Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, DC and R.J. Cutler’s production hub This Machine are developing a documentary about the iconic Mad magazine.
Oscar-and Emmy-winning director Jessica Yu will direct the untitled docu about the 71-year-old humor brand.
The feature-length doc will explore the origins of the magazine, as well as its irreverent, independent, and often incisive humor. Yu will also examine how Mad became a staple of American satire for generations and encouraged readers to question authority. Mad magazine, which is owned by DC, has authorized the doc and granted the filmmaking team exclusive access to its archives.
In April Al Jaffee, the cartoonist who gave Mad magazine its iconic back page by creating the publication’s fold-in feature, died at the age of 102. In 1964, Jaffee’s fold-in was featured for the first time in Mad magazine, marking the start of the methodic flip-through that Mad readers would do for decades.
Oscar-and Emmy-winning director Jessica Yu will direct the untitled docu about the 71-year-old humor brand.
The feature-length doc will explore the origins of the magazine, as well as its irreverent, independent, and often incisive humor. Yu will also examine how Mad became a staple of American satire for generations and encouraged readers to question authority. Mad magazine, which is owned by DC, has authorized the doc and granted the filmmaking team exclusive access to its archives.
In April Al Jaffee, the cartoonist who gave Mad magazine its iconic back page by creating the publication’s fold-in feature, died at the age of 102. In 1964, Jaffee’s fold-in was featured for the first time in Mad magazine, marking the start of the methodic flip-through that Mad readers would do for decades.
- 11/15/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
"I don't think anyone could have anticipated how many children would want this product." Uh huh, sure. Netflix has debuted an official trailer for another tech business documentary series called Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul, arriving for streaming next month. Directed by R.J. Cutler (of the Belushi doc), this is produced by Amblin Television & Time Studios. Big Vape tells the high-drama, rags-to-riches story of the controversial electronic cigarette company Juul which transformed from a scrappy Silicon Valley tech start-up run by two idealistic Stanford graduate students intent on making the world a better place into a multi-billion-dollar tobacco company that sparked an epidemic of youth addiction & lung disease. Perhaps not everyone has heard of Juul before, but they certainly made an impact (for worse) jumping on the vaping bandwagon. Another tale of greed and ignorance, with businessmen trying to make money without realizing the real harm they're doing.
- 9/22/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Last Wednesday, Rolling Stone and Variety made more news regarding their upcoming Truth Seekers Summit, presented by Showtime on August 2nd. The two brands announced a digital content hub for attendees, featuring the kind of reporting that’s at the heart of the event’s celebration of hard-nosed journalism and documentary and investigative storytelling. Seeking to dig “underneath the surface to reveal what’s hidden, what happened and what might come next,” the content hub will showcase stories on documentaries of all genres by both Rolling Stone and Variety.
One...
One...
- 7/26/2023
- by Sean Malcolm
- Rollingstone.com
On Wednesday, Rolling Stone and Variety announced more names and special programming that will appear at the two brands’ annual Truth Seekers Summit, presented by Showtime. Serving as welcomed additions to the August 2nd event, these developments will further bolster an already stacked lineup that will feature keynote and panel discussions led by journalists, documentary filmmakers and cultural trendsetters, whose sole purpose is to spread the gospel of authenticity while bringing truth to light in the stories they tell.
Hollywood and Crime’s host and co-producer, Tracy Pattin, will be...
Hollywood and Crime’s host and co-producer, Tracy Pattin, will be...
- 6/23/2023
- by Sean Malcolm
- Rollingstone.com
“Murf the Surf,” a four-part docuseries, based on the infamous jewel thief Jack Roland Murphy, will premiere February 5, 2023 on MGM+. It’s written and directed by two-time Emmy winner R.J. Cutler and executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.
At a recent screening for the documentary held at The Aster in Los Angeles, Cutler spoke with Deadline’s Matt Carey about the project. “I got a call asking if I had seen an article written in the New York Times,” the director explained. “It was tied to the renovation that was going on to the Museum of Natural History in New York. It told the story of this jewel heist that had taken place in the 1960s, in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. These surfer-dude jewel thieves had captured the public imagination and became nightly news fodder. Americans gathered around the TV to see what was going on with the case.
At a recent screening for the documentary held at The Aster in Los Angeles, Cutler spoke with Deadline’s Matt Carey about the project. “I got a call asking if I had seen an article written in the New York Times,” the director explained. “It was tied to the renovation that was going on to the Museum of Natural History in New York. It told the story of this jewel heist that had taken place in the 1960s, in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. These surfer-dude jewel thieves had captured the public imagination and became nightly news fodder. Americans gathered around the TV to see what was going on with the case.
- 2/1/2023
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Christina Milian (Step Up: High Water) and Steven Strait (The Expanse) will topline the thriller Body Language from MarVista Entertainment, which has wrapped production. Others set for the film directed by Cory Miller, which marks Milian’s first as a producer, include Annie Gonzalez (Flamin’ Hot), Gregg Wayans (Kidding) and Robert Belushi (Ballers).
Written by Miller and Belushi, Body Language centers on Mariana (Milian), who serves as Director of Personnel for a major security firm. Mariana excels at reading people, a skill that’s put to the test one night when her fiancé’s enigmatic college buddy, Dylan (Strait), visits to cook a celebratory engagement dinner.
Milian is joined as a producer on Body Language by Chad and Carey Hayes (The Conjuring), as well as Neon Kite’s Lisa Wight and Jay Glazer, Belushi, and Mandy June Turpin. Carmen Milian is exec producing alongside Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew for MarVista Entertainment.
Written by Miller and Belushi, Body Language centers on Mariana (Milian), who serves as Director of Personnel for a major security firm. Mariana excels at reading people, a skill that’s put to the test one night when her fiancé’s enigmatic college buddy, Dylan (Strait), visits to cook a celebratory engagement dinner.
Milian is joined as a producer on Body Language by Chad and Carey Hayes (The Conjuring), as well as Neon Kite’s Lisa Wight and Jay Glazer, Belushi, and Mandy June Turpin. Carmen Milian is exec producing alongside Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew for MarVista Entertainment.
- 12/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
R.J. Cutler’s production hub This Machine is developing another documentary about a music star — in this case, the late Olivia Newton-John, who died in August 2022.
The feature-length doc will explore Newton-John’s life and work as an iconic entertainer, best-selling music artist, animal rights and environmental activist and health, wellness and plant medicine advocate. This Machine has secured full authorized access to Newton-John’s music and personal archives.
In 1978, Newton-John co-starred with John Travolta in “Grease,” which catapulted her into super-stardom. During her career, she garnered four Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award and numerous other trophies. Her other feature film credits include “Funny Things Happen Down Under,” “Toomorrow,” “Xanadu,” “Two of A Kind,” “It’s My Party, Sordid Lives,” “Score: A Hockey Musical,” and “A Few Best Men.”
Cutler, along with This Machine’s Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith, will produce the untitled docu, while John Easterling, Larry Mestel,...
The feature-length doc will explore Newton-John’s life and work as an iconic entertainer, best-selling music artist, animal rights and environmental activist and health, wellness and plant medicine advocate. This Machine has secured full authorized access to Newton-John’s music and personal archives.
In 1978, Newton-John co-starred with John Travolta in “Grease,” which catapulted her into super-stardom. During her career, she garnered four Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award and numerous other trophies. Her other feature film credits include “Funny Things Happen Down Under,” “Toomorrow,” “Xanadu,” “Two of A Kind,” “It’s My Party, Sordid Lives,” “Score: A Hockey Musical,” and “A Few Best Men.”
Cutler, along with This Machine’s Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith, will produce the untitled docu, while John Easterling, Larry Mestel,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Did you happen to catch the season premiere of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” a few weeks ago?
The show’s “cold open” was a spoof of “Monday Night Football,” with guest host Miles Teller impersonating NFL analyst Peyton Manning and “SNL” writer and feature player Andrew Dismukes imitating his brother Eli. Except instead of talking sports, the two focused their running commentary on “SNL” itself, ripping apart a separate skit-within-a-skit, shown in split screen, in which other cast members bumbled around the stage as Donald Trump and his minions at Mar-a-Lago during Hurricane Ian.
“Let’s take a look at the stats so far,” Teller quipped a few minutes into the program. “Fourteen attempted jokes, only one mild laugh and three chuckles.”
“I hear they stayed up till 5 a.m. writing this show,” Dismukes chimed in.
“What time did they start writing? 4:30?” cracked Teller.
Also Read:
NBC’s...
The show’s “cold open” was a spoof of “Monday Night Football,” with guest host Miles Teller impersonating NFL analyst Peyton Manning and “SNL” writer and feature player Andrew Dismukes imitating his brother Eli. Except instead of talking sports, the two focused their running commentary on “SNL” itself, ripping apart a separate skit-within-a-skit, shown in split screen, in which other cast members bumbled around the stage as Donald Trump and his minions at Mar-a-Lago during Hurricane Ian.
“Let’s take a look at the stats so far,” Teller quipped a few minutes into the program. “Fourteen attempted jokes, only one mild laugh and three chuckles.”
“I hear they stayed up till 5 a.m. writing this show,” Dismukes chimed in.
“What time did they start writing? 4:30?” cracked Teller.
Also Read:
NBC’s...
- 10/29/2022
- by Benjamin Svetkey
- The Wrap
Exclusive: WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.
“The agency will work with the award-winning filmmaker – who has made some of the most significant documentaries and television series of the past quarter century – in all areas,” according to Cutler’s PR reps.
Deadline broke the news last week that Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ won the rights to the Elton John feature, to be co-directed by Cutler and John’s life partner David Furnish, in a deal pegged at around 30 million. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will include concert performances spanning 50 years, as well as the recording artist’s journals and contemporary footage of his family.
Over the course of a 30-year career,...
“The agency will work with the award-winning filmmaker – who has made some of the most significant documentaries and television series of the past quarter century – in all areas,” according to Cutler’s PR reps.
Deadline broke the news last week that Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ won the rights to the Elton John feature, to be co-directed by Cutler and John’s life partner David Furnish, in a deal pegged at around 30 million. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will include concert performances spanning 50 years, as well as the recording artist’s journals and contemporary footage of his family.
Over the course of a 30-year career,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ announced today the feature documentary “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and The Years That Made His Legend.” From Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler and filmmaker David Furnish, the documentary will serve as the official feature on Elton John, comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. Following a robust festival run and limited theatrical release, the film will be available exclusively on Disney+.
Rooted in Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” the feature documentary film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in what promises to be one of the greatest send-offs in rock-and-roll history when John performs his final North American show at Dodger Stadium this upcoming November. The film will also look back at the extraordinary first five years of John’s career when,...
Rooted in Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” the feature documentary film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in what promises to be one of the greatest send-offs in rock-and-roll history when John performs his final North American show at Dodger Stadium this upcoming November. The film will also look back at the extraordinary first five years of John’s career when,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to a big feature documentary package, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend. No one would comment, but we hear the docu, from Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler as well as filmmaker (and longtime Elton John partner) David Furnish, sold for about 30 million.
Designed to serve as the official feature on Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. The plan for the project is to get a festival run and limited theatrical release and be made available exclusively on Disney+.
At the heart of the documentary is Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” as the film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in his...
Designed to serve as the official feature on Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. The plan for the project is to get a festival run and limited theatrical release and be made available exclusively on Disney+.
At the heart of the documentary is Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” as the film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in his...
- 5/18/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva and Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
This Machine, the production company founded by veteran documentary director and producer R.J. Cutler, has bolstered its development and production team with four new hires.
Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
Cutler has named Sally Rosen Phillips as vice president, creative; Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as director, creative; Jim Czarnecki, senior vice president, production, and Ian Egos, vice president. The four new hires bring This Machine’s employee headcount to 20. Rosen Phillips, Shamsid-Deen, Czarnecki and Egos join senior executives Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Margaret Yen and Katie Doering.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sally, Qadriyyah, Jim and Ian — four truly creative and passionate individuals — to our rapidly growing team at This Machine,” says Cutler, who served as a producer on Chris Hegedus and...
Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
Cutler has named Sally Rosen Phillips as vice president, creative; Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as director, creative; Jim Czarnecki, senior vice president, production, and Ian Egos, vice president. The four new hires bring This Machine’s employee headcount to 20. Rosen Phillips, Shamsid-Deen, Czarnecki and Egos join senior executives Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Margaret Yen and Katie Doering.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sally, Qadriyyah, Jim and Ian — four truly creative and passionate individuals — to our rapidly growing team at This Machine,” says Cutler, who served as a producer on Chris Hegedus and...
- 4/18/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Award-winning documentary editor Lindsay Utz is turning her attention to directing.
Utz, who edited 2020 Academy Award winner American Factory and this year’s Oscar contender Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, has signed a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. This Machine, an Industrial Media company, is headed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish doc.
Utz’s credits include cutting Miss Americana, the 2020 film about Taylor Swift, Bully (2011), and Quest, a 2017 doc that earned her the Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. She has earned a pair of Primetime Emmy nominations, for her work on American Factory and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.
Cutler’s many credits include directing the 2020 documentary Belushi, The September Issue (2009), The World According to Dick Cheney (2013), and producing the seminal 1993 documentary The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s run for president.
Utz, who edited 2020 Academy Award winner American Factory and this year’s Oscar contender Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, has signed a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. This Machine, an Industrial Media company, is headed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish doc.
Utz’s credits include cutting Miss Americana, the 2020 film about Taylor Swift, Bully (2011), and Quest, a 2017 doc that earned her the Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. She has earned a pair of Primetime Emmy nominations, for her work on American Factory and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.
Cutler’s many credits include directing the 2020 documentary Belushi, The September Issue (2009), The World According to Dick Cheney (2013), and producing the seminal 1993 documentary The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s run for president.
- 12/8/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The feature documentary is by UK filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck
Austrian documentary specialist Autlook Filmsales has picked up international rights to Victoria Mapplebeck’s Motherboard, one of the most talked about feature projects at this week’s IDFA Forum pitching event in Amsterdam.
Shot on a smartphone, Motherboard has been 18 years in the making. Mapplebeck turned the camera on herself when she found herself single, pregnant and broke. Unable to combine the life of a freelancer with raising a child alone, the filmmaker let go of her career in TV. But she never gave up filming, and collected a vast archive of photos and videos,...
Austrian documentary specialist Autlook Filmsales has picked up international rights to Victoria Mapplebeck’s Motherboard, one of the most talked about feature projects at this week’s IDFA Forum pitching event in Amsterdam.
Shot on a smartphone, Motherboard has been 18 years in the making. Mapplebeck turned the camera on herself when she found herself single, pregnant and broke. Unable to combine the life of a freelancer with raising a child alone, the filmmaker let go of her career in TV. But she never gave up filming, and collected a vast archive of photos and videos,...
- 11/24/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Rolling Stone and Variety are pleased to announce additional programming for the inaugural “Truth Seekers” virtual summit on August 26th, presented by Showtime Documentary Films. RZA will participate in a keynote conversation about creating, executive-producing, and composing Wu-Tang: An American Saga, a series that examines the Wu-Tang Clan’s formation, mega-success, and cultural influence.
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes will take part in a keynote conversation about his new documentary feature, The Velvet Underground, and give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his creative process in telling the story of the legendary rock band.
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes will take part in a keynote conversation about his new documentary feature, The Velvet Underground, and give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his creative process in telling the story of the legendary rock band.
- 8/6/2021
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
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Showtime will officially begin streaming “The Chi” Season 4 finale at midnight on Sunday. If you’re not already subscribed to the cable network, there’s still time to join so that you can watch the finale for free.
Jacob Latimore, Yolanda Ross, Michael V. Epps, Alex R. Hibbert, Shamon Brown Jr., and Luke James star in Lena Waithe’s drama series exploring life on the South Side of Chicago.
Whether you’re new to “The Chi,” or catching up on older episodes, Showtime gives you unlimited streaming access and you won’t pay a dime for the first month. The network is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers, which means you...
Showtime will officially begin streaming “The Chi” Season 4 finale at midnight on Sunday. If you’re not already subscribed to the cable network, there’s still time to join so that you can watch the finale for free.
Jacob Latimore, Yolanda Ross, Michael V. Epps, Alex R. Hibbert, Shamon Brown Jr., and Luke James star in Lena Waithe’s drama series exploring life on the South Side of Chicago.
Whether you’re new to “The Chi,” or catching up on older episodes, Showtime gives you unlimited streaming access and you won’t pay a dime for the first month. The network is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers, which means you...
- 8/1/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
On July 13, 2021, music director Aron Forbes woke up to his first-ever Emmy nominations for AppleTV+’s frank, in-depth music documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.” It’s probably the most revealing behind-the-scenes superstar doc since “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” except this one is about massive success filtered through the prism of someone who is barely old enough to drive (Note: you actually see Eilish score her driver’s license over the course of the movie), and told over several impactful, sometimes awkwardly raw years.
“It’s just mind-blowing, you know, the people in those categories, some of them I’ve looked up to my whole life,” says Forbes, referring to his category mates who chronicled music legends as diverse as Tina Turner, David Byrne and the Bee Gees. “It’s beyond unexpected.” But there’s one major thing that separates Forbes from his competition: he was literally arranging...
“It’s just mind-blowing, you know, the people in those categories, some of them I’ve looked up to my whole life,” says Forbes, referring to his category mates who chronicled music legends as diverse as Tina Turner, David Byrne and the Bee Gees. “It’s beyond unexpected.” But there’s one major thing that separates Forbes from his competition: he was literally arranging...
- 7/21/2021
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
Variety and Rolling Stone are pleased to announce programming for the inaugural Truth Seekers virtual summit on August 26th, presented by Showtime Documentary Films. Keynote speakers will include Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris (The Fog of War), with panels from documentarians behind Allen v. Farrow, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer, and more.
Stanley Nelson will receive the Truth Seeker Award. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Peabody Award recipient,...
Stanley Nelson will receive the Truth Seeker Award. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Peabody Award recipient,...
- 7/21/2021
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
This story about Cannes’ 2020 selection first appeared in TheWrap’s special digital Cannes magazine.
Last year, Cannes announced a list of 62 new feature films as its official selection for 2020, a year in which the festival itself didn’t take place. Bearing the prestigious imprimatur of the festival, the movies had a variety of releases. Here are some of the ones with the highest profiles since being singled out by Cannes.
“The French Dispatch” / Searchlight Pictures
Faithful
“DNA,” Maïwenn
Premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 2020, released by Netflix in the U.S. in December and in France in May.
“True Mothers,” Naomi Kawase
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020; submitted as Japan’s entry in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
“Peninsula,” Yeon Sang-Ho
Released theatrically in South Korea in July 2020 and in the U.S. (as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula) in August.
“Another Round,...
Last year, Cannes announced a list of 62 new feature films as its official selection for 2020, a year in which the festival itself didn’t take place. Bearing the prestigious imprimatur of the festival, the movies had a variety of releases. Here are some of the ones with the highest profiles since being singled out by Cannes.
“The French Dispatch” / Searchlight Pictures
Faithful
“DNA,” Maïwenn
Premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 2020, released by Netflix in the U.S. in December and in France in May.
“True Mothers,” Naomi Kawase
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020; submitted as Japan’s entry in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
“Peninsula,” Yeon Sang-Ho
Released theatrically in South Korea in July 2020 and in the U.S. (as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula) in August.
“Another Round,...
- 7/6/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
R.J. Cutler, the director behind Apple TV+’s acclaimed “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” documentary, is setting his sights on Juul for his next project.
Deadline recently reported that Netflix has ordered a documentary series from Cutler based on the “Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul” book by Time Magazine correspondent Jamie Ducharme. Cutler will direct and executive produce the series, while Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television. Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith will executive produce for THis Machine and Ian Orefice and Rebecca Teitel will executive produce for Time Studios.
Per Deadline, the series will chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72 percent of the market. An episode count and release date are under wraps.
Amazon’s synopsis Ducharme’s book reads:
It began with a smoke break.
Deadline recently reported that Netflix has ordered a documentary series from Cutler based on the “Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul” book by Time Magazine correspondent Jamie Ducharme. Cutler will direct and executive produce the series, while Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television. Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith will executive produce for THis Machine and Ian Orefice and Rebecca Teitel will executive produce for Time Studios.
Per Deadline, the series will chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72 percent of the market. An episode count and release date are under wraps.
Amazon’s synopsis Ducharme’s book reads:
It began with a smoke break.
- 6/20/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Epix has landed Murf the Surf, the four-part docuseries from Imagine Documentaries and R.J. Cutler’s This Machine, about the famed jewel thief Jack Roland Murphy. Cutler, the two-time Emmy winner who’s coming off the docus Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and Belushi, wrote and directed the series.
Epix has greenlit the true crime saga, which gets up and close and personal with America’s most infamous jewel thief. Cutler’s producing with his longtime producing partner Trevor Smith along with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein for Imagine and Elise Pearlstein for This Machine, which is an Industrial Media Company.
Murphy has the exploits to fit four episodes. His most infamous credit was an epic jewel heist of the Museum of Natural History, the biggest in New York history. It was masterminded by a band of suave “surfer dudes” from...
Epix has greenlit the true crime saga, which gets up and close and personal with America’s most infamous jewel thief. Cutler’s producing with his longtime producing partner Trevor Smith along with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein for Imagine and Elise Pearlstein for This Machine, which is an Industrial Media Company.
Murphy has the exploits to fit four episodes. His most infamous credit was an epic jewel heist of the Museum of Natural History, the biggest in New York history. It was masterminded by a band of suave “surfer dudes” from...
- 6/9/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
“What is really going on with all of these different projects are great stories about these extraordinary people who care a tremendous amount about what they do, or are doing it as well as they possibly can under high stakes circumstances,” says R.J. Cutler about his trio of nonfiction programs this year. He directed the documentaries “Belushi” (Showtime) and “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” (Apple TV+) and he created and executive produces the docuseries “Dear…” (Apple TV+). Watch our exclusive video interview with Cutler above.
“Dear…” explores a different public figure in each episode (ranging from Spike Lee to Gloria Steinem to Oprah Winfrey), with their stories told through the prism of letters written to them by people whose lives they’ve affected. “As [episode two subject Lin-Manuel Miranda] says, your work is like a pebble in a pond of water,” Cutler explains. “You put it out there and the ripple...
“Dear…” explores a different public figure in each episode (ranging from Spike Lee to Gloria Steinem to Oprah Winfrey), with their stories told through the prism of letters written to them by people whose lives they’ve affected. “As [episode two subject Lin-Manuel Miranda] says, your work is like a pebble in a pond of water,” Cutler explains. “You put it out there and the ripple...
- 6/6/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Paul McCartney once told a Liverpool High School class that when it comes to songwriting, “‘I don’t know how to do this.”
Of course, that’s only because songwriting comes so natural to him.
While deconstructing songwriting might be a challenge to the great Beatle, sometimes there’s a lot to learn simply by watching the greats do it.
And that’s the biggest takeaway in R.J. Cutler’s AppleTV+ documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry: Watching how the 7x Grammy winner and her producer/songwriting brother Finneas O’Connell, also a 6x Grammy winner, tick, producing a mindblowing sonic sound straight from their messy, Angelino recording studio bedroom.
Cutler turns the camera on, and the feeling is that we’re getting an honest take on this edgy performer on her upward rocketship; she’s got nothing to hide as she ultimately reveals something tragic about her...
Of course, that’s only because songwriting comes so natural to him.
While deconstructing songwriting might be a challenge to the great Beatle, sometimes there’s a lot to learn simply by watching the greats do it.
And that’s the biggest takeaway in R.J. Cutler’s AppleTV+ documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry: Watching how the 7x Grammy winner and her producer/songwriting brother Finneas O’Connell, also a 6x Grammy winner, tick, producing a mindblowing sonic sound straight from their messy, Angelino recording studio bedroom.
Cutler turns the camera on, and the feeling is that we’re getting an honest take on this edgy performer on her upward rocketship; she’s got nothing to hide as she ultimately reveals something tragic about her...
- 6/2/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
A documentary is in the works on the life of Martha Stewart, with Netflix having won the rights to the film after it had been shopped to buyers, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
R.J. Cutler, the director most recently behind “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” and “Belushi” as well as the film “The September Issue,” is directing the film and will also produce.
As of now. the film is untitled and is only described as being about “the life and times of Martha Stewart.” But the film is likely to tell Stewart’s story beginning as a babysitter for the children of New York Yankees baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra up through her early modeling career and into her run as one of the most recognizable culinary personalities, TV hosts and entrepreneurs of the day. It’s unclear if it will also focus on the...
R.J. Cutler, the director most recently behind “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” and “Belushi” as well as the film “The September Issue,” is directing the film and will also produce.
As of now. the film is untitled and is only described as being about “the life and times of Martha Stewart.” But the film is likely to tell Stewart’s story beginning as a babysitter for the children of New York Yankees baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra up through her early modeling career and into her run as one of the most recognizable culinary personalities, TV hosts and entrepreneurs of the day. It’s unclear if it will also focus on the...
- 5/24/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Netflix has emerged the winner of a bake-off for a documentary about the life and times of media mogul Martha Stewart.
Oscar-nominated director R.J. Cutler had been shopping a sizzle reel of the all-access look at the history of America’s preeminent hostess in recent weeks. Netflix closed the deal late last week, according to insiders.
While specifics are still unknown, the film will foreseeably follow Stewart’s early life in Jersey City as a babysitter to famed New York Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra (legend has it some of her first ever party-planning gigs were for their kids), to teen model and eventual media titan. The massive growth of her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire and 2004 prison stint for insider trading will also presumably be on the table.
Cutler will also serve as producer, alongside Trevor Smith, Jane Cha Cutler and Alina Cho. Industrial Media’s This...
Oscar-nominated director R.J. Cutler had been shopping a sizzle reel of the all-access look at the history of America’s preeminent hostess in recent weeks. Netflix closed the deal late last week, according to insiders.
While specifics are still unknown, the film will foreseeably follow Stewart’s early life in Jersey City as a babysitter to famed New York Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra (legend has it some of her first ever party-planning gigs were for their kids), to teen model and eventual media titan. The massive growth of her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire and 2004 prison stint for insider trading will also presumably be on the table.
Cutler will also serve as producer, alongside Trevor Smith, Jane Cha Cutler and Alina Cho. Industrial Media’s This...
- 5/24/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Pop superstar Billie Eilish has never shied away from sharing her life with her fans, from her massive Instagram account (75.4 million followers and rising), her often quite honest interviews, and her eagerness to share the decidedly homespun elements of her creative process (usually alongside her brother Finneas O’Connell) with the world. And yet, even as Eilish continues to climb the charts, rack up accolades, and evolve her work, her desire to put her fans first has never waned.
It seems only right that the star is now getting her very own documentary in the form of R.J. Cutler’s “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” but what might surprise you is just how much more Eilish — and her family, including Finneas and mom Maggie and dad Patrick — happily share in the intimate film. For Cutler, who has long excelled at getting his subjects, from the teenage stars of “American...
It seems only right that the star is now getting her very own documentary in the form of R.J. Cutler’s “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” but what might surprise you is just how much more Eilish — and her family, including Finneas and mom Maggie and dad Patrick — happily share in the intimate film. For Cutler, who has long excelled at getting his subjects, from the teenage stars of “American...
- 2/26/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
One of the first credits in the documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” is “An Interscope Films Production,” which isn’t the most encouraging opening. When the company that manages an artist and releases their music is also behind a film about that artist, you expect lots of access but perhaps not so much objectivity.
Then again, it’s pretty much guaranteed that most music-oriented docs these days have ties to the artists’ business interests — and besides, Billie Eilish is not the kind of musician who seems inclined to be looking for an airbrushed vanity piece. The music she’s been making since she was 13 constitutes her own authorized portrait of sorts, and it’s a portrait that is raw and unkempt and human; if the point of her music is to capture a young life in all its messiness, uncertainty and pain, the company that releases that...
Then again, it’s pretty much guaranteed that most music-oriented docs these days have ties to the artists’ business interests — and besides, Billie Eilish is not the kind of musician who seems inclined to be looking for an airbrushed vanity piece. The music she’s been making since she was 13 constitutes her own authorized portrait of sorts, and it’s a portrait that is raw and unkempt and human; if the point of her music is to capture a young life in all its messiness, uncertainty and pain, the company that releases that...
- 2/26/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday revealed the 366 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 93rd Oscars, which are set to air April 25 live on ABC.
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
- 2/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Another important moment in the awards season has come our way today. Yes, the Academy has released their lists of what’s eligible in a few of the Oscar categories. In short, we now know what’s up for Academy Award nominations in the Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature categories. Until we get to a shortlist, everything is up for grabs, but now we know what’s at least in the running, and that’s good… Here now are the lists: Animated Feature Film “Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus” “Bombay Rose” “Calamity” “The Croods: A New Age” “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” “Dreambuilders” “Lane” “On-Gaku: Our Sound” “Onward” “Over the Moon” “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” “Ride Your Wave” “Scoob!” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” “Soul” “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” “Terra Willy” “Trolls World Tour...
- 1/28/2021
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its official entries for 2021 Oscars in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Feature and International Films. The takeaway: As expected, the eligible Documentary Feature lineup shatters the record for the most ever.
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The number of films available to Oscar voters in a screening room devoted to the Best Picture category hit the 200 mark on Wednesday, which means that $2.5 million has entered the Academy coffers from films paying $12,500 each to be represented in the screening room.
The members-only Academy Screening Room hit the milestone with the addition of more than a dozen movies this week, including Fisher Stevens’ “Palmer,” Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” John Lee Hancock’s “The Little Things,” the Russo brothers’ “Cherry,” Josh Trank’s “Capone,” the documentary “Coup 53,” the Studio Ghibli animated film “Earwig and the Witch,” the international films “Funny Boy” and “Bacarau” (neither eligible in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category) and some off-the-wall selections, including “Snake White – Love Endures” and “Soorarai Pottru.”
Other late additions to the screening room have included “Minari,” “Promising Young Woman,” “The White Tiger” and “Cherry,” which were not added until January.
The members-only Academy Screening Room hit the milestone with the addition of more than a dozen movies this week, including Fisher Stevens’ “Palmer,” Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” John Lee Hancock’s “The Little Things,” the Russo brothers’ “Cherry,” Josh Trank’s “Capone,” the documentary “Coup 53,” the Studio Ghibli animated film “Earwig and the Witch,” the international films “Funny Boy” and “Bacarau” (neither eligible in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category) and some off-the-wall selections, including “Snake White – Love Endures” and “Soorarai Pottru.”
Other late additions to the screening room have included “Minari,” “Promising Young Woman,” “The White Tiger” and “Cherry,” which were not added until January.
- 1/28/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Bluto, the volcanic Samurai Futaba, “Joliet” Jake Blues, the Cheeseburger Man, a spasmodic Joe Cocker—the list of characters John Belushi brought to life in his all-too-brief but remarkable career only hints at his outsized role in American comedy.
“This guy was pure visionary,” marvels R.J. Cutler, director of the Showtime documentary Belushi about the late film star and original Saturday Night Live cast member. “[His] work remains vital to this very day.”
To make his biographical film Cutler initially reached out to many of Belushi’s famous contemporaries. But that only took him so far.
“I spent a fair amount of time [chatting] with folks who had known John, and I started to feel like the stories they were telling me were kind of lost in the foggy haze of memory. They felt a little like, ‘These are the stories I tell when I tell stories about John Belushi,’” Cutler recalls.
“This guy was pure visionary,” marvels R.J. Cutler, director of the Showtime documentary Belushi about the late film star and original Saturday Night Live cast member. “[His] work remains vital to this very day.”
To make his biographical film Cutler initially reached out to many of Belushi’s famous contemporaries. But that only took him so far.
“I spent a fair amount of time [chatting] with folks who had known John, and I started to feel like the stories they were telling me were kind of lost in the foggy haze of memory. They felt a little like, ‘These are the stories I tell when I tell stories about John Belushi,’” Cutler recalls.
- 1/26/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
On the January 21, 2021 episode of /Film Daily, /Film senior writer Ben Pearson is joined by /Film managing editor Jacob Hall, weekend editor Brad Oman, and writers Hoai-Tran Bui and Chris Evangelista to talk about what they’ve been up to at the virtual water cooler. Opening Banter: At The Water Cooler: What we’ve […]
The post Water Cooler: The Great Muppet Caper, Sunshine, The Royal Tenenbaums, Belushi, After Hours, Lupin, and More appeared first on /Film.
The post Water Cooler: The Great Muppet Caper, Sunshine, The Royal Tenenbaums, Belushi, After Hours, Lupin, and More appeared first on /Film.
- 1/21/2021
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a new series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.) The Movie: Belushi Where You Can Stream It: Showtime The Pitch: A feature documentary from award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler about the too-short life of John Belushi, the once-in-a-generation talent who captured the […]
The post The Quarantine Stream: ‘Belushi’ is an Intimate, Moving Portrait of the Comedian’s Life and Demons appeared first on /Film.
The post The Quarantine Stream: ‘Belushi’ is an Intimate, Moving Portrait of the Comedian’s Life and Demons appeared first on /Film.
- 1/21/2021
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
The Oscars Best Documentary Feature race, which set a new record for entries in December when it passed the previous record of 170, has now left all previous years in the dust with 240 eligible films.
An additional 25 documentary features were placed in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category on Saturday, in what the Academy told voters would be “the final batch” of this year’s entries. It was the last of seven groups of documentaries that qualified and were placed into the screening room: 25 in July, 12 in August, 16 in September, 33 in October, 36 in November, a huge group of 93 in December and now 25 in January.
Academy rules put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic made it easier than usual for documentaries to qualify for the Oscars this year, which opened the door for a field that obliterated the previous record, which was set in 2017. Films could qualify simply...
An additional 25 documentary features were placed in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category on Saturday, in what the Academy told voters would be “the final batch” of this year’s entries. It was the last of seven groups of documentaries that qualified and were placed into the screening room: 25 in July, 12 in August, 16 in September, 33 in October, 36 in November, a huge group of 93 in December and now 25 in January.
Academy rules put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic made it easier than usual for documentaries to qualify for the Oscars this year, which opened the door for a field that obliterated the previous record, which was set in 2017. Films could qualify simply...
- 1/17/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Director R.J. Cutler was in the early stages of working on his Showtime documentary Belushi, about the late comedian John Belushi, when he experienced a breakthrough. It came courtesy of Judy Belushi-Pisano, John’s widow, who kept an archive of material at her home on Martha’s Vineyard.
“It was there we found these remarkable letters that John had written throughout his life…And we found these boxes in which were kept audiotapes and videotapes that comprised an oral history that Judy had put together,” Cutler says during Deadline’s Contenders Documentary event. “From that treasure trove…I realized we have the foundations of a film.”
The tapes contained interviews with Belushi’s closest friends and co-workers, recorded in the 1980s to counter Bob Woodward’s depiction of Belushi in his book Wired, which the family had felt misrepresented the star.
“These tapes…had that immediacy, they had that rawness,...
“It was there we found these remarkable letters that John had written throughout his life…And we found these boxes in which were kept audiotapes and videotapes that comprised an oral history that Judy had put together,” Cutler says during Deadline’s Contenders Documentary event. “From that treasure trove…I realized we have the foundations of a film.”
The tapes contained interviews with Belushi’s closest friends and co-workers, recorded in the 1980s to counter Bob Woodward’s depiction of Belushi in his book Wired, which the family had felt misrepresented the star.
“These tapes…had that immediacy, they had that rawness,...
- 1/10/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Following the continuing success of its long-running Contenders events during Oscar and Emmy seasons, Deadline is making new additions to the franchise with Contenders Documentary, focusing on the year’s most noteworthy non-fiction films, and Contenders International, with its eye on a great lineup of foreign-language entries. Both of these events, designed to put the spotlight on worthy movies that don’t always get the attention they deserve, will be presented virtually due to the pandemic — as we did for the Emmys — in their inaugural year over the course of one weekend, with International taking place on Saturday, January 9, and Documentary on Sunday, January 10. Both will be starting their livestreams at 8 a.m. Pt.
Fifteen studios, streamers and distributors will be participating in the kickoff for Contenders International, with an impressive and varied presentation involving clips and filmmaker/talent Q&As from a total of 23 films from around the world...
Fifteen studios, streamers and distributors will be participating in the kickoff for Contenders International, with an impressive and varied presentation involving clips and filmmaker/talent Q&As from a total of 23 films from around the world...
- 1/1/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy has added 93 more films to the members-only screening room devoted to entries in the Best Documentary Feature category, bringing the total number of eligible contenders to a record-shattering 215.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
The previous record for entries was 170 in 2017. And this year’s crop of nonfiction films is expected to pass that number by an even bigger margin — at least 50 — once a final, smaller group of films is added to the screening room in January.
New eligibility rules that were passed in the wake of the Covid-19 theater closings made it easier for documentaries to qualify this year by allowing them to do so by playing at film festivals, even virtual ones, and by easing requirements for theatrical runs. In an email to members detailing the new additions, the Academy said, “The Documentary Branch Executive Committee felt it was important to be inclusive and supportive of documentary filmmakers in this unprecedented and challenging year.
- 12/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
One of the biggest surprises in R.J. Cutler’s new documentary, “Belushi,” comes at the very, very end of the film towards the end of the closing credits. It’s a song that was written and performed by Belushi’s widow, Judy Belushi Pisano, about her relationship with John called “Best Days.” “It’s one of those happy accidents. While we were filming, she said to me, ‘You want to know what I’ve been doing lately? I’ve been writing a lot of music and I brought my ukulele. One of the songs was the story of her life with John,'” he explained in our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above). Cutler loved the song and was able to find the perfect place to put it. “When we put it over the credits, I realized that’s where it wanted to belong.”
“Belushi,” which is currently available through Showtime,...
“Belushi,” which is currently available through Showtime,...
- 12/19/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
If you were to look at the members-only screening room where films in contention for the Academy Award for Best Picture stream for voters, you might think that documentaries are going to do very well in the Oscars top category this year.
As of Dec. 7, there were 104 films in the Academy Screening Room for the Best Picture category, 26 of which were documentaries. That’s a full 25% of the field, which seems to suggest that nonfiction filmmakers and the companies that release them are optimistic that Oscar voters will recognize docs when they vote this year. After all, it costs $12,500 to put a film in that screening room — and all 26 docs that paid the cost to be there are also in the separate screening room available to the Academy’s Documentary Branch. Spots in that screening room are free for any film that qualifies in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Common sense,...
As of Dec. 7, there were 104 films in the Academy Screening Room for the Best Picture category, 26 of which were documentaries. That’s a full 25% of the field, which seems to suggest that nonfiction filmmakers and the companies that release them are optimistic that Oscar voters will recognize docs when they vote this year. After all, it costs $12,500 to put a film in that screening room — and all 26 docs that paid the cost to be there are also in the separate screening room available to the Academy’s Documentary Branch. Spots in that screening room are free for any film that qualifies in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Common sense,...
- 12/8/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
John Belushi’s kinetic energy and skill at physical comedy made him a larger than life performer during his short run as a superstar on “Saturday Night Live” and in movies such as 1978’s “Animal House” and 1980’s “The Blues Brothers.”
But Belushi’s work off-camera as a writer and director, from his earliest days in the Second City improv troupe, was considerable. As the life of the comedian — who died of a drug overdose at age 33 in 1982 — is re-examined in the R.J. Cutler documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov. 22 on Showtime, here are highlights of Belushi’s story as chronicled by Variety.
The first reference to John Belushi came in the Nov. 17, 1971, edition of weekly Variety. He was singled out for praise in a generally positive review of the “Cum Granis Salis” show staged by Chicago’s legendary Second City. That famed ensemble would later contribute major players to the original “Saturday Night Live” cast,...
But Belushi’s work off-camera as a writer and director, from his earliest days in the Second City improv troupe, was considerable. As the life of the comedian — who died of a drug overdose at age 33 in 1982 — is re-examined in the R.J. Cutler documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov. 22 on Showtime, here are highlights of Belushi’s story as chronicled by Variety.
The first reference to John Belushi came in the Nov. 17, 1971, edition of weekly Variety. He was singled out for praise in a generally positive review of the “Cum Granis Salis” show staged by Chicago’s legendary Second City. That famed ensemble would later contribute major players to the original “Saturday Night Live” cast,...
- 11/22/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
R.J. Cutler on his Showtime documentary ‘Belushi’: ‘He was of his time and so far ahead of his time’
The world became a little less funny on March 5, 1982 when the brilliant comic actor/singer John Belushi died of a lethal injection of heroin and cocaine. He was just 33. The wild and crazy Belushi came to international fame in 1975 as one of the original seven Not Ready for Primetime Players on “Saturday Night Live” bringing to life such character as Samurai Futuba and Pete the Olympia diner counterman who only served “cheesebugga, cheesebugga.”
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
- 11/22/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and monthly guide to What’s on Streaming.
With more than 530 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix — Plus: Disney+, HBO Max and Others'Saved by the Bell' Revival: Everything to...
With more than 530 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix — Plus: Disney+, HBO Max and Others'Saved by the Bell' Revival: Everything to...
- 11/21/2020
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
At least one comedy classic from years past would not have survived today’s standards for commercial production, according to the widow of one of those comedic movie stars.
“I think in terms of the political correctness, I mean, certainly, ‘[National Lampoon’s] Animal House’ would not be made today,” Judy Belushi-Pisano said of her late husband, who emerged as the toga-wearing, fraternity-slob star from that 1978 film.
Pisano was speaking on Wednesday night during a virtual Q&a for the upcoming release of Showtime’s 108-minute documentary, “Belushi.”
“I think John actually was a woman’s libber before I was, sometimes contrary to some things you might hear, John was very good with women, in general,” Pisano said of the comedian, regarded in Hollywood history as an influential comedic actor 38 years after his death. In one of the well-known “Animal House” scenes, Belushi spits food at a table of men and women while imitating a popping zit.
“I think in terms of the political correctness, I mean, certainly, ‘[National Lampoon’s] Animal House’ would not be made today,” Judy Belushi-Pisano said of her late husband, who emerged as the toga-wearing, fraternity-slob star from that 1978 film.
Pisano was speaking on Wednesday night during a virtual Q&a for the upcoming release of Showtime’s 108-minute documentary, “Belushi.”
“I think John actually was a woman’s libber before I was, sometimes contrary to some things you might hear, John was very good with women, in general,” Pisano said of the comedian, regarded in Hollywood history as an influential comedic actor 38 years after his death. In one of the well-known “Animal House” scenes, Belushi spits food at a table of men and women while imitating a popping zit.
- 11/20/2020
- by Nicholas White
- Variety Film + TV
“Dick Johnson is Dead” won both Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Kirsten Johnson) at the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. This Netflix film came into the competition with four bids; it lost the cinematography race to another Netflix title, “My Octopus Teacher,” and thee narration award to “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” “The Way I See It” won for score while “Totally Under Control” took editing. See the full list of Ccda winners announced on November 16 below.
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).
The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...
- 11/16/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
There’s a telling moment in “Belushi,” R.J. Cutler’s meticulous and touching life-and-death-of-a-comedy-legend documentary, in which John Belushi, a rising star at Second City in Chicago, gets asked during a radio interview what he thinks of Lou Costello — who was, in the interviewer’s eyes, another genially wacked, roly-poly comedian. Belushi, clearly annoyed, says: Nope, don’t like him. Belushi then goes on to say that he’s not a comedian beholden to the past; he’s out to create something new. That sounds like something a lot of comedians might say, but in Belushi’s case it really was true. Even a live-wire original like Robin Williams saw Jonathan Winters as a god, and Belushi did have influences (including Winters and Bob Newhart). But — his what-the-hell magnetism, and his compulsion to push everything he touched to extremes.
It may sound like an evasion tactic when a documentary keeps...
It may sound like an evasion tactic when a documentary keeps...
- 10/27/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Three films lead the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five nominations apiece. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and “Gunda,” both nabbed nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director as well as three others apiece while “Mr. Soul!” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best First Documentary Feature as well as three more.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.
- 10/26/2020
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul” lead the fifth annual Critics Choice Association’s documentary nominations, with five apiece. Among the eclectic list of nominees are Taylor Swift, Greta Thunberg, veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog and longtime disability advocate Judith Heumann, as well as docs about such notables as John Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee and Frank Zappa.
Recognized with four nominations each are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
In terms of distributors, Netflix led with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine. Showtime had six, while HBO, Amazon, National Geographic, PBS Independent Lens and Shoes in the Bed Productions earned five each.
It’s the fifth annual documentary honors for the group, honoring projects released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of Cca members. Winners will be announced at a presentation on Nov.
Recognized with four nominations each are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
In terms of distributors, Netflix led with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine. Showtime had six, while HBO, Amazon, National Geographic, PBS Independent Lens and Shoes in the Bed Productions earned five each.
It’s the fifth annual documentary honors for the group, honoring projects released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of Cca members. Winners will be announced at a presentation on Nov.
- 10/26/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
“Crip Camp,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul!” led all films in nominations for the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday by the Critics Choice Association.
The three films each received five nominations, including nods in the Best Documentary Feature category. As usual, that category cast a very wide net and contains far more nominees than other awards for nonfiction filmmaking — 14 this year, with nominations also going to “Athlete A,” “Belushi,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Feels Good Man,” “The Fight,” “The Go-Go’s,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “A Secret Love,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Time.”
Films with four nominations are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
The list was missing many of the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction films, including “Welcome to Chechnya,” “The Dissident,” “Collective,” “Disclosure,” “76 Days” and “On the Record,” none of which received any nominations.
The three films each received five nominations, including nods in the Best Documentary Feature category. As usual, that category cast a very wide net and contains far more nominees than other awards for nonfiction filmmaking — 14 this year, with nominations also going to “Athlete A,” “Belushi,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Feels Good Man,” “The Fight,” “The Go-Go’s,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “A Secret Love,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Time.”
Films with four nominations are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”
The list was missing many of the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction films, including “Welcome to Chechnya,” “The Dissident,” “Collective,” “Disclosure,” “76 Days” and “On the Record,” none of which received any nominations.
- 10/26/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”
Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.
The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
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