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“Blood and betrayal, toil and trouble — filmmakers from Akira Kurosawa to Roman Polanski have taken on “Macbeth.” In his stripped-down version, Joel Coen pitches his expressionistic tent between cinema and theater, taking a lead from Orson Welles, whose 1948 adaptation was one of his last Hollywood films. Is this an ill omen from Coen? (This is the first movie he’s directed without his brother, Ethan.) Whatever the answer, the play is still the thing and so is a volcanic Denzel Washington, who ferociously embodies, as Welles put it, “the decay of a tyrant....

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Their reason? It “merits further study.” No doubt the actual reason has to do with the backlash that occurred after they announced the new category last month, which prompted speculation that it was created solely to prevent ‘Black Panther’ from nabbing a Best Picture nomination. Well, now it will most probably be nominated for the big prize. Plan failed. Most pundits were predicting a showdown between “A Star Is Born” and “Black Panther,” alas that duel will now have to occur elsewhere....

During the discussion Schrader said his next one would be about a “trauma nurse working in Puerto Rico.” He also added that it would very much be akin to his recent Bresson-inspired trilogy composed of “First Reformed,” “The Card Counter,” and “Master Gardener.” In fact, Schrader is now saying his trilogy will now be a tetralogy, the fourth film in this new Bresson-ian phase of his, adding, “Critics love trilogies, they hate tetralogies, so I better call it a trilogy....

Verhoeven has already set his sights on his next film, working with “RoboCop” and “Starship Troopers” screenwriter Edward Neumeier on a new thriller titled “Young Sinner”. Verhoeven compares “Young Sinner” to his 2006 thriller “Black Book,” but “more explosive, and more open-minded to a big audience,” he tells Movie Maker. He adds that the story is set in Washington. Verhoeven adds that Neumeier’s satirical flair matches his own style. “If you see us working basically, it’s often just laughing....

This whole notion of retiring after 10 movies comes from his theory that a director’s quality of work only gets worse as they go along. Tarantino wants his filmography to be perfect or, as he puts it, “without a misfire.” Speaking with GQ Australia, spoke about his impending retirement: I do have to mention that the more I think about it, the more I realize that “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” is just this towering statement from Tarantino....

Condolences to his family and friends. He’s left a lasting legacy on film, that’s for sure. He’ll forever be known for playing Henry Hill in “Goodfellas”, his greatest work. However, Liotta wasn’t a one-trick pony. He had plenty of great performances in his filmography. The five essential Liotta performances for me are Hill in “Goodfellas,” Ray Sinclair in “Something Wild,” Shoeless Joe in “Field of Dreams,” Henry Oak in “Narc,” and Jay Marotta in “Marriage Story....

Bradley Cooper is trying to take a page out of mentor Steven Spielberg’s book by attempting to remake another beloved Best Picture-winning movie musical. This time it’s 1972’s “Cabaret.” Bob Fosse’s musical is being eyed by Cooper, who is currently trying to get the rights for the remake. The plan would be for Cooper to direct Lady Gaga in the lead role, which was made famous by Liza Minnelli. In the meantime, Cooper is set to direct his Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro, which is planned to start shooting this coming May....

All indications are pointing towards a Belgian Palme d’Or, as rumors point towards “Close” and “Tori et Lokita” as jury faves. They are the top Palme contenders as of right now. Someone told me they might even share it (Please, no). Other Intel pointing to Oslundt, Denis, Chan-Wook, Van Groeningen also being back on the Croisette. Supposedly, eight films will be rewarded at tonight’s ceremony. With the already mentioned Dardenne and Dhont, “Decision to Leave,” “Broker,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “EO,” “The Eight Mountains,” and “Boy From Heaven....

With a resume that includes “Hunger,” “Shame,” “12 Years A Slave,” and “Lovers Rock,” it’s always exciting to find out what this former visual artist turned director will do next. His last project was the ambitious “Small Axe” anthology series for the BBC which was composed of five films. According to an industry production posting, McQueen will be shooting his upcoming “Blitz” in November, the film is based on his own original idea and takes place during the German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940....

Waititi has built up a considerable filmography in these last 10 years, with “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Jojo Rabbit” all receiving fanboy cult appreciation. The Kiwi director is also set to direct the upcoming MCU movie “Thor: Love & Thunder.” Suffice to say, his calendar is going to be packed post-COVID. Waititi recently directed an episode of the “Star Wars” live-action Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian....

This is what I have so far in terms of “most likely” to screen at the Telluride Film Festival, which is happening August 30th to September 2nd. Marriage Story, d: Noah BaumbachFord v Ferrari, d: James MangoldJudy, d: Rupert GooldFirst Cow d. Kelly ReichardtUncut Gems, d: The SafdiesMotherless Brooklyn, d: Edward NortonThe Truth, d: Kore-edaThe Aeronauts, d: Tom HarperWasp Network, d: Olivier AssayasThe Two Popes, d: Fernando MereillesPortrait of a Lady on Fire, d: Celine SciammaPain and Glory, d: Pedro AlmodovarParasite, d: Bong Joon-hoVarda by Agnes, d: Agnes Varda Missing Telluride: Jojo Rabbit, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Laundromat, Ema, Joker, Knives Out, Harriet, The Goldfinch, My Name is Dolemite, Harriet, Just Mercy, The Personal History of David Copperfield The latest additions/retractions have to do with James Gray‘s “Ad Astra” not going to Telluride (Thanks to Jeff Wells over at Hollywood-Elsewhere) and Tom Harper‘s “The Aeronauts,” despite skipping Venice, going to the big dance....

The Marvel Cinematic Universe in numbers It would be safe to assume that no one, not the fans and not the execs at Marvel either, could have foreseen the behemoth amount of money the MCU would eventually amass. Back in 2008 Marvel threw its hat into the ring with Iron Man. Under the direction of Jon Favreau and a charismatic performance by Robert Downey Jnr., Iron Man exceeded expectations grossing over $585 million off a production budget of $140 million....

One thing never far away from the topic of the Oscars is a “comeback”, be it to the Oscars themselves or Hollywood as a whole. From Robert Downey Jr’s 2009 nomination for “Tropic Thunder” six years after going sober, to Michael Keaton’s career being almost brought back to life following the success of “Birdman”, to the “McConaissance”, and to Glenn Close’s nomination (and near-miss) this year following seven years away for the screen legend....

Variety’s Clayton Davis is also getting behind ‘Maverick’ with EEAAO down to fourth place in his rankings. I’ve been drumming the beat for “Top Gun: Maverick,” which would be another unusual winner as it’s a straight-up action blockbuster. It does have the honor of having “saved” the industry by proving that moviegoers are still willing to go to theaters. The reviews have also been great. It’s appearing on an innumerable amount of top 10 lists and it won the National Board of Review....

“For 128 minutes, Vanessa Kirby has you hooked to her every move in Kornel Mundruczo’s “Pieces of a Woman.” As Martha, a high-powered executive who loses her child during a harrowing home birth, Kirby mesmerizes by showcasing the human frailty and devastation that happens when tragedy comes knocking at her door. Her acting tour-de-force reminded me of Gena Rowlands’ masterful work in John Cassavetes’ 1974 classic, “Woman Under the Influence....

“Lacci” is based on Domenico Starnone’s Italian 2017 novel of the same name and deals with an affair that threatens to derail a marriage. The cast includes Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi Lo Cascio, Laura Morante, Silvio Orlando, and Linda Caridi. Festival boss Alberto Barbera has mentioned that the 2020 Venice Film Festival, set to take place from September 2nd-September 12th, will be a slim-downed affair, Barbera has promised a “significant” lineup with just over 20 films in competition and 50 films selected overall....

This would better explain why the New York Film Festival jumped the gun a few weeks ago and announced they nabbed the world premiere of ‘Macbeth.’ Sloppy seconds? It could be more nuanced than that. There could be an American-European divide with this movie or it could just be politics. Venice rejecting ‘Macbeth,’ but more importantly Coen, has some significance. You don’t just say no to one of great living directors out there....

The Daily Beast additionally states that Harvard law professor Ronald Sullivan had also dropped from the case “following backlash at Harvard regarding his role in the proceedings.” The problem, it seems, doesn’t necessarily have to do with the case being unwinnable, actually it’s quite the contrary: “I give him a great chance of getting off,” a person close to the case tells DB. “The charges are flimsy. It’s a weak, weak case....

I saw Spielberg’s movie again yesterday afternoon. It has these great moments that rank among the year’s very best, but, I know it’s sacrilege to say this, I’m starting to believe more and more that Michelle Williams and Paul Dano were miscast. You know who wasn’t miscast? Judd Hirsch. Oh, and David Lynch. Gabrielle LaBelle is also quite striking as young Sammy. I know plenty of people have skipped this movie, especially since it’ll be getting a VOD release next Tuesday, but for those who have seen it … what did you think?...