December 29, 2017

The 10 Best Web Series of 2017: John Early, Zoe Cassavetes, Black Girl Magic, and More

In a year when the growing role of Netflix in Hollywood raised age-old fears about the death of cinema, the question of what is television versus a movie versus a web series grew ever murkier. As younger audiences become increasingly blasé about the difference, preferring streaming sites to the movie theater experience, production companies are scrambling to engage them with quality online content. At the same time, the internet remains the easiest way for emerging filmmakers to get their work seen without having to rely on meddling middlemen or jaded gatekeepers.

IFC Comedy Crib, Stage 13, Super Deluxe, and Vimeo all ramped up their original content production this year, and underrepresented filmmakers are taking risks and reaping the rewards. As a result, there are more high-quality web series to choose from than ever before.

Here are the top ten web series of 2017:

10. “Neurotica”

In the vastly overpopulated world of online video, “Neurotica” is the perfect title for an airtight concept: A comedy about a dominatrix with OCD. Creator Jenny Jaffe stars as small town S&M enthusiast, whose mom and pop shop is being threatened by a mega dungeon. Jaffe is like a bubbly Julie Klausner, bopping around in her black leather boots while making her clients wash their hands. Slapping some much-needed comedy into the growing genre of BDSM-related entertainment, “Neurotica” ensures “Fifty Shades of Grey” will not have the final word in the kink conversation.

9. “Bagdad, Florida”

If there were more than two episodes of this dreamy new queer series, it would be higher up on this list. But the fact that the first 14 minutes are good enough to merit its inclusion are a very good sign. Arriving with the confidence of a fully formed auteur, “Jay and Pluto” creator Matthew Fifer set out to create a star vehicle worthy of Freckle, whose scenes in “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo” birthed many memes popular with a discerning set of young queers. The newly-crowned genderqueer doyenne of internet comedy, Freckle recently declared social media “ur Vaudeville” on Instagram, and we’re inclined to agree.

8. “City Girl”

If ever there proof never to throw anything out, it’s this charmingly bizarre micro-series written by a 12-year-old girl. Comedian Sarah Ramos dug back into the archives to find a script she wrote as an adolescent, which has now been given a full production with Ramos playing her young self. The result is a predictably hilarious ride that unearths a few surprises along the way. The surreal comedy is tonally similar to Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “David,” also from Super Deluxe, but with a bubble gum-flavored sheen that won’t depress you quite as much.

7. “Eighty-Sixed”

Say what you want about legacy in Hollywood, but you’d be crazy to not be a little bit curious about what Larry David’s daughter has to say. Her name is Cazzie David, and she’s the creator, with Elisa Kalani, of “Eighty-Sixed.” The six-episode series stars David as Remi, a dry and self-deprecating girl reeling from a break-up the best way she knows how — which is pretty much not at all. Whether it’s spying via drone or failed attempts to make new friends, Remi uses Millennial tactics to solve age-old problems. It’s quick-paced, tightly scripted, and appropriately neurotic. It’s hard not to see Remi as Larry David if he were a teenage girl. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

6. “Sport Court”

“High Maintenance” charmer Chris Roberti leads the silliest comedy on this list, which takes place in an ad hoc courtroom set up to prosecute rowdy fan behavior in the basement of the Hartford Ultradome. Roberti plays Judge David Linda, chillest judge ever, esquire. He is joined by a rotating cast of characters who cycle through his basement chambers, and bolstered by a bailiff with a heart of gold, played by the delightful Monique Moses. Written by Joe Schiappa and directed by Shaina Feinberg (“Shiva”), “Sport Court” is guilty as charged of being hilarious.

5. “Junior”

Though many worry that streaming video will bring the death of movies, the outpouring of money into developing online content has also been a boon to indie filmmakers willing to embrace the form. In the case of “Junior,” Zoe Cassavetes made the most of the resources available to her and made a darkly seductive coming-of-age story starring a teen girl protagonist without the usual clichés. Starring Lucia Ribisi as Logan and Amy Seimetz as her mother, “Junior” ups the ante on the cinematic possibilities of online video.

4. “Let Me Die a Nun”

Spirituality and sexuality may sound like strange bedfellows, but queer filmmakers have always explored the duality in surprising and enlightening ways. Arriving as a quirky companion piece to the graceful meditations of this year’s “Princess Cyd,” “Let Me Die a Nun” presents a twsited take ont he lesbian nun genre — which really never gets old. Offbeat comedian Ana Fabrega stars alongside “Transparent” star Hari Nef in the dark comedy with just enough romance to pull at your heartstrings.

3. “Two Sentence Horror Stories”

Based on a viral Reddit thread of the same name, “Two Sentence Horror Stories” is an ambitious anthology series of that accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time. Populated by characters as various as its chilling premises, each episode is full of a tightly-wound terrors and visuals that go way beyond what we’ve come to expect from the medium. “Horror gives us the permission to explore our most primal fears and deepest anxieties in a safe and hopefully, cathartic way,” said series creator Vera Miao, who brings a fresh perspective to the genre with her socially conscious horror.

2. “195 Lewis”

If Issa Rae were a queer woman, “Insecure” might look more like “195 Lewis,” a show so stylish, sexy, and assured that it has steadily built momentum by word of mouth since its festival premiere over a year ago. Set in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, “195 Lewis” follows a black lesbian couple as they strive to practice radical honesty in their newly polyamorous relationship. Surrounding them are a group of close-knit young black queer friends, peppered with characters as unique and colorful as the greens and purple hues of every gorgeous frame.

1. “555”

There are five episodes of the Vimeo original series “555.” Each one, like stars John Early and Kate Berlant, complementary but brilliant in its own special way. Under the direction of Andrew DeYoung, Early and Berlant exhibit a skill not every comedian can claim: A flair for highly visual cinematic storytelling.

Each episode features Early and Berlant as different showbiz caricatures: aspiring pop stars, a clueless stage mom and her shy son, over-earnest acting students, extras playing aliens, and cutthroat agents. The series acts as a showcase for the duo’s impressive arsenal of lovable eccentrics, as well as their ability to poke fun at the dark side of ambition. The result is a stylish creative debut that plays more like a collection of short surrealist films than a comedic web series — while never losing sight of the absurd.

Source: IndieWire Digital TV

December 24, 2017

‘The Post’ Joins Top 2017 Specialty Box Office Openers

“The Post” (20th Century Fox), Steven Spielberg’s recreation of the 1971 Pentagon Papers First Amendment saga, opened strongly in nine theaters over three cities (Washington D.C. logically added to the usual New York and Los Angeles platform dates). On a weekend prior to Christmas that normally is not prime for its core older audience, it scored a strong initial result across the board. Its numbers in the four key usual platform theaters placed it among the biggest limited openers of the year, with likely better results still to come.

Two other openers, Michael Haneke’s “Happy End” (Sony Pictures Classics) and the Christian Bale western “Hostiles” (Entertainment Studios) also braved the tricky playtime to disappointing results. They are competing against multiple already established awards titles that continue to prosper in varying degrees.

Focus Features

“The Darkest Hour” (Focus) had its broadest break to date, edging out by a small margin the also expanding “The Shape of Water” (Fox Searchlight). Both look promising heading into the best period of the year for adult moviegoing. “I, Tonya” (Neon) took its initial steps into new big city markets with decent results.

Many of the wider players lost a large number of dates, with more attrition ahead as more new wide releases open on Monday. Most awards films will be able to return to screens with a new head of steam in a few weeks when the Oscar nominations are announced.

Opening

The Post (20th Century Fox) – Metacritic: 83

$495,000 in 9 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $55,000

With a pre-Christmas dead zone opening for older audiences, and playing nine rather than the normal four platform runs (one additional each in New York and Los Angeles which help reach more Academy members plus three in the D.C. area), Spielberg’s well-reviewed and topical Pentagon Papers story scored a strong opening. Isolating the four core New York/Los Angeles dates, despite the usual reduced older audience on this date, the PTA comes to around $75,000. That’s quite strong with seats at a premium and multiple other upscale titles in play.

“The Post” is headed for a likely doubling of its gross for the full week and similar results next weekend. That’s an excellent start for the film and positions it very well for its ongoing awards placement.

It isn’t the first Spielberg film to be platformed. “Lincoln” opened in 11 theaters in early November five years ago to an over $90,000 initial PTA. But that was on a more gross friendly, less competitive play date, with even better reviews. This on its own is a strong start.

What comes next: The national break comes on January 12.

Happy End (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 76; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2017

$23,800 in 3 theaters; PTA: $7,933

Acclaimed German-Austrian director Michael Haneke’s first film since “Amour” five years ago received good, if not great reviews. Again set in France, with Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant returning, this was given a prime holiday release date with an opened-ended run. Unlike several other recently opened SPC subtitled Oscar contenders (three of which were shortlisted for the foreign-language Oscar, which this was not) this has an open-ended run. The initial gross is mediocre in its three theater New York/Los Angeles debut, but it should improve over the week.

What comes next: Expect top market play starting in January for what will likely be a more limited run than the later full run SPC openers.

Hostiles (Entertainment Studios) – Metacritic: 67; Festivals include: Telluride, Toronto, AFI 2017

$26,000 in 3 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $8,667

The distributor is claiming a number that projects that their Sunday Christmas Eve gross will be the best of the weekend, which suggests optimism at a minimum (its two-day total per sources was $16,000). Whatever the ultimate total, this is not impressive for this Christian Bale/Rosamund Pike western which opened in advance of its wide release next month in hopes of gaining some awards attention, which has not materialized. Entertainment Studios has given this major ad support in hopes of positioning it in a crowded field, which makes the response in its initial three New York/Los Angeles theaters even more disappointing.

What comes next: A top city expansion on January 5 will be followed by a wider national break on January 19.

Ongoing/expanding (Grosses over $50,000)

Darkest Hour (Focus) Week 5

$4,150,000 in 806 theaters (+722); Cumulative: $6,957,000

The widest of the specialized breaks this weekend, Focus is betting that the older audience appeal for this Churchill 1940 war drama will kick in over the holidays. The gross is about the same as similar theater totals for their “Victoria & Abdul” in early October. That’s positive since the best should be yet to come for the film as its audience flocks to theaters in bigger numbers.

The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight) Week 4

$3,050,000 in 730 theaters (+572); Cumulative: $7,615,000

With “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” already having its initial wider run, Fox Searchlight now gives priority attention to Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed 1960s science-fiction romance. It made the Top Ten for the weekend with a strong cumulative total early in its run with much business and a wider release still to come.

A24

Lady Bird (A24) Week 8

$1,006,000 in 402 theaters (-575); Cumulative: $28,306,000

Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed coming-of-age comedy is now A24’s biggest grosser, and with the holidays adding some and the Oscar period ahead has millions left to gross (how much depending on its home viewing date). Note that between the company’s two current successes, the longer running one is leading the newer “Disaster Artist” despite also playing in fewer screens.

Disaster Artist (A24) Week 4

$907,247 in 517 theaters (-522); Cumulative: $15,718,000

A24 decided to push for a quick wider release for James Franco’s take on the making of the cult hit “The Room.” It lost about half its theaters going into Christmas. The holidays and likely awards attention ahead should get it over $20 million. With the incredible competition among specialized releases of late, and another of their own also in play, they have smartly amassed a strong total.

Sony Pictures Classics

Call Me By Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 5

$850,736 in 114 theaters (+84); Cumulative: $3,139,000

A decent response for the first expansion beyond core art houses for Luca Guadagnino’s gay 1980s Italian romance. Going into relatively few theaters with a strong total, the movie is just starting in the days ahead a lengthy run that will see the first wide national break ahead when Oscar nominations are announced.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight) Week 7

$495,000 in 307 theaters (-680); Cumulative: $22,711,000

With its initial wider run having peaked and $23 million in the till, Fox Searchlight is settling in for some holiday gravy. This will have further life similar to other titles with the awards tracks set to revive this further next month.

Courtesy of NEON

I, Tonya (Neon) Week 3

$445,694 in 37 theaters (+32); Cumulative: $1,099,000

The first top-city expansion for the Tonya Harding story had decent results, tempered by the slower pre-Christmas attendance. Neon is rolling this out slowly, with its first wide national release slated for a few weeks parallel to its expected acting Oscar nominations for Margot Robbie and Allison Janney.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (Bleecker Street) Week 5

$125,785 in 146 theaters (-173); Cumulative: $5,398,000

Though aimed at a holiday audience, this “A Christmas Carol” related film didn’t show the pre-holiday strength to play through in most theaters, leaving it with a modest result.

Wonder Wheel (Amazon) Week 4

$(est.) 60,000 in 113 theaters (-423); Cumulative: $(est.) 1,125,000

Woody Allen’s latest will make it through the holidays with fewer theaters as it nears the end of its weak run.

Also noted:

Loving Vincent (Good Deed) – $(est.) 40,000 in 41 theaters; Cumulative: $(est.) $6,085,000

The Florida Project (A24) – $39,104 in 43 theaters; Cumulative: $5,205,000

Marshall (Open Road) – $11,419 in 58 theaters; Cumulative: $9,449,000

Source: IndieWire film

December 20, 2017

Give the Conversation of a Lifetime

How can a last-minute gift last a lifetime? When it’s the gift of a StoryCorps conversation, recorded and uploaded via the free StoryCorps App. It’s never been simpler — or more gift-able — to pledge to honor a loved one by recording their voice and preserving it along with the hundreds of thousands of conversations StoryCorps has contributed to the Library of Congress. Here’s your one-stop gift guide for an experience you, your loved one, and future generations will cherish.

HOW IT WORKS
Download and print your StoryCorps interview coupon here. (Pro tip: A color printer will give you the best result; printing on heavier-stock paper, even better, though regular paper works, too.) Write in the name of your loved one, sign it, and trim it along the dotted lines. It’s the perfect size for slipping into a stocking or a greeting card, affixing to a wrapped gift, or just delivering in person.

WHAT IT MEANS
What are you giving when you promise to interview someone the StoryCorps way? It means you want to show someone special that their voice and their story matters. That they mean so much to you that you want to set aside 30–40 minutes to ask them questions about their life and their outlook, and then really listen while they answer. The StoryCorps App will guide you through the process. At the end of the interview, you’ll have a recording you can revisit again and again — and that you can upload to the StoryCorps Archive so that a copy is also housed in the Library of Congress, where we’re always adding to the largest single collection of human voices in the world.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
There are no right or wrong questions or answers — and the StoryCorps App suggests some of our Great Questions, devised through years of guiding people through recording interviews about life, love, loss, and other moments and milestones that shape our lives. When you’re ready to conduct the gift of an interview, just find a comfortable, quiet place; let your curiosity be your guide; and keep in mind one of our favorite StoryCorps expressions: Listening is an act of love.

Source: SNPR Story Corps