alessandro nivola – We Are Movie Geeks

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (2025) – Review

This weekend sees the wider release of a film that would probably be referred to as “Oscar bait” since it stars two actresses who have that “golden guy” and it’s directed by a beloved and celebrated filmmaker. With the latter, this shares a similar distinction with another lauded “end of the year” work, EMILIA PEREZ. No, this isn’t a musical. The common thread is that PEREZ was made by a French director who is telling a story in the Spanish language, while this new release has a Spanish helmer working completely in English for the very first time after nearly half of a century in cinema. And though it’s set in today’s modern world it harkens back to the movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age”. It becomes clear to cinephiles the moment they enter (if it’s ajar…a big plot point) THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.

The opening scene takes us to a swanky book store in Manhattan where the popular author of several works of “historical fiction” signs copies of her latest. Ingrid (Julianne Moore) is surprised when an old friend steps out from the long line of fans. Stella (Sarah Demeestere) informs her that a mutual acquaintance is battling cancer in a nearby hospital. The news startles Ingrid, as she’s been out of touch with this friend for a while. A reunion is overdue, so she makes an impromptu call at the hospital room of former war correspondent Martha (Tilda Swinton). The duo quickly gets “up to speed”, with Martha confiding that she’s estranged from her adult daughter. Ingrid is surprised by her story of a teenage pregnancy sired by a first love who was emotionally scared by combat. They never married. The daughter, Michelle, was resentful of Martha’s “globe-trotting” as she wrote of various international conflicts. The hospital visits soon extended to Martha’s Central Park-view apartment, during the “off time” between medical stays. During a visit after a new promising experimental treatment, a frustrated Martha tells Ingrid that it didn’t work. She has a few months left, at best, before her mind and body begin to degenerate and finally shut down. A bit later Martha delivers another bombshell. She’s purchased a “euthanasia pill” via the “dark web”, but doesn’t wish to use it in her NYC home. Martha is hoping to rent a lush cottage in upstate New York that she’ll share with Ingrid. Martha explains that when she expires, she wants to be discovered by someone she loves who is in “the room next door”. Ingrid is filled with anxiety and sadness but also wants to be supportive of her friend. Does she have the strength to join Martha as their rekindled relationship concludes? And could she somehow be legally liable for assisting in Martha’s “good death”?

There’s such a warm easy rapport between the two lead actresses that it feels as though they’ve been teamed many times over their impressive screen careers. Because Ingrid has several encounters aside from her time with Martha, Moore would have the lead role as our “pathway” into Martha’s last journey. It’s through her expert use of body language and facial expressions (her eyes are truly that window) that Moore shows us the heartbreak and empathy of this old friend whose renewed bond will be severed. She pledges her help even though Moore’s quivering voice conveys Ingrid’s conflicted feelings. Fortunately, her main scene partner is equally compelling, though with different challenges in her character. Swinton, as Ingrid, must also express many moods, while also reflecting the physical changes her body must endure as the disease takes its toll. Martha has a calm acceptance, often at odds with her frustrations about her diminished stamina and “brain fog”. And though she rejects pity, Swinton’s joy while confiding in a friend thought to be loss shows lets us see that there’s still a yearning for human connections while exiting her life. This isn’t a two-person tale as Ingrid also shares scenes with a pair of superb supporting actors. John Turturro is quite good as Damian, a social commentator on a lecture tour, who was a past lover to both women, though with no “overlap” for a romantic “triangle”. And, an extra dramatic “punch’ is provided by Alessandro Nivola who is quite intimidating and fierce as a dogged policeman encountered by Ingrid.

That acclaimed Spanish filmmaker I alluded to earlier is, of course, the talented Pedro Almodovar, who directed his screenplay adaptation of the novel “What Are You Going Through” by Sigrid Nunez. This caps an impressive roster of films that have explored female relationships with this intimate tale of love and loss. With its smooth tranquil pacing, lingering close-ups, and serene nearly melodramatic flashbacks, Almodovar appears to be paying tribute to the classic “women’s pictures” so prolific during the early years of sound movies (“pre-code” and a bit beyond). I kept thinking that the main plot could have paired Bette Davis with Miriam Hopkins on the Warner backlot (the new score from Alberto Iglesias takes inspiration from Steiner and Herriman). But there are also elements of the glossy technicolor romances of Douglas Sirk, especially with the gorgeous rental estate in the woods, which looks to have been lifted straight from “Architectural Digest” magazine (perhaps Lazlo Toth of THE BRUTALIST designed its multi-level wonders). All the stylistic choices (the color red is prominent, from the shared car to the vibrant lipstick shades) never detract from the story’s main focus on friendship and facing (that dreaded “D” word) death. Certainly, this may re-spark debates about the “quality of life”, but most folks on both sides would agree that the last days would be most pleasant with a caring person in THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.

3.5 Out of 4

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR opens in selected theatres on Friday, January 17, 2025

KRAVEN THE HUNTER New Trailer Gives Us A Glimpse At Rhino

Hitting theaters this December is KRAVEN THE HUNTER, the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

Check out the new trailer now.

More Spider-Man villains that never meet Spider-Man, however a Sinister-Six movie somewhere down the road would be fantastic. This group was formed by Doc Ock and recruited Sandman, Shocker, Vulture, Rhino and Electro. Each member of the six once fought against Spider-Man and was defeated. (Marvel)

Marvel has two films based on Marvel Comics opening this Fall. Sony Pictures has VENOM: THE LAST DANCE, starring Tom Hardy, bowing on October 25th, while KRAVEN THE HUNTER will open in cinemas on December 13, 2024.

The cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe.

https://www.kravenmovie.com

Directed by J.C. Chandor, story by Richard Wenk, with a screenplay by Richard Wenk and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. The score is from Benjamin Wallfisch (ALIEN: ROMULUS, IT, SHAZAM!, THE INVISIBLE MAN).

This film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for the following reasons: strong bloody violence, and language.

Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer For “The Big Cigar” Starring André Holland – First 2 Episodes Directed By Don Cheadle

Today, Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for “The Big Cigar,” the upcoming limited series led by André Holland, who stars alongside Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P. J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie and Glynn Turman. “The Big Cigar” makes its global debut on May 17 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through June 14.

Based on the magazine article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman (“Argo”), who also serves as executive producer, “The Big Cigar” tells the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution. It’s a wild caper about Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan — involving a fake movie production — that goes wrong every way it possibly can.

NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois (“Claws,” “Self Made”) is the showrunner of “The Big Cigar.” Executive producer Jim Hecht (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”) penned the show’s first episode. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Sherman Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions are under an overall deal. Sherman Barrois and Hecht are executive producing alongside Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector (“Little America”) through their production company Epic.

KRAVEN THE HUNTER Trailer Features Kraven, Calypso, Chameleon And Rhino

Kraven the Hunter is the visceral story about how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Set before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man, Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the titular character in the R-rated film. Directed by J.C. Chandor, best known for writing and directing the films Margin Call, All Is Lost, A Most Violent Year, Triple Frontier, here’s a first look at the brand new trailer starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe.

Check out the trailer for the R-rated film.

The film has been in development since Summer 2018.

Sony has been setting up a SINISTER SIX movie since THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. At the end of 2014’s sequel starring Andrew Garfield, the film teases the appearance of the Sinister Six. The Sinister Six was to include two characters that already appeared: the Green Goblin and the Rhino, and four new additions: Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, and Mysterio.

According to MARVEL, in the comics, after consistently being defeated by Spider-Man, he joins with a pseudo family of Super Villains, the Sinister Six, led by Dr. Otto Octavius, AKA Doctor Octopus. The team includes William Baker, AKA Sandman, Adrian Toomes, AKA Vulture, Maxwell Dillon, AKA Electro, and Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio.

https://www.marvel.com/characters/kraven-the-hunter-sergei-kravinoff/in-comics

Comicbook.com says: Sony Pictures was eyeing the character to be the next chapter in its shared Spider-Man universe (without Spider-Man). There have been three films released in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe thus far, with Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage holding the strongest connective tissue. 2022’s Morbius featured Jared Leto’s titular character making a brief reference to the symbiote.

https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/6698/the_amazing_spider-man_1963_294

News broke during the summer of 2019 that Kraven the Hunter would be getting his own film in Sony’s universe of Spider-Man spinoffs, with The Equalizer writer Richard Wenk attached to pen the script. “The writer recently confirmed initial details about the film, which includes a direct encounter with Spider-Man as well as influences from the seminal storyline “Kraven’s Last Hunt.”

https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/kraven-the-hunter-movie-spider-man-last-hunt/

Plus the story will also include Ariana DeBose as Calypso, Alessandro Nivola as Rhino, Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon, and Christopher Abbott as Foreigner.

As Deadline reported in March 2022: As for the character Abbott will be playing, fans are sure to be excited as The Foreigner played a major part in the Spider-Man comics over the years. While he had no superhuman abilities, the mercenary/assassin is one of the more trained martial artists in all of Marvel comics. While he had rare run-ins with Kraven, he would cross paths with everyone from Spidey himself to Silver Sable (who he would later marry) to Kraven’s brother, the Chameleon. Clearly, Abbott’s appearance in this film is likely just the start of his presence in the universe going forward.

Could the friendly neighborhood Spider-man have a cameo in the film? Find out when KRAVEN THE HUNTER hits theaters on October 6, 2023.

BOSTON STRANGLER – Review

(L-R): Carrie Coon as Jean Cole and Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin in 20th Century Studios’ BOSTON STRANGLER, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Claire Folger. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Do you recall what kind of viewing was all the rage when most of us were stuck indoors during the big pandemic a couple of years ago? Well, aside from a fictional fable of a chess whiz, it was true crime streaming TV. Of course, many folks still love to binge these often multipart documentaries. And one has become a docudrama, about that Tiger King. A good number of them concern that thriller staple of the last three or four decades, the serial killer. So when did this “boogeyman” enter the zeitgeist? You could go all the way back to Jack the Ripper. Well, this new film is about his American cousin who was a terror of the early 1960s. he even got the big Hollywood treatment 55 years ago. But here’s a new take in which he’s a supporting player since this story mostly concerns the two intrepid news reporters that aided in the capture of the BOSTON STRANGLER.

This version of the tale actually begins with a murder in a state far away from “Beantown” as Det. DeLine (Rory Cochrane) discovers the horrific aftermath of a disturbance call at an apartment building. From there we jump back a few years to the cold Eastern US streets in early 1963. Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) is becoming frustrated in her job writing for the Boston Record America. She yearns to be part of the “crime beat’, like Jean Cole (Carrie Coon). Instead, the paper’s editor Jack Maclaine (Chris Cooper) thinks that she (and other female reporters) are better suited to cover fashion shows and test new toasters. But Loretta’s been following a series of murders that have been “buried” from the front page. Since the Summer of 62,’ a couple of (mostly older) single women were found strangled with their pantyhose (looking like a “gift bow”) with almost no evidence or signs of forced entry into their homes. Loretta locates the local “cop bar” and finds a sympathetic ally in Det. Conley (Alessandro Nivola), who thinks his bosses are “dragging their heels”. Finally, Loretta brings her research to Jack, who dismisses it because he doesn’t want to antagonize the police and city hall. But the murders continue, and Jack finally gives her the go-ahead, but she’ll be paired with Jean. As their stories are now front page fodder, Jack decides to promote the pair as his crimebusting Lois Lanes. But will their byline and publicity stills put a target on their backs for the fiend they’ve labeled (replacing “phantom”), the Boston Strangler?

As you might have surmised, the story’s main character isn’t the title one, but rather it’s Knightley as the dogged reporter. We can almost see her Loretta roll her eyes when she’s handed a “puff piece” and later attempt to hide her annoyance at home with her kids and hubby. When she begins really digging, she plows through the sexist barriers that the police and her “higher-ups’ try to block her questions (shades of Hildy Johnson). Extra kudos to Knightly for nailing the Yank accent without drifting into the “caar in the yaard” cliches. Ditto for his ink-stained partner Coon as the seasoned writer Jean. She tries to temper Loretta’s zeal, but slowly we see that Jean’s own passions are re-ignited by the forced pairing. Plus her tenure gives her the chutzpah to go toe-to-toe with her grizzled overseer, editor Jack played with gruff and gravitas by the always compelling Cooper. He’s an old newshound who, bit by bit, sees the need for “fresh eyes” as he goes out on a limb, risking the ire of the owner and city hall, to scoop his rivals. Plus he’s not above a little “razzle dazzle’ as he sees a way to exploit his staff’s “novelty” (the duo as a “sidebar'”is an extra “grabber”). Also a bit terse is Nivola, as the best cop who doesn’t want to “make waves”, but has to get the killer, even if it means tossing “off the record” info to Loretta. We see a growing mutual respect build between the two, even as Conley tells her to tell the station operative that she’s his sister. And of note is Morgan Spector as Loretta’s husband James, who gushes with pride over his wife’s works until he winces as he eats away at her time with him and the kids.

Although it’s been several months since the previous film’s release, this could almost be seen as a “prequel in spirit” to the under-appreciated SHE SAID, as both involve hyper-focused female newspaper reporters. However, this new take on a long, long ago investigation has strong elements of a classic whodunit, while also highlighting the sexist attitudes in the days before the women’s liberation movement. In the newer film, we know who the “perp’ is, while Jean and Loretta wonder who may be “tailing” them, perhaps to add to an ever-growing morgue list. The women are brave, but they know when to skirt danger, as Loretta decline one creep’s invitation to his “lair”. This well-crafted true-crime drama is told with great skill by writer/director Matt Ruskin, eschewing the exploitative tone of the 1968 potboiler. The mood and the settings take us back to the early 60s, from the newsroom alive with a typewriter “symphony” to the cold, dark desolate streets that hide a maniac. Oh, if you think you know the real story from the Tony Curtis flick, well you’re in for lots of shockers. While last year’s movie has a true finality (though the Weinstein case is still active), this one hints that it may be too late for a real “solution”. But with this superb cast and expert execution, there should be a new spot on the list of newspaper crime dramas, alongside ZODIAC, ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN, and SPOTLIGHT for BOSTON STRANGLER.

3.5 Out of 4

BOSTON STRANGLER streams exclusively on Hulu beginning on March 17, 2023

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK – Review

(L-r) BILLY MAGNUSSEN as Paulie Walnuts, JON BERNTHAL as Johnny Soprano, COREY STOLL as Junior Soprano (in back), JOHN MAGARO as Silvio Dante, RAY LIOTTA as “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and ALESSANDRO NIVOLA as Dickie Moltisanti in New Line Cinema and Home Box Office’s “THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo credit: Barry Wetcher / Warner Bros. Courtesy of Warner Brothers Studios

The highly-anticipated “Sopranos” prequel THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK finally arrives in theaters and proves that it was worth the long wait. “The Sopranos” was the influential, award-winning television series that likely started the binge-watching phenomenon, but one of the nice things about this mobster drama is that there is no need to be a fan of the long-running series, or even to have seen a single episode, to fully enjoy this film and be drawn into its well-rounded world and thrilled by its surprise-around-every corner plot. There is plenty here for any fan of mobster movies or twisty thrillers generally. But if you are a Sopranos fan, there are plenty of extra thrills in seeing characters only talked about in the series or younger versions of favorites like Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante, and discovering how New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano and his world came to be.

Focusing on the Soprano-Moltisanti branch of New Jersey’s DiMeo crime family, the film gives an introduction to the world of “The Sopranos” and every major figure from the series at an earlier time. However, if you are a Sopranos fan expecting this film to deliver you right to the doorstep of Tony’s home, with the late James Gandolfini as the grown mob boss trundling out in his robe to get the morning paper, this ain’t it. The story ends with Tony still young but with a brilliant script by series creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner and strong direction by Alan Taylor (whose work included episodes of The Sopranos and Game of Thrones), THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK has creator David Chase’s fingerprints all over it and fully sets up how Tony Soprano and his world came to be, setting the stage for that iconic shot that opened every show but with room to fill in more details.

Set in the turbulent late ’60s and early ’70s in Newark, New Jersey, the story incorporates real historical events, as rival gangs challenge the powerful DiMeo crime family and racial tensions and changing times rock the city of Newark. The film’s striking cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau brings the turbulent times to life, while production designer Bob Shaw (who was with “The Sopranos” for five seasons), effectively recreates the period and the feel of the Sopranos’ world.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK introduces us to 11-year-old Anthony Soprano (William Ludwig) and then 16-year-old Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini, son of the late Sopranos star). But the young Tony is less the central figure in this tale than his Uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who was the unseen, but often spoken of, mentor to crime boss Tony’s in the series, as well as the evolution of this world into the world of the Sopranos series. Although young Tony Soprano is in the opening scene, the narration that introduces it comes not from him but from an unseen Christopher Moltisanti, Uncle Dickie’s not-yet-born son. Dickie isn’t really Tony’s uncle but a close friend of Tony’s father and a fellow member of the DiMeo crime family. Dickie, also known as “Gentleman Dick” for his nice manners and smooth style, is a father figure to young Tony while his father Johnny Soprano (Jon Bernthal) is in prison, also serving as Tony’s role model with the approval of Tony’s mother Livia (Vera Farmiga). Dickie’s own father, “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti (Ray Liotta), a crime boss who once rubbed elbows with stars, has stepped back from running things, turning them over to Dickie. But his hot-tempered father still brings lots of stress to Dickie, after he and his new young Italian wife Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi) move into a shared duplex with his son and his family.

You might wonder who the “saints” are in this crime tale. Moltisanti means “many saints” in Italian but it is not the only reference the film slyly reveals throughout. The first of these “saints” are a street gang of Black youths named the Black Saints, who are stepping on the toes of this established Italian American crime syndicate in Newark. To deal with them, Dickie has brought in childhood friend and former high school football team mate Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr) to deal with one particularly bold Black Saint. Harold and Dickie are friends but Harold does not find a warm welcome from the rest of Dickie’s Italian American crime family. Both Harold and Dickie are ambitions but circumstances of the times are frustrating Harold’s ambitions.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK is an ensemble film that blends many story lines as it weaves a picture of its times and the world young Tony Soprano is growing up in. Yet, the film is very cohesive, never losing us as it brings the various thread together, thanks to the well-crafted script. We are kept on the edge of our seats by every unseen turn in the plot but the film effectively mixes family drama and psychological character studies with crime film action and violence.

The crime family is on the verge of change and all their maneuvering is set against the changes and upheaval of Newark in the 1960s, particularly the race riots of the summer of 1967. The time period allows the introduction of a subplot about Harold McBrayer, played marvelously by Leslie Odom Jr., and an emerging Black crime syndicate. Early on, McBrayer’s experience with the Italian Americans parallels the path of Jewish and Irish mobsters in an earlier era, but the changing social and racial landscape alters that path and deepen the story.

Racial tensions are a big part of the story, not just historical backdrop, and some pivotal scenes take place during the summer 1967 Newark riots, which set large parts of the city aflame. In 1967, Newark is undergoing changes, as migration from the South brings increasing numbers of Black people into its working-class Central and North Wards, neighborhoods once dominated by Italian immigrants, cause clashes. The summer of 1967, the Summer of Love, sees the explosion of race riots, setting large portions of the city on fire, as changing times roil this branch of the DiMeo crime family.

Like the original show, the casting is superb, the characters striking, and the clever script provides drama, humor and mob thrills in satisfying measures. As Dickie Moltisanti, Alessandro Nivola is superb as a man torn by maintaining the smooth veneer of his family persona and coping with burning ambitions to discover his own path. All the characters in this tale are complex and multi-layered, chief among them this central one. Leslie Odom Jr has the character, Harold, who undergoes perhaps the greatest shift, and Odom handles the role masterfully.

Two of the most pivotal roles go to Ray Liotta, who plays both boss “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti, a flashy, egotistical character with a short fuse, and his imprisoned brother Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti, a looming figure who has embraced jazz, Buddhism and honesty in prison while still maintaining the requisite mob silence. A standout on the comedic side is John Magaro as the younger balding consiglieri Silvio Dante (played memorably in the original by Steven Van Zandt) – before the wig. The gifted John Magaro (who really should have been nominated for an Oscar for his moving performance as Cookie in last year’s unjustly-overlooked FIRST COW) is both delightful and unrecognizable in this role, capturing Silvio’s vanity and distinctive mannerisms while missing none of his underlying menace.

A standout on the drama, and psychological, side is Vera Farmiga’s performance as Tony’s troubled mother Livia, a role played so masterfully by Nancy Marchand in the original and matched here in intensity by Farmiga. Corey Stoll likewise shines as Junior, a character we meet in his dotage in the series but here a conniving striver with a penchant for accidents. Tony’s associates Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri, played by Billy Magnussen and Sal “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, played by Samson Moeakiola in his screen debut, are also well-drawn and help craft that evolving Soprano world. Italian actress Michela De Rossi plays Hollywood Dick’s much younger Italian trophy wife, a figure that evokes thoughts of THE GODFATHER in a different form.

Shot on location in New Jersey and New York, the film also perfectly captures the period look and feel, with portions of Patterson and other New Jersey towns along with areas of the Bronx, Yonkers and other parts of New York standing in for an earlier Newark. While the mobsters are playing out their operatic dealings, the landscape around them is in flames. The camera work is breathtaking and the framing of the crime family dealings against the historic backdrop is stunningly jarring. All the costumes and props are properly vintage but so are the mannerisms, the racist undercurrents, and sense of seismic shift at work. Period music individually suited to each character compliments each scene.

Whether you are a fan of The Sopranos or never saw an episode, THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK delivers as a satisfying experience, a crime tale set in a volatile period, packed with depth, striking characters, drama and action, sprinkled with sly humor and crackling dialog.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK opens Friday, Oct. 1, in theaters nationally.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK Soprano’s Movie Trailer Stars James Gandolfini’s Son As Tony Soprano

Legends aren’t born. They’re made. A prequel to The Sopranos, watch the new trailer for THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK.

The film is slated for release in theaters nationwide on September 24, 2021 and will be available in the U.S. on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. It is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and has been rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, sexual content and some nudity.

New Line Cinema’s “The Many Saints of Newark” is the much-anticipated feature film prequel to David Chase’s groundbreaking, award-winning HBO drama series “The Sopranos.” Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities—and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.

“The Many Saints of Newark” stars Alessandro Nivola (“Disobedience,” “American Hustle”), Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. (Broadway’s “Hamilton,” “Murder on the Orient Express”), Jon Bernthal (“Baby Driver,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”), Corey Stoll (“First Man,” “Ant-Man”), Michael Gandolfini (TV’s “The Deuce”), Billy Magnussen (“Game Night,” “The Big Short”), Michela De Rossi (“Boys Cry,” TV’s “The Rats”), John Magaro (“The Finest Hours,” “Not Fade Away”), with Emmy winner Ray Liotta (TV’s “Shades of Blue,” “Goodfellas”) and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” “The Conjuring” films).

Alan Taylor (“Thor: The Dark World”), who won an Emmy for his directing work on “The Sopranos,” is helming the film from a screenplay by series creator David Chase & Lawrence Konner, based on characters created by Chase. Chase, Konner and Nicole Lambert are producing the film, with Michael Disco, Marcus Viscidi, Toby Emmerich and Richard Brener serving as executive producers.

(L-r) Director ALAN TAYLOR and creator/writer/producer DAVID CHASE on the set of New Line Cinema and Home Box Office’s mob drama “THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credit: Barry Wetcher

Taylor’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Kramer Morgenthau (“Creed II,” “Thor: The Dark World”), production designer Bob Shaw (“The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Sopranos”), Oscar-nominated editor Christopher Tellefsen (“Moneyball,” “A Quiet Place”) and costume designer Amy Westcott (“The Wrestler,” “Black Swan”).

“The Many Saints of Newark” was shot on location in New Jersey and New York, and several beloved characters from the original series that inspired the film are featured in the movie. During its six-season run, “The Sopranos”—widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential television drama series of all time—was honored with 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and two Peabody Awards, to name only a portion.

© 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema
(L-r) LESLIE ODOM, JR. as Harold McBrayer and GERMAR TERRELL GARDNER as Cyril

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE on Digital July 3rd and Blu-ray & DVD July 17th

Golden Globe winner Joaquin Phoenix (Best Actor – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy, Walk the Line, 2006) is “haunting” (Chris Nashawaty, EW) in You Were Never Really Here, arriving on Digital July 3 and on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD, and On Demand July 17 from Lionsgate. Based on Jonathan Ames’s novella of the same name, and written for the screen and directed by award-winning director Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Ratcatcher), this Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh^™gritty thriller won Best Actor and Best Screenplay at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Also starring Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, and Judith Roberts, the You Were Never Really Here Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.

Joaquin Phoenix Walk The Line, Gladiator, The Master

Ekaterina Samsonov Anesthesia, The Ticket

Alessandro Nivola American Hustle, Face/Off

Judith Roberts Eraserhead, TV’s “Orange Is the New Black”

Win Tickets To The Advance Screening of SELMA in St. Louis

In his review, Omar P.L. Moore (PopcornReel.com) says, “SELMA is an instant classic, a film that will be revered and applauded throughout the annals of American history, long after we are gone.”

SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.

Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper,” SELMA opens in St. Louis on Friday, January 9.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win passes (Good for 2) to the advance screening of SELMA on January 6 at 7PM in the St. Louis area. We will contact the winners by email.

Answer the following:

Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King led thousands of protesters during the Selma to Montgomery March in March 1965.

Name the bridge they crossed over.

(Photo courtesy of The Birmingham News)

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL ADDRESS IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Official Site: http://www.selmamovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelmaMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/selmamovie
Instagram: http://instagram.com/selmamovie

Left to right: David Oyelowo (as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) discusses a scene with Director/Executive Producer Ava DuVernay on the set of SELMA, from Paramount Pictures, Pathe, and Harpo Films.
(c) 2014 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima

Listen To Common’s and John Legend’s Song “Glory” From Ava DuVernay’s SELMA

“Four years ago, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award as best director; Ms. DuVernay has a shot to become the second.” On Sunday, the New York Times published an in-depth article on Ava DuVernay’s journey to make SELMA. Read Manohla Dargis’s interview HERE.

In addition, DuVernay was named winner in the New Generation category by the L.A. Film Critics and it was announced that British actor David Oyelowo will receive this year’s Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 26th annual PSIFF Awards Gala on January 3.

Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the real story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

From John Legend & Common comes “Glory,” an original composition for the film.

SELMA is the story of a movement.

The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.

The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.

In case you missed it, watch Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo at the AFI Fest in November.

Official Site: http://www.selmamovie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelmaMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/selmamovie
Instagram: http://instagram.com/selmamovie

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