Variety

  • ‘Fruits of Labor’ Review: A Mexican American Family’s Struggles in Central California
    by dharv2014 on 2021-05-07 in Reviews, Emily Cohen Ibanez, Fruits of Labor, Hot Docs, SXSW

    Those who complain “immigrants are stealing our jobs” hardly seem likely applicants for the jobs held by protagonists in “Fruits of Labor” — such as cleaning other people’s houses or working the graveyard shift in a food processing plant. Constant hard work doesn’t seem to bring the American Dream much closer for this Mexican American

  • ‘The Big Scary “S” Word’ Review: Defanging Socialism as Capitalism Trumps Democracy
    by dharv2014 on 2021-05-07 in Reviews, Hot Docs, The Big Scary S Word, Yael Bridge

    “Economic inequality” is a phrase that not long ago was seldom heard outside various ivory towers. But in recent years, the proliferation of billionaires, contrasting shrinkage of the middle class and livable wages, not to mention Big Money’s ever-increasing political clout, have all dragged that concept into popular awareness. Conservatives have fought back by renewed

  • ‘Walking With Herb’ Review: Edward James Olmos Lifts Faith-based, Golf-centric Comedy Drama
    by Joe Leydon on 2021-05-07 in Reviews, Edward James Olmos, George Lopez, Ross Kagan Marks, Walking With Herb

    Since we’ve already had faith-based features involving football (“Woodlawn,” “Facing the Giants”), baseball (“Where Hope Grows”), basketball (“Slamma Jamma”), boxing (“Carman: The Champion”), competitive skateboarding (“Hardflip”) and even mixed martial arts (“The Fight Within”), it was doubtless inevitable that someone would produce a movie where the Lord works in mysterious ways on the golf course.

  • China’s Huayi Bros. Marks Third Year of Losses, Despite Delivering the Highest Grossing Film of 2020
    by Rebecca Davis on 2021-05-07 in Asia, Global, News, Huayi Brothers, The Eight Hundred

    Huayi Brothers, China’s longest-standing privately-owned film studio, has notched its third consecutive year of losses despite producing the world’s highest grossing film in 2020, its annual report showed. The company’s revenues for 2020 fell by 33% year-on-year to $232 million (RMB1.5 billion) while net losses hit $162 million (RMB1.05 billion). The figures continue a losing

  • Paramount Plus Sets Australia, New Zealand Launch Date
    by Patrick Frater on 2021-05-07 in Asia, Global, News, Australia, Channel Ten, Paramount Plus, ViacomCBS

    The Paramount Plus streaming service will be launched in Australia and New Zealand in August. It joins an increasingly crowded marketplace, but claims local traction through ViacomCBS’s ownership of Australian linear channel Channel Ten and a handful of local content commissions. The launch announcement followed publication of ViacomCBS’ latest financial results and the debut of

  • ‘Dwarfo-Psychosis’ Wins Big at Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards
    by Haley Bosselman on 2021-05-07 in News, Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards

    Mockumentary short “Dwarfo-psychosis” took home two prizes at tonight’s Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards, with director Maria DiDomenico and producer Emily Pascal winning the best director and best film awards, respectively. Written by and starring Steven LaChioma and Pancho Moler, “Dwarfo-psychosis” sees fraternal twins Peter and Pat celebrate turning 40 with a huge reveal. It

  • This Longtime ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor Is Leaving the Show
    by Kate Aurthur on 2021-05-07 in News, ABC, Grey’s Anatomy, Jesse Williams

    SPOILERS: Do not read this article if you have not watched the May 6 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.”  Jesse Williams, who has played surgeon Jackson Avery on “Grey’s Anatomy” since the show’s sixth season, will be leaving the ABC medical drama at the end of this season, its 17th. Williams’ final episode, titled “Tradition,” will

  • ‘Equal Standard’ Review: The Ice-T-Backed Film at the Intersection of Racism and Law Enforcement Is Hindered by Uneven Acting and Untidy Priorities
    by tomilaffly on 2021-05-07 in Reviews, Brendan Kyle Cochrane, Equal Standard, Ice T

    Overlong and erratically paced, Brendan Kyle Cochrane’s New York City-based “Equal Standard” opens with a self-conscious scene that heavy-handedly hints at an impending tragedy. There in the sun-dappled kitchen of the happy Jones family, Detective Chris (Tobias Truvillion), Sergeant Jackie (Syleena Johnson) and their adorable daughter lovingly go about their rosy morning routine, while an

  • ‘Stealing Chaplin’ Review: A Legendary Comedian Is Exhumed — But Not His Spirit — in a Slight Knockabout Farce
    by Guy Lodge on 2021-05-07 in Reviews, Doug Phillips, Paul Tanter, Simon Phillips, Stealing Chaplin

    The 1978 theft of Charlie Chaplin’s coffin from its rural Swiss resting place was the kind of bizarre case — equal parts absurd caper and poignant story of human desperation, escalating wildly and ending with peace restored — that you’d expect to have been the subject of at least one hefty true-crime movie. Instead, it

  • Everything We Know About ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel ‘House of the Dragon’
    by Ethan Shanfeld on 2021-05-07 in News, Game of Thrones, George R.r. Martin, HBO, House of the Dragon

    What is dead may never die, and thus, the world of “Game of Thrones” will live on at HBO with prequel series “House of the Dragon.” While it’s only been two years since we waved goodbye to “Game of Thrones,” it feels like an eternity since we last traveled across Westeros. A lot has happened