comedy, “The Coward,” based on the play from Nick Jones that ran during New York Lincoln Center's 2010-2011 season. Both men will co-write the flick, which follows a sheepish young man forced into a duel who then pays a criminal to stand in his place. As the stand-in wins the first duel, and then proceeds to go on and win others, the real person finds his name suddenly growing into legend, and out of control.
In April,...
Winkler is set to team with producer and frequent collaborator Matt Spicer for the 18th-century set comedy, “The Coward,” based on the play from Nick Jones that ran during New York Lincoln Center's 2010-2011 season. Both men will co-write the flick, which follows a sheepish young man forced into a duel who then pays a criminal to stand in his place. As the stand-in wins the first duel, and then proceeds to go on and win others, the real person finds his name suddenly growing into legend, and out of control.
In April,...
- 7/2/2012
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
"Ceremony" Director Max Winkler Talks About His Debut Feature and Why P.T. Anderson is The Best Ever
Max Winkler is new to cinema; his first feature film, “Ceremony,” opens this weekend. But if you’ve seen any of the popular CBS web series “Clark and Michael,” which he directed, you know that his debut film is something to look forward to. “Ceremony” is a great little wedding film, starring Michael Angarano as Sam, a 20-something New Yorker desperate to win back the love of his life (Uma Thurman) before she marries a hilariously self-absorbed documentary filmmaker (Lee Pace). You can check out my review here. Winkler (yes, Henry "the Fonz" Winkler is his dad) and I spoke about…...
- 4/8/2011
- Spout
One of the best films to come out of the Toronto International Film Festival last year was Max Winkler's feature debut, Ceremony. You should be familiar with Winkler's work if you've ever seen any episode of Clark and Michael with Clark Duke and Michael Cera.
Read more on Giveaway: Win Ceremony swag, custom signed by writer/director Max Winkler (bonus: contest video by Winkler)...
Read more on Giveaway: Win Ceremony swag, custom signed by writer/director Max Winkler (bonus: contest video by Winkler)...
- 4/6/2011
- by Chase Whale
- GordonandtheWhale
Just as it surely took Uma Thurman's Zoe a considerable amount of time to be wooed by Michael Angarano's much younger raconteur Sam before the events that unfold in "Ceremony," it took me two viewings to completely fall for Max Winkler's directorial debut, a coming-of-age comedy that wears its references on its sleeve. It has the wordplay of Woody Allen, the vibrant color schemes of Wes Anderson and the elegant tracking shots of Paul Thomas Anderson. And no doubt as the son of Henry Winkler, Max is used to comparisons, which is why when he confessed at the film's recent premiere at SXSW that it was a story about "how scary it can be to be an original," it felt like a certain weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Something similar occurs to "Ceremony" once the candy coating of its stylistic influences fall away, revealing a filmmaker...
Something similar occurs to "Ceremony" once the candy coating of its stylistic influences fall away, revealing a filmmaker...
- 4/4/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Max Winkler – yup, Henry’s son – has made his feature-length directorial debut with the coming of-age story, Ceremony.
If you’re a fan of the web-series, Clark and Michael (starring his friends Michael Cera and Clark Duke) you already know Winkler’s work. Ceremony, which he also wrote, follows Sam (Michael Angarano) on a quest to stop a former fling (Uma Thurman) from marrying a worldly filmmaker (Lee Pace).
I talked with Max right before SXSW about the film, how he got the cast and tells me a funny bit of advice his dad gave him.
Where did the idea for this movie come from?
Max Winkler: Well, the idea of the movie probably came from a lot of places. It was pretty personal movie that I wrote, and I thought that would be sort of a good way to make my first film to sort of ensure that...
If you’re a fan of the web-series, Clark and Michael (starring his friends Michael Cera and Clark Duke) you already know Winkler’s work. Ceremony, which he also wrote, follows Sam (Michael Angarano) on a quest to stop a former fling (Uma Thurman) from marrying a worldly filmmaker (Lee Pace).
I talked with Max right before SXSW about the film, how he got the cast and tells me a funny bit of advice his dad gave him.
Where did the idea for this movie come from?
Max Winkler: Well, the idea of the movie probably came from a lot of places. It was pretty personal movie that I wrote, and I thought that would be sort of a good way to make my first film to sort of ensure that...
- 3/17/2011
- by Lance@dailyactor.com (Lance Carter)
- DailyActorMedia
[1] Magnolia Pictures has released the first movie trailer for Max Winkler's feature directorial debut Ceremony. I saw the film at the Toronto Film Festival [2], where I wrote the following: "Ceremony feels like the first movie from a filmmaker we need to watch -- a fantastic feature debut. His screenplay is filled with complex, interesting and engrossing characters, and his film has fantastic performances across the board." Ceremony stars the very underrated Michael Angarano (Almost Famous, Snow Angels) as an aspiring children's book author named Sam Davis, who convinces his former best friend Marshall (played by the also underrated Reece Thompson of Rocket Science and Assassination of a High School President) to spend a weekend with him to re-establish their friendship. But Sam has secret ulterior motives -- he plans to infiltrate and break-up a wedding ceremony being held at a big Gatsby-esque-sized beach house in Long Island because he...
- 2/4/2011
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Magnolia Pictures has released a movie poster for Max Winkler's feature directorial debut Ceremony, which premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Check it out right now after the jump. I heard the movie trailer will hit in the next couple days -- so stay tuned for that. [1] Poster thanks to IMPAwards [2]. The 27-year old USC film school graduate and son of television actor Henry Winkler (Fonzie on Happy Days) is probably best known as the director of the popular Clark and Michael web series which starred Michael Cera and Clark Duke. In 2005, he co-wrote and co-directed a short film titled The King of Central Park, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Malibu International Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The short is wonderfully awkward, sometimes Wes Anderson-like, especially in the music, use of slow motion and symmetrical framing. Ceremony stars the very underrated Michael Angarano (Almost Famous,...
- 1/28/2011
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Risky Business has learned that Magnolia Pictures has acquired the Us distribution rights to Max Winkler's feature directorial debut Ceremony, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. This means that the film will be shown theatrically and will likely have a day-and-date video on demand availability on nationwide cable. The 27-year old USC film school graduate and son of television actor Henry Winkler (Fonzie on Happy Days) is probably best known as the director of the popular Clark and Michael web series which starred Michael Cera and Clark Duke. In 2005, he co-wrote and co-directed a short film titled The King of Central Park, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Malibu International Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The short is wonderfully awkward, sometimes Wes Anderson-like, especially in the music, use of slow motion and symmetrical framing. You could definitely see he has a unique...
- 10/15/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Reviewed at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival.
There is a natural analogy to be made between "Ceremony" executive producer Jason Reitman and director Max Winkler, son of Henry, but that's probably not the one either would want to hear first. It's a good thing then that Max also happens to share Reitman's eye and ear as a filmmaker, making his first feature, after honing his skills on Web series like "Clark and Michael" and "Wainy Days," the promise of greater things. However, their styles shouldn't be confused as Winkler seems to come more from the Wes Anderson/Whit Stillman school where style is dictated by dialogue, the energy of the scenes derived from the rat-a-tat rhythm of its players who exist in a reality that's only partially identifiable to our own.
This is immediately evident when we meet Michael Angarano's Sam Davis, a character who has wandered out from the...
There is a natural analogy to be made between "Ceremony" executive producer Jason Reitman and director Max Winkler, son of Henry, but that's probably not the one either would want to hear first. It's a good thing then that Max also happens to share Reitman's eye and ear as a filmmaker, making his first feature, after honing his skills on Web series like "Clark and Michael" and "Wainy Days," the promise of greater things. However, their styles shouldn't be confused as Winkler seems to come more from the Wes Anderson/Whit Stillman school where style is dictated by dialogue, the energy of the scenes derived from the rat-a-tat rhythm of its players who exist in a reality that's only partially identifiable to our own.
This is immediately evident when we meet Michael Angarano's Sam Davis, a character who has wandered out from the...
- 9/16/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Yesterday, I attended the premiere of Max Winkler's feature directorial debut Ceremony at the Toronto International Film Festival. The 27-year old USC film school graduate and son of television actor Henry Winkler (Fonzie on Happy Days) is probably best known as the director of the popular Clark and Michael web series which starred Michael Cera and Clark Duke. In 2005, he co-wrote and co-directed a short film titled The King of Central Park, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Malibu International Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The short is wonderfully awkward, sometimes Wes Anderson-like, especially in the music, use of slow motion and symmetrical framing. You could definitely see he has a unique voice and sense of comedy, which led to a few writing assignments: He co-wrote The Adventurer's Handbook with Jonah Hill and Matt Spicer, which SNL Digital Shorts/Hot Rod helmer Akiva Schaffer...
- 9/15/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Max Winkler, known for his work on one of my favorite web series Clark and Michael, premiered his debut feature at Tiff this year. The comedy/drama Ceremony stars Michael Angarano (Snow Angels, Gentleman Broncos), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction), and Reece Thompson (Rocket Science, Assassination of a High School President).
Sam David (Angarano) is planning a weekend trip with his best friend, who hasn’t talked with for over a year, Marshall (Thompson). When they get to their vacation location, the truth comes out that Sam actually planned the whole trip to get closer to an ex-girlfriend who is getting married that weekend, Zoe (Thurman).
Right off the bat, Winkler sets a very hyper-realistic tone. The dialogue is a little too perfect and Sam is a character that acts way older than he is. Once one gets used to the style, the film really gets in a groove...
Sam David (Angarano) is planning a weekend trip with his best friend, who hasn’t talked with for over a year, Marshall (Thompson). When they get to their vacation location, the truth comes out that Sam actually planned the whole trip to get closer to an ex-girlfriend who is getting married that weekend, Zoe (Thurman).
Right off the bat, Winkler sets a very hyper-realistic tone. The dialogue is a little too perfect and Sam is a character that acts way older than he is. Once one gets used to the style, the film really gets in a groove...
- 9/15/2010
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Michael Cera thinks "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is "tricky" to market. The 22-year-old actor, who plays the geeky title character in the action comedy, admits he is not surprised "The Expendables" beat them at the U.S. box office because it is an obvious choice for cinema goers.
"It's an easy choice, seeing the wrestler Stone Cold getting punched by Stallone or. Gosh, it's like saying, 'Would you like pizza or would you like this beautifully prepared spaghetti dish that this fine chef made?' I think 'Scott Pilgrim' is a tricky one to sell," he said. "I don't know how you convey that movie in a marketing campaign. I can see it being something that people are slow to discover."
The Canadian-born star also admits he would like to try his hand at more writing, something he already tried with his 2006 web series "Clark and Michael". He revealed to Time Out London,...
"It's an easy choice, seeing the wrestler Stone Cold getting punched by Stallone or. Gosh, it's like saying, 'Would you like pizza or would you like this beautifully prepared spaghetti dish that this fine chef made?' I think 'Scott Pilgrim' is a tricky one to sell," he said. "I don't know how you convey that movie in a marketing campaign. I can see it being something that people are slow to discover."
The Canadian-born star also admits he would like to try his hand at more writing, something he already tried with his 2006 web series "Clark and Michael". He revealed to Time Out London,...
- 8/31/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
Dallywood, beyond my original conception, is not at all about dallying. After all, buddies Jeff Hoferer (also the creator) and Bryan Massey are far too busy checking their IMDb Star Meters, psyching each other up before auditions (and then consoling each other), or staring at their vision board to be wasting any time. It took me a while to figure this out, but the physical location where the budding actors are not dallying isn’t in Hollywood, it’s in Dallas (hence the name). They’re kings of their own backyard scene, big fishes in a presumably little acting pond. Hoferer and Massey (both keep their real names for their characters, presumably to keep their Star Meters churning) bond over auditions and bookings in an industry lingo that sounds familiar, but I’m guessing has its own Texas twang. They, of course, lack the post-pubescent charm of Clark and Michael,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Michael Shaw
- Tubefilter.com
Michael Angarano has signed on and Jesse Eisenberg is in negotiations to star in "Ceremony," a comedy from Nala Films on which Max Winkler is making his feature directorial debut. Jason Reitman and Daniel Dubiecki are exec producing.
The indie film, which is being produced by Darlene Caamano Loquet and Emilio Diez Barroso along with former Warner Independent Pictures president Polly Cohen Johnsen and Matt Spicer, is very much of the Next Gen mold: Winkler is the son of actor Henry Winkler, and Reitman is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker son of Ivan Reitman.
Also written by Winkler, the comedy follows a young man (Eisenberg) who falls hard for an older woman about to be married. The infatuation prompts him to take along his unwitting friend (Angarano) to a beach town in an effort to break up the wedding. Upon arriving, the young men quickly realize just how out of place they...
The indie film, which is being produced by Darlene Caamano Loquet and Emilio Diez Barroso along with former Warner Independent Pictures president Polly Cohen Johnsen and Matt Spicer, is very much of the Next Gen mold: Winkler is the son of actor Henry Winkler, and Reitman is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker son of Ivan Reitman.
Also written by Winkler, the comedy follows a young man (Eisenberg) who falls hard for an older woman about to be married. The infatuation prompts him to take along his unwitting friend (Angarano) to a beach town in an effort to break up the wedding. Upon arriving, the young men quickly realize just how out of place they...
- 6/9/2009
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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