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  • ‘Lorne’ Exclusive Interview: Director Morgan Neville

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    Opening in theaters on April 17th is the new documentary from Oscar winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (‘Man on the Run’) called ‘Lorne’, which chronicles the life and career of ‘Saturday Night Live’ creator Lorne Michaels.

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    'Lorne' director Morgan Neville.
    ‘Lorne’ director Morgan Neville.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Morgan Neville about his work on ‘Lorne’, the style of the documentary, making it funny, his unprecedented access to ‘Saturday Night Live’, the show’s darkest period, conducting the interviews, what he learned about Lorne from making the movie, and the future of the long running show.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: Morgan Neville Talks Paul McCartney Documentary ‘Man on the Run’

    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, the film plays almost like an ‘SNL’ parody of a celebrity biopic with animated sequences and Chris Parnell’s narration. Was that what you set out to do from the beginning or did you have to pivot when you realized you might not get what you need from Lorne Michaels himself?

    Morgan Neville: I think my intent in the beginning was, I want this to be funny. I didn’t know how exactly. But beyond that, I don’t entirely have a plan about what the film is going to be. I know it had all these great ingredients. I know Lorne’s story is interesting. He’s a fascinating character who rarely does interviews or shows people into his life. I know the show is fascinating. I knew there were lots of interesting things, but I didn’t know how it would fit together. When we started shooting, what you see in the beginning of the film is my first day of shooting, where the cameras come out, and then Lorne vanishes. I felt like one of the themes of the film is basically the theme of me making the film. You go from somebody who really doesn’t seem like he wants a film made about him to somebody who has made his peace with it and is willing to give us a glimpse inside. That was my experience of making the film. So, the idea of bringing Chris Parnell in is a way of channeling ‘SNL’, but also the ‘TV Funhouse’. I mean, it’s also something that I’ve done with a lot of my films. I want the subject of the film to help me decide how to tell the story, so it feels like the telling of it is related to the subject. So, I just kept thinking, well, what is the ‘SNL’ version of a documentary about Lorne? Not to say that because it’s funny that there’s no substance there. Because one thing I’m also proud of is how the emotion sneaks into the film quietly, in a way you’re not expecting. Lorne, in the beginning, is like, “Why is this guy even here? Why is he torturing this poor crew?” But then you understand a lot more about what makes him tick and he opens in that way.

    MF: The movie is very funny. Can you set out to make a funny documentary, or is that a result of the subject you are focusing on?

    MN: I think humor is one of the great under discussed things in documentary film. I think some of my favorite documentaries are funny in different ways. That could be anything from the films that inspired me to make documentaries, like ‘Sherman’s March’, ‘Roger & Me’, and ‘The Atomic Cafe’. I mean, all the documentaries that got me excited, that are funny in different ways. Even in films I’ve made, like, ‘Best of Enemies’ or ‘Won’t you be my Neighbor?’ There are some big laughs in those films, too. But I think humor is such a great way of letting the audience exhale and open themselves up in a way if they’re laughing. They’re way more receptive to what you might want to share with them. So, I love that, and why can’t documentaries be comedies sometimes? So, this was me intentionally in the beginning saying, “I do want this to be a funny film.” Because it’s a film, most people who are going to watch it are comedy fans. I’ve seen a lot of documentaries about comedy that are really depressing. There are a lot of dark stories in comedy. But I always wanted to remember the comedy part of it, too. ‘Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces’ was the first comedy documentary I did that was purely comedy, and this is the second. With both, I tried to balance the funny with some weight or gravitas at the same time.

    (L to R) Erik Kenward, Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All rights reserved.
    (L to R) Erik Kenward, Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All rights reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about the unprecedented access that you had to Lorne and ‘Saturday Night Live’ and what did you learn about him as a person from your access?

    MN: I think people think of Lorne as sitting on a throne, deciding who makes it in comedy and who doesn’t make it, and that he is just sitting there, flipping his finger, and deciding the fate of people. I think Lorne sees himself as beleaguered, in the trenches, and worrying about next week’s show and making 100 phone calls to sponsors, network people, affiliates, agents, studios, and cast members to just keep all the plates in the air. So, it’s funny that everybody thinks Lorne is just sitting pretty. I think Lorne feels like he’s just barely making it, because I asked everybody in the film, “At what point do you think Saturday Night Live became a show that was not going to disappear?” Some people said, “Well, when the show reinvented itself after 1995 with Will Ferrell and that amazing cast, or maybe after 9/11, when it became a place where people came together and mourned and laughed together for the first time.” I asked Lorne that question, and he said, “Maybe this year.” You know, fifty years in! So, I think Lorne’s the last person to pat himself on the back and feel like, job well done, we don’t have to worry anymore. I think Lorne is thinking about, “When this cast gels, where’s it going to be in two years?” He’s thinking about things like that. “Oh, this writer I have who might want to leave, maybe I can get him to work on a TV show, and I can get him a development deal.” He’s constantly pulling levers to keep everything kind of bubbling along and that’s something, People don’t see him sweat, but I think he feels like he’s in the thick of it. I think it’s maybe part of why he made the film, is for people to understand that producing is a real job. It’s not just sitting back and collecting checks. It’s a lot of invisible things that people just don’t understand.

    MF: You mention in the film that the closest Lorne came to losing control of the show was in the mid- ‘90s, which culminated in the firing of Norm MacDonald. In discussing it with Lorne, did he express any regret in how that went down and being unable to protect Norm in the same way he has protected so many ‘SNL’ performers before and after?

    MN: I don’t think so. I love Norm’s comedy. But, let’s face it, Norm was asking for it and in the funniest way possible. Norm was warned again and again and again. So, I think Norm enjoyed poking the bear, and I don’t think Norm felt like Lorne was to blame for any of that. I think the other person in that equation was Jim Downey, the legendary writer who started in season two, and was on and off the show for decades, who I interviewed in the documentary. Jim, at that time, was running ‘Weekend Update’ with Norm, and the two of them were thick as thieves, and they were the ones who were enjoying poking the bear. When Norm got fired, Jim got fired too, but Lorne quietly got Jim back the next year. I think Lorne both felt a loyalty to Jim, and really wanted to protect Jim. Norm was going to be fine. Lorne told the bosses, “Okay, I’ll let them go,” and then quietly rehired Jim, and helped Norm land his next thing. Again, it’s something that made Lorne incredibly unhappy to have to go through, but he is the king of the long game. You may lose the battles, but he always wins the war.

    John Mulaney in 'John Mulaney: Baby J' Photo: Netflix.
    John Mulaney in ‘John Mulaney: Baby J’ Photo: Netflix.

    MF: Of all the interviews you conducted, who had the most insight into Lorne and was there anyone you wanted to interview but were unable to?

    MN: I mean, the only person I really wanted to interview who said no was Dan Aykroyd, and he had said he was just talked out from doing documentary interviews, which is fine. I get it. But at the same time, for a film like this, you could interview so many people, and I interviewed even more than I normally like to. I normally don’t like to interview a ton of people for a film because I want there to be a smaller chorus of voices. But even here, I could have interviewed another fifty people for this film easily. So, I wanted people from different chapters of his life, people like Howard Shore, who he met at camp as a 14-year-old to Rosie Shuster, his first wife he met in high school who became one of the original writers on ‘Saturday Night Live’. But one of my favorites was John Mulaney because he is both, such a great talker, but also a real student of Lorne’s. They’re friends, but I think John has studied Lorne, and I think when they’re together, John constantly peppers Lorne with questions, and he’s collecting as much information about Lorne as he can. So, I think he was ready to talk. I think he loved talking about Lorne. I think we did, like, a two-hour interview, and I said, “Well, I think that’s good,” and he was like, “Well, let’s keep going.” So we went for another hour, and then when we did the round table, he said, “Oh, I want to do that.” So, I got him together with Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Fred Armisen. But I think Mulaney was probably the MVP of talking about Lorne.

    MF: Finally, I get the sense from the film that Lorne Michaels is ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Saturday Night Live’ is Lorne Michaels, and that there is no retiring for him. He’ll leave the show when he must and it may go on for a while, but that will be the end of the show as we currently know it. What is your sense of the future of the series and how long do you think it will go on without Lorne Michaels at the helm?

    MN: I think Lorne is not going to run the show for another fifty years, but he wants it to continue, and I think it will continue, just because, for no other reason, the IP of ‘SNL’ is very valuable, and people still watch and will continue to watch. It’s one of the last places where we come together to watch things. You know, it’s like sports and ‘Saturday Night Live’. There aren’t a lot of places where we all come together to watch things. So, I think there are a lot of reasons why it will continue. I just don’t think it’ll be the same, because, in part, Lorne’s not doing it, but also because I can’t imagine it continuing to be as wasteful as it is. I mean, Lorne says that in the film. It’s made wastefully, but that’s because by being wasteful, you get to discover more things. He’s producing way more than he needs for a week. So, if you’re able to throw out a third of all your work every week and just pick the best two thirds, it makes it better. But it’s also kind of crazy to know you’re going to throw out a third of all your work every week. I also don’t think there’s one person to fill Lorne’s shoes, which are impossible to fill. But I think the thing about Lorne is he’s managing two different ways. He’s managing down, which is him with the writers and the cast, and all of that, which he’s great at. You hear all those stories of how he works with cast members. But the other part of his job is he’s managing up. So, dealing with the network people, and the sponsors, and affiliates, and studios, and all of that, in a way that is invisible, and is a very different skill than dealing with writers. So, you know, part of me feels like it would take at least two people to do his job.

    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

    What is the story of ‘Lorne’?

    ‘Lorne’ is an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the man who built the inimitable empire of comedy, shaping television and culture for generations. The documentary features exclusive footage, archival treasures, and candid interviews with the show’s most iconic cast members and writers.

    Who appears in ‘Lorne’?

    'Lorne' opens in theaters on April 17th.
    ‘Lorne’ opens in theaters on April 17th.

    List of Morgan Neville Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Lorne’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Morgan Neville Movies on Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Lorne’

    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

    Opening in theaters on April 17th is the new documentary ‘Lorne’, which was directed by Morgan Neville (‘Man on the Run’) and chronicles the life and career of ‘Saturday Night Live’ creator Lorne Michaels.

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    Related Article: Morgan Neville Talks Paul McCartney Documentary ‘Man on the Run’

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R) Erik Kenward, Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All rights reserved.
    (L to R) Erik Kenward, Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All rights reserved.

    Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville accomplishes the near impossible by capturing the illusive Lorne Michaels in the new film ‘Lorne’. The documentary, which is very funny, is almost an ‘SNL’ parody of celebrity biopics with pitch perfect narration from alum Chris Parnell and TV Funhouse style animation.

    Neville was given unprecedented behind the scenes access to Michaels and ‘Saturday Night Live’ and lifts the curtain to show how the sausage is really made. With interviews from ‘SNL’ alum like Tina Fey, John Mulaney, Kristen Wiig and Mike Myers, the movie explores Michaels’ career, the history of the show, and how ‘SNL’ is really made.

    Story and Direction

    'Saturday Night Live's Studio 8H.
    ‘Saturday Night Live’s Studio 8H. Photo: NBC.

    Director Morgan Neville is no stranger to documenting famous people, as his last film, ‘Man on the Run’ was centered on Paul McCartney. But the opening scene of ‘Lorne’ makes one think that Neville has finally met his match in Lorne Michaels. The ‘SNL’ creator seems surprised and annoyed that he even agreed to having a documentary crew follow him around, and virtually disappears once the movie begins.

    This forces Neville to pivot quickly and results in a movie that is closer to an ‘SNL’ parody of a documentary, which makes for a very funny movie. Some of the techniques that Neville uses to offset the loss of his subject include focusing on interviews with ‘SNL’ cast and alum instead and incorporating cartoons and narration. Those choices, whether out of desperation or not, transform the film from a standard celebrity documentary to a truly funny and entertaining experience on its own terms.

    But despite his best efforts, the film eventually does breakdown Michaels’ defenses and gives an honest and in-depth look behind the curtain at the man that created a comedic industry. In fact, Neville’s access to ‘Saturday Night Live’ was astounding and gives a rare never-before-seen look at exactly how the show is really made with glimpses into the writer’s room, pitch meetings, guest meetings, rehearsals, and finally choosing the sketches for that episode.

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    In addition to chronicling how the show is made week to week, the film also goes through Michaels’ personal history, the beginnings of his career, how he created the show, ‘SNL’s ups and downs including his exit in 1980, his return in 1985, almost losing the show in the 90s, and the various cast changes, as well as his film career, which includes writing ‘Three Amigos’ and producing ‘Wayne’s World’.

    Morgan Neville is the best documentarian working today and has made some of the finest documentaries in recent years including the Oscar winning ‘20 Feet from Stardom’, ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’, and ‘Man on the Run’. But ‘Lorne’ might be his best work yet, cracking the code on one of the most important figures in entertainment history.

    Celebrity Interviews

    John Mulaney and Tina Fey at Netflix's Next on Netflix event. Photo: Netflix.
    John Mulaney and Tina Fey at Netflix’s Next on Netflix event. Photo: Netflix.

    While reluctant at first, Lorne Michaels does eventually sit down for several interviews and is surprisingly open, despite his reputation for being guarded. However, his insight into his past and the inner workings of the show are delivered cryptically and in a very Lorne Michaels way. But we do get a rare look at his lakeside hideaway retreat in an undisclosed area of Maine, as well as his rigorous late-night schedule.

    You really come to understand that Michaels is a creature of habit, basically living the same schedule for fifty years, even eating at the same handful of New York restaurants and ordering the same meals for decades. People often wonder why ‘SNL’ has such a strange schedule, working late into the night and into the early morning most days. It’s because of Lorne, that’s his schedule, the show just adopted it.

    Neville assembles a fantastic group of Lorne’s friends and former ‘SNL’ cast members including Steve Martin, Paul Simon, John Mulaney, Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Seth Meyers, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, and Mike Myers.

    John Mulaney had the most insight about Lorne, while Tina Fey acted like she didn’t really know him at all. But the most fascinating exchange was watching an intimate dinner between Michaels and friend Steve Martin.

    My one critique is I do wish Neville had interviewed more of the earlier cast members, as there seemed to be a focus on only cast members from the last 25 years. Where was Chevy Chase and Bill Murray? Where was Dana Carvey and Adam Sandler? What about Will Ferrell? But this may just be a result of who was available and not by design.

    Final Thoughts

    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville's documentary 'Lorne', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
    Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary ‘Lorne’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Lorne’ is a brilliant documentary that delivers a rare look at an almost mythic figure in popular culture and gives true insight without damaging the myth. At the same time, for fans of ‘Saturday Night Live’ or comedy in general, the movie is a must see that really dissects how the series became an institution and why it is still going strong after fifty years.

    ‘Lorne’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.

    'Lorne' opens in theaters on April 17th.
    ‘Lorne’ opens in theaters on April 17th.

    What is the story of ‘Lorne’?

    ‘Lorne’ is an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the man who built the inimitable empire of comedy, shaping television and culture for generations. The documentary features exclusive footage, archival treasures, and candid interviews with the show’s most iconic cast members and writers.

    Who appears in ‘Lorne’?

    • Lorne Michaels as Himself
    • Tina Fey as Herself
    • Maya Rudolph as Herself
    • John Mulaney as Himself
    • Andy Samberg as Himself
    • Bill Hader as Himself
    • Fred Armisen as Himself
    • Conan O’Brien as Himself
    • Chris Rock as Himself
    • Jimmy Fallon as Himself
    • Seth Meyers as Himself
    • Kristen Wiig as Herself
    • Mike Myers as Himself
    • Steve Martin as Himself
    • Paul Simon as Himself
    'Lorne' director Morgan Neville.
    ‘Lorne’ director Morgan Neville.

    List of Morgan Neville Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Lorne’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Morgan Neville Movies on Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘The Roses’

    (L to R) Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Roses'. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    In theaters on August 29th is ‘The Roses’, the new adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel about a married couple whose relationship descends into frustration, deception and all-out war.

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    Directed by Jay Roach (‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’), the new dark comedy stars Benedict Cumberbatch (‘Doctor Strange’), Olivia Colman (‘The Favourite’), Kate McKinnon (‘Saturday Night Live’), Andy Samberg (‘Hot Rod’), Ncuti Gatwa (‘Barbie’) and Allison Janney (‘The Help’).

    Related Article: Benedict Cumberbatch Addresses Doctor Strange’s Future in the MCU and a Third Stand-Alone Movie

    Initial Thoughts

    Olivia Colman in 'The Roses'. Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    Olivia Colman in ‘The Roses’. Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    Warren Adler’s novel about a marriage whose passion curdles into bitterness, jealousy and regret has been adapted once before, by Danny DeVito, who reunited ‘Romancing the Stone’ pair Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner for ‘The War of the Roses’, a pitch-dark comedy drama fueled by their existing dynamic.

    Jay Roach and ‘The Favourite’s writer Tony McNamara go a different route for ‘The Roses’, which for much of its running time is a portrait of a seemingly blissful couple whose public façade hides simmering resentments, but is more cold war until it truly ignites in the third act.

    Script and Direction

    Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Roses'. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    McNamara has long shown a talent for writing believably toxic relationships with enough of a farcical edge to keep it all from being too brutal –– except when it needs to be. His screenplay for ‘The Roses’ is the perfect fodder for two British stars (American audiences may sometimes react the way their marriage counsellor does in the first scene, taken aback by the sheer comic vitriol on display) to trade barbs like consummate pros.

    And Roach, who has blended comedy and drama to winning effect (but also knows how to make farce serve story), was a solid choice to make this, keeping out of the cast’s way and working with them to develop the dynamics in very funny, sharp ways.

    While you do sometimes wonder whether the film would have been better set in the UK, the disconnect between the leads and their American friends/co-workers does add some spice to the story.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Kate McKinnon, Jamie Demetriou, Zoe Chao, and Andy Samberg in 'The Roses'. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Kate McKinnon, Jamie Demetriou, Zoe Chao, and Andy Samberg in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    This one really works because of its firecracker central pair; Cumberbatch and Colman may not totally convince as a couple deep in the throes of love and family, but when it comes to subversive, scathing dialogue, they are experts.

    As Cumberbatch’s character sees his professional architect career (and ego) crumble even as his wife’s chef ambitions flourish, they craft excellent performances, bouncing off one another.

    There is a deep bench of comedy performers backing them up, but the standouts here are certainly Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon as Amy and Barry, friends of the couple whose own marriage has seen better days. Credit also to Allison Janney, who pops up for one scene as Colman’s ruthless divorce lawyer, stealing every moment she’s on screen.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Olivia Colman and Allison Janney in 'The Roses'. Photo by Lara Cornell, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Olivia Colman and Allison Janney in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Lara Cornell, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    ‘The Roses’ may be more a skirmish than a war, but it is also a reboot that justifies its existence with a very different type of caustic relationship clash and superlative performances from its leads.

    It may not always be a feel-good movie, but that’s not the intent. And it’ll certainly make you laugh.

    ‘The Roses’ receives a score of 80 out of 100.

    (L to R) Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in 'The Roses'. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    What’s the story of ‘The Roses’?

    Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids.

    But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing –– as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Roses’?

    • Olivia Colman as Ivy Rose
    • Benedict Cumberbatch as Theo Rose
    • Kate McKinnon as Amy
    • Andy Samberg as Barry
    • Ncuti Gatwa as Jeffrey
    • Allison Janney as Eleanor
    • Zoë Chao as Sally
    • Sunita Mani as Jane
    Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Roses'. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
    Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘The Roses’. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Roses’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Roses’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Benedict Cumberbatch Movies On Amazon

     

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Lee’

    Kate Winslet 'Lee'. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.
    Kate Winslet ‘Lee’. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.

    Opening in theaters September 27th is ‘Lee,’ directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet, Josh O’Connor, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and Marion Cotillard.

    Related Article: Kate Winslet Talks ‘Lee’

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R) Marion Cotillard and Noemie Merlant in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Marion Cotillard and Noemie Merlant in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    Lee Miller is considered one of the greatest and most important war photographers of the 20th (or any) century, with her images from World War II – the horrors inside a concentration camp, the unspeakable contents of an abandoned train on its way to one of the camps, the haunted faces of both soldiers and survivors – not only indelible but crucial to documenting the defining cataclysm of modern human civilization.

    And while ‘Lee,’ the new film from first-time director Ellen Kuras, doesn’t skimp on the visual side either, it follows a very predictable path that is the curse of all biopics these days: the film bounces from incident to incident, bound to a repetitive show-and-tell structure that recounts a lot of Miller’s adult life yet never delves deeply into their meaning or emotional aspects. The result is more museum piece than motion picture.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Andy Samberg and Kate Winslet in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Andy Samberg and Kate Winslet in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    Like most biopics these days, ‘Lee’ begins in the middle of the story – in this case, Miller’s first time shooting photos on a battlefield – and then flashes back to tell us how she got there. Or rather, it flashes both back and forward: the movie then sets up a future timeline in which an aged Miller (Kate Winslet) grudgingly tells her story to an interviewer (Josh O’Connor from ‘Challengers’) who apparently has no idea of her life’s work.

    This intrusive narrative device (which it took four credited writers to decide upon) recurs throughout the film, as does a gravelly voiceover from Winslet, both of which signal than the film is going to lead us gently by the hand through the narrative instead of letting it unfold on its own terms.

    Even with that, by the time the main thrust of the story gets going, we meet Miller when she has already abandoned her early career as a fashion model in the 1920s and ‘30s and struck out as a photographer in her own right. She’s first seen hanging out topless (along with other women) at a picnic in France, but we have little context for this or the bohemian group of friends she’s with. “I was good at drinking, having sex, and taking pictures, and did all three as much as I could,” says Miller in what’s supposed to be character development.

    ‘Lee’ is the kind of biopic that expects us to have done our homework beforehand – when Miller meets the love her life, Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård), their almost perfunctory tumble into bed mere hours later seems more baffling than erotic. But Winslet and Skarsgård never quite have the time to develop any real chemistry onscreen after that.

    Alexander Skarsgard in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    Alexander Skarsgard in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    Miller keeps fighting for the chance to go to Europe to shoot the escalating war, but the U.K.’s patriarchal rules of the day forbid it, until she goes around her British editors at Vogue and appeals to her American ones. “It happened so slowly, yet kind of overnight,” says Miller in her voiceover about Hitler’s conquest of Europe, which plays out offscreen during a montage of Miller’s days at Vogue before she finally gets the nod to go to Europe and catch up to the movie’s opening scene.

    The bulk of the film is set during Miller’s time near or on the front, where she heads out with fellow photojournalist David Scherman (Andy Samberg) — who may or may not be in love with her but who remains a strictly platonic friend and colleague — to chronicle the war. From there, the movie takes us episodically through the staging of a handful of Miller’s most famous photos, while touching tangentially on sexism, Miller’s own alcoholism (although she seems to conquer both with relative ease), and the fraying of her marriage to Penrose.

    The film’s third act is saddled with not one, not two, but three reveals, all of which come far too late in the game. One is a scene between Miller and her Vogue editor, Audrey Withers (Andrea Riseborough), in which Miller confides a devastating episode from her childhood but seems here almost like an afterthought. The other two depend on the film withholding information in a way that makes them seem like cheap tricks rather than important twists.

    Ellen Kuras, a longtime cinematographer making her feature directorial debut here, shoots ‘Lee’ beautifully as one might expect, with the early sun-drenched vistas of France giving way to the darker grays, browns, and blues of a war-devastated Europe. But Kuras, like the cast, can’t get around the checklist nature of the script to make us truly feel or understand anything that happens in the film.

    The Cast

    (L to R) Noemie Merlant, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, and Alexander Skarsgard in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Noemie Merlant, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, and Alexander Skarsgard in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    If you’re not already in the camp that regards Kate Winslet as one of the greatest actors of her generation, then ‘Lee’ is not the place to start (we’d go with ‘Mare of Easttown,’ ‘Little Children,’ or ‘Mildred Pierce,’ for starters). It’s not that Winslet isn’t as terrific as always here – she is. Her Lee is a fighter all the way, but only has a couple of scenes in which to fully showcase the scope of both her humanity and her own motivations. The Lee Miller we see in the film only comes to life sporadically, and is seemingly driven only by the needs of the narrative.

    The rest of the cast falls prey to another typical biopic convention: cast enough well-known actors as people we’re supposed to know, and let their star wattage do the work. Everyone is good as far as it goes, but the film has this air of pre-supposing that you’ll know who Marion Cotillard’s Solange d’Ayen is and fill in the blanks yourself. Only the chameleonic Riseborough makes somewhat of a lasting impression as British Vogue editor Audrey Withers. There is also the token “comic actor taking on a serious role that will surprise you” – in this case it’s Andy Samberg as David Scherman, who again has no real life save that he follows Lee around like a puppy.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Andrea Riseborough and Kate Winslet in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Andrea Riseborough and Kate Winslet in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    The problem with telling the story of someone’s life is that life itself is an often-rambling journey, full of highs and lows and rarely imbued with the kind of dramatic turns or climactic moments that are necessary for a film. As a result, most biopics run the risk of seeming shapeless and haphazard even as they follow a formulaic structure that tries to whip the events of the subject’s life into shape (this is why, say, Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ is more successful, in that it focuses on one crucial episode in the subject’s life rather than encompassing them all).

    As fascinating and complicated as Lee Miller apparently was, and as important as her work was to understanding an event that nearly brought civilization to its knees and realigned the world order for the foreseeable future, ‘Lee’ doesn’t have the narrative real estate to give us anymore than a snapshot of either the woman or her exploits. The result is a staid, self-important “and then this happened, and then we went here” approach that will leave most viewers, ironically enough, without a clear image of who Lee Miller was.

    ‘Lee’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Lee’?

    Lee Miller (Kate Winslet) goes from a career as a model to enlisting as a photographer to chronicle the events of World War II for Vogue magazine.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Lee’?

    • Kate Winslet as Lee Miller
    • Marion Cotillard as Solange d’Ayen
    • Andrea Riseborough as Audrey Withers
    • Andy Samberg as David Scherman
    • Noémie Merlant as Nusch Éluard
    • Josh O’Connor as Antony Penrose
    • Alexander Skarsgård as Roland Penrose
    Kate Winslet stars in 'Lee'.
    Kate Winslet stars in ‘Lee’.

    Kate Winslet Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Lee’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Kate Winslet Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘Lee’ Exclusive Interview: Kate Winslet

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    Opening in theaters on September 27th is the new biopic ‘Lee’, which chronicles the life of celebrated WWII photojournalist Lee Miller.

    Directed by cinematographer Ellen Kuras (‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’), the film stars Academy Award winner Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’) as Miller, as well as Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (‘The Dark Knight Rises’), Oscar-nominee Andrea Riseborough (‘To Leslie’), Andy Samberg (‘Palm Springs’), Josh O’Connor (‘Challengers’), and Alexander Skarsgård (‘The Northman’).

    Kate Winslet stars in 'Lee'.
    Kate Winslet stars in ‘Lee’.

    Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Winslet about her work on ‘Lee’, her passion to get the movie made and tell this story, as well as Miller’s incredible determination and what Winslet admires most about her.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Winslet, Andy Samberg and Andrea Riseborough.

    Kate Winslet 'Lee'. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.
    Kate Winslet ‘Lee’. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.

    Moviefone: To begin with, as both an actress and a producer, why you were so passionate about this project and why did you want to get Lee’s story told?

    Kate Winslet: I started developing the film in 2015, and I knew who Lee Miller was, I was familiar with her photography. But I did not know what she had gone through and how unbelievably determined she was to get permission to go to the front line and to document the war and the atrocities of the Nazi regime for female readers of British Vogue. I could see very clearly that history was in danger of pigeonholing her and defining her through the male gaze. She was described as the former muse and ex-lover of Man Ray, and she was an ex-cover girl, all this former stuff, like the interesting bits of her life had been and gone. But these kind of infantilizing descriptions of who she was, which really bothered me because Lee was a woman who lived many lives within her life, even beyond the war. But for me, this decade of history that we depict in our film was really when Lee became Lee. This was a flawed, middle-aged woman who had the compassion and determination to go and reveal the truth. She wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer. She never took her foot off the gas, and I just had to become like that in trying to get the film made, and in playing her. It has been just an extraordinary privilege to have played this character, honestly.

    (L to R) Andy Samberg and Kate Winslet in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Andy Samberg and Kate Winslet in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    MF: Finally, you mentioned Lee’s incredible determination, where do you think that came from and is that what you admired most about her?

    KW: I mean, yes, it was one of many things that I admired about her, but in general, how Lee Miller walked through the world. I think she was born determined, and she carried herself with incredible grace and compassion. She was redefining femininity 80 years ago to mean resilience, strength, courage and power, all those things that we now as women are doing and we’re raising our daughters that way, and that’s how we are in our friendships. That was Lee. She was already doing that, so (she was an) incredibly contemporary person of her time. But Lee had suffered the most extraordinary, unimaginable trauma as a child, and she was told to never speak of it, and she didn’t. She never told anyone. Consequently, she had a very powerful streak of injustice in her, and that meant whether it was, consciously or subconsciously, that she carried that injustice into her work and had a way of seeing the world that was different. She could see evil. She could see people in a way that meant her photography was unique. She was able to look down into that Rolleiflex camera at her image, but look up and meet people’s gaze head on, and she was unafraid of doing that. That is what sets her work apart, and that is what war correspondents do. They take risks and they put themselves in terrifying situations, but they do it because they want to reveal the truth, and they want to make sure that nothing is hidden. Lee did that for the female readers of British Vogue at a time when not many other women were doing that at all.

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    What is the plot of ‘Lee’?

    Lee Miller (Kate Winslet) goes from a career as a model to enlisting as a photographer to chronicle the events of World War II for Vogue magazine.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Lee’?

    • Kate Winslet as Lee Miller
    • Marion Cotillard as Solange d’Ayen
    • Andrea Riseborough as Audrey Withers
    • Andy Samberg as David Scherman
    • Noémie Merlant as Nusch Éluard
    • Josh O’Connor as Antony Penrose
    • Alexander Skarsgård as Roland Penrose
    (L to R) Noemie Merlant, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, and Alexander Skarsgard in 'Lee'. Photo: Kimberley French.
    (L to R) Noemie Merlant, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, and Alexander Skarsgard in ‘Lee’. Photo: Kimberley French.

    Kate Winslet Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Lee’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Kate Winslet Movies On Amazon

     

  • Where To Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Following the events of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy reunite as the Spider-man universe expands further than either of them has ever anticipated.

    The official synopsis for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ is below:

    “Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.”

    ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened in theaters domestically on June 2, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in April 2022 but shifted to a later release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened to $120.6 million domestically and so far has grossed $371.8 million since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $666.5 million. This film serves as part one, with part two slated for a 2024 release.

    The first film not only received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, but it also won the Academy Award for “Best Animated Feature” in 2019. The highly anticipated sequel once again dazzled the audience and is certified Fresh on the Tomatometer.

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    Who’s in the cast of ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

    Expanding The Spider-Verse

    Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    This movie further expands what we already know of the Spider-Verse through the lens of Miles Morales. The film’s protagonist, The Spot, figured out that his spots can be used as portals for dimension jumping, but also the reason why Miles Morales became Spider-Man in the first place. The Spot uses his portals to travel to universes with colliders by absorbing its power to further increase his power, making him quite formidable for the team of Spider-man and Spider-woman.

    Gwen Stacy also gets some much needed attention in this movie as we dive into her past on how she became Spider-Woman, her struggle to keep her identity a secret from her father, and how losing her best friend catapulted her into the frenzied world the “Spider Society.”

    For the first time on the big screen, we’re introduced to Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Punk, Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, and Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-man India – all of them working together under the direction of Spider-Man 2099 to prevent catastrophic canon events.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Easter Eggs

    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    We’ve already seen in the first film how many variants of Spider-people exist. We’ve met Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, and Peni Parker in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, and the amount of cameo and easter eggs is dialed up in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Here are some of the easter eggs you can find in the movie:

    • Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider
    • Mayday “May” Parker/Spider-Girl
    • Spider-Byte
    • Spider-Rex
    • Peter Parkedcar
    • Web-Slinger
    • Bombastic Bag-Man
    • The Spectacular Spider-Man

    It’s not easy to catch all the easter eggs and cameo while watching in the theaters, but once the movie arrives on digital or a streaming platform, the audience will have the ability to pause and rewind to spot all the references and appearances.

    Are There Two Version Of The Film Floating Around?

    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Sharp-eyed audience members begin to wonder if there were two versions of the film being shown in theaters The differences are subtle and do not affect the overall story. An example is when Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 speaks with Lyla – In one version, Lyla takes a selfie with a bunny ear filter that shows up on Miguel’s face, and one version shows Lyla giving a fist bump. The films’ associate editor Andy Leviton has confirmed this on Twitter. Which version did you see?

    Where Can I Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    The movie premiered on May 20, 2023, at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles and was released domestically on June 2, 2023. It is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

    Buy Tickets: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Showtimes

    Watch the official trailers for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ below:

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    Can’t make it out to the theater? The multi-Spider-Verse jumping movie will soon be available digitally on Prime Video. Currently, it is listed as available for pre-order for $19.99. As far as streaming goes, since Sony does not have its own streaming platform and currently has a deal with Netflix, it is likely to end up on the major streamer in the fall.

    Where To Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Online

    Buy ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ on Amazon

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’:

     

     

  • 2019 Golden Globes Memorable Moments: The Highs, Lows and Shocks of the Night

    2019 Golden Globes Memorable Moments: The Highs, Lows and Shocks of the Night

    Paul Drinkwater/NBC

    There was a lot going on at the 2019 Golden Globes — the ceremony did run longer than three hours and 15 minutes. Great performances in film and television were honored, co-hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh engaged in gentle banter, and a bunch of celebs got drunk.

    Here are some of the highs, lows, and shocks of the very long night:

    HIGH: Sandra Oh and her parents

    Oh may not be the typical comedic personality who usually hosts awards shows, unlike her co-emcee Andy Samberg, but she brought a warmth and emotional depth to the show.

    At the end of the opening number, she became teary as she said, “ In all honesty, I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change. And I’m not fooling myself. I’m not fooling myself. Next year could be different. It probably will be. But right now, this moment is real. Trust me, it is real. Because I see you. And I see you. All of these faces of change. And now so will everyone else.”

    Later, when she made history by winning Best Actress in a TV Drama, she thanked her parents, who were in the audience and have become their own social media darlings, by speaking in Korean and bowing.

    HIGH: Glenn Close winning Best Actress

    While many pundits believed Lady Gaga would (deservedly) take the prize, a visibly stunned Close heard her name called instead. This is Close’s first Golden Globe for a movie performance (she’s won twice for television roles) and it’s a strong indicator she may end up getting her very first Oscar after six nominations.

    The iconic actress also cemented good will towards her with an emotional acceptance speech that received a standing ovation:

    “I’m thinking of my mom who really sublimated herself to my father her whole life and in her 80s she said to me, ‘I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything.’ And it was so not right, and I feel what I’ve learned through this whole experience is that women, we’re nurturers. That’s what’s expected of us. We have our children, we have our husbands, if we’re lucky enough, and our partners, whoever. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say, ‘I can do that and I should be allowed to do that.’”

    LOW: The wins by ‘Green Book’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

    Both movies have their fans, but the acceptance speeches were tone-deaf. For “Green Book,” director Peter Farrelly tried to explain how to fix racism. “All we have to do is talk and to not judge people by their differences, but to look for what we have in common,” he said.

    As for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” executive producer Graham King made no mention of original director Bryan Singer nor alluded to the troubles that led Singer to be let go from the project. Backstage, he brushed off reporters’ questions about whether Singer shares in the award.

    SHOCK: Emma Stone apologizes for ‘Aloha’

    After Sandra Oh delivered a zinger about the whitewashing found in movies like “Ghost in the Shell” and “Aloha,” the latter’s star Emma Stone audibly shouted “I’m sorry” in the ballroom.

    HIGH: Olivia Colman calls Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone “my bitches”

    In her acceptance speech for winning Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical for “The Favourite,” Colman told her fellow actresses (both nominees), “Thank you the most muchly, my bitches.”
    She added, “Every second of working with you girls was such a joy. So much fun. I was so sad when it finished.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wsc1LMvLoA

    SHOCK: Christian Bale thanks Satan

    Bale, who won Best Actor in a Comedy for “Vice,” joked about how he was the perfect person to play “charisma-free a–holes” like Dick Cheney (maybe he’ll do a Mitch McConnell biopic next?). He also said, “Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role.”

    Meanwhile, on Twitter, most people couldn’t get over his heavy accent;

    https://twitter.com/hellolanemoore/status/1082105701282004992

    HIGH: Carol Burnett reminds us how it was done

    Burnett took home a new television lifetime achievement award (to mirror the Cecil B. DeMille Award on the film side). And she used to the occasion to gently needle Hollywood about focusing on money instead of razzle dazzle. “I realize how incredibly fortunate I was to be there at the right time — because what we did then we couldn’t do today,” she said. “The networks just wouldn’t spend the money… and today’s audiences would never know what they’re missing. So here’s to reruns and YouTube.”

    HIGH: Jeff Bridges is so Jeff Bridges

    The Cecil B. DeMille Award winner gave a rambling speech that managed to mention most of Hollywood, from his brother Beau to his longtime stand-in to the Coen brothers to Peter Bogdanovich. But Bridges is never not delightful, even when he’s waxing at length. Even Harrison Ford, who presented after him, grumbled about following that act.

    LOW: The flu shots

    Who thought it was a good idea to send a bunch of fake medics into the audience with (we hope) fake flu shots? This bit flatlined from the first moment.

    SHOCK: Patricia Arquette drops a bunch of F-bombs

    Arquette’s acceptance speech for Best Supporting TV Actress in “Escape to Dannemora” cut out for at least 10 seconds, because the actress let loose a string of curse words. Here’s what she said after thanking the make-up artists on the limited series: “How many fucked up teeth does a person need? I was born with fucked up teeth!”

    Later, backstage, she apologized. “It was an unplanned F-bomb. I’m very sorry. This is a very elegant occasion. Dental dramas are true. Trust me.”

    HIGH: Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph’s “proposal”

    Two of the funniest ladies in Hollywood teamed up for a funny callback to the proposal that occurred on stage at the Emmys in September. Hello, Oscars, hire them!

    HIGH: Regina King’s stirring call to action

    The winner for Best Supporting Movie Actress for “If Beale Street Could Talk” not only cut off the orchestra trying to play her off, she used the extra time to make a powerful vow — that every project she produces will comprise of 50 percent women.

    “And I just challenge anyone out there, who is in a position of power, not just in our industry, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourselves and stand with us in solidarity and do the same,” she said.

  • Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg Are Hosting the Golden Globes

    Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg Are Hosting the Golden Globes

    YouTube

    Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will host the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association just announced today. The awards, which honor TV and movies, will air January 6 on NBC.

    (The Oscars just chose their host yesterday: Kevin Hart.)

    Oh and Samberg memorably presented at this year’s Emmy awards where Oh ad-libbed that “La La Land” was the winner. And gave a shout-out to one of her old boyfriends.

    “Sandra and Andy are the perfect choices to host this world-class event,” Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, co-chairmen, NBC Entertainment, said in a press release. “They bring wit, charm and style to a room filled with the very best of film and television. It’s sure to be another unforgettable fun-filled night.”

    The Golden Globe nominations will be announced tomorrow, December 6,  at 8:05 a.m. ET/5:05 a.m. PT. You can stream the announcement  on the Globes site.

    Oh is likely to be get a nod for “Killing Eve.” And Samberg could repeat his 2014 Globe win for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

  • Inside Andy Samberg’s Dope Cycling Mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy’

    Tour de Pharmacy on HBOFirst, there was 7 Days in Hell.” Now, he’s shifting into a new gear by focusing a satiric lens on the world of cycling — and the illegal doping that’s long dogged it — in “Tour de Pharmacy.”

    As star and executive producer, Samberg once again had a hand in every aspect of how the film came together, assembling an all-star assortment of sly comedic talents — including Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Daveed Diggs, and Jeff Goldblum — with a roster of straight-faced dramatists — Freddie Highmore, Orlando Bloom, James Marsden, Kevin Bacon, and Julia Ormond among them — and an elite group of sports pros, like John Cena, Mike Tyson, Joe Buck, and even cycling’s fallen hero Lance Armstrong, to lampoon one of the world’s most popular and frequently controversial athletic competitions, the Tour de France.

    Samberg, who has a starring role as the obliviously privileged, inept, and unrepresentative Nigerian cyclist, takes Moviefone inside the creation of a sports-doc sendup, including merging the classic root-for-the-underdog structure with improvisational spirit, which wasn’t as easy as riding a bicycle — nor, for that matter, was riding a bicycle.

    Moviefone: Of all the niche sports to delve into, why was the cycling world the one that you found funny and fun to explore on a comedic level?

    Andy Samberg: The combination of the look, all the spandex, and also the fun of the early ’80s, both in terms of the way that we would style the world and the way we would shoot it. Also just the sort of long history of the various behavior surrounding the sport, seemed like a fun place to take reality and explode it even further.

    Did you have any special affinity for the sport beforehand, or did you just know as much as the average person who casually follows sports?

    I think more the latter. Murray Miller, who’s my co-EP and the writer on it, he knew a little more. We did a bunch of research, and read about the history of the Tour de France and cycling and stuff, and that informed a lot of the bits that we tried.

    But yeah, it wasn’t like the first one, “7 Days in Hell,” where we were both avid tennis fans. This one was more like, we knew about the tour, and we knew about cycling, and we thought it was cool that it wasn’t, like, our favorite sport. We just thought it would be a fun one to do.

    Tell me about the process of digging into the research. I imagine not many comedy projects require a lot of research, but I bet it was kind of fun to dig into the history and the era in particular.

    It was. Just learning about the intensity of the competitiveness of it, stuff like chasing the badger, and all that. Also, looking all the way back and realizing that cheating was so engrained in the sport — like, if you read back far enough, the very first time they did a tour, a lot of the cyclists were, like, drinking booze and stuff to try and deal with the pain, because it’s actually just an impossible event.

    There is a story about one cyclist who left the race, got on a train and then rejoined the race down the line. Which we had in one of the versions of the script, and we’re like, “It’s actually too unbelievable.” It supposedly happened, but who knows?

    How tightly do you guys script everything, and how much room do you leave for everybody to play around when you’re shooting?

    We script it pretty tightly, with the knowledge that we’re going to try a ton of alts when we’re shooting. So all the premises of the big structured bits and style choice stuff is in place, and then a lot of the times with the talking heads interviews then we play around more.

    So we’ll be like, “Okay, we’ve got an hour with Jeff Goldblum next week. Let’s write a ton of alt lines that we could possibly use throughout the story,” and then once we’re on set, we also will then throw like 50 new lines out at him and see what feels funny. Then we’ll sift through it all.

    This is as deep a bench of players as it gets. How do you get all these people involved? I imagine you have to be pretty creative in the editing to make everybody look like they’re in the same room at some time.

    Yeah. Our primary five riders were all there most of the time together, so that was great. Me, John Cena, Freddie Highmore, Orlando Bloom, and Daveed Diggs — and [James] Marsden, for the most part. So we kind of shot all of that in a big chunk all in a row. Then we sort of picked up talking heads and weird sidebar stuff, like the Finnish credit card commercial and stuff like that on different days when people were available.

    Because of that, we’re able to get a ton of really awesome people, because you’ve just got to find an hour or two here or there that they could do it. But on the other hand, it makes production stretch for a really long time.

    Is everybody involved sort of in your professional circle in some way? Or do you have to invite total strangers, and say, “This is going to be fun — just trust me.”

    Definitely the latter on some of it. Obviously, people like Will Forte and Maya [Rudolph] I already knew. J.J. Abrams I was already somewhat friendly with. Then there’s people like Orlando, who I never really met before, but I thought he would be super funny for it. We just call him up and say, “What do you think?” And “Trust me” [Laughs]

    I imagine “trust me” was used a lot in landing Lance Armstrong.

    I did say, “Trust me,” but I also felt like we were wholly transparent with Lance. He knew what the joke that we wanted to do with him was, and we sent him the script, and I explained it to him even further when we talked on the phone. He thought it was funny. He was like, “Yeah, f*ck it. Why not? Let’s try it.” And it turned out really good. He really went for it. I was very pleased with his stuff. It’s been making people laugh in the screenings we’ve had so far.

    Tell me about the lessons that you learned making “7 Days in Hell” that you were able to carry over here.

    Something we learned on “7 Days in Hell” and also learned even more when I was working with Akiva [Schaffer] and Jorma [Taccone] on “Popstar,” was that when you make a mockumentary, you can definitely shift and adjust how you’re telling your story as you’re editing by just picking up new talking heads, or like adding a little piece of fake news footage.

    You don’t have to be completely tied to the script if it’s not clear enough, or if it’s not playing how you feel like it should be playing. You can make adjustments and add stuff after the fact, sort of streamline things, and it helps you also cut things that aren’t necessarily working to your liking, which is nice.

    Both of these films really pick up on the narrative of the “30 for 30” style. Are you a big fan of sports documentaries? Is that something that you’ve absorbed a lot of?

    Absolutely. Murray and I both love them. I think I’ve watched pretty much every “30 for 30.” When we went into it, the thing we said to each other was like, “Man, how cool would it be to do a comedy ’30 for 30′ or HBO Sports Presents kind of a thing? Then we can sort of move around and tell different stories with it.” Hopefully, this one will go over well, and we can just keep making more.

    I was impressed with how you’re able to go really far out with the comedy and get into some adventurous, absurdist territory, but you still have a narrative that works. Do you have a sense of how you guys pull that off?

    Thank you. I’m glad you think that, because we worked hard. I think one of the things that was appealing to us was about doing these things is the reason those “30 for 30s” work so well, and the reason sports comedy movies, and sports drama movies work so well, is they have that great built-in dramatic structure, where you’re like, I know this is an event, it’s going to happen, and there are stakes, and there’s going to be a winner and a loser.

    I’m interested in that. There’s all these tricks to how you edit it and put it together now that really hook you and keep your interest. I can’t turn on a “30 for 30” without wanting to know what happens at the end. Even if I already know what happens at the end, because it’s based on real life or something I watched when it actually happened, I’m like, “Oh yeah, I want to relive that, to hear everyone’s take on what happened.”

    And then you also have a sports movie structure of more straightforward comedies that came out, like your “Happy Gilmore”-type movies that have the same thing, where I’m like, “I love ‘Happy Gilmore,’ not just because it’s super funny, but because I also, every time I watch it I’m like, come on, Happy, you’ve got to beat Shooter! He doesn’t deserve to win. He’s a bad guy!”

    You get sucked into the sports drama of it, for the same reason that I get sucked into real sports drama in real life, where I’m like, “Man, I sure hope my team wins.” Yeah, that’s a big part of why it’s appealing from a storytelling perspective.

    You guys had to do everything while on bicycles. Was that ever a particular challenge for the actors?

    It was a great challenge for myself. Orlando Bloom and James Marsden are both like basically professional cyclists. They do it in their free time, and are great at it. Then Freddie, and Daveed, and John Cena are all very athletic and coordinated. Then I also was a part of it, and I was not good.

    Luckily we wrote my character so it kind of made sense. But yeah, it was tough. And we were shooting in, like, 120 degree heat a couple of days. So it definitely was a tough thing to do.

    Are you already back to work on the next season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” or are you still waiting to get back to set?

    The writers are back, and we start shooting again, I think, at the end of July. So I’m on a little bit of a break right now, which is nice. But we’re excited to come back. I’ve already heard a bunch about next season and it sounds good.

    It’s great how you guys leave everything so ripe at the end of a season, cliffhanger-y. Did you guys already know where you were going to go with the results of Jake’s verdict, or did you just leave it and say, “Okay, we’ll think about it over the summer and come back”?

    Dan Goor would have to answer that question. Per my conversations with him, it was kind of a little bit of both, where it was like, “We have an idea of where we’re going to take it, but it’s not written in stone, necessarily. Let’s air it and see how we feel.” The direction that it’s headed in is what I think we all thought it was going to be, and it sounds pretty good. The stuff he’s told me so far sounds really cool and funny.

    What’s the most out-there, niche sport that you’re finding yourself really attracted to? Like, “How can we make a story around this oddball sport?”

    Good question. It’s interesting, because the big ones are actually the hardest, too, because of budget. It’s like, “Man, it’d be fun to do basketball, or football, or soccer, or something,” but then it’s like, “How the hell would we shoot that?” It’s so massive, and there’s so many people involved, and that kind of thing.

    So in terms of niche, I don’t know if there is one that’s too niche. I don’t want to say necessarily any, because we’ve been talking about which ones to do next. We’re definitely going to try and do one pretty quick if we can. Do you have any ideas?

    Competitive eating is the first thing that comes to mind.

    Oh sh*t, that’s a good idea! We’ll give you a “thank you” in the credits if the next one is competitive eating.

  • Here’s How ‘Magnificent Seven’ Outgunned ‘Storks’ at the Box Office

    Denzel Washington stars in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures' THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.“This town ain’t big enough fer the both uv us.”

    Actually, there was supposed to be enough room at the multiplex for both a new Western aimed at grown-ups (“The Magnificent Seven“) and the first new kiddie cartoon in months (“Storks“). Expectations for both the Denzel Washington-lead remake and the Andy Samberg family film were high, with projections for “Seven” ranging from $38 to $49 million and $26 to $33 million for “Storks.”

    As it turned out, however, both movies underperformed, though “Seven” did score an estimated $35.0 million, while “Storks” delivered just an estimated $21.8 million.

    At least “Seven” performed in the neighborhood of Washington’s other recent movies; indeed, most stars today would be thrilled with a $35 million debut. But how did it manage to crowd “Storks” — a movie with seemingly no audience overlap — out of the marketplace? Here are some of the reasons “Seven” won the showdown, as well as reasons why it still wasn’t as quick on the draw as pundits predicted.

    1. The Stars
    Washington remains — remarkably, at age 61 — about the most reliable box office draw in the business. His numbers aren’t huge, but they’re healthy. Since 2000, he’s appeared in 19 movies, 16 of which have opened above $20 million. (Two of the three that didn’t — “Antwone Fisher” and “The Great Debaters” — were movies that opened in limited releases, and they were films that Washington directed but performed in only a supporting role.)

    His last movie, 2014’s “The Equalizer,” debuted just above $34 million, so his “Seven” opening is actually slightly better than usual. In fact, it’s his best since “Safe House” premiered with $40.2 million in 2012.

    “Seven” features an ensemble cast of fine actors, but none of them is in Washington’s league, not even Chris Pratt. Yes, Pratt starred in three of the biggest movies of the last couple years — “The LEGO Movie,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and “Jurassic World” — but they’re the kind of high-concept movies that arguably would have done well no matter who starred in them.

    As for “Storks,” star Andy Samberg has done well as a supporting voice player in the “Hotel Transylvania” cartoon features, but that doesn’t mean he has any kind of a box office following, since the kids who watch those movies may not recognize him by name or face.

    2. The FilmmakersChris Pratt and director Antoine Fuqua on the set of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures' THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.Antoine Fuqua (pictured, right) isn’t a household name, but he’s delivered several solid and smart action movies, including recent hits like “The Equalizer.” “Seven” marks his third movie with Washington; the first was “Training Day,” the hit crime drama that won Washington his second Oscar. So the two men work well together, especially when Washington’s in badass mode.

    “Storks” co-director Nick Stoller has had some successes with bro-comedies aimed at young men, including “Get Him to the Greek” and “Neighbors.” But he’s never directed a family film or a cartoon (he co-directed “Storks” with former Pixar animator Doug Sweetland, who’s making his feature directing debut). As a writer, however, Stoller’s been a lot more hit-and-miss, having contributed to the screenplays of such commercial disappointments as “Turbo,” “Muppets Most Wanted,” “Sex Tape,” and “Zoolander 2.” He’s the sole credited writer on “Storks.” Critics often appreciate a filmmaker who stretches and explores territory outside of his or her wheelhouse, but the box office tends to be less forgiving of risk.

    3. The Genres
    Westerns simply don’t do well among younger audiences, with rare exceptions like “Django Unchained.” Then again, Washington’s appeal is primarily toward older viewers, the kind who still read reviews, and “Seven” earned an okay 63 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. (Word-of-mouth among paying customers was even better, judging by the A- grade from CinemaScore.) There’s also the nostalgia factor to draw older viewers, not just for those who remember the Westerns of their youth, but for those who remember the original 1960 version of “Seven,” one of the greatest and most beloved Westerns of all time.

    Not that the new “Seven” was entirely without youth appeal. Unlike many of Washington’s movies, it’s rated PG-13 instead of R. Plus, the film’s African-American director has made a point of giving the film a multicultural cast worthy of a “Fast and Furious” movie.

    The predictions for “Storks” were so high, probably because talking-animal family movies have done very well this year, from “Zootopia” to “Finding Dory” and “The Secret Life of Pets.” Still, it’s hard to sell an original story without familiar characters to family audiences unless you’re Disney/Pixar or Illumination, the animation house behind “Pets” and the “Minions” movies. Witness the recent difficulty that LAIKA had with “Kubo and the Two Strings,” despite rave reviews. And not even Disney could drum up much interest in its remake of live-action/animation blend “Pete’s Dragon.”

    4. The Competition
    Nonetheless, “Kubo” remains in the top 10 this weekend. It’s also still playing on more than 1,200 screens, as are “Dragon” and “Wild Life.” Even “Pets” and “Dory” are still selling tickets after more than three months. So “Storks” is entering a more crowded marketplace than it may have bargained for.

    For that matter, so is “Seven.” Fall is, after all, the movie season for grown-ups. Washington’s chief rival here is his old “Philadelphia” co-star, Tom Hanks, whose “Sully” actually added 430 theaters in its third weekend, upstaging “Seven” by 281 screens. As a result, it came in third with an estimated $13.8 million, for a total of a healthy $92.4 million so far. And in addition to adult dramas like “Sully,” “Snowden,” and “Hell or High Water,” “Seven” also had to compete for African-American viewers against “When the Bough Breaks.” Washington beat them all, as expected, but he had his hands full.

    5. September Release Date
    September has simply been dismal at the box office. Of the five lowest-grossing weekends at the box office throughout 2016, four of them are from the current month. The worst was last weekend, with just $89.8 million in total sales. This weekend has been the best weekend since the end of August, and it still pulled in just $103.9 million.

    It’s worth noting that “Storks” earned exactly the same scores as “Seven” among critics at Rotten Tomatoes and ticketbuyers at CinemaScore. You’d think such positive buzz for the cartoon would have made a difference.

    But for word-of-mouth to pay off, you have to get customers to show up in the first place, and this month, it seems most everybody has something better to do than go see movies.
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