Exclusive: Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy), Billy Campbell (Troll), and Rhys Coiro (Hustlers) have joined Sophie Turner in the psychological thriller Trust for Twisted Pictures and Republic Pictures.
Details as to their roles are under wraps. Other new additions set to round out the cast include Peter Mensah (Gladiator 2), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), and Gianni Paolo (Power).
In Trust, Turner plays a Hollywood starlet who seeks refuge in a secluded Airbnb following a high-profile scandal, only to find herself at the mercy of hardened criminals on the hunt for a score.
Carlson Young (The Blazing World) is directing from a script by Gigi Levangie (Stepmom), with Twisted Pictures’ Oren Koules producing alongside Miles Koules of Koulest Productions. The film stems from a new multi-picture distribution deal between Twisted Pictures, producer of the Saw franchise, and Republic Pictures. Production commences in Mexico later this month.
Currently starring on ABC’s The Conners,...
Details as to their roles are under wraps. Other new additions set to round out the cast include Peter Mensah (Gladiator 2), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), and Gianni Paolo (Power).
In Trust, Turner plays a Hollywood starlet who seeks refuge in a secluded Airbnb following a high-profile scandal, only to find herself at the mercy of hardened criminals on the hunt for a score.
Carlson Young (The Blazing World) is directing from a script by Gigi Levangie (Stepmom), with Twisted Pictures’ Oren Koules producing alongside Miles Koules of Koulest Productions. The film stems from a new multi-picture distribution deal between Twisted Pictures, producer of the Saw franchise, and Republic Pictures. Production commences in Mexico later this month.
Currently starring on ABC’s The Conners,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Earlier this month, we learned that Game of Thrones cast members Sophie Turner and Kit Harington will be reuniting for writer/director Natasha Kermani’s Gothic horror film The Dreadful… and close on the heels of that announcement comes the news that Turner has also signed on to star in a psychological thriller called Trust, which is coming our way from Twisted Pictures, the production company behind the Saw franchise.
Twisted Pictures has secured a multi-picture deal with Republic Pictures, with Republic Pictures acquiring the worldwide rights to Trust. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, “The Paramount Global housed Republic Pictures was revived in 2023 as an acquisitions only label, and has a slate that includes Samara Weaving starrer Azreal and Jon Voight action film The Painter.” The Republic Pictures name goes back to 1935 and the days when the company was a standalone studio that specialized in serials, Westerns, and B-movies.
Actress...
Twisted Pictures has secured a multi-picture deal with Republic Pictures, with Republic Pictures acquiring the worldwide rights to Trust. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, “The Paramount Global housed Republic Pictures was revived in 2023 as an acquisitions only label, and has a slate that includes Samara Weaving starrer Azreal and Jon Voight action film The Painter.” The Republic Pictures name goes back to 1935 and the days when the company was a standalone studio that specialized in serials, Westerns, and B-movies.
Actress...
- 2/26/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
It’s quite the feat to craft a satisfying, clever romantic comedy in this cynical day and age, given almost every meet-cute, situational shenanigan and grand gesture has already been put to celluloid. However, “Upgraded,” which initially appears to be a stereotypical rags-to-riches tale centered on a desperate gal’s life drastically improving after telling a white lie to a cute guy, keeps these expected elements fresh and vibrant. Director Carlson Young and screenwriters Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts ground sharp, soaring sentiments in a reachable reality, innovatively remixing the genre’s familiar formulas to create their own meaningful and rather endearing movie.
Ana (Camila Mendes) is overworked and underpaid, stuck in a low-level trainee program at a premiere New York City auction house, Erwin, which brokers million-dollar deals on paintings. It’s her dream in life to open up her own art gallery and move out...
Ana (Camila Mendes) is overworked and underpaid, stuck in a low-level trainee program at a premiere New York City auction house, Erwin, which brokers million-dollar deals on paintings. It’s her dream in life to open up her own art gallery and move out...
- 2/7/2024
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
Science fiction movies have shared a close relationship with their literary counterparts for as long as they've existed. The first sci-fi film ever made, Georges Méliès' 1902 short "A Trip to the Moon," was inspired by two Jules Verne novels, "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Around the Moon," as well as H.G. Wells' serialized novel "The First Men in the Moon." From there, countless movies — including some of the greatest of all time — have been based on sci-fi novels, novellas, and short stories.
Let's put it this way: Without the vast cosmos of sci-fi literature to draw from, we would never have experienced "Metropolis," "Frankenstein," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange," "Solaris," "Planet of the Apes," "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," "Starship Troopers," "The Thing," "Jurassic Park," "Minority Report," "Children of Men," "Arrival," "Annihilation," "Edge of Tomorrow," and a hell of a lot more.
Let's put it this way: Without the vast cosmos of sci-fi literature to draw from, we would never have experienced "Metropolis," "Frankenstein," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange," "Solaris," "Planet of the Apes," "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," "Starship Troopers," "The Thing," "Jurassic Park," "Minority Report," "Children of Men," "Arrival," "Annihilation," "Edge of Tomorrow," and a hell of a lot more.
- 2/7/2023
- by Chris Heasman
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and Lena Olin (Hunters) have signed on to star alongside Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux in Gulfstream Pictures’ romantic comedy Upgraded, which has entered production in the UK.
In the film from actor-director Carlson Young (The Blazing World), aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.
Tomei will take on the role of the formidable auction house executive Claire Dupree, a brilliant and terrifying boss to auction-house trainee Ana. Olin will play the charismatic and charming Catherine Laroche, a wealthy and influential art seller, and the mother of Ana’s love interest, William.
Developed in part by...
In the film from actor-director Carlson Young (The Blazing World), aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.
Tomei will take on the role of the formidable auction house executive Claire Dupree, a brilliant and terrifying boss to auction-house trainee Ana. Olin will play the charismatic and charming Catherine Laroche, a wealthy and influential art seller, and the mother of Ana’s love interest, William.
Developed in part by...
- 9/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Not wasting much time mounting her sophomore film, actress-director Carlson Young is moving from horror fantasy world of The Blazing World into the difficult-to-navigate waters of mixing professional with personal. Deadline reports that production has already began on Upgraded – a rom-com featuring the likes of Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux (who’ll next be seen in The Greatest Beer Run Ever). Filming will take place in both London and New York City.
Written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane.…...
Written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane.…...
- 8/19/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Camila Mendes (Riverdale) and Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone) will lead the cast of Gulfstream Pictures’ romantic comedy Upgraded, from actor-director Carlson Young (The Blazing World), which has entered production in the UK.
In the film written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.
Developed in part by Mendes and Matthews, Upgraded is the third film financed by Gulfstream Pictures this year, following the Josephine Langford-led rom-com The Other Zoey and the motorcycle racing pic One Fast Move, starring Kj Apa, both of which are currently in post-production. Bill Bindley and Mike Karz are producing for Gulfstream,...
In the film written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.
Developed in part by Mendes and Matthews, Upgraded is the third film financed by Gulfstream Pictures this year, following the Josephine Langford-led rom-com The Other Zoey and the motorcycle racing pic One Fast Move, starring Kj Apa, both of which are currently in post-production. Bill Bindley and Mike Karz are producing for Gulfstream,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Screenwriters locked Hannibal Lecter and Blofeld in boxes but they’ll reuse any plot device, from balloons as harbingers of doom to Scooby-Doo-style face-swapping
Last week, I watched three films in a row in which someone cuts their finger while chopping vegetables: Belfast-set drama Here Before, whimsical indie The Blazing World, and Silent Night, a British black comedy that earns bonus points because blood drips on to a carrot, which somebody then eats. In two recent horror films, Color out of Space and The Dark and the Wicked, supernaturally afflicted mothers get so carried away slicing vegetables they chop their own fingers off.
Last week, I watched three films in a row in which someone cuts their finger while chopping vegetables: Belfast-set drama Here Before, whimsical indie The Blazing World, and Silent Night, a British black comedy that earns bonus points because blood drips on to a carrot, which somebody then eats. In two recent horror films, Color out of Space and The Dark and the Wicked, supernaturally afflicted mothers get so carried away slicing vegetables they chop their own fingers off.
- 10/28/2021
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Parenthood, relationships, and the creative process: three key elements of the cinema of Mia Hansen-Løve casually combine in Bergman Island, a playfully self-aware meta-portrait of the filmmaker and, indeed, of filmmaking itself. Introspective, inventive, and effortlessly calm; it follows a couple, both screenwriters, on an idyllic work retreat to Fårö, an island in the Baltic Sea (population: 498) just off the South East of Sweden. It’s the place Ingmar Bergman called home for the majority of his life, where he made many films and eventually died. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve has surmounted this slew of bad omens, by arguably––in filmmaking terms––making the most impersonal adaptation possible. For all his skill and talent,...
Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Parenthood, relationships, and the creative process: three key elements of the cinema of Mia Hansen-Løve casually combine in Bergman Island, a playfully self-aware meta-portrait of the filmmaker and, indeed, of filmmaking itself. Introspective, inventive, and effortlessly calm; it follows a couple, both screenwriters, on an idyllic work retreat to Fårö, an island in the Baltic Sea (population: 498) just off the South East of Sweden. It’s the place Ingmar Bergman called home for the majority of his life, where he made many films and eventually died. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve has surmounted this slew of bad omens, by arguably––in filmmaking terms––making the most impersonal adaptation possible. For all his skill and talent,...
- 10/22/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Icelandic-Swedish-Polish drama “Lamb,” starring Noomi Rapace was awarded best film and actress for Rapace at the 54th edition of Sitges’ International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, which wrapped Sunday.
The prizes add to an Originality Prize which the film received when competing at July’s Cannes Un Certain Regard.
“Lamb,” a horror-comedy combo, follows protagonist Maria, played by Rapace, a woman living with her husband in the total loneliness of the Icelandic countryside. According to a Variety review, “creepy-funny-weird-sad ‘Lamb’ proves just how far disbelief can be suspended if you’re in the hands of a director — and a cast, and a SFX/puppetry department — who really commit to the bit.” Lamb is produced by Go to Sheep, Black Spark Film & TV and Madants with New Europe Film Sales and A24 attached.
Rapace shared best actress honors with Susanne Jensen in Peter Brunner’s “Luzifer.” Justin Kurzel...
The prizes add to an Originality Prize which the film received when competing at July’s Cannes Un Certain Regard.
“Lamb,” a horror-comedy combo, follows protagonist Maria, played by Rapace, a woman living with her husband in the total loneliness of the Icelandic countryside. According to a Variety review, “creepy-funny-weird-sad ‘Lamb’ proves just how far disbelief can be suspended if you’re in the hands of a director — and a cast, and a SFX/puppetry department — who really commit to the bit.” Lamb is produced by Go to Sheep, Black Spark Film & TV and Madants with New Europe Film Sales and A24 attached.
Rapace shared best actress honors with Susanne Jensen in Peter Brunner’s “Luzifer.” Justin Kurzel...
- 10/18/2021
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s the thing about dreams. They’re almost always boring to think about unless they’re your own, or you’re a therapist who’s being paid to analyze them. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped Carlson Young from expanding her acclaimed 2018 short into this feature film, which the debuting filmmaker says was inspired by a recurring dream and the 17th century science fiction novel of the same name by Margaret Cavendish. Although The Blazing World boasts visual stylishness to spare, viewers will be hard-pressed to enjoy going down this cinematic rabbit hole.
That’s not a random reference; the ...
That’s not a random reference; the ...
- 10/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Here’s the thing about dreams. They’re almost always boring to think about unless they’re your own, or you’re a therapist who’s being paid to analyze them. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped Carlson Young from expanding her acclaimed 2018 short into this feature film, which the debuting filmmaker says was inspired by a recurring dream and the 17th century science fiction novel of the same name by Margaret Cavendish. Although The Blazing World boasts visual stylishness to spare, viewers will be hard-pressed to enjoy going down this cinematic rabbit hole.
That’s not a random reference; the ...
That’s not a random reference; the ...
- 10/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Vertical Entertainment is handling the release of Carlson Young's feature debut the fantasy thriller The Blazing World. Her film debuted at Sundance back in the new year where she picked up a nomination for the Next Innovator Award. We have an exclusive clip to share with you today. Check it out below. The Blazing World will be On Demand and in cinemas on October...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/5/2021
- Screen Anarchy
On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Corpse Club co-hosts Derek Anderson and Jonathan James discuss more of their recent viewings and Halloween season recommendations, including Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass, Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game, the eleventh season of The Walking Dead, Carlson Young's The Blazing World, and the Red Tide episodes of American Horror Story: Double Feature!
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!
- 10/1/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, The Blazing World is headed to theaters and VOD on October 15th! The film is Carlson Young's feature directorial debut based on her 2018 short film of the same name, and we have a look at the brand new trailer.
"Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge."
Written by Carlson Young & Pierce Brown, the film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Carlson Young.
The post Watch the New Trailer for Carlson Young’s The Blazing World appeared first on Daily Dead.
"Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge."
Written by Carlson Young & Pierce Brown, the film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Carlson Young.
The post Watch the New Trailer for Carlson Young’s The Blazing World appeared first on Daily Dead.
- 9/23/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
"Darkness eats, darkness keeps." Vertical has released an official trailer for the film The Blazing World, marking the feature directorial debut of actress / filmmaker Carlson Young. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year. Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Sundance then adds: "Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge." Freaky! Carlson Young also stars in the film, along with Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, and John Karna. This looks like it goes to really weird, demented, dark places. You just have to see it because - whoa. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Carlson Young's The Blazing World, direct...
- 9/22/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
30-year-old filmmaker, writer, director, actress Carlson Young came in guns blazing at Sundance this year with her directorial debut, “The Blazing World,” a “feminist horror” and down-the-rabbit-hole surreal fairytale about female trauma. Co-written with Pierce Brown and starring Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Young herself, the film was a dark, nightmare fantasy about Margaret (Young), who had been plagued with dreams of a strange world since she was a little girl.
Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Trailer: Sundance Trauma Fairytale Looks To Exorcise Demons at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Trailer: Sundance Trauma Fairytale Looks To Exorcise Demons at The Playlist.
- 9/22/2021
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to The Blazing World, the feature helming debut of actor-director Carlson Young (Scream: The TV Series). The fantasy thriller, which had its world premiere earlier this year at the Next section at the Sundance Film Festival, will now get an October 15 day-and-date release.
Young also co-wrote wrote and stars in the pic alongside Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko and John Karna. The plot: Margaret (Young), who ever since she was 6 years old has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
Young wrote the...
Young also co-wrote wrote and stars in the pic alongside Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko and John Karna. The plot: Margaret (Young), who ever since she was 6 years old has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
Young wrote the...
- 9/14/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Woodstock Film Festival has announced the slate for its 22nd edition, with 11 world premieres among the 43 features on the bill.
The festival will take place September 29 to October 3 in three Hudson Valley communities about two hours north of New York City. In-person screenings and events will be featured throughout the fest’s five days, but online options will also enable attendees to connect amid the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Panels, concerts and comedy sets along with film screenings are planned in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties. Neon chief Tom Quinn is slated to receive the festival’s Honorary Trailblazer Award, an honor announced in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.
The festival will kick off with Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary about a pathbreaking Filipina-American garage band, with a performance by some of the band’s members following the screening. Music is an annual touchstone for Woodstock’s lineup,...
The festival will take place September 29 to October 3 in three Hudson Valley communities about two hours north of New York City. In-person screenings and events will be featured throughout the fest’s five days, but online options will also enable attendees to connect amid the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.
Panels, concerts and comedy sets along with film screenings are planned in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties. Neon chief Tom Quinn is slated to receive the festival’s Honorary Trailblazer Award, an honor announced in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.
The festival will kick off with Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary about a pathbreaking Filipina-American garage band, with a performance by some of the band’s members following the screening. Music is an annual touchstone for Woodstock’s lineup,...
- 9/1/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Carlson Young, Udo Kier, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney, John Karna, Soko, Lillie Frank, Liz Mikel | Written and Directed by Carlson Young
Actress Carlson Young (best known for Scream: The TV Series) turns writer-director-star with this trippy horror debut, adapted from her own 2018 short film. Inspired by a 1666 sci-fi novel by pioneering author Margaret Cavendish, The Blazing World delivers delivers nightmarish imagery and some decent jump scares, but the simplistic script struggles to match the quality of the visuals.
Young plays Margaret (presumably named in tribute to Cavendish), a depressed student who’s still haunted by the mysterious death of her twin sister Elizabeth (Lillie Frank), who drowned in the swimming pool when they were both children. In particular, she has recurring memories of a sinister figure (Udo Kier) who appeared just before the death, seemingly beckoning both sisters into a black hole.
When Margaret’s frequently bickering parents (Vinessa...
Actress Carlson Young (best known for Scream: The TV Series) turns writer-director-star with this trippy horror debut, adapted from her own 2018 short film. Inspired by a 1666 sci-fi novel by pioneering author Margaret Cavendish, The Blazing World delivers delivers nightmarish imagery and some decent jump scares, but the simplistic script struggles to match the quality of the visuals.
Young plays Margaret (presumably named in tribute to Cavendish), a depressed student who’s still haunted by the mysterious death of her twin sister Elizabeth (Lillie Frank), who drowned in the swimming pool when they were both children. In particular, she has recurring memories of a sinister figure (Udo Kier) who appeared just before the death, seemingly beckoning both sisters into a black hole.
When Margaret’s frequently bickering parents (Vinessa...
- 8/3/2021
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
A country house. A quarrelling couple. A swimming pool. An infant floating face down. The Blazing World makes clear reference to Don’t Look Now in its opener, only this time we have an operatic score and Udo Kier standing next to a black hole, beckoning the dead infant’s young sister to follow him to an alternate dimension. It makes a pretty strong impression, setting the tone for a film that makes a show of its high production values.
Things progress quite nicely hereafter, albeit for just 20 minutes or so. Carlson Young gives a good performance as Margaret Winter, the surviving infant who is now a young woman, and she has chemistry with her parents, the still quarrelling Alice (Vinessa Shaw) and Tom (Dermot Mulroney). Those production values give it a good look, too. Offbeat camera angles are paired with stylish grading and full-bodied colours, creating frames that can be genuinely painterly,...
Things progress quite nicely hereafter, albeit for just 20 minutes or so. Carlson Young gives a good performance as Margaret Winter, the surviving infant who is now a young woman, and she has chemistry with her parents, the still quarrelling Alice (Vinessa Shaw) and Tom (Dermot Mulroney). Those production values give it a good look, too. Offbeat camera angles are paired with stylish grading and full-bodied colours, creating frames that can be genuinely painterly,...
- 7/28/2021
- by Jack Hawkins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Radu Jude’s satire won the top prize at the 2021 Berlinale.
Sovereign Film Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Radu Jude’s Romanian irreverent satire Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn, which won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.
The London-based distributor struck the deal with Athens-based sales agent Heretic Outreach and is planning a theatrical release for the feature.
The latest film from Romanian writer/director Jude stars Katia Pascariu as a school teacher who finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked onto the Internet.
Sovereign Film Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Radu Jude’s Romanian irreverent satire Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn, which won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.
The London-based distributor struck the deal with Athens-based sales agent Heretic Outreach and is planning a theatrical release for the feature.
The latest film from Romanian writer/director Jude stars Katia Pascariu as a school teacher who finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked onto the Internet.
- 7/1/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Psychological fantasy will play Sitges in October.
123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.
Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...
123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.
Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...
- 6/30/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Psychological fantasy will play Sitges in October.
123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.
Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...
123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.
Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...
- 6/30/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The North Bend Film Festival is back this July with a hybrid edition that will have a mix of in-person programming, along with virtual screenings and special events. Here's a look at the festival's extensive offering, including a screening of The Blazing World, a conversation with Richard Kelly, and much, much more:
The North Bend Film Festival returns this summer with a hybrid festival taking place July 15-18, 2021. The in-person portion of the fest returns audience members to the historic art deco North Bend Theatre for a curated offering of feature film and short screenings, while both the virtual and physical programs will be complemented by special events, conversations with filmmakers, and immersive experiences. The majority of titles will be exclusive either to physical or virtual programs, with only a few overlaps making for a unique festival experience however you choose to attend.
This year's festival will open with the in-person screening of Swan Song,...
The North Bend Film Festival returns this summer with a hybrid festival taking place July 15-18, 2021. The in-person portion of the fest returns audience members to the historic art deco North Bend Theatre for a curated offering of feature film and short screenings, while both the virtual and physical programs will be complemented by special events, conversations with filmmakers, and immersive experiences. The majority of titles will be exclusive either to physical or virtual programs, with only a few overlaps making for a unique festival experience however you choose to attend.
This year's festival will open with the in-person screening of Swan Song,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Sundance Film Festival: London has revealed that “Zola” and “Coda” will be among the 2021 lineup, when the festival returns to Picturehouse Central next month.
“Coda” — an acronym meaning “Child of Deaf Adults” — features Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”) and 19-year-old Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”) navigating their relationship, while “Zola” is based on a 148-tweet viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” Wells. It stars Taylor Paige (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Riley Keough (“Max Max: Fury Road”) and will close the 4-day festival.
Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers,” described as a “musical odyssey,” opens the festival on July 29.
Other feature film offerings, which have been selected from the longer line-up shown at the Sundance Film Festival, include “The Nest,” starring Jude Law (“Sherlock Holmes”), animation “Cryptozoo,” which features Lake Bell (“BoJack Horseman”) and Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”), and documentary “Writing With Fire,” about a female-run Indian newspaper, which...
“Coda” — an acronym meaning “Child of Deaf Adults” — features Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”) and 19-year-old Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”) navigating their relationship, while “Zola” is based on a 148-tweet viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” Wells. It stars Taylor Paige (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Riley Keough (“Max Max: Fury Road”) and will close the 4-day festival.
Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers,” described as a “musical odyssey,” opens the festival on July 29.
Other feature film offerings, which have been selected from the longer line-up shown at the Sundance Film Festival, include “The Nest,” starring Jude Law (“Sherlock Holmes”), animation “Cryptozoo,” which features Lake Bell (“BoJack Horseman”) and Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”), and documentary “Writing With Fire,” about a female-run Indian newspaper, which...
- 6/2/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Sarajevo Introduces TV Award
The Sarajevo Film Festival is upping the visibility of TV at its event this year with the introduction of a Heart of Sarajevo prize specifically for series. The Heart of Sarajevo is the fest’s major award and is usually given to the film competition’s winner, with honorary Hearts awarded to filmmakers. The series awards will cover several categories: Best Drama Series, Best Comedy, Best Series Creator(s), Best Actress, Best Actor, and Rising Star. TV dramas and comedies that have premiered between September 1, 2019 and May 31, 2021 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Slovenia, will be eligible for the awards, which will be selected by online voting. Sarajevo has been highlighting regional TV series through its industry-focused CineLink program for years, while its Avant Premiere program has presented first eps from the likes of Besa, Black Sun, The Group, The Paper,...
The Sarajevo Film Festival is upping the visibility of TV at its event this year with the introduction of a Heart of Sarajevo prize specifically for series. The Heart of Sarajevo is the fest’s major award and is usually given to the film competition’s winner, with honorary Hearts awarded to filmmakers. The series awards will cover several categories: Best Drama Series, Best Comedy, Best Series Creator(s), Best Actress, Best Actor, and Rising Star. TV dramas and comedies that have premiered between September 1, 2019 and May 31, 2021 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Slovenia, will be eligible for the awards, which will be selected by online voting. Sarajevo has been highlighting regional TV series through its industry-focused CineLink program for years, while its Avant Premiere program has presented first eps from the likes of Besa, Black Sun, The Group, The Paper,...
- 6/2/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Company had two projects selected at Sundance this year – Cusp and The Blazing World.
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Wavelength, the award-winning company behind films like “Feels Good Man” and “Farewell Amor,” has named executive Lee Beckett as vice president and head of production for its film division.
Lee will work closely with Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal and president Joe Plummer to further the label’s mission to “tell great f—ing stories.” In her new role, Beckett will manage the day-to-day operations for Wavelength’s in-house productions and work to implement the short and long-term production needs for Wavelength Films.
“I am honored to join the Wavelength executive team at this moment of exponential growth in their film division. Their taste, integrity and drive are second to none, and it is such a privilege to join their mission to endow diverse filmmakers and find our common humanity through award-winning storytelling,” said Beckett.
Beckett joins Wavelength from ABC News where she served as vice president of original production for the documentary division,...
Lee will work closely with Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal and president Joe Plummer to further the label’s mission to “tell great f—ing stories.” In her new role, Beckett will manage the day-to-day operations for Wavelength’s in-house productions and work to implement the short and long-term production needs for Wavelength Films.
“I am honored to join the Wavelength executive team at this moment of exponential growth in their film division. Their taste, integrity and drive are second to none, and it is such a privilege to join their mission to endow diverse filmmakers and find our common humanity through award-winning storytelling,” said Beckett.
Beckett joins Wavelength from ABC News where she served as vice president of original production for the documentary division,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Dermot Mulroney, Katherine McNamara, Rhys Coiro, Annie Ilonzeh, and Oscar-winner Mel Gibson have signed on for the indie spy thriller Agent Game, which is being directed by Grant S. Johnson (Nighthawks). Mike Langer and Tyler W. Konney wrote the screenplay, which is set in the murky world of CIA renditions.
The plot follows Harris (Mulroney), a CIA officer involved in missions to detain and relocate foreign nationals for interrogation. When a political shift in Washington turns his allies into enemies, Harris finds himself the scapegoat for a detainee’s murder and must run from a team of operatives sent to bring him in (McNamara and Coiro), led by a ruthless double agent (Ilonzeh). Gibson has a small role as an intelligence official running the unsanctioned covert operation to hunt down the disgraced spy.
Tyler W. Konney is producing the pic via the Taylor & Dodge banner, which is also handling worldwide sales.
The plot follows Harris (Mulroney), a CIA officer involved in missions to detain and relocate foreign nationals for interrogation. When a political shift in Washington turns his allies into enemies, Harris finds himself the scapegoat for a detainee’s murder and must run from a team of operatives sent to bring him in (McNamara and Coiro), led by a ruthless double agent (Ilonzeh). Gibson has a small role as an intelligence official running the unsanctioned covert operation to hunt down the disgraced spy.
Tyler W. Konney is producing the pic via the Taylor & Dodge banner, which is also handling worldwide sales.
- 3/5/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
In the Russian artist Uldus Bakhtiozina’s retro-futurist, feminist spoof on costume dramas, Tzarevna Scaling (Doch Rybaka), a young woman, Polina (Alina Korol), who works at a fried-fish food truck, is offered a mysterious herbal tea to assuage her insomnia. Upon drinking it, Polina wakes up the next day, only to be transported to a bizarro parallel universe. In it, an outlandishly dressed royal—a kind of pissy, mean-spirited fairy-godmother—leads Polina through a test, to prove if she has what it takes to become a tzarevna. Since Polina learns about her unique chance through an old, clunky television set, it’s possible that the entire dreamworld is a trap inside the television set, and Polina’s ordeal is nothing more than a cynical beauty contest.In Bakhtiozina’s Alice-in-Wonderland meets Cinderella quest, the final showdown gets solved quickly when Polina’s asked, rather predictably, what makes her think that she’s so special,...
- 3/5/2021
- MUBI
Above: Carlson Young’s The Blazing World Midnight screenings are my personal haven at festivals. Whenever main competitions start to feel a bit weary, I gladly deflect to genre-driven sessions for a sharper edge and a quickened pulse. At the same time, the competitions have also made some welcome room for genre (consider Parasite or Bacurau), which serves as a reminder that horror has always been well suited not only to bold narrative leaps and visual experimentation, but also to a social and cultural critique. This proclivity continues in the recent electrifying horror movies by Jordan Peele (Get Out and Us), and by indie women directors. I’m thinking particularly of Amy Seimetz’s stellar I Die Tomorrow, which was originally scheduled to premiere at SXSW, in 2020, and Rose Glass’s Saint Maud, an absolute find at TIFF, in 2019, which is finally getting recognition in the UK, and was just released in the US.
- 2/23/2021
- MUBI
Here’s a look at three more genre-related projects that recently played during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: The Blazing World from Carlson Young, the end-of-the-world comedy How It Ends, and James Ashcroft’s Coming Home in the Dark.
The Blazing World: For her feature film debut, Carlson Young (who many genre fans will remember from her days on Scream: The TV Series) takes us on a nightmarish descent into the fragile and fractured psyche of a young woman named Margaret (also played by Young), who has been living with the trauma and grief caused by the accidental death of her twin sister decades prior. As she contemplates committing suicide, Margaret finds herself transported into an alternate world where she is tasked with retrieving a series of keys by a mysterious man called Lained (Udo Kier), who sends her on a journey that will force her to confront her demons...
The Blazing World: For her feature film debut, Carlson Young (who many genre fans will remember from her days on Scream: The TV Series) takes us on a nightmarish descent into the fragile and fractured psyche of a young woman named Margaret (also played by Young), who has been living with the trauma and grief caused by the accidental death of her twin sister decades prior. As she contemplates committing suicide, Margaret finds herself transported into an alternate world where she is tasked with retrieving a series of keys by a mysterious man called Lained (Udo Kier), who sends her on a journey that will force her to confront her demons...
- 2/13/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, co-hosts Scott Drebit, Bryan Christopher, Tamika Jones, Derek Anderson, and Jonathan James catch up and discuss what they've been watching lately, from movies both old and new to must-watch TV series! Whether you're looking for films and TV shows to add to your watch list, or you just want to listen to a fun catch-up between co-hosts and friends, we hope you enjoy this episode of Corpse Club!
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and...
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and...
- 2/12/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Exclusive: WME has signed writer-director-actress Carlson Young, who is fresh off of the Sundance premiere of her feature directorial debut, The Blazing World.
Based on Young’s 2018 Sundance short of the same name, the film follows a self-destructive young woman who decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Udo Kier, and Vinessa Shaw. The project is the first in the filmmaker’s Saturn Returns trilogy, a series of three thematically and visually connected films that explore the relationship between female identity and trauma recovery.
On the TV side, Young most recently appeared in the new Netflix hit series, Emily In Paris. She had a starring role in Disney Channel’s As The Bell Rings and Scream: The TV Series on MTV and recurred on...
Based on Young’s 2018 Sundance short of the same name, the film follows a self-destructive young woman who decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.
Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Udo Kier, and Vinessa Shaw. The project is the first in the filmmaker’s Saturn Returns trilogy, a series of three thematically and visually connected films that explore the relationship between female identity and trauma recovery.
On the TV side, Young most recently appeared in the new Netflix hit series, Emily In Paris. She had a starring role in Disney Channel’s As The Bell Rings and Scream: The TV Series on MTV and recurred on...
- 2/10/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Visually stunning and psychically rending, The Blazing World is Carlson Young’s feature film debut; she writes, directs and stars without missing a step. Inspired by her 2018 Sundance short of the same name—which was in turn inspired by a recurring dream, and loosely-adapted from Margaret Cavendish’s 1666 book The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World—this latest iteration is impeccably layered and rich with symbolism.
Expect a horror-fantasy dreamscape filled with ghosts of Guillermo Del Toro, Dario Argento and David Lynch—plus a haunting score by composer Insom Innis. Young spins a universal yarn of grief, depression and reframed trauma through a supremely personal lens.…...
Expect a horror-fantasy dreamscape filled with ghosts of Guillermo Del Toro, Dario Argento and David Lynch—plus a haunting score by composer Insom Innis. Young spins a universal yarn of grief, depression and reframed trauma through a supremely personal lens.…...
- 2/9/2021
- by Dylan Kai Dempsey
- IONCINEMA.com
The Blazing World, writer-director-actor Carlson Young’s visually arresting, occasionally infuriating feature-length debut, embraces a dizzyingly vast array of cinematic and literary influences, but never manages to transcend the sum of those influences to stand or fall on its own. Even as damning as that critique might sound, it does little to diminish the sheer scope of Young’s ambition, ambition that should be welcomed in new or veteran filmmakers, or the self-confidence in her abilities or her willingness to fearlessly jump headfirst into symbolic subject matter and material of the neo-Freudian/neo-Jungian kind....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/5/2021
- Screen Anarchy
Photo: ‘The Blazing World’/Sundance ‘The Blazing World’--A Cult Classic Mixtape Carlson Young, the writer, director, and star of the new film ‘The Blazing World’ did not go small for her feature debut. ‘The Blazing World’, which is based on a 2018 short film also directed by Young, is a bizarre phantasmagoria of a film, reminiscent of the work of David Lynch, Tarsem Singh, and Nicholas Winding Refn. It starts out as a mental illness horror story briefly detours into a Linklater-esque hangout film, and then goes full-on Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s got a touch of narrative attention deficit disorder, feeling at times more like a music video stretched to feature-length than a cohesive story (Young directed the music video for the song ‘Catch & Release’ by the band Peel; the song features prominently on this film’s soundtrack). Depression makes it hard to focus though, so this is relatable.
- 2/4/2021
- by Trent Kinnucan
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Due to Covid-19, the Sundance Film Festival went virtual to uphold the festival's purpose while keeping both artists and audience members alike safe. Not only did the festival have to make changes to accommodate "the new normal," but many of the films and shorts were forced to reconcile how they'd always done things as production came to a halt in 2020. Even though Covid-19 wasn't at the heart of the art on display at the festival, its mark was clear.
Of the eight films I watched - including The Blazing World, Censor, Cryptozoo, John and the Hole, On the Count of Three, Passing, Eight For Silver, and Prisoners of the Ghostland - they all dealt with some form of loss, depression, or grief. While I may be projecting my own emotions and feelings onto the films, these weren't the only movies at the festival to deal with the same topics. There was Coda,...
Of the eight films I watched - including The Blazing World, Censor, Cryptozoo, John and the Hole, On the Count of Three, Passing, Eight For Silver, and Prisoners of the Ghostland - they all dealt with some form of loss, depression, or grief. While I may be projecting my own emotions and feelings onto the films, these weren't the only movies at the festival to deal with the same topics. There was Coda,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Grayson Gilcrease
- Popsugar.com
In 2018, Carlson Young (one of this writer’s favorite cast members from the first two seasons of Scream: The TV Series) debuted her short film The Blazing World at the Sundance Film Festival, and now, three years later, she’s celebrating the world premiere of the feature film version of that very same story as part of the fest’s 2021 slate of programming. Co-written by Young and Pierce Brown, The Blazing World explores the trauma of a young woman (played by Young) who is desperate to move on from a horrific tragedy from her childhood, but finds herself forced to make her way through a labyrinthian nightmare that holds the key to her emotional freedom. The Blazing Young also stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, and Vinessa Shaw.
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Young about her journey of building upon the short film version of The Blazing World...
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Young about her journey of building upon the short film version of The Blazing World...
- 2/3/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Female trauma’s been given a serious workout in cinema, liberally exercised in the fantasy genre of late. The celebrated “Promising Young Woman,” while dark satire, uses hot pink revenge fantasy to acerbically explore unresolved trauma (its we live in a society bias nicely unpacked here), and fellow Sundance film, “The Blazing World,” attempts to fall down the rabbit hole of make-believe and similar flight-or-flight responses to emotional scars, only to grotesquely exploit it with its awkward tumble.
Continue reading ‘Mayday’: Grace Van Patten Shines In A Dreamy Fairy Tale Of Escape & Feminist Revenge [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Mayday’: Grace Van Patten Shines In A Dreamy Fairy Tale Of Escape & Feminist Revenge [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/3/2021
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Curious is the current emphasis on women’s trauma in American genre film—the way it’s discussed online, marketed, singled out in the headlines—as if trauma were not already deeply embedded in the historical fabric of horror movies. Of course, in a time when more women filmmakers than ever are being given the opportunity to tell their stories, the rise of feminist horror should come as no surprise, especially given the #MeToo phenomenon and efforts to destigmatize mental illness.
Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Treats Female Trauma Like An Amusement Park Funhouse [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Treats Female Trauma Like An Amusement Park Funhouse [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/3/2021
- by Beatrice Loayza
- The Playlist
For a filmmaker to take a possessive credit in their debut is already a confident move; for the opening credits of the first feature by writer-director-star Carlson Young to present it as “Carlson Young’s ‘The Blazing World’” is a brazen one. That title, of course, belongs first to a somewhat more established female author: Margaret Cavendish, whose 1666 book “The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World” was a foundational work of science fiction. Cavendish’s adventurous exploration of alternate dimensions has given loose inspiration to Young’s glittery but grief-fueled fantasy, which those credits again describe as “inspired by Margaret Cavendish and other dreams.”
Other names like Lewis Carroll, Guillermo del Toro and Tarsem Singh aren’t lucky enough to get namechecked, though they’re all clearly in Young’s dream stew. The result, however, isn’t a film to which many would eagerly lay claim. Ambitious but tediously precious,...
Other names like Lewis Carroll, Guillermo del Toro and Tarsem Singh aren’t lucky enough to get namechecked, though they’re all clearly in Young’s dream stew. The result, however, isn’t a film to which many would eagerly lay claim. Ambitious but tediously precious,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
This week on the New Hollywood Podcast, we have not one, not two but 16 guests in four separate segments. The Sundance Film Festival was virtual this year as was Deadline’s Sundance Studio. For this special episode, we share our studio interviews in podcast form.
For this episode, I had the chance to speak with Christopher Makoto Yogi, Kanoa Goo, Chanel Akiko Hirai, Tim Chiou and Nelson Lee from the Hawaii-set familial drama with a ghost story twist I Was A Simple Man as well as Nikole Beckwith, Ed Helms and Patti Harrison for the platonic friend comedy Together Together. Meanwhile, Amanda N’Duka chatted with Rebecca Hall, Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga and returning guest Andre Holland for the highly-anticipated drama Passing. She also sat down and had a talk with Carlson Young, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney and Udo Kier from the fantasy-horror The Blazing World.
Each film in this...
For this episode, I had the chance to speak with Christopher Makoto Yogi, Kanoa Goo, Chanel Akiko Hirai, Tim Chiou and Nelson Lee from the Hawaii-set familial drama with a ghost story twist I Was A Simple Man as well as Nikole Beckwith, Ed Helms and Patti Harrison for the platonic friend comedy Together Together. Meanwhile, Amanda N’Duka chatted with Rebecca Hall, Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga and returning guest Andre Holland for the highly-anticipated drama Passing. She also sat down and had a talk with Carlson Young, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney and Udo Kier from the fantasy-horror The Blazing World.
Each film in this...
- 2/2/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos and Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
The Blazing World is trying—really, really trying. It knows a whole bunch of classics and clearly took more than a few notes from them. The starting point is straight out of Ordinary People. The production design is straight from Robert Wiene and Victor Sjöström. The score borders on plagiarizing that of The Shining a few times, and the main character is clearly named after Margaret Cavendish as if naming the film after her 1666 work wasn’t enough. Come to think of it, saying that Carlson Young’s feature debut is really trying is something of an understatement.
But while most bad movies are easy to dismiss, The Blazing World is a bit different. It’s easy to feel bad for how bad it is. Everyone involved here clearly wanted to make something great, to pour themselves onto the screen. Here, Young adapts her 2018 short film of the same name to 99 minutes,...
But while most bad movies are easy to dismiss, The Blazing World is a bit different. It’s easy to feel bad for how bad it is. Everyone involved here clearly wanted to make something great, to pour themselves onto the screen. Here, Young adapts her 2018 short film of the same name to 99 minutes,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
Scientist and playwright Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World, published in 1666, marked the first science fiction work by a female. It chronicled a woman’s adventures in an alternate realm after being kidnapped. Actress Carlson Young (Scream: The TV Series) very loosely reimagines Cavendish’s tale for her feature directorial debut. Deep-seated trauma fuels a young woman’s voyage into a […]...
- 2/1/2021
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
You would think any movie that casts the iconic Udo Kier as an enigmatic dream guide who munches on fireflies would at least be interesting, but no – The Blazing World, an over-stylized, under-baked bit of tomfoolery from writer-director-star Carlson Young never manages to engross the viewer even as it continues to throw out fantastical scenarios left and […]
The post ‘The Blazing World’ Review: Not Even Spontaneous Udo Kier Appearances Can Save This Over-Stylized Oddity [Sundance 2021] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘The Blazing World’ Review: Not Even Spontaneous Udo Kier Appearances Can Save This Over-Stylized Oddity [Sundance 2021] appeared first on /Film.
- 2/1/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
When Carlson Young wrote and directed the short film “The Blazing World” in 2018, she always envisioned something larger.
“I wrote the short first always with the idea for the full feature and was told probably to make it into a short first before the feature,” she tells Gold Derby. “I’m glad I did that, especially with the circumstances of the pandemic that came along in the 11th hour.”
Debuting at this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, Young’s feature version of “The Blazing World” is a gorgeous psychological drama that blends horror and fantasy to tell the story of a young woman named Margaret (Young) who has been haunted by the death of her sister since she was a child. Young based it on her own personal childhood trauma and a recurring dream that she started having five years ago.
“In my experience, it’s just trial by fire,...
“I wrote the short first always with the idea for the full feature and was told probably to make it into a short first before the feature,” she tells Gold Derby. “I’m glad I did that, especially with the circumstances of the pandemic that came along in the 11th hour.”
Debuting at this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, Young’s feature version of “The Blazing World” is a gorgeous psychological drama that blends horror and fantasy to tell the story of a young woman named Margaret (Young) who has been haunted by the death of her sister since she was a child. Young based it on her own personal childhood trauma and a recurring dream that she started having five years ago.
“In my experience, it’s just trial by fire,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Tucked inside its dazzling, old-fashioned opening credits, Carlson Young’s confounding “The Blazing World” offers an early glimpse of what’s to come. The film’s writing credits (Young and Pierce Brown) include the notation that the film was “inspired by Margaret Cavendish and other dreams.” Cavendish was a 17th-century English aristocrat, and a trailblazer: She was a scientist, a prolific playwright, and the author of the utopian sci-fi forerunner “The Blazing World.” Young seems to work from more than Cavendish’s singular work, also leaning into her own “dreams” and a hearty dose of surreal cinematic predecessors.
A talented young actress best known for her work on “Scream: The Series,” Young first approached the material in her 2018 short of the same name. She also has a knack for casting, with co-stars who include Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, singer Soko, and Udo Kier (being extremely Udo Kier).
Young has vision,...
A talented young actress best known for her work on “Scream: The Series,” Young first approached the material in her 2018 short of the same name. She also has a knack for casting, with co-stars who include Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, singer Soko, and Udo Kier (being extremely Udo Kier).
Young has vision,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Ana’s (Grace Van Patten) restless sleep is punctuated with all sorts of strange things: nightmares about endless tunnels, worryingly quiet men, vintage bombers laden with airmen, and a clear voice spelling out “M A Y D A Y” via the phonetic alphabet. But all that, strange as it may seem, is at least better than her real life, complete with a dead-end catering job and a sense of invisibility that’s not only in her head. In Karen Cinorre’s fantastical, feminist “Mayday,” Ana shrugs off her earthbound existence for something that, at first, seems like her ticket to fulfillment and happiness. But thorny questions persist, even in the most compelling of dreamscapes, and
Ana’s life in a sterile seaside town isn’t a happy one, and when Cinorre’s feature debut opens, she’s starting another day that seems destined to be just like the ones before it.
Ana’s life in a sterile seaside town isn’t a happy one, and when Cinorre’s feature debut opens, she’s starting another day that seems destined to be just like the ones before it.
- 1/31/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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