Just look at the subdued receptions films like “Boy Erased,” “Destroyer,” “White Boy Rick,” “Trial By Fire,” “The White Crown,” and even two of the more well-received titles, “Can You Ever Forgive Me” and “First Man” received at TIFF. However, who’d a thunk it, the film that wasn’t entirely well-received in the Colorado mountains ended up being one of the more pleasant surprises for me at TIFF: Jason Reitman’s “The Front Runner,” Based on Matt Bai‘s “All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid,” the film is a depiction of the events that led to Gary Hart, a front-running Presidential candidate back in 1988, to resign his nomination after news of illicit adulterous affairs, with a number of women, came to light....

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Born in New York City, Schumacher started off as a costume designer on “Play It as It Lays” and Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” and “Interiors,” and as the screenwriter of “Sparkle,” “Car Wash,” and “The Wiz,” before making his directorial debut with the 1981 B-movie “The Incredible Shrinking Woman,” starring Lily Tomlin. Then came the ‘80s hits, which I’m not particularly fond of, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and “The Lost Boys.” Then a few more in the ‘90s including “Flatliners,” “The Client,” and “A Time to Kill....

So, what’s next for Travolta? Well, how about heading out on a “Grease” sing-along tour to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. Olivia Newton-Jones will join him in the festivities. Which begs me to ask the question: Does he really need the money that badly? With this, “The Fanatic,” not to mention a slew of straight-to-streaming flicks (“I Am Wrath", “The Poison Rose,” “Trading Paint”) and last year’s Worst Picture Razzie winner “Gotti,” I do believe Travolta has entered the next phase of his career, which is basically whatever the hell Nicolas Cage has been doing these last 20 or so years, alas, I don’t see Travolta starring in something as batshit-brilliant as “Mandy,” but one can only hope he embraces this new phase of his career, very much the same way Cage has been oh-so delectably doing these last 20 years....

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James plays a bearded, bald-headed Nazi in a film that might as well be called “Paul Blart: Last Blood.” The trailer, released today, is the epitome of B-movie grooviness. Quiver Distribution and Redbox Entertainment will be releasing the film via digital/ on-demand release on June 5th. The official synopsis: “The film centers on rebellious 14-year-old Becky (Wilson) as she’s brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father in an effort to try to reconnect after her mother’s death....

According to Louise Vesth, of Zentropa, he wants “Kingdom Exodus” to screen at Venice. There had previously been rumors and rumblings of a possible Cannes midnight slot for Von Trier’s upcoming TV series, the third season of the apocalyptic show. The cast this time around include Lars Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie-Kaas, Mikael Persbrandt, Alexander Skarsgård, David Dencik, Bodil Jørgensen, Ghita Nørby, Nicolas Bro, Søren Pilmark, Peter Mygind, Laura Christensen and Udo Kier....

According to Variety, Scorsese is working on a new documentary titled “’Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese,” set for release on Netflix sometime in 2019. This makes Netflix the home for two upcoming Martin Scorsese-directed movies in 2019 (“The Irishman” being the other). The Rolling Thunder Revue is a legendary tour from Bob Dylan which was aimed to coincide with his 1975 mastwerwork “Blood on the Tracks....

The 50-year-old comedian was shunned from the industry last fall when reports started to filter through mainstream news that, well, he liked masturbating in front of women in his dressing room. A rather perversely surreal act on the part of the actor/director/comedian. The consequences were tough and swift, his movie “I Love You, Daddy,” which he wrote, directed and starred in, was dropped by The Orchard, he was blacklisted in comedy clubs and an early retirement was what many wanted to come from the epic comedown he was enduring at the hands of the #MeToo movement....

Chapman photographed “Raging Bull,” enough said. You’re probably asking yourself, “How the hell did he not win that year?” Well, Geoffrey Unsworth won instead for “Tess.” No disrespect to Mr. Unsworth and his fantastic photography for the Roman Polanski epic, but Chapman’s work in “Raging Bull” is legendary. His use of black-and-white might be the definitive post-color statement of the medium, and the way he shot those boxing matches was, pardon my pun, a knockout....

Thematic Similarities Movies appeal to many people, therefore it was only natural for video games to try and mimic or develop a more cinematic approach to its storytelling, character development or in many cases, to recreate a video game counterpart of a popular movie. Blade Runner, a cult classic, considered one of the greatest masterpieces in sci-fi cinema, has spread its influence in many parts of the entertainment industry. Many game developers, novelists, and artists have taken inspiration from the movie’s themes and aesthetics and are looking for ways to implement them in their own story....

Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s Netflix-produced “The Platform” premiered directly via streaming in late February, where, I’m sure due to people being locked in and having nothing but Netflix to watch, it started trending around social media circles and quickly became one of the most-streamed movies in March. However, if you’ve seen “Snowpiercer,” not to mention “Cube,” “Saw,” not much feels fresh in “The Platform,” its “bottle” concept not necessarily new cinematic DNA ditto its upstairs/downstairs socialist allegory....

The mini-series will screen out of competition. This will mark Refn’s first time at Venice since 2009’s “Valhalla Rising” had its premiere on the Lido “Copenhagen Cowboy” is being described by the Netflix as a “thrill-inducing, neon-drenched noir series,” the show will revolve around a young heroine called Miu (Angela Bundalovic) who travels through Copenhagen’s criminal underworld. It’s said to be a six-episode drama. A fall 2022 release is anticipated on the streaming giant’s platform....

Last November, I had a little treat of intel for WoR readers. I had reported that Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” and Ruben Ostlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” had already been accepted for the following year’s Cannes edition. Of course, they were and both ended up winning prizes, including the Palme d’Or for Ostlund. Now, over a year later, the same source is back, giving me more early intel on next year’s festival....

Alain (Guillaume Canet) is a successful book publisher, who is cheating on his wife Serena (Juliette Binoche), A TV actress who is having an affair with one of his long-time authors (Vincent Macaigne), whose wife is the assistant to an up and coming environmental politician. Got that? The juggling of storylines is handled with care by Assayas who has his characters not only dealing with their own issues but trying to adapt their work life to the digital and social media age....

This is easily the hardest category of nominees to slot/predict this year. Williams would have probably won, but now it’s a free-for-all with some predicting Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) as the new frontrunner. I don’t buy it. For some reason, Variety’s Clayton Davis has the three “Women Talking” actresses in the #1, #2, and #3 slots in his predictions. Give me a break. My current belief is that Sarah Polley’s film will not be everyone’s cup of tea and that some, or many, Academy voters will be rebelling against it....

Robert De Niro (“The Irishman”) Somehow former Academy favorite Robert De Niro got almost no love from awards bodies throughout the season. From missing a SAG (Screen actors guild) nod, to a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, De Niro’s campaign has really been a nom starter, with voting bodies preferring to focus in on the electricity of Al Pacino’s performance and the subtle yet frightening comeback of Joe Pesci. A shame for De Niro, as he delivers his best performance since “Silver Linings Playbook” as Frank Sheeran, a man who’s loyalty ultimately cost him everything....

A mix of political rhetoric, personal stories and movie reviewing, Schrader’s Facebook has caused controversy many times over these last few years. The writer-director even admitted, a few years back, that, after defending Kevin Spacey, he was put in Facebook jail by “First Reformed” studio A24. I figured Schrader would dig Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” but he also has an interesting take on the film’s controversy. Schrader basically says that the film would be freed from all the media hoopla if it weren’t about Monroe, but just an unidentified actress....

Maybe it’s because the film skipped all the fall festivals and is going straight to theaters. Regardless, a redditor saw it recently and thinks it deserves awards: Cooper has had a wonky track record as a filmmaker. Telluride seems to like him a lot, but they peculiarly didn’t program “The Pale Blue Eye” at this year’s festival. Cooper’s filmography includes “Crazy Heart,” “Out of the Furnace” and “Black Mass.” “The Pale Blue Eye” stars Bale as a veteran detective who investigates a set of murders, helped by a detail-oriented young cadet who will later become a world famous author, Edgar Allan Poe....

In “Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” we’re not really sure what the highlight, or piece-de-resistance, is because, well, there are so many contenders. Stunts, stunts, stunts, and more stunts. That’s how the series has been reinvented for the 21st century. These last three films are very much their own breed, a trilogy of action moviemaking that represents peak after peak of stunning practical effects. I dread even explaining the overly complicated plot for this latest endeavor because, well, it’s really just an excuse for Tom Cruise to showcase his fearless acrobatics....