Writer-director Alison O’Daniel’s The Tuba Thieves is inspired by a spate of thefts from Los Angeles-area high school marching bands between 2011 and 2013, though the details surrounding the incidents are only acknowledged in occasional title cards. O’Daniel instead uses the real-life tuba thefts as a springboard to explore, and in artistically fertile ways, how the removal of an integral part of a structure affects the larger whole.
The Tuba Thieves is specifically concerned with the experiences of being a member of the deaf and hard of hearing community. O’Daniel, herself a member of that community, distorts and manipulates image and audio throughout the film, sometimes even dropping out the latter, to fascinatingly reflect the disorientation that one can experience with the loss of hearing.
O’Daniel’s approach to narrative isn’t so much casual as it is coolly ambivalent. There’s a wisp of a plot, and...
The Tuba Thieves is specifically concerned with the experiences of being a member of the deaf and hard of hearing community. O’Daniel, herself a member of that community, distorts and manipulates image and audio throughout the film, sometimes even dropping out the latter, to fascinatingly reflect the disorientation that one can experience with the loss of hearing.
O’Daniel’s approach to narrative isn’t so much casual as it is coolly ambivalent. There’s a wisp of a plot, and...
- 3/9/2024
- by Wes Greene
- Slant Magazine
The material details of the musical instrument larcenies that took place across high schools in south Los Angeles between 2011 and 2013 don’t transpire in filmmaker Alison O’Daniel’s audaciously experimental “The Tuba Thieves.” There’s no thorough investigation into who committed the thefts and why. Instead, she takes a more symbolic approach to look at how the events altered the sonic landscape of the players’ lives and of the places they inhabit. It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe it as an audiovisual anthropological study.
If there’s an actual protagonist in this formally adventurous effort, it’s the synesthetic dance between images and sound (or silence) and how these interactions inform our perception of the world, depending on whether you are a hearing person, someone hard-of-hearing or a deaf individual. These parallel experiences converge in a sensorial examination of Los Angeles built from a lyrically edited barrage of moments.
If there’s an actual protagonist in this formally adventurous effort, it’s the synesthetic dance between images and sound (or silence) and how these interactions inform our perception of the world, depending on whether you are a hearing person, someone hard-of-hearing or a deaf individual. These parallel experiences converge in a sensorial examination of Los Angeles built from a lyrically edited barrage of moments.
- 11/16/2023
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Jessica Alba (Sin City), Russell Harvard (Fargo), and Daniel Durant (Coda) are attached to star in sports feature film Flash Before the Bang, inspired by the true story of an all-deaf high school track and field team in 1980’s Oregon.
The film heralds from deaf writer-director Jevon Whetter, on whose experience the story is based. Oscar winners Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are exec producers along with Fanshen Cox in association with Trujulo Productions. Jessica Alba is also an exec producer.
Production is due begin in September in Georgia on the project, in which more than half of the characters in the ensemble cast will deaf and portrayed by deaf actors. Brothers Jevon and Delbert (producer) Whetter are from a multigenerational deaf family, while actors Harvard and Durant are also deaf.
The Exchange is introducing the title to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market this week with UTA Independent Film Group representing U.
The film heralds from deaf writer-director Jevon Whetter, on whose experience the story is based. Oscar winners Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are exec producers along with Fanshen Cox in association with Trujulo Productions. Jessica Alba is also an exec producer.
Production is due begin in September in Georgia on the project, in which more than half of the characters in the ensemble cast will deaf and portrayed by deaf actors. Brothers Jevon and Delbert (producer) Whetter are from a multigenerational deaf family, while actors Harvard and Durant are also deaf.
The Exchange is introducing the title to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market this week with UTA Independent Film Group representing U.
- 5/17/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
A year ago, amid Coda’s groundbreaking run on the awards circuit, writer/director Sian Heder frequently expressed her hopes that the film’s success could be one of the “rocks that starts the avalanche” of the wealth of talent that exists within the Deaf community, heralding a new wave of deaf talent in Hollywood not only in front of but behind the camera as well.
Delbert Whetter
One of the boldest statements to portend such an avalanche comes through deaf writer-director Alison O’Daniel’s experimental docudrama The Tuba Thieves, which screened as part of the Sundance Film Festival’s “innovative, forward-thinking” Next program. Whereas cinema frequently portrays life for deaf and hard of hearing people as wholly divorced from sound and music, implying a tragic deficit in their human cultural experience, O’Daniel turns this trope on its head. Her cinematic journey of sound, music and silence deftly weaves...
Delbert Whetter
One of the boldest statements to portend such an avalanche comes through deaf writer-director Alison O’Daniel’s experimental docudrama The Tuba Thieves, which screened as part of the Sundance Film Festival’s “innovative, forward-thinking” Next program. Whereas cinema frequently portrays life for deaf and hard of hearing people as wholly divorced from sound and music, implying a tragic deficit in their human cultural experience, O’Daniel turns this trope on its head. Her cinematic journey of sound, music and silence deftly weaves...
- 2/14/2023
- by Delbert Whetter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Tuba Thieves” director Alison O’Daniel took inspiration for her feature film from a series of tuba thefts from local LA high schools that she heard about on the radio. But instead of investigating the questions of who the thieves were and where the tubas ended up, she decided to make a film about the impacted band students and directors. Motivated by curiosity of peoples’ experiences with sound, she focused on creating a listening project.
Manuel Castañeda, who plays himself in the film, was one of the first people she contacted about the project. Geovanny Marroquin, one of the main characters, and Aija Jones play themselves as Castañeda’s band students. She also enlisted Nyke (Nyeisha Prince) as a main character, with whom she had worked on a previous film, after remembering Nyke’s experience with drumming. 11 years later, the film premiered at Sundance 2023.
Warren “Wawa” Snipe, who plays fictional character Arcey in the film,...
Manuel Castañeda, who plays himself in the film, was one of the first people she contacted about the project. Geovanny Marroquin, one of the main characters, and Aija Jones play themselves as Castañeda’s band students. She also enlisted Nyke (Nyeisha Prince) as a main character, with whom she had worked on a previous film, after remembering Nyke’s experience with drumming. 11 years later, the film premiered at Sundance 2023.
Warren “Wawa” Snipe, who plays fictional character Arcey in the film,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
A film that rewards patience, The Tuba Thieves, despite its title, is not a quirky heist picture but rather a meditation on the presence and absence of sound framed by both recent and further-removed history. It’s directed by d/Deaf visual artist Alison O’Daniel, who crafts a rich visual and auditory project that’s probably best experienced in an acoustically perfect environment. One might at least need a high-end pair of noise-canceling headphones to simulate the optimal screening venue. Open-captioned by default, The Tuba Thieves is an immersive journey that perhaps approximates the trials of limited hearing with a structure that is either a cinematic meditation or frustrating for those seeking to impose some sense of order over the raw material we’re presented.
Often defying convention, we’re initially told the genesis of the film is a year-spanning string of instrument heists at LA high schools that very likely aren’t related.
Often defying convention, we’re initially told the genesis of the film is a year-spanning string of instrument heists at LA high schools that very likely aren’t related.
- 1/26/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Cinema Guild will release “The Tuba Thieves” in New York City on March 15 with a national rollout to follow.
The captions that appear throughout “The Tuba Thieves” are generous, imaginative, and expansive, giving names to sounds we’re familiar with but have likely never thought to put into words. The sound of ocean waves is described as a “rush and fall.” A mop very specifically “smacks the floor” in the distance. Even when there’s no detectible sound, captions indicate that “air circulates.”
First-time filmmaker (and seasoned visual artist) Alison O’Daniel, who is hard of hearing, offers captions that are tactile, existing in a place beyond pure sound. In doing this, she de-prioritizes hearing audiences, asking them to tune into her work in novel and often confounding ways. At the same time, she centers her film around...
The captions that appear throughout “The Tuba Thieves” are generous, imaginative, and expansive, giving names to sounds we’re familiar with but have likely never thought to put into words. The sound of ocean waves is described as a “rush and fall.” A mop very specifically “smacks the floor” in the distance. Even when there’s no detectible sound, captions indicate that “air circulates.”
First-time filmmaker (and seasoned visual artist) Alison O’Daniel, who is hard of hearing, offers captions that are tactile, existing in a place beyond pure sound. In doing this, she de-prioritizes hearing audiences, asking them to tune into her work in novel and often confounding ways. At the same time, she centers her film around...
- 1/25/2023
- by Susannah Gruder
- Indiewire
Some of the finest acting ever nominated for an Oscar constitutes no more than five percent of the movie it’s in. Over the past 20 years, Alan Arkin (“Argo”) and Sam Elliott (“A Star is Born”) have both gotten into Best Supporting Actor for roles that, combined, barely exceed 15 minutes of screen-time. Viola Davis(“Doubt”) and William Hurt (“A History of Violence”) were also recognized for the even trickier task of condensing their work to a one-scene cameo. It may not be glamorous, but credibly fleshing a character out against the clock is a craft unto itself.
Thankfully, the art of the single-scene performance is alive and well. A year after Bradley Cooper likely just missed an Academy Award nomination for stealing the show in “Licorice Pizza” with only about 10 minutes of screen-time, Judd Hirsch is poised to make the Supporting Actor shortlist. Gold Derby’s currrent odds rank him...
Thankfully, the art of the single-scene performance is alive and well. A year after Bradley Cooper likely just missed an Academy Award nomination for stealing the show in “Licorice Pizza” with only about 10 minutes of screen-time, Judd Hirsch is poised to make the Supporting Actor shortlist. Gold Derby’s currrent odds rank him...
- 11/25/2022
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Causeway Review — Causeway (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Lila Neugebauer, written by Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel and Elizabeth Sanders and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Danny Wolohan, Jayne Houdyshell, Neal Huff, Han Soto, Frederick Weller, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Will Pullen, Russell Harvard, Sue-Lynn, Samuel Ali, Claire Ishi Ayetoro [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Causeway (2022): Jennifer Lawrence is in Top Form in a Slow-Moving but Affecting Dramatic Film...
Continue reading: Film Review: Causeway (2022): Jennifer Lawrence is in Top Form in a Slow-Moving but Affecting Dramatic Film...
- 11/13/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, as “Causeway” debuts on Apple TV+, we reassess Best Actress.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! The calendar has hit November and the general public is flush with awards contenders. Out in wider release today is James Gray’s “Armageddon Time,” which is maybe a crowd anti-pleaser — although that’s part of the reason why I think it’s such a great movie. Last weekend, “TÁR” and “Till” hit more than 1,000 screens nationwide, and even “Triangle of Sadness” moved out of the ostensible arthouse. In short, it’s a great time to see a movie at the theater, which is why I’d love to lead off here with one everyone can watch at home right now so long as they subscribe to Apple TV+: “Causeway.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! The calendar has hit November and the general public is flush with awards contenders. Out in wider release today is James Gray’s “Armageddon Time,” which is maybe a crowd anti-pleaser — although that’s part of the reason why I think it’s such a great movie. Last weekend, “TÁR” and “Till” hit more than 1,000 screens nationwide, and even “Triangle of Sadness” moved out of the ostensible arthouse. In short, it’s a great time to see a movie at the theater, which is why I’d love to lead off here with one everyone can watch at home right now so long as they subscribe to Apple TV+: “Causeway.
- 11/4/2022
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Dir: Lila Neugebauer. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Harvard. 15, 94 minutes.
Causeway isn’t about the actor Jennifer Lawrence. But in its own strange way it serves as a metaphor for Lawrence herself. It’s about a young woman who blows up – albeit in a war rather than Hollywood – and then has to pick up the pieces. It’s Lawrence’s first proper starring role since 2018, when a run of largely disliked projects (the Chris Pratt space romance Passengers; the masterful-slash-loathed biblical allegory Mother!) collided with her enormous fame and sent her on a self-imposed career break. All that noise made it easy to forget how good she is at being quiet. In Causeway, director Lila Neugebauer lingers on her star’s tiny shifts in expression, her shrinking melancholy. We haven’t seen this side of Lawrence since her star-making role in the 2010 neo-western Winter’s Bone.
Causeway isn’t about the actor Jennifer Lawrence. But in its own strange way it serves as a metaphor for Lawrence herself. It’s about a young woman who blows up – albeit in a war rather than Hollywood – and then has to pick up the pieces. It’s Lawrence’s first proper starring role since 2018, when a run of largely disliked projects (the Chris Pratt space romance Passengers; the masterful-slash-loathed biblical allegory Mother!) collided with her enormous fame and sent her on a self-imposed career break. All that noise made it easy to forget how good she is at being quiet. In Causeway, director Lila Neugebauer lingers on her star’s tiny shifts in expression, her shrinking melancholy. We haven’t seen this side of Lawrence since her star-making role in the 2010 neo-western Winter’s Bone.
- 11/3/2022
- by Adam White
- The Independent - Film
Click here to read the full article.
While Causeway is positioned as an intimate account of the troubled return home from Afghanistan of an injured U.S. Army engineer played by Jennifer Lawrence, this minor-key drama only really blossoms after its stealth transformation into a balanced two-hander about damaged people finding mutual solace. Brian Tyree Henry’s soulful work brings out richer shadings in Lawrence’s guarded stoicism and vice versa. Debuting director Lila Neugebauer surrounds herself with top-tier recruits from her New York stage background to flesh out this melancholy reflection on trauma and trust, set against the sleepy background of blue-collar New Orleans.
Neugebauer made a name for herself with incisive theater work in the past decade, notably her immersive staging of Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves, about a high school girls’ soccer team; the Edward Albee diptych At Home at the Zoo; and Tracy Letts’ fragmented character study Mary Page Marlowe.
While Causeway is positioned as an intimate account of the troubled return home from Afghanistan of an injured U.S. Army engineer played by Jennifer Lawrence, this minor-key drama only really blossoms after its stealth transformation into a balanced two-hander about damaged people finding mutual solace. Brian Tyree Henry’s soulful work brings out richer shadings in Lawrence’s guarded stoicism and vice versa. Debuting director Lila Neugebauer surrounds herself with top-tier recruits from her New York stage background to flesh out this melancholy reflection on trauma and trust, set against the sleepy background of blue-collar New Orleans.
Neugebauer made a name for herself with incisive theater work in the past decade, notably her immersive staging of Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves, about a high school girls’ soccer team; the Edward Albee diptych At Home at the Zoo; and Tracy Letts’ fragmented character study Mary Page Marlowe.
- 9/11/2022
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence brought serious star power to the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, appearing at the world premiere of her new film ‘Causeway’. But despite the big, Hollywood name, ‘Causeway’ was a quieter character study, reports Variety.
Lawrence stars in and produces the film, in which she plays a soldier returning to civilian life in New Orleans.
The film also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Russell Harvard. ‘Causeway’ is the feature directorial debut of theatre veteran Lila Neugebauer, with a script written by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Her character in the film, Lynsey, is desperate to redeploy.
When asked what drove her towards the decision, Lawrence said she found a common ground.
“I felt something in my gut when I read this,” she said.
“That kind of immediate, ‘We have to make this’. I identify with that feeling of trying to find your home.
Lawrence stars in and produces the film, in which she plays a soldier returning to civilian life in New Orleans.
The film also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Russell Harvard. ‘Causeway’ is the feature directorial debut of theatre veteran Lila Neugebauer, with a script written by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Her character in the film, Lynsey, is desperate to redeploy.
When asked what drove her towards the decision, Lawrence said she found a common ground.
“I felt something in my gut when I read this,” she said.
“That kind of immediate, ‘We have to make this’. I identify with that feeling of trying to find your home.
- 9/11/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Jennifer Lawrence brought serious starpower to the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, appearing at the world premiere of her new film “Causeway.”
But despite the big, Hollywood name “Causeway” was a quieter character study.
Lawrence stars in and produces the film, in which she plays a soldier returning to civilian life in New Orleans. The film also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Russell Harvard. “Causeway” is the feature directorial debut of theater veteran Lila Neugebauer, with a script written by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Her character in the film, Lynsey, is desperate to redeploy. When asked what drove her towards the decision, Lawrence said she found a common ground. “I felt something in my gut when I read this,” she said. “That kind of immediate, ‘We have to make this.’ I identify with that feeling of trying to find your home.
But despite the big, Hollywood name “Causeway” was a quieter character study.
Lawrence stars in and produces the film, in which she plays a soldier returning to civilian life in New Orleans. The film also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Russell Harvard. “Causeway” is the feature directorial debut of theater veteran Lila Neugebauer, with a script written by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Her character in the film, Lynsey, is desperate to redeploy. When asked what drove her towards the decision, Lawrence said she found a common ground. “I felt something in my gut when I read this,” she said. “That kind of immediate, ‘We have to make this.’ I identify with that feeling of trying to find your home.
- 9/10/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Broadway’s To Kill A Mockingbird has rounded out its return-to-stage cast, with Hunter Parrish, Portia, Michael Braugher and Gordon Clapp among the actors joining the previously announced Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan-Bolger.
Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of the Harper Lee novel resumes performances at the Shubert Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Daniels and Keenan-Bolger are reprising their original performances as Atticus and Scout Finch. Joining them will be Portia as Calpurnia, Parrish as Jem Finch, Braugher as Tom Robinson, Russell Harvard as Link Deas, Neal Huff as Bob Ewell, Erin Wilhelmi as Mayella Ewell, Noah Robbins as Dill Harris, Zachary Booth as Horace Gilmer, Clapp as Judge John Taylor, Patricia Conolly as Mrs. Dubose, Christopher Innvar as Sheriff Heck Tate, Ted Koch as Mr. Cunningham, and Amelia McClain as Miss Stephanie, with Ian Bedford, Rosalyn Coleman, Anne-Marie Cusson, Michael Bryan French, Steven Lee Johnson, Tyler Lea, Mariah Lee, Geoffrey Allen Murphy,...
Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of the Harper Lee novel resumes performances at the Shubert Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Daniels and Keenan-Bolger are reprising their original performances as Atticus and Scout Finch. Joining them will be Portia as Calpurnia, Parrish as Jem Finch, Braugher as Tom Robinson, Russell Harvard as Link Deas, Neal Huff as Bob Ewell, Erin Wilhelmi as Mayella Ewell, Noah Robbins as Dill Harris, Zachary Booth as Horace Gilmer, Clapp as Judge John Taylor, Patricia Conolly as Mrs. Dubose, Christopher Innvar as Sheriff Heck Tate, Ted Koch as Mr. Cunningham, and Amelia McClain as Miss Stephanie, with Ian Bedford, Rosalyn Coleman, Anne-Marie Cusson, Michael Bryan French, Steven Lee Johnson, Tyler Lea, Mariah Lee, Geoffrey Allen Murphy,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon’s “Sound of Metal” is a piece of terrific filmmaking — and its achievements are even more impressive considering Hollywood’s depictions of deafness in the past.
“Sound of Metal,” directed by Darius Marder, stars Riz Ahmed as a heavy-metal drummer who begins to lose his hearing. The film has a three-act structure: Attempts by drummer Ruben to cope; his time spent in a deaf community; and his attempts to re-create his life as it was before the hearing loss.
The heart of the film is the middle segment, when community leader Joe (the excellent Paul Raci) tells Ruben that deafness “is not something to fix” and his assignment is simple: “Learn how to be deaf.”
Director Marder tells Variety, “This film is a wake-up. Most people think of deafness as a physical disability. We don’t understand that it is in fact a culture.”
In the past, most onscreen...
“Sound of Metal,” directed by Darius Marder, stars Riz Ahmed as a heavy-metal drummer who begins to lose his hearing. The film has a three-act structure: Attempts by drummer Ruben to cope; his time spent in a deaf community; and his attempts to re-create his life as it was before the hearing loss.
The heart of the film is the middle segment, when community leader Joe (the excellent Paul Raci) tells Ruben that deafness “is not something to fix” and his assignment is simple: “Learn how to be deaf.”
Director Marder tells Variety, “This film is a wake-up. Most people think of deafness as a physical disability. We don’t understand that it is in fact a culture.”
In the past, most onscreen...
- 12/11/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
“Fargo” finally returns Sunday night for its long-awaited fourth installment, more than three years (plus an additional five months) after it last aired on FX.
“Fargo” creator Noah Hawley often says that he treats each edition of the anthology series based on the Coen Brothers’ 1996 movie as if it’s the last. After the third season, it really seemed like it was. “Every time I do one, I think it’s the last one,” Hawley Hawley told TheWrap, back in January, when the series was supposed to debut in April, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down production and forced a five-month delay. “And then some period of time passes, and I go ‘Oh, I could do that.'”
Hawley came up with an idea centered around the question of: What if two crime families traded their youngest sons as a fragile way to keep peace?
“I thought that that was interesting,...
“Fargo” creator Noah Hawley often says that he treats each edition of the anthology series based on the Coen Brothers’ 1996 movie as if it’s the last. After the third season, it really seemed like it was. “Every time I do one, I think it’s the last one,” Hawley Hawley told TheWrap, back in January, when the series was supposed to debut in April, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down production and forced a five-month delay. “And then some period of time passes, and I go ‘Oh, I could do that.'”
Hawley came up with an idea centered around the question of: What if two crime families traded their youngest sons as a fragile way to keep peace?
“I thought that that was interesting,...
- 9/25/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Despite the success of “Fargo’s” first season, the anthology series could have still grown stale. Creator Noah Hawley had successfully threaded the needle once, creating a fresh crime story all his own while working within a pastiche of the Coen Brothers’ 1995 classic film. But staying tied to the snowy color palette of cinematographer Roger Deakins and the Coens themselves — two of the most distinct visual storytellers of their generation — could also be a trap. “I had the feeling that Joel and Ethan Coen never make the same movie twice,” Hawley said. “So neither should we.” It was around this time that Hawley started to work closely with cinematographer Dana Gonzales, who had come onto the show after the Season 1 pilot and would soon become the showrunner’s key collaborator. Building off Hawley’s ideas of how to advance the series, they would create a new look for each season...
- 7/8/2020
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Although “Fargo” is an anthology series, the FX drama has made it clear over its first three seasons that the all the seasons exist within the same world.
That was most apparent in Season 2, when Patrick Wilson played a younger version of the Keith Carradine’s Lou Solverson from the first season. During a conversation with TheWrap at the Television Critics Association on Thursday, creator Noah Hawley teased how the upcoming fourth season could tie into earlier versions.
“It’s no coincidence that Ben Whishaw’s character is named ‘Milligan,'” Hawley said. FX announced last July that Whishaw would play a character named “Rabbi Milligan.” Viewers of Season 2 would remember that Bokeem Woodbine played a hitman named Mike Milligan for the Kansas City Mafia in their war against the Gerhardt crime family. Season 4 also takes place in Kansas City, set roughly 20 years earlier.
Also Read: FX Sets Spring Premiere Dates for 'Fargo,...
That was most apparent in Season 2, when Patrick Wilson played a younger version of the Keith Carradine’s Lou Solverson from the first season. During a conversation with TheWrap at the Television Critics Association on Thursday, creator Noah Hawley teased how the upcoming fourth season could tie into earlier versions.
“It’s no coincidence that Ben Whishaw’s character is named ‘Milligan,'” Hawley said. FX announced last July that Whishaw would play a character named “Rabbi Milligan.” Viewers of Season 2 would remember that Bokeem Woodbine played a hitman named Mike Milligan for the Kansas City Mafia in their war against the Gerhardt crime family. Season 4 also takes place in Kansas City, set roughly 20 years earlier.
Also Read: FX Sets Spring Premiere Dates for 'Fargo,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
While the Drama Desk Awards nominate a slew of off-Broadway fare, the winners invariably come from Broadway. That was once again the case on Sunday when all but one of the 16 champs in the musical races were Broadway productions while it was 8 of 12 on the play side.
This love of all things Broadway even extended to “Hadestown,” which was only in contention for new elements such as cast members after having contended here previously for it Off-Broadway run. It won four awards: Director (Rachel Chavkin), Featured Actor in a Musical (Andre De Shields), Lighting Design, and Sound Design.
One of its main rivals for Best Musical at the Tony Awards is “Tootsie,” which claimed victories for Best Actor (Santino Fontana), Book, Music, and Lyrics. But it was another contender, “The Prom,” that swooped in and claimed Best Musical despite losing all of its other bids.
The all Yiddish production of...
This love of all things Broadway even extended to “Hadestown,” which was only in contention for new elements such as cast members after having contended here previously for it Off-Broadway run. It won four awards: Director (Rachel Chavkin), Featured Actor in a Musical (Andre De Shields), Lighting Design, and Sound Design.
One of its main rivals for Best Musical at the Tony Awards is “Tootsie,” which claimed victories for Best Actor (Santino Fontana), Book, Music, and Lyrics. But it was another contender, “The Prom,” that swooped in and claimed Best Musical despite losing all of its other bids.
The all Yiddish production of...
- 6/3/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The winners for the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced Sunday night with Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman winning for Outstanding Play and The Prom taking home the trophy for Outstanding Musical.
Other big winners for the night included The Waverly Gallery and Fidder on the Roof winning for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Outstanding Revival of a Musical respectively. Dance Nation received a special Ensemble Award while Montana Levi Blanco was honored with the Sam Norkin Award.
The ceremony was hosted by Michael Urie and took place at at The Town Hall in Manhattan. The evening included performances by Drama Desk nominee George Salazar (Be More Chill) who was accompanied by composer/lyricist and Drama Desk nominee Joe Iconis. Other performers included Drama Desk nominees Stacey Sargeant and Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland) and Drama Desk and Tony®Award winner Lillias White who sang the In Memoriam.
Other big winners for the night included The Waverly Gallery and Fidder on the Roof winning for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Outstanding Revival of a Musical respectively. Dance Nation received a special Ensemble Award while Montana Levi Blanco was honored with the Sam Norkin Award.
The ceremony was hosted by Michael Urie and took place at at The Town Hall in Manhattan. The evening included performances by Drama Desk nominee George Salazar (Be More Chill) who was accompanied by composer/lyricist and Drama Desk nominee Joe Iconis. Other performers included Drama Desk nominees Stacey Sargeant and Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland) and Drama Desk and Tony®Award winner Lillias White who sang the In Memoriam.
- 6/3/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The current revival of “Oklahoma!” scored the most Drama Desk love with a whopping 12 nominations. Not far behind was the stage adaptation of “Tootsie” with 11. Bu even with those tallies, Broadway shows were shut out in several top categories, including includes Lead Actor in a Play. That Tony Awards race may be stacked, but the Drama Desk nominating committee spurned big names like Bryan Cranston and Jeff Daniels and cited only Off-Broadway performances.
The vehicles for those two stars (“Network” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” respectively) similarly couldn’t crack the Best Play lineup. Despite a stellar year for new plays on Broadway, the only Tony eligible productions the Drama Desk voters invited to the party were Jez Butterworth’s Irish epic “The Ferryman” and Heidi Schreck’s acclaimed auto-drama “What the Constitution Means to Me” (which transferred from Off-Broadway within the same season).
Big names on Broadway were shut...
The vehicles for those two stars (“Network” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” respectively) similarly couldn’t crack the Best Play lineup. Despite a stellar year for new plays on Broadway, the only Tony eligible productions the Drama Desk voters invited to the party were Jez Butterworth’s Irish epic “The Ferryman” and Heidi Schreck’s acclaimed auto-drama “What the Constitution Means to Me” (which transferred from Off-Broadway within the same season).
Big names on Broadway were shut...
- 4/26/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Daniel Fish’s wildly re-imagined revival of Oklahoma! leads New York’s Drama Desk Awards nominations with 12, including Revival of a Musical. No big surprise there — but the head-scratcher came in the Best Play category: To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the best reviewed productions of the season and a box office smash, was snubbed. See the full list below.
Unlike the Tony Awards, though, the Drama Desk Awards cover both Broadway and Off Broadway, significantly lessening the nominations’ prediction factor. Mockingbird almost certainly will be among the nominees when the Broadway-only Tony roster is announced Tuesday.
Some other notable considerations for the Desk roster is that this season’s Broadway productions of Hadestown, Torch Song and Choir Boy were ineligible from some major overall categories because each had been staged in previous seasons as Off Broadway productions. For the Broadway productions, the Drama Desk nominating committee chose to consider...
Unlike the Tony Awards, though, the Drama Desk Awards cover both Broadway and Off Broadway, significantly lessening the nominations’ prediction factor. Mockingbird almost certainly will be among the nominees when the Broadway-only Tony roster is announced Tuesday.
Some other notable considerations for the Desk roster is that this season’s Broadway productions of Hadestown, Torch Song and Choir Boy were ineligible from some major overall categories because each had been staged in previous seasons as Off Broadway productions. For the Broadway productions, the Drama Desk nominating committee chose to consider...
- 4/25/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Be More Chill and What The Constitution Means To Me, currently on Broadway, are among the just-announced Lucille Lortel Award nominees for their previous Off Broadway versions.
The Lortels, which honor Off Broadway productions, mark a sort of unofficial kick-off to New York’s theater awards season. Broadway’s Tony Award nominations will be announced Tuesday, April 30.
Winners of the 34th annual Lortel Awards will be announced Sunday, May 5 at an event hosted by Wayne Brady.
Another nominated Off Broadway production that later made its way to Broadway is Mike Birbiglia’s The New One, nominated in the Outstanding Solo Show category.
Tying for most Lortel nominations are Classic Stage Company’s Carmen Jones starring Anika Noni Rose and Ars Nova’s Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future, each with six nominations.
The nominations were announced today by the Off-Broadway League. The 34th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards will be handed out Sunday,...
The Lortels, which honor Off Broadway productions, mark a sort of unofficial kick-off to New York’s theater awards season. Broadway’s Tony Award nominations will be announced Tuesday, April 30.
Winners of the 34th annual Lortel Awards will be announced Sunday, May 5 at an event hosted by Wayne Brady.
Another nominated Off Broadway production that later made its way to Broadway is Mike Birbiglia’s The New One, nominated in the Outstanding Solo Show category.
Tying for most Lortel nominations are Classic Stage Company’s Carmen Jones starring Anika Noni Rose and Ars Nova’s Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future, each with six nominations.
The nominations were announced today by the Off-Broadway League. The 34th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards will be handed out Sunday,...
- 4/3/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As we’re now about halfway through the Broadway season, there are currently eight productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Choir Boy” (opens January 8; closes March 10)
In this new play by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, the story centers on the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, which for a half a century has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. One talented student has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the school’s legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?...
“Choir Boy” (opens January 8; closes March 10)
In this new play by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, the story centers on the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, which for a half a century has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. One talented student has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the school’s legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key?...
- 1/29/2019
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
The Affair‘s Ruth Wilson, Game of Thrones‘ Pedro Pascal and Tony Award-winner Jayne Houdyshell will join Glenda Jackson in Broadway’s upcoming King Lear – starring, as previously reported, Jackson in the title role.
The additional casting – which also includes Elizabeth Marvel, Aisling O’Sullivan and John Douglas Thompson – was announced today by producer Scott Rudin.
Directed by Sam Gold and featuring an original score by Philip Glass, King Lear begins previews Thursday, February 28, 2019 and will open Thursday, April 4 at the Golden Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7.
Others in the cast include Sean Carvajal, Dion Johnstone, Russell Harvard and Matthew Maher, with additional casting to be announced.
Jackson gave a critically lauded 2016 portrayal of Lear at London’s The Old Vic, though the Broadway production will be entirely new, with a creative team that includes scenic design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Ann Roth,...
The additional casting – which also includes Elizabeth Marvel, Aisling O’Sullivan and John Douglas Thompson – was announced today by producer Scott Rudin.
Directed by Sam Gold and featuring an original score by Philip Glass, King Lear begins previews Thursday, February 28, 2019 and will open Thursday, April 4 at the Golden Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7.
Others in the cast include Sean Carvajal, Dion Johnstone, Russell Harvard and Matthew Maher, with additional casting to be announced.
Jackson gave a critically lauded 2016 portrayal of Lear at London’s The Old Vic, though the Broadway production will be entirely new, with a creative team that includes scenic design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Ann Roth,...
- 9/12/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: Which character(s) on a TV show that aired in 2017 deserves their own spinoff?
Damian Holbrook (@damianholbrook), TV Guide Magazine
I would be down for a show built around Laura Dern’s one-episode role on “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” as Wendy Hebert, the flaky “mystery bitch” who wanted to marry Rev. Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). Mostly because Dern is the absolute shit and she should be doing more comedy. And secondly because this could be, as the theme song says, a fascinating transition from the lightly touched-upon trauma Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) endured at her kidnapper’s hand to a darker comedic exploration into the...
This week’s question: Which character(s) on a TV show that aired in 2017 deserves their own spinoff?
Damian Holbrook (@damianholbrook), TV Guide Magazine
I would be down for a show built around Laura Dern’s one-episode role on “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” as Wendy Hebert, the flaky “mystery bitch” who wanted to marry Rev. Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). Mostly because Dern is the absolute shit and she should be doing more comedy. And secondly because this could be, as the theme song says, a fascinating transition from the lightly touched-upon trauma Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) endured at her kidnapper’s hand to a darker comedic exploration into the...
- 11/28/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
In Season 3 of the acclaimed “Fargo” FX anthology series, showrunner Noah Hawley continued to play by the Coen brothers’ rules, but got more ambitious and flexible with a present-day crime drama. It’s still about good and evil, only now in cordial Minnesota, with plenty of parables, strong women and weak men. Yet the result was more satisfying in its craftiness and empathy in trying to bring order out of chaos.
And for its efforts, “Fargo” grabbed another 10 craft nominations (cinematography, which it won last year, three for editing, hairstyling, makeup, music score, sound editing, which it also won last year, and mixing). The work seemed more confident and daring, as it focused on various character pairings. It was about mistaken identities, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and lots of suffering.
As the murders mounted, however, so did the confusion. Sleazy businessman Varga (nominated David Thewlis) prayed on feuding brothers,...
And for its efforts, “Fargo” grabbed another 10 craft nominations (cinematography, which it won last year, three for editing, hairstyling, makeup, music score, sound editing, which it also won last year, and mixing). The work seemed more confident and daring, as it focused on various character pairings. It was about mistaken identities, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and lots of suffering.
As the murders mounted, however, so did the confusion. Sleazy businessman Varga (nominated David Thewlis) prayed on feuding brothers,...
- 8/3/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
I gotta be honest, I wasn't looking forward to the Fargo Season 3 finale. There were a lot of balls up in the air and no clear way to tie off all the dangling plot threads. Last season's finale, with the crazy motel shootout and the sudden spaceship appearance, kind of left a bad taste in my mouth -- don't give me space aliens in my neo-noir, crime drama and then fail to explain it. Unfortunately, as events in this finale play out, prepare to be somewhat disappointed... but in a good way, I guess.
Gloria (Carrie Coon) writes a resignation letter in the cold opening, she's cleaned out her desk and headed for the door when the phone rings. IRS guy, Larue Dollard (Hamish Linklater), has built an epic case of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion -- some of it actually illegal. Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sent the care package to Dollard to take down Emmit. He's papered his conference room walls with the documents, it looks like a big deal but it's really not -- we later learn this is all just a false show of bravado, another red herring in a season of red herrings, and it makes the case (again) that we can't trust our eyes.
Related - Fargo Season 3, Episode 9 Review: Aporia
However, with that single phone call everything changes. Gloria's back... in an IRS team-up! What? Not the sexy, dramatic moment you were hoping for? Ok, then how about Nikki and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) sawing-off shotguns and prepping for a heavy assault inside a dimly lit motel room. That's more like it, amirite?
Varga (David Thewlis) has sequestered Emmit (Ewan McGregor) in his house, playing out this minor subplot's endgame. He's surrounded himself with a platoon of patrolling gunmen, fearful of the Swango and Wrench alliance -- rightly so. Emmit is tired, he just wants it all to be over, and though he makes a desperate play to kill Varga, he predictably fizzles. Emmit's story (and by extension, Ray's story too) is the least interesting of the season; things just happen to Emmit and he does little to stop them. It's not that Emmit is an unsympathetic character, rather it's that he's barely present at all, an ultimately inconsequential plot device. Fargo Season 3 has been all about Varga, Nikki, and Gloria.
Nikki lures Varga and his fireteam to an abandoned storage facility. They head for a third floor rendezvous, which is shot like a horror movie. A grim corridor of death awaits as they exit the elevator -- It's a trap (sorry, my inner Star Wars nerd got loose for a moment)!!! Shockingly, we don't witness the bloody ambush -- creator Noah Hawley is showing restraint? Naturally, Varga makes a hasty exit, sacrificing his own men to save himself. Nikki and Wrench subsequently settle their accounts, and Wrench reluctantly walks away with a pile of cash -- he's proven to be the most loyal and honest broker in this warped season, next to Gloria of course.
And then there's Ruby Goldfarb (Mary McDonnell). I kept wondering what an actress of her stature was doing in such a tiny cameo role? It didn't add up. And now we know why: she was the big boss all along; the least among us rises again. Goldfarb takes over Stussy Enterprises and shows Emmit the door in an epic power play!
Feels like we all need a warm hug in a nice Minnesota quilt, eh?
Alas, Nikki's story ends in tragedy and disgrace. She tracks down Emmit on a lonely stretch of Minnesota highway and levels a shotgun on him... until a state trooper rolls up and things go South. I can't say it makes much sense, Nikki is a smart character, a survivor -- it betrays her intelligence to go out in such a stupid fashion. But she's happier now, I guess, reunited with Ray (if you believe in that kind of thing).
But wait, there's more! Another time jump, and it's five years later. Emmit has reconciled with his family; Sy is... alive; Varga's still in the wind; and the big IRS case resulted in a limp misdemeanor and probation (Emmit's illicit earnings allegedly stashed overseas), until Mr. Wrench proves his loyalty one last time and finally settles Nikki's score with Emmit.
On a more positive note, Gloria has moved on, she's a special agent in the Department of Homeland Security. Varga turns up in a Dhs holding cell, and so we finally get our Gloria vs. Varga faceoff (referring to himself now as Daniel Rand, a software salesman out of Brussels -- Hawley is a Marvel fan too, apparently). We've come full-circle, the ending scene is reminiscent of the season's cold opening in East Germany. The dialog here is sharp and there's a fun back-and-forth tension to the scene, but it doesn't tell us very much. Varga tries to convince Gloria that he is about to go free and she contends that he's headed for federal lockup... we wait for the door behind Gloria to open. Will Varga, Rand, the Devil, or whoever he truly is walk away free or in handcuffs? The clocks ticks down and the lights go dark, roll credits. Hunh?
It's a convoluted, kind of unsatisfying ending... but I gotta give Hawley credit, he avoided the formula. I'm glad the season ended on character rather than spectacle. Season 3 really didn't connect with Seasons 1 and 2, and that's Ok. There's no good way to end any complicated story, particularly one this quirky and oddball. What's actually so surprising about this finale is that it's all about the ladies. Noah Hawley is a progressive! It's not the slam bang ending we were expecting, but dammit, it's the ending we deserved! We wish you well in your future endeavors agent Burgle, it's well-earned.
Grade: B
Was this the ending to Fargo Season 3 that you expected? Let us know in the comments down below!
Don't forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page. Lrm Lego Origins, Daredevil's Best Fight, Steve McQueen, and More! -- The Lrm Weekend #LRM_Weekend #DavidKozlowski https://t.co/1T4EZ0Yfo4 about 18 minutes ago...
Gloria (Carrie Coon) writes a resignation letter in the cold opening, she's cleaned out her desk and headed for the door when the phone rings. IRS guy, Larue Dollard (Hamish Linklater), has built an epic case of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion -- some of it actually illegal. Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sent the care package to Dollard to take down Emmit. He's papered his conference room walls with the documents, it looks like a big deal but it's really not -- we later learn this is all just a false show of bravado, another red herring in a season of red herrings, and it makes the case (again) that we can't trust our eyes.
Related - Fargo Season 3, Episode 9 Review: Aporia
However, with that single phone call everything changes. Gloria's back... in an IRS team-up! What? Not the sexy, dramatic moment you were hoping for? Ok, then how about Nikki and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) sawing-off shotguns and prepping for a heavy assault inside a dimly lit motel room. That's more like it, amirite?
Varga (David Thewlis) has sequestered Emmit (Ewan McGregor) in his house, playing out this minor subplot's endgame. He's surrounded himself with a platoon of patrolling gunmen, fearful of the Swango and Wrench alliance -- rightly so. Emmit is tired, he just wants it all to be over, and though he makes a desperate play to kill Varga, he predictably fizzles. Emmit's story (and by extension, Ray's story too) is the least interesting of the season; things just happen to Emmit and he does little to stop them. It's not that Emmit is an unsympathetic character, rather it's that he's barely present at all, an ultimately inconsequential plot device. Fargo Season 3 has been all about Varga, Nikki, and Gloria.
Nikki lures Varga and his fireteam to an abandoned storage facility. They head for a third floor rendezvous, which is shot like a horror movie. A grim corridor of death awaits as they exit the elevator -- It's a trap (sorry, my inner Star Wars nerd got loose for a moment)!!! Shockingly, we don't witness the bloody ambush -- creator Noah Hawley is showing restraint? Naturally, Varga makes a hasty exit, sacrificing his own men to save himself. Nikki and Wrench subsequently settle their accounts, and Wrench reluctantly walks away with a pile of cash -- he's proven to be the most loyal and honest broker in this warped season, next to Gloria of course.
And then there's Ruby Goldfarb (Mary McDonnell). I kept wondering what an actress of her stature was doing in such a tiny cameo role? It didn't add up. And now we know why: she was the big boss all along; the least among us rises again. Goldfarb takes over Stussy Enterprises and shows Emmit the door in an epic power play!
Feels like we all need a warm hug in a nice Minnesota quilt, eh?
Alas, Nikki's story ends in tragedy and disgrace. She tracks down Emmit on a lonely stretch of Minnesota highway and levels a shotgun on him... until a state trooper rolls up and things go South. I can't say it makes much sense, Nikki is a smart character, a survivor -- it betrays her intelligence to go out in such a stupid fashion. But she's happier now, I guess, reunited with Ray (if you believe in that kind of thing).
But wait, there's more! Another time jump, and it's five years later. Emmit has reconciled with his family; Sy is... alive; Varga's still in the wind; and the big IRS case resulted in a limp misdemeanor and probation (Emmit's illicit earnings allegedly stashed overseas), until Mr. Wrench proves his loyalty one last time and finally settles Nikki's score with Emmit.
On a more positive note, Gloria has moved on, she's a special agent in the Department of Homeland Security. Varga turns up in a Dhs holding cell, and so we finally get our Gloria vs. Varga faceoff (referring to himself now as Daniel Rand, a software salesman out of Brussels -- Hawley is a Marvel fan too, apparently). We've come full-circle, the ending scene is reminiscent of the season's cold opening in East Germany. The dialog here is sharp and there's a fun back-and-forth tension to the scene, but it doesn't tell us very much. Varga tries to convince Gloria that he is about to go free and she contends that he's headed for federal lockup... we wait for the door behind Gloria to open. Will Varga, Rand, the Devil, or whoever he truly is walk away free or in handcuffs? The clocks ticks down and the lights go dark, roll credits. Hunh?
It's a convoluted, kind of unsatisfying ending... but I gotta give Hawley credit, he avoided the formula. I'm glad the season ended on character rather than spectacle. Season 3 really didn't connect with Seasons 1 and 2, and that's Ok. There's no good way to end any complicated story, particularly one this quirky and oddball. What's actually so surprising about this finale is that it's all about the ladies. Noah Hawley is a progressive! It's not the slam bang ending we were expecting, but dammit, it's the ending we deserved! We wish you well in your future endeavors agent Burgle, it's well-earned.
Grade: B
Was this the ending to Fargo Season 3 that you expected? Let us know in the comments down below!
Don't forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page. Lrm Lego Origins, Daredevil's Best Fight, Steve McQueen, and More! -- The Lrm Weekend #LRM_Weekend #DavidKozlowski https://t.co/1T4EZ0Yfo4 about 18 minutes ago...
- 6/22/2017
- by David Kozlowski
- LRMonline.com
Each week you and I meet here in this virtual space to talk about Fargo, to compare notes and (sometimes) even find amusement in my struggles to make funny -- we've all got our hobbies -- but before we get rolling, I want to acknowledge that this might be the smartest episode of television I've ever watched. Did I hook you? Well, it's true. Creator Noah Hawley and writer Robert De Laurentiis have pulled together all the little threads and bits of nothing from this too-short season of Fargo to remind us that they're pretty good at this TV show-making thing. They still have a few hole cards left to turn over next week, but this next-to-last episode is a master class in character, plot, and mood.
We open on a quiet Minnesota residential street threatening to escape winter, the trees still flocked with snow. A man in a robe...
We open on a quiet Minnesota residential street threatening to escape winter, the trees still flocked with snow. A man in a robe...
- 6/15/2017
- by David Kozlowski
- LRMonline.com
[Editor’s Note: The review below contains spoilers for “Fargo” Season 3, Episode 9, “Aporia”]
Immediate Reaction
If this is as close as we get to resolving The Great Carrie Coon Technology Debate of 2017, we’ll take it. Not only did “Fargo” provide a happy ending to Gloria Burgle’s rage against the machines, but the symbolic message of humanity’s warmth trumping the cold nature of technology helped close out the penultimate episode of Season 3 on a graceful note. The world may not be what we thought, but there’s still good in it.
That being said, next week remains as big a question mark as ever — the dark may very well still overwhelm the light. Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) were in control this week, but how long can a broke duo stay in front of a rich crime boss? What will Gloria’s reinvigorated resolve get her mixed up in, and, abiding by the Peter and the Wolf analogy,...
Immediate Reaction
If this is as close as we get to resolving The Great Carrie Coon Technology Debate of 2017, we’ll take it. Not only did “Fargo” provide a happy ending to Gloria Burgle’s rage against the machines, but the symbolic message of humanity’s warmth trumping the cold nature of technology helped close out the penultimate episode of Season 3 on a graceful note. The world may not be what we thought, but there’s still good in it.
That being said, next week remains as big a question mark as ever — the dark may very well still overwhelm the light. Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) were in control this week, but how long can a broke duo stay in front of a rich crime boss? What will Gloria’s reinvigorated resolve get her mixed up in, and, abiding by the Peter and the Wolf analogy,...
- 6/15/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
The third season of “Fargo” has seen its fair share of strange connections. Some have been carefully orchestrated, others happy accidents, and still more entirely inexplicable. So when Noah Hawley joined director John Cameron and cast members Michael Stuhlbarg and Mary McDonnell for a post-screening panel session at the Atx TV Festival, the man who improbably built an award-winning TV series out of an untouchable Oscar-winning film was ready to identify his intentions.
Below, we’ve outlined the various connective tissue between scenes, characters, and themes of Season 3 with what Hawley said inspired them.
Read More: ‘Fargo’ Review: A Brutal Episode 8 Brings a Character Back From the Dead for Two Very Different Goodbyes
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “Fargo” Season 3, up to and including Episode 8.]
Season 1
First up, the return of Mr. Wrench.
The deaf hitman introduced in Season 1 made a surprising return at the end of Episode 6 in Season 3. Sitting next to Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Nikki Swango on a prisoner transport bus,...
Below, we’ve outlined the various connective tissue between scenes, characters, and themes of Season 3 with what Hawley said inspired them.
Read More: ‘Fargo’ Review: A Brutal Episode 8 Brings a Character Back From the Dead for Two Very Different Goodbyes
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “Fargo” Season 3, up to and including Episode 8.]
Season 1
First up, the return of Mr. Wrench.
The deaf hitman introduced in Season 1 made a surprising return at the end of Episode 6 in Season 3. Sitting next to Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Nikki Swango on a prisoner transport bus,...
- 6/10/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
The series of absurd events from last week's Fargo appeared to signal a clearer focus, a kind of normalcy settling into its exaggerated mischievery. Naturally, that was yet another feint. I'm not sure if creator Noah Hawley has a master plan that stitches everything together in some epic fashion (over the next two episodes), or he's just just trying to see how many abnormalities and quirks he can pile-up before a Minnesota blizzard knocks it all down.
If you haven't seen this week's episode yet, go change your drawers, because Hawley elevates the weird to an entirely new level... and by that I mean bloody. And surreal. And then bloodier still.
Related - Fargo Season 3, Episode 7 Review: The Law of Inevitability
When last we left Fargo, Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) was lying in the back of an upended Minnesota State Prison bus, while a trio of V.M. Varga's (David Thewlis...
If you haven't seen this week's episode yet, go change your drawers, because Hawley elevates the weird to an entirely new level... and by that I mean bloody. And surreal. And then bloodier still.
Related - Fargo Season 3, Episode 7 Review: The Law of Inevitability
When last we left Fargo, Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) was lying in the back of an upended Minnesota State Prison bus, while a trio of V.M. Varga's (David Thewlis...
- 6/8/2017
- by David Kozlowski
- LRMonline.com
(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t watched Wednesday’s episode of “Fargo”) Nikki Swango was on the run during Wednesday’s “Fargo,” and actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead tells TheWrap that the action-packed, breathtaking episode was even tougher to shoot than it may have looked. The FX drama series’ latest installment picked up from last week’s bus crash that left Nikki and seat partner Wes Wrench (Russell Harvard) fighting for their lives while Varga’s henchman tried to take them out. This led to Nikki and Wrench — whom fans will remember as the deaf assassin...
- 6/8/2017
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Wrap
BroadwayWorld has confirmed thatthat Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Camryn Manheim 'The Practice,' 'Ghost Whisperer', Drama Desk Award nominee Patrick Page Cymbeline at Shakespeare in the Park, Casa Valentina, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark, and Theater World Award winner Russell Harvard Tribes, 'Fargo,' There Will Be Blood, have completed the casting for Deaf West's acclaimed production of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening, directed byMichael Arden and choreographed by Spencer Liff. Elizabeth Greene and Daniel Marmion also join the production as swings.
- 8/10/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
"Fargo" concluded its first (and possibly only) season last night. I reviewed the finale here, and I spoke with the show's creator, Noah Hawley, about some of the big developments in the finale, and the possibility of future "Fargo" adventures, coming up just as soon as I go into space despite being afraid of spiders... Before we get to the Q&A, I should note that having just moderated two different panels with Hawley at the Atx Television Festival (including one right after a screening of last week's episode, which you can hear the audio of at the end of the latest Nerdist Writers Panel podcast), I tried to avoid asking him a bunch of repeat questions. I think the only ground we trod over again was on the question of a sequel season, but here's what I can recall from other notable bits of discussion: * Mr. Wrench was inspired...
- 6/18/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Watching the FX drama Fargo has sometimes felt like playing a game of I Spy: What loving homage to the original Coen brothers film might pop up next?
That’s not to say the series is a mere knockoff or shoddy imitation. Though heavily inspired by the Coens’ 1996 classic and rooted in its lore, the 10-episode adaptation more than stands on its own, thanks in large part to a stunning study in character transformation by star Martin Freeman. As Lester Nygaard, he has gone snow-booted toe-to-toe with some of the darkest criminals (Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo) and most...
That’s not to say the series is a mere knockoff or shoddy imitation. Though heavily inspired by the Coens’ 1996 classic and rooted in its lore, the 10-episode adaptation more than stands on its own, thanks in large part to a stunning study in character transformation by star Martin Freeman. As Lester Nygaard, he has gone snow-booted toe-to-toe with some of the darkest criminals (Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo) and most...
- 6/17/2014
- by Amber Ray
- EW.com - PopWatch
A review of tonight's "Fargo" coming up just as soon as God tells me not to park here... "Fargo" the movie is often held up as the best thing the Coen brothers have ever done, and certainly the best balance of their silly "Lebowski"/"Ladykillers"/"Burn After Reading" side and their much darker "Blood Simple"/"No Country For Old Men" side. With "Fargo" the series, Noah Hawley and his various directors (here, Colin Bucksey doing outstanding work) have worked very hard to maintain that balance, though as a 10-part weekly TV show, they get to lean on different ends of the tonal spectrum in any given week. "Buridan's Ass" is fascinating in that respect, in that emotionally, it's by far the darkest episode yet — with the violent deaths of Don, Mr. Numbers, Semenko and Dmitri Milos, and the possible death of Molly — yet so much of that darkness takes place...
- 5/21/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
In March, I was on the Calgary set of FX's "Fargo" and I got to talk to most of the show's main stars, including Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Keith Carradine, and Colin Hanks and Joey King. I also chatted with producers Noah Hawley and Warren Littlefield and, before the premiere, I interviewed Billy Bob Thornton as well. The characters on the reimagined take on the Coen Brothers' Oscar winner are compelling and that gives everybody involved plenty to discuss, so I hope to keep checking off members of the eclectic cast plenty to talk about. Up next? Adam Goldberg, who was introduced in the second episode as a fiery hitman whose name has never been given. Official FX literature says that Goldberg is Mr. Numbers, while Russell Harvard's character is Mr. Wrench. Apparently, we aren't going to learn anything more than that. Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench are...
- 5/6/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Now that we’ve moved on from the excellent pilot episode, the big question is: does Fargo continue to live up to the greatness of its cinematic predecessor? Oh, you betcha. Unfortunately, it does fall a bit short of last week’s debut, though it’s still by all accounts one of the best shows currently on television.
While “The Rooster Prince” may not have had as many blood-soaked surprises as “The Crocodile’s Dilemma,” it did manage to make matters even more intense for all involved, while helping set the stage for things to come. However, that stage-setting came at a price, as both the humor and mayhem weren’t as controlled or quite as polished this time around.
The episode opens with another stark, snow covered landscape, with a stretch of highway leading us to our destination. A car passes, and in it are two new characters: a...
While “The Rooster Prince” may not have had as many blood-soaked surprises as “The Crocodile’s Dilemma,” it did manage to make matters even more intense for all involved, while helping set the stage for things to come. However, that stage-setting came at a price, as both the humor and mayhem weren’t as controlled or quite as polished this time around.
The episode opens with another stark, snow covered landscape, with a stretch of highway leading us to our destination. A car passes, and in it are two new characters: a...
- 4/23/2014
- by James Garcia
- We Got This Covered
As noted in my review of the pilot last week, the second episode of Fargo promised some more references to various Coen brothers movies, namely Raising Arizona and Burn After Reading. The former was in the form of Oliver Platt‘s “Supermarket King” character. He owns a chain of stores called Phoenix Farms and wrote a book called “American Phoenix.” I guess showrunner Noah Hawley didn’t want to go too on the nose by naming him Stavros Phoenix, though. Instead, his last name is Milos. As for the latter homage, there wasn’t much to it other than Glenn Howerton playing a personal trainer. Meanwhile, there were allusions to The Hudsucker Proxy (the man scraping the name off the police chief’s office door) and I’m gonna say A Serious Man, as the scene with Colin Hanks spying on his orthodox neighbor undressing reminded me of a scene from that film. The...
- 4/23/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
A review of tonight's "Fargo" coming up just as soon as I find a human foot in a toaster oven... Episode 1 of this strange new Coen-adjacent adventure kept things relatively simple. We got to know the perpetually bullied Lester, got to appreciate Lorne Malvo's role as a homicidal bringer of chaos, got to appreciation the relationship between chief Vern and deputy Molly, then saw how the murder of Sam Hess triggered all sorts of problems and additional violence. It's not the 1996 movie in microcosm, but it's a small enough story that one might wonder how Noah Hawley intends to get 10 episodes out of it. With "The Rooster Prince," Hawley makes very clear that he's got many weeks of material here, as he introduces several major new characters and plot threads. Sam Hess's murder is the inciting incident, but there's an awful lot more going on here. Because the murders of...
- 4/23/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
FX has been promoting Fargo as a "limited series" but that certainly doesn't mean that it can't be renewed for a second season with a new story and characters. Will this show be a ratings success? Stay tuned.
A new take on the classic movie, Fargo follows a drifter (Billy Bob Thornton) who comes to the community of Bemidji, Minnesota and starts influencing the population with his own brand of malice and violence. The cast includes Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Peter Breitmayer, Tom Musgrave, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's chances of staying on the air. The higher the ratings, the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available.
A new take on the classic movie, Fargo follows a drifter (Billy Bob Thornton) who comes to the community of Bemidji, Minnesota and starts influencing the population with his own brand of malice and violence. The cast includes Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Peter Breitmayer, Tom Musgrave, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's chances of staying on the air. The higher the ratings, the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available.
- 4/22/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Network: FX
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: April 15, 2014 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Peter Breitmayer, Tom Musgrave, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele.
TV show description:
This anthology series is an adaptation of the Fargo feature film and follows a new “true crime” case and new characters in Minnesota.
Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) is a rootless and manipulative man who meets and forever changes the life of small town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) is a single father who must choose between his own personal safety and his duty as a policeman...
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: April 15, 2014 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Peter Breitmayer, Tom Musgrave, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele.
TV show description:
This anthology series is an adaptation of the Fargo feature film and follows a new “true crime” case and new characters in Minnesota.
Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) is a rootless and manipulative man who meets and forever changes the life of small town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) is a single father who must choose between his own personal safety and his duty as a policeman...
- 4/22/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Before I sat down with the first four episodes of FX’s limited series, Fargo, premiering April 15 at 10Pm, I reacquainted myself with the 1996 Coen Brothers’ crime classic. It’s been over a decade since I last saw the film and like a winter squall blustering through, my memories of it had become buried deep in snow. However, after this viewing, I had this insatiable desire to soak in this world for a longer duration.
It wasn’t just any small town that had been rocked by bloody murders and criminal activity, it was this specific ivory landscape that stretched as far as the eyes could see. Its citizens were as foreign and distant as Hawaii or Alaska as were their special brand of talk and affection. Fargo felt like the Coens picked up a snow globe unlike any other and then gifted it to everyone who had seen the film.
It wasn’t just any small town that had been rocked by bloody murders and criminal activity, it was this specific ivory landscape that stretched as far as the eyes could see. Its citizens were as foreign and distant as Hawaii or Alaska as were their special brand of talk and affection. Fargo felt like the Coens picked up a snow globe unlike any other and then gifted it to everyone who had seen the film.
- 4/15/2014
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
Robert Bianco is floored by the new FX miniseries "Fargo," calling it "nearly perfect." He says that the current TV landscape is excellent, so "who would have thought FX would give us not just another contender for TV's top quality slot, but one that is both thoroughly original and outrageously entertaining." While named after the 1996 film and executive produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, the new project is more of "a tribute without coming across as a cheap imitation." The leads are Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton and Emmy nominee Martin Freeman with strong support from Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Adam Goldberg, Russell Harvard, Kate Walsh, and Oliver Platt. Episodes air each Tuesday night starting this week. USA Today. -Break- The best dressed celebrities at Sunday's MTV Movie Awards are unveiled. A new photo gallery praises Shailene Woodley, Lupita Nyong'o, Rihanna, and Jessica Alba. On the other ha...
- 4/15/2014
- Gold Derby
FX's "Fargo" was conceived as something of a ten-episode "movie" more than a standard television series. In this sense it shares something of a kinship with HBO's recently completed first season of "True Detective". And, like "True Detective", which is already developing a second season, the intent with "Fargo" is to feature one true crime story each season and, as writer/creator Nick Hawley said, "After a season or two of the show, people who see the movie might say that was a great episode of Fargo. Each season is a separate true crime story from that region. The movie now fits into the series as another true crime story from the region." The movie Hawley is referring to, of course, is Joel and Ethan Coen's 1996 Best Picture nominee of the same name. And don't go feeling as if that comment, saying the movie could be considered just another episode,...
- 4/9/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
(Cbr) If, despite the stellar cast, you’re still skeptical of "Fargo," the upcoming television adaptation of Joel and Ethan Coen’s acclaimed 1996 film, then FX may have something that will ease your mind: the first seven minutes of the series. The show is perhaps not so much based on the film so much as it is inspired by it, as FX pitches this "Fargo" as “an all-new ‘true crime’ story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and ‘Minnesota nice’ that made the film an enduring classic.” In it, Billy Bob Thornton plays Lorne Malvo, a manipulative man who meets small-town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) and forever changes his life. The series also stars Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Molly Solverson, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Peter Breitmayer, Tom Musgrave, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
- 4/5/2014
- by Kevin Melrose, Comic Book Resources
- Hitfix
The limited 10 episode series Fargo is only a few days away and to get even more excited we can now watch the first seven minutes. The other day we posted a featurette to answer a few question on how this show will differ from the classic Coen Brothers film.
Catch up on all our Fargo coverage here. The show stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.
Fargo premieres on FX April 15th, watch the first seven minutes and featurette below:
An original adaptation of the Academy Award®-winning feature film, Fargo features an all-new “true crime” story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and “Minnesota nice” that made the film an enduring classic. Oscar® winner Billy Bob Thornton stars as “Lorne Malvo,...
Catch up on all our Fargo coverage here. The show stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.
Fargo premieres on FX April 15th, watch the first seven minutes and featurette below:
An original adaptation of the Academy Award®-winning feature film, Fargo features an all-new “true crime” story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and “Minnesota nice” that made the film an enduring classic. Oscar® winner Billy Bob Thornton stars as “Lorne Malvo,...
- 4/4/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
FX has given us a new featurette for the upcoming limited 10 episode series Fargo. If you’re like me and have been wondering what the show will offer in terms of something different, this featurette may have a few answers for you. It’s definitely staying with the dark humor and that’s really the most important aspect they can take from the movie masterpiece. We are getting a new cast and new story in the spirit of Fargo, this should be on your TV radar this month when it premieres on FX April 15th.
The show stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.
Watch the trailer and read the official synopsis below:
An original adaptation of the Academy Award®-winning feature film, Fargo features an all-new...
The show stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.
Watch the trailer and read the official synopsis below:
An original adaptation of the Academy Award®-winning feature film, Fargo features an all-new...
- 4/2/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
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