"Do you wish you could un-know me?" Oscilloscope Labs has revealed the official trailer for an indie film titled Sometimes I Think About Dying, produced by and starring Daisy Ridley. This first premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival last year to mixed reviews, with stops at the Fantastic & Cinéfest Sudbury Film Festivals as well. Set in Oregon, the film is about an anxious introvert, played by Daisy Ridley. Fran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself. Director Rachel Lambert has made a delicately told story of love for the socially awkward and emotionally challenged. The film is made all the more human by its lovely cast, featuring Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia DeBonis, and Bree Elrod. Sometimes I Think About Dying is "an unexpected fable on the virtues of living.
- 11/13/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Marie Kreutzer and Vicky Krieps (holding Patti’s A Book of Days) with Patti Smith, the host of a preview screening of Corsage (Austria’s shortlisted Oscar entry) at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York Photo: IFC Films
In the second instalment with Marie Kreutzer, we discuss Sisi with King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Manuel Rubey), Louis Le Prince played by Finnegan Oldfield, and the chocolate scene in Corsage, Luchino Visconti’s Ludwig, riding in the dark, how biographies speak of their own time, undefinable friendships with men, the representational, the functional, and the omnipresence of golden chairs.
Vicky Krieps as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in Corsage Photo: Felix Vratny, courtesy of IFC Films
Last week Patti Smith hosted a screening of Corsage (Best Film at the London Film Festival), attended by Sarita Choudhury, Hailey Gates, Annie Leibovitz, Piper Perabo, Dolly Wells, Sunita Mani, Diana Silvers, Olivia Luccardi, Bree Elrod,...
In the second instalment with Marie Kreutzer, we discuss Sisi with King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Manuel Rubey), Louis Le Prince played by Finnegan Oldfield, and the chocolate scene in Corsage, Luchino Visconti’s Ludwig, riding in the dark, how biographies speak of their own time, undefinable friendships with men, the representational, the functional, and the omnipresence of golden chairs.
Vicky Krieps as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in Corsage Photo: Felix Vratny, courtesy of IFC Films
Last week Patti Smith hosted a screening of Corsage (Best Film at the London Film Festival), attended by Sarita Choudhury, Hailey Gates, Annie Leibovitz, Piper Perabo, Dolly Wells, Sunita Mani, Diana Silvers, Olivia Luccardi, Bree Elrod,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Stars: Simon Rex, Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brittany Rodriguez, Ethan Darbone | Written by Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch | Directed by Sean Baker
Finding himself down and out in Los Angeles, ex-porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) decides to crawl back to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, where his estranged wife and mother-in-law are living. Just as this dysfunctional family seems to be making things work, Mikey meets a young woman named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) working the cash register at a local doughnut shop.
I must confess right out of the gate that I’m not a big fan of Sean Baker‘s work. In the months leading up to The Florida Project‘s wide release, all I was hearing was just how much of a masterpiece it was, only for me to eventually watch it and hate it. To this day I genuinely have no idea how it got so...
Finding himself down and out in Los Angeles, ex-porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) decides to crawl back to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, where his estranged wife and mother-in-law are living. Just as this dysfunctional family seems to be making things work, Mikey meets a young woman named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) working the cash register at a local doughnut shop.
I must confess right out of the gate that I’m not a big fan of Sean Baker‘s work. In the months leading up to The Florida Project‘s wide release, all I was hearing was just how much of a masterpiece it was, only for me to eventually watch it and hate it. To this day I genuinely have no idea how it got so...
- 10/26/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Nerdly
A Friend of the Family is coming soon to Peacock. The true crime drama follows Robert Berchtold as he kidnaps Jan Broberg -- again and again. The limited series will consist of nine episodes. Jake Lacy, Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Hendrix Yancey, Mckenna Grace, Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod, and Philip Ettinger star in the series which arrives in October.
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- 9/14/2022
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Ella Jay Basco has been cast as a recurring character in Nick Antosca’s upcoming Peacock limited series “A Friend of the Family,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The crime series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart and turn their daughter against them. “A Friend of the Family” follows how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
Details of Basco’s character have yet to be announced.
Basco is best known for starring as Cassandra Cain opposite Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in the 2020 DC movie “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of...
The crime series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart and turn their daughter against them. “A Friend of the Family” follows how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
Details of Basco’s character have yet to be announced.
Basco is best known for starring as Cassandra Cain opposite Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in the 2020 DC movie “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of...
- 7/7/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Peacock is ramping up its slate of originals in the second half of 2022.
The streaming service on Wednesday revealed premiere dates for some of its most highly anticipated shows.
Vampire Academy, the supernatural drama based on the novel series of the same name, premieres on September 15.
From executive producers Julie Plec & Marguerite MacIntyre comes a story of friendship, romance, and danger.
"In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society," the logline reads.
"One as a powerful Royal, the other a half-vampire Guardian trained to protect against the savage ‘Strigoi’ who threaten to tear their society apart."
"That is, if Royal infighting doesn’t do the job first."
Last Light, starring Matthew Fox, premieres on week earlier on September 8.
"Petro-chemist Andy Yeats knows how dependent the world is on oil; if...
The streaming service on Wednesday revealed premiere dates for some of its most highly anticipated shows.
Vampire Academy, the supernatural drama based on the novel series of the same name, premieres on September 15.
From executive producers Julie Plec & Marguerite MacIntyre comes a story of friendship, romance, and danger.
"In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society," the logline reads.
"One as a powerful Royal, the other a half-vampire Guardian trained to protect against the savage ‘Strigoi’ who threaten to tear their society apart."
"That is, if Royal infighting doesn’t do the job first."
Last Light, starring Matthew Fox, premieres on week earlier on September 8.
"Petro-chemist Andy Yeats knows how dependent the world is on oil; if...
- 6/29/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The Wilds is shedding light on what the teenage boy survivors have been up to on their island in the first trailer for Season 2 of Prime Video’s YA drama.
Premiering with all eight episodes on Friday, May 6, the upcoming season finds that “survival hangs in the balance for the group of teenage girls stranded on a deserted island, after the explosive discovery that what’s happening to them is an elaborate social experiment,” per the official synopsis. “This season ups the drama and keeps you guessing, with the introduction of more test subjects — another island of teenage boys — who...
Premiering with all eight episodes on Friday, May 6, the upcoming season finds that “survival hangs in the balance for the group of teenage girls stranded on a deserted island, after the explosive discovery that what’s happening to them is an elaborate social experiment,” per the official synopsis. “This season ups the drama and keeps you guessing, with the introduction of more test subjects — another island of teenage boys — who...
- 4/6/2022
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Austin Stowell, Patrick Fischler, Bree Elrod and Philip Ettinger have been cast in “A Friend of the Family,” Peacock’s upcoming true crime limited series from UCP and showrunner and executive producer Nick Antosca.
The series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart and turn their daughter against them. “A Friend of the Family” follows how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
Stowell will play FBI Agent Pete Welsh, a young investigator dead set on returning Jan to her family. As a father himself, Pete invests in Jan’s case and grows frustrated...
The series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart and turn their daughter against them. “A Friend of the Family” follows how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.
Stowell will play FBI Agent Pete Welsh, a young investigator dead set on returning Jan to her family. As a father himself, Pete invests in Jan’s case and grows frustrated...
- 4/6/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Peacock’s limited drama series A Friend Of The Family continues to build its cast, adding Austin Stowell (The Hating Game), Patrick Fischler (American Crime Story: Impeachment), Bree Elrod (Red Rocket) and Philip Ettinger (First Reformed). They will join previously announced stars Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey. A Friend Of The Family comes from Nick Antosca, who serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer.
A Friend Of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.
A Friend Of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.
- 4/6/2022
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
A charismatic, washed-up adult film actor grooms a teenage girl as his protege in the director’s ambiguous follow-up to Tangerine and The Florida Project
How much do you have to like a movie’s protagonist to like a movie? That’s a question that rattled around my head as I watched Red Rocket, a comedy drama from Sean Baker, the American indie king behind empathic gems Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017). In both those life-affirmingly humane masterpieces, Baker showcased marginalised characters whose lives were presented in rich, textured hues. However flawed they might have been, they were easy to engage with.
On its absurdist, slapstick surface, the antihero of Red Rocket is cut from similar cloth: an outsider with a survivor’s instinct and charisma to spare. Simon Rex is Mikey “Saber” Davies, a washed-up hustler who has been earning a living in the adult film industry in LA.
How much do you have to like a movie’s protagonist to like a movie? That’s a question that rattled around my head as I watched Red Rocket, a comedy drama from Sean Baker, the American indie king behind empathic gems Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017). In both those life-affirmingly humane masterpieces, Baker showcased marginalised characters whose lives were presented in rich, textured hues. However flawed they might have been, they were easy to engage with.
On its absurdist, slapstick surface, the antihero of Red Rocket is cut from similar cloth: an outsider with a survivor’s instinct and charisma to spare. Simon Rex is Mikey “Saber” Davies, a washed-up hustler who has been earning a living in the adult film industry in LA.
- 3/13/2022
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Brenda Deiss, the Texas City local who made her acting debut in Sean Baker’s 2021 film “Red Rocket,” has died of complications after suffering a stroke. She was 60.
The former secretary appeared in the indie film as Lil, the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s charming grifter ex-porn star character Mikey Saber. Big-hearted but tough as nails, Lil allows Mikey to temporarily live with her and estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) when he comes crawling back to their Texas City hometown, looking for a fresh start.
Writer-director Sean Baker announced the news of Deiss’ passing in a tribute recalling how he and the Texas City native met in a chance encounter.
“Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led to us working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder and love,” wrote Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films.
The former secretary appeared in the indie film as Lil, the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s charming grifter ex-porn star character Mikey Saber. Big-hearted but tough as nails, Lil allows Mikey to temporarily live with her and estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) when he comes crawling back to their Texas City hometown, looking for a fresh start.
Writer-director Sean Baker announced the news of Deiss’ passing in a tribute recalling how he and the Texas City native met in a chance encounter.
“Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led to us working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder and love,” wrote Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films.
- 2/16/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Brenda Deiss, the unexpected star who played the no-nonsense, foul-mouthed matriarch “Lil” in Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket,” has died following complications from a stroke, as announced February 16.
The former NASA secretary was 60 years old.
Writer-director Baker confirmed the news on Wednesday, tweeting a statement in Deiss’ honor.
“I have some very sad news to report. Brenda Deiss, who played Lil in ‘Red Rocket,’ passed away on Monday [February 14] after suffering a stroke,” Baker wrote. “I remember every detail of the moment Brenda and I met. It was a chance meeting in her hometown of Texas City, TX. Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led us to working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder, and love.”
Baker added, “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us,...
The former NASA secretary was 60 years old.
Writer-director Baker confirmed the news on Wednesday, tweeting a statement in Deiss’ honor.
“I have some very sad news to report. Brenda Deiss, who played Lil in ‘Red Rocket,’ passed away on Monday [February 14] after suffering a stroke,” Baker wrote. “I remember every detail of the moment Brenda and I met. It was a chance meeting in her hometown of Texas City, TX. Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led us to working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder, and love.”
Baker added, “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us,...
- 2/16/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Brenda Deiss, the former secretary who was cast by Red Rocket writer-director Sean Baker to play the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s lead character Mikey Saber, died Monday at Clear Lake Hospital in Clear Lake, Texas, of complications from in a stroke last month. She was 60.
A spokesperson for the film confirmed her death. See Baker’s Instagram tribute below.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films, said: “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us, some of them heartbreaking and others insightful and fascinating. We all have people in our lives that change it for the better, and Brenda was one of those people for me. I will miss her dearly.”
Bree Elrod, who played Deiss’ daughter in Red Rocket, said in a statement: “We shared a lot of...
A spokesperson for the film confirmed her death. See Baker’s Instagram tribute below.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films, said: “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us, some of them heartbreaking and others insightful and fascinating. We all have people in our lives that change it for the better, and Brenda was one of those people for me. I will miss her dearly.”
Bree Elrod, who played Deiss’ daughter in Red Rocket, said in a statement: “We shared a lot of...
- 2/16/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Brenda Deiss, a former NASA secretary who became an unexpected movie star with her role as a tough-talking matriarch in “Red Rocket,” died Monday in Clear Lake, Tex., from complications following a stroke she suffered in January. She was 60. A spokesperson for “Red Rocket” confirmed Deiss’ death to Variety.
Deiss came to acting late in life. In 2020, writer-director Sean Baker was scouting locations for a new film about a downtrodden porn star that would be shot in the area of Texas City, when he had a chance encounter with Deiss. After meeting her, Baker, who often casts first-time actors in movies such as “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” was convinced that she was perfect to play a pivotal supporting role in his new film. “We found our Lil!,” Baker declared to his team, and Deiss was soon cast as a Texas woman who allows Simon Rex’s Mikey Saber to...
Deiss came to acting late in life. In 2020, writer-director Sean Baker was scouting locations for a new film about a downtrodden porn star that would be shot in the area of Texas City, when he had a chance encounter with Deiss. After meeting her, Baker, who often casts first-time actors in movies such as “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” was convinced that she was perfect to play a pivotal supporting role in his new film. “We found our Lil!,” Baker declared to his team, and Deiss was soon cast as a Texas woman who allows Simon Rex’s Mikey Saber to...
- 2/16/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Premiering in Cannes and nominated for three Gotham Awards, Red Rocket, a darkly funny, live-wire film,arrives March 15 on DVD and Blu-ray from Lionsgate.
Written and directed by Sean Baker, the movie features Simon Rex, Bree Elrod (in her major debut role), and Suzanna Son (feature film debut). Red Rocket will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $19.98 and on Blu-ray for the suggested retail price of $21.99.
Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) is back home in small-town Texas after burning bridges and flaming out all over Los Angeles. A hustler, operator, and charismatic con man, Mikey quickly learns that no one wants him back. When he meets a teenager working at the local donut shop, he sees his ticket back to the big time, in this darkly funny, live-wire film from acclaimed writer-director Sean Baker.
Blu-ray / DVD Special Features
Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Sean Baker, Cinematographer Drew Daniels,...
Written and directed by Sean Baker, the movie features Simon Rex, Bree Elrod (in her major debut role), and Suzanna Son (feature film debut). Red Rocket will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $19.98 and on Blu-ray for the suggested retail price of $21.99.
Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) is back home in small-town Texas after burning bridges and flaming out all over Los Angeles. A hustler, operator, and charismatic con man, Mikey quickly learns that no one wants him back. When he meets a teenager working at the local donut shop, he sees his ticket back to the big time, in this darkly funny, live-wire film from acclaimed writer-director Sean Baker.
Blu-ray / DVD Special Features
Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Sean Baker, Cinematographer Drew Daniels,...
- 1/18/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker
Red Rocket Review — Red Rocket (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Sean Baker and starring Simon Rex, Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brenda Deiss, Judy Hill, Brittney Rodriguez, Ethan Darbone and Alex Michell. Red Rocket, directed by Sean Baker (who also co-wrote the screenplay), is so remarkable in what it does right that when [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker...
Continue reading: Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker...
- 1/15/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2021, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
It goes without saying that the past two years have been a lot for everyone to deal with. There were plenty of films released in 2021, but every aspect of the industry suffered through it. Productions dealt with new, costly protocols, festivals had to navigate physical and / or virtual events, distributors chose between theatrical exclusives or hybrid releases, exhibitors did everything they could to stay afloat, and everyone lost a ton of money in the process. There is no easy way out of this pandemic, but that’s not stopping anyone from burning through everything they can to find one.
Still, there were lots of things to see in 2021, and the spread of great to good to bad wasn’t particularly different from any other year. Some films...
It goes without saying that the past two years have been a lot for everyone to deal with. There were plenty of films released in 2021, but every aspect of the industry suffered through it. Productions dealt with new, costly protocols, festivals had to navigate physical and / or virtual events, distributors chose between theatrical exclusives or hybrid releases, exhibitors did everything they could to stay afloat, and everyone lost a ton of money in the process. There is no easy way out of this pandemic, but that’s not stopping anyone from burning through everything they can to find one.
Still, there were lots of things to see in 2021, and the spread of great to good to bad wasn’t particularly different from any other year. Some films...
- 1/7/2022
- by C.J. Prince
- The Film Stage
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the latest film of writer/director Sean Baker, “Red Rocket” currently in select theaters, see local listings.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Simon Rex is Mikey, a broke-ass porn star who moves back to his backwater Texas hometown. He takes residence with his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss), who really don’t want him there. In the meantime, he starts peddling marijuana and discovers a potential new adult film star he nicknames Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Is he about to wear out his just-established welcome?
“Red Rocket” is currently in select theaters, see local listings. Featuring Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son and Brenda Deiss. Written and directed by Sean Baker. Rated “R”
Click here for Patrick McDonald’s full on-air review of “Red Rocket”
Red Rocket
Photo credit: A24
Click...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Simon Rex is Mikey, a broke-ass porn star who moves back to his backwater Texas hometown. He takes residence with his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss), who really don’t want him there. In the meantime, he starts peddling marijuana and discovers a potential new adult film star he nicknames Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Is he about to wear out his just-established welcome?
“Red Rocket” is currently in select theaters, see local listings. Featuring Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son and Brenda Deiss. Written and directed by Sean Baker. Rated “R”
Click here for Patrick McDonald’s full on-air review of “Red Rocket”
Red Rocket
Photo credit: A24
Click...
- 12/26/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Simon Rex in Sean Baker’s dark comedy Red Rocket. Courtesy of A24.
A shabby man (Simon Rex) stumbles off a bus and heads for a modest house in a little Texas town. He seems confident they will take him in but, despite an outpouring of charm, they refuse to let him set foot in the place. Not only don’t the residents let him in, they order him off their property. You know there is more to this story, and we are about to find out what in Sean Baker’s comedy Red Rocket.
The film opens with Nsync’s song “Bye, Bye, Bye,” which becomes a kind of running theme, in this comic tale. Good-bye is what most of these people want to say to Mikey Saber, the fellow fresh off the bus. Comedian and former MTV star Simon Rex is perfectly cast as smooth-talking Mikey Saber, an...
A shabby man (Simon Rex) stumbles off a bus and heads for a modest house in a little Texas town. He seems confident they will take him in but, despite an outpouring of charm, they refuse to let him set foot in the place. Not only don’t the residents let him in, they order him off their property. You know there is more to this story, and we are about to find out what in Sean Baker’s comedy Red Rocket.
The film opens with Nsync’s song “Bye, Bye, Bye,” which becomes a kind of running theme, in this comic tale. Good-bye is what most of these people want to say to Mikey Saber, the fellow fresh off the bus. Comedian and former MTV star Simon Rex is perfectly cast as smooth-talking Mikey Saber, an...
- 12/25/2021
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The latest desolate, yet splendidly hilarious, comedic offering from writer/director Sean Baker (whose previous works include the formidable The Florida Project [2017] and the equally impressive Tangerine [2015]), Red Rocket, paints a cynical, and often despondent view of a somewhat ubiquitous hustler in Texas trying to make the next big score.
The problem that Mikey (Simon Rex) faces however, are not the obstacles in the way of his plans to make the big score, but rather his own penchant for self-destructive and often just plain stupid behavior. As the film begins, Mikey is returning from a failed life as a porn star in California and is hoping to stay at the home of the wife (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law (Brenda Deiss) he left behind when he moved out West. In exchange for room and board, Mikey offers to help around the house, which amounts to riding his bike (he can’t...
The problem that Mikey (Simon Rex) faces however, are not the obstacles in the way of his plans to make the big score, but rather his own penchant for self-destructive and often just plain stupid behavior. As the film begins, Mikey is returning from a failed life as a porn star in California and is hoping to stay at the home of the wife (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law (Brenda Deiss) he left behind when he moved out West. In exchange for room and board, Mikey offers to help around the house, which amounts to riding his bike (he can’t...
- 12/25/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
For Variety‘s Writers on Writers, Jonathan Raymond pens a tribute to “Red Rocket” (screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch.)
Often, there’s a slight delay before an era finds its shape. The Nixon years blossomed gradually in Alan Pakula’s paranoia trilogy, and the Vietnam era played out for decades as a kind of see-sawing national argument on film. And now, already, the Trump era is returning to us in the form of “Red Rocket,” a patriotic comet sailing from the year 2016, the dawn of whatever the fuck this epoch has been. Written by Chris Bergoch and director Sean Baker, the film feels like the best kind of voyeurism — a medium-long bus ride with people you’ve been dying to eavesdrop on your whole life.
Does this character sound familiar? A white guy who lies constantly; who claims to be a lot richer than he is; who gaslights...
Often, there’s a slight delay before an era finds its shape. The Nixon years blossomed gradually in Alan Pakula’s paranoia trilogy, and the Vietnam era played out for decades as a kind of see-sawing national argument on film. And now, already, the Trump era is returning to us in the form of “Red Rocket,” a patriotic comet sailing from the year 2016, the dawn of whatever the fuck this epoch has been. Written by Chris Bergoch and director Sean Baker, the film feels like the best kind of voyeurism — a medium-long bus ride with people you’ve been dying to eavesdrop on your whole life.
Does this character sound familiar? A white guy who lies constantly; who claims to be a lot richer than he is; who gaslights...
- 12/22/2021
- by Jonathan Raymond
- Variety Film + TV
“Best Oral three years in a row,” Mikey Saber brags yet again to a disinterested stranger. As if the thirtysomething, out-of-work porn star’s unprompted self-aggrandizement isn’t tasteless enough, consider that his trophies are for receiving the oral and he thinks they’re well-deserved. It would be easier for the people of Texas City to shoo him away if he wasn’t brandishing the most disarming puppy dog demeanor a person could possess. But that’s what makes Mikey such a rich, complicated character: he’s a livewire of charm and disgrace, a manipulator that’s mastered the art of falling upward, an unforgettable installment in the canon of cinematic grifters. Like most of them, he’s utterly unconscionable. Simon Rex, on the other hand, is quite the opposite.
Rex—who you might recognize from his VJ days on MTV in the mid-90s, or as the mock Marshall Mathers from Scary Movie 3,...
Rex—who you might recognize from his VJ days on MTV in the mid-90s, or as the mock Marshall Mathers from Scary Movie 3,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Daisy Ridley is set to star and produce the indie drama Sometimes I Think About Dying, which recently wrapped production in Oregon. Rachel Lambert directed the pic with Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, and Katy Wright-Mead penning the script. Dave Merheje, Meg Stalter, Bree Elrod, Brittany O’Grady and Parvesh Cheena round out ensemble.
Based on play Killers by Armento as well as the short film Sometimes I Think About Dying, the film follows Fran who likes to think about dying. It brings sensation to her quiet life. When she makes the new guy at work laugh, it leads to more: a date, a slice of pie, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.
Joining Ridley as a producer are Alex Saks, Dori Rath, Lauren Beveridge and Brett Beveridge. Saks’ page fifty-four pictures produced the film alongside the Beveridge’s Point Productions and Mirror Image Films.
Based on play Killers by Armento as well as the short film Sometimes I Think About Dying, the film follows Fran who likes to think about dying. It brings sensation to her quiet life. When she makes the new guy at work laugh, it leads to more: a date, a slice of pie, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.
Joining Ridley as a producer are Alex Saks, Dori Rath, Lauren Beveridge and Brett Beveridge. Saks’ page fifty-four pictures produced the film alongside the Beveridge’s Point Productions and Mirror Image Films.
- 12/15/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
For better or worse, you will hear about Red Rocket. From who? It’s a coin toss between a raving cinephile and a sanctimonious pop culture prognosticator behind a line in the sand. But make no mistake, they’re talking about the same movie.
Provocation has always been on the frontlines in Sean Baker’s work. Seven features deep, the writer, director, producer, editor, and casting director is known for portraying the unsexy realms of America’s working class in full color, earning newfound acclaim with Tangerine and The Florida Project. Diving headfirst into beauty and darkness, he takes an uncensored approach, more interested in the cinematic search for truth than catering to the faint of heart. He tells stories about people on the fringe, bruised characters too complex to simply love. Or––in the case of Mikey Saber––hate.
The bubbly, airheaded ex-porn star (played by an electric Simon Rex...
Provocation has always been on the frontlines in Sean Baker’s work. Seven features deep, the writer, director, producer, editor, and casting director is known for portraying the unsexy realms of America’s working class in full color, earning newfound acclaim with Tangerine and The Florida Project. Diving headfirst into beauty and darkness, he takes an uncensored approach, more interested in the cinematic search for truth than catering to the faint of heart. He tells stories about people on the fringe, bruised characters too complex to simply love. Or––in the case of Mikey Saber––hate.
The bubbly, airheaded ex-porn star (played by an electric Simon Rex...
- 12/10/2021
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
How did a former New York model who gave what Gus Van Sant once called “one of the worst auditions I’ve ever seen” start winning breakout actor prizes at age 47? For Simon Rex, it entailed sinking his life savings into a property in the desert in Joshua Tree and contemplating flipping houses for a living. Now he’s nominated for a Gotham Award.
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
How did a former New York model who gave what Gus Van Sant once called “one of the worst auditions I’ve ever seen” start winning breakout actor prizes at age 47? For Simon Rex, it entailed sinking his life savings into a property in the desert in Joshua Tree and contemplating flipping houses for a living. Now he’s nominated for a Gotham Award.
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sean Baker's films often touch on complex aspects of human life and don't shy away from getting into survival's grittiness.
Red Rocket once again proves Baker's skills while highlighting fantastic performances throughout the whole cast.
Simon Rex provides a masterful performance to Baker's excellent directing skills and creates a beautiful film.
The film is set in a small town in 2016, Texas, where Rex's character Mikey Saber returns after doing porn for years.
The whole film sets itself against the 2016 presidential election campaigns. While not a significant plot point in the film, the election as the backdrop made for interesting dynamics and viewpoints.
The writing and directing stood out significantly, making this a great follow-up from Baker's 2017 film The Florida Project.
The two films have a lot in common: they're both character-driven stories, the setting feels like a character, and the style feels intimate.
Simon Rex's character takes center stage in Red Rocket,...
Red Rocket once again proves Baker's skills while highlighting fantastic performances throughout the whole cast.
Simon Rex provides a masterful performance to Baker's excellent directing skills and creates a beautiful film.
The film is set in a small town in 2016, Texas, where Rex's character Mikey Saber returns after doing porn for years.
The whole film sets itself against the 2016 presidential election campaigns. While not a significant plot point in the film, the election as the backdrop made for interesting dynamics and viewpoints.
The writing and directing stood out significantly, making this a great follow-up from Baker's 2017 film The Florida Project.
The two films have a lot in common: they're both character-driven stories, the setting feels like a character, and the style feels intimate.
Simon Rex's character takes center stage in Red Rocket,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Michael T. Stack
- TVfanatic
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
- 11/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Cast Ensemble
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Cast Ensemble
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
- 11/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Red Rocket director and co-screenwriter Sean Baker revealed that Mikey Saber, the always-hustling washed-up porn actor who returns to the Texas hometown that wasn’t exactly sorry to see him go, was inspired by real-life adult-film actors he encountered and that he always envisioned as a role for Simon Rex.
“My co-screenwriter, Chris Bergoch and I, we were doing research on a film that we made … called Starlet, which also focused on the adult-film industry,” Baker told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, sharing a panel with the film’s actors Rex, Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son.
“Getting to know people within that industry, we realized there was this archetype, because we met a handful of men like Mikey Saber – and they even had a term applied to them within the industry, slang term: ‘suitcase pimp,’” said Baker, whose most recent indie hit was 2017’s The Florida Project. “We found...
“My co-screenwriter, Chris Bergoch and I, we were doing research on a film that we made … called Starlet, which also focused on the adult-film industry,” Baker told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, sharing a panel with the film’s actors Rex, Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son.
“Getting to know people within that industry, we realized there was this archetype, because we met a handful of men like Mikey Saber – and they even had a term applied to them within the industry, slang term: ‘suitcase pimp,’” said Baker, whose most recent indie hit was 2017’s The Florida Project. “We found...
- 11/15/2021
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 has shifted the release date for Sean Baker’s film, Red Rocket, pushing it back a week from the 3rd to the 10th of December.
The dark comedy from the director of The Florida Project and Tangerine was previously set to open against Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Greenwich Entertainment doc Try Harder!, Focus Features’ drama Wolf, Fip’s Tadap, Camille Griffin’s holiday horror pic Silent Night, and Faith Media Distribution’s True to the Game 3.
It’s now set to play against two major awards contenders—Steven Spielberg’s 20th Century Studios remake of West Side Story and Amazon’s Aaron Sorkin pic Being the Ricardos—along with STX Entertainment’s action thriller Violence of Action, starring Chris Pine.
Red Rocket centers on Mikey Saber (Simon Rex), a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown—regardless of the fact that no one wants him back.
The dark comedy from the director of The Florida Project and Tangerine was previously set to open against Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Greenwich Entertainment doc Try Harder!, Focus Features’ drama Wolf, Fip’s Tadap, Camille Griffin’s holiday horror pic Silent Night, and Faith Media Distribution’s True to the Game 3.
It’s now set to play against two major awards contenders—Steven Spielberg’s 20th Century Studios remake of West Side Story and Amazon’s Aaron Sorkin pic Being the Ricardos—along with STX Entertainment’s action thriller Violence of Action, starring Chris Pine.
Red Rocket centers on Mikey Saber (Simon Rex), a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown—regardless of the fact that no one wants him back.
- 11/8/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 has dropped the first trailer for director Sean Baker’s (The Florida Project, Tangerine) upcoming film Red Rocket, which stars Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star named Mikey Saber.
The two-minute clip begins with Mikey returning to his small Texas hometown, where he is not welcomed with open arms by everyone, including his estranged wife, Lexi, played by Bree Elrod. As Mikey struggles to find a job after his 17-year career in the adult film industry, he develops a relationship with a teenage girl named Strawberry (newcomer Suzanna Son). The rest of the trailer is packed with scenes of Mikey getting into multiple ...
The two-minute clip begins with Mikey returning to his small Texas hometown, where he is not welcomed with open arms by everyone, including his estranged wife, Lexi, played by Bree Elrod. As Mikey struggles to find a job after his 17-year career in the adult film industry, he develops a relationship with a teenage girl named Strawberry (newcomer Suzanna Son). The rest of the trailer is packed with scenes of Mikey getting into multiple ...
- 10/5/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A24 has dropped the first trailer for director Sean Baker’s (The Florida Project, Tangerine) upcoming film Red Rocket, which stars Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star named Mikey Saber.
The two-minute clip begins with Mikey returning to his small Texas hometown, where he is not welcomed with open arms by everyone, including his estranged wife, Lexi, played by Bree Elrod. As Mikey struggles to find a job after his 17-year career in the adult film industry, he develops a relationship with a teenage girl named Strawberry (newcomer Suzanna Son). The rest of the trailer is packed with scenes of Mikey getting into multiple ...
The two-minute clip begins with Mikey returning to his small Texas hometown, where he is not welcomed with open arms by everyone, including his estranged wife, Lexi, played by Bree Elrod. As Mikey struggles to find a job after his 17-year career in the adult film industry, he develops a relationship with a teenage girl named Strawberry (newcomer Suzanna Son). The rest of the trailer is packed with scenes of Mikey getting into multiple ...
- 10/5/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
"I'm not afraid to fight you!" A24 has revealed the first official trailer for the film Red Rocket, the latest from Sean Baker which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. It also stopped by the Telluride, Deauville, San Sebastián, and New York Film Festivals this year, and opens in theaters starting this December. Red Rocket is about a washed up, low-life porn star actor named Mikey Saber who returns to his hometown in Texas and tries to move back in with his wife. But no one really wants him there or likes him much. "The audacious new film from writer-director Sean Baker, starring Simon Rex in a magnetic, live-wire performance." The cast includes Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brenda Deiss, Ethan Darbone, Brittney Rodriguez, and Judy Hill. This is a very good flick; even if it's awkward and cringe and this guy is a slimy bastard, Baker makes...
- 10/5/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
With the musical accompaniment of ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye,” A24 has released the first trailer for Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” with Simon Rex.
Shot in secret during the pandemic, the upcoming dramedy is written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, after his Los Angeles lifestyle leaves him broke. When he arrives home, claiming to be a reformed man, his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) aren’t happy to see him, and things take another turn when a teen girl named Strawberry catches his eye.
Displaying Mikey’s smooth-talking charm in a turquoise tie-dye shirt, the trailer shows him bike-riding to job interviews, getting into verbal spats and claiming to be able to “100% out-cardio” a guy who gut-punches him outside a drive-thru donut shop. “Red Rocket” premiered...
Shot in secret during the pandemic, the upcoming dramedy is written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, after his Los Angeles lifestyle leaves him broke. When he arrives home, claiming to be a reformed man, his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) aren’t happy to see him, and things take another turn when a teen girl named Strawberry catches his eye.
Displaying Mikey’s smooth-talking charm in a turquoise tie-dye shirt, the trailer shows him bike-riding to job interviews, getting into verbal spats and claiming to be able to “100% out-cardio” a guy who gut-punches him outside a drive-thru donut shop. “Red Rocket” premiered...
- 10/5/2021
- by Clayton Davis and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Baker returns in the first trailer for “Red Rocket,” which had its world premiere earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival and has since played top festivals like Telluride and NYFF. “Red Rocket” is Baker’s follow-up to “The Florida Project,” which also had the backing of A24 and went on to earn Willem Dafoe an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This go-around Baker once again is working with nonprofessional actors and at least one semi-recognizable face in “Scary Movie” actor Simon Rex.
“Red Rocket” stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who winds up back in his hometown of Texas. It’s here where Mikey clashes with with his estranged wife (Bree Elrod) and connects with a young local named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) who might just be Mikey’s big ticket back into the adult film business. A24 bills the movie as “a darkly funny,...
“Red Rocket” stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who winds up back in his hometown of Texas. It’s here where Mikey clashes with with his estranged wife (Bree Elrod) and connects with a young local named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) who might just be Mikey’s big ticket back into the adult film business. A24 bills the movie as “a darkly funny,...
- 10/5/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The honorees for the Middleburg Film Festival have been announced for its upcoming four-day festival. They include writer and director Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”), writer and director Paolo Sorrentino (“The Hand of God”), actors Ann Dowd (“Mass”), Dakota Johnson (“The Lost Daughter”), the ensemble cast of A24’s “Red Rocket,” cinematographer Ari Wegner (“The Power of the Dog”) and legendary composer and songwriter Charles Fox.
Additionally, the festival will feature a panel discussion with women film composers and songwriters, including Kathryn Bostic (“Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”), Amie Doherty (“Spirit Untamed”) Lesley Barber (“Manchester by the Sea”) and Diane Warren (“Four Good Days”), along with a conversation with hair and makeup artist Donald Mowat (“Dune”).
Mff will present the Director Spotlight Award to five-time Academy Award nominee Branagh, whose film is screening in the Centerpiece slot, and will participate in a post-screening Q&a and a separate...
Additionally, the festival will feature a panel discussion with women film composers and songwriters, including Kathryn Bostic (“Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”), Amie Doherty (“Spirit Untamed”) Lesley Barber (“Manchester by the Sea”) and Diane Warren (“Four Good Days”), along with a conversation with hair and makeup artist Donald Mowat (“Dune”).
Mff will present the Director Spotlight Award to five-time Academy Award nominee Branagh, whose film is screening in the Centerpiece slot, and will participate in a post-screening Q&a and a separate...
- 9/30/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It’s icky, it’s uncomfortable, but “Red Rocket” is also daring and funny, resulting in co-writer and director Sean Baker’s best outing as a filmmaker yet. If audiences and award voters can get past the more risqué elements, the A24 feature could have a fighting chance in a still wide-open awards season.
The film’s success begins and ends with actor Simon Rex, who dives headfirst into a career-defining performance. Rex’s story is well known in media, as he got his start appearing in solo scenes in porno movies before becoming a model and MTV DJ. After dipping into TV with stints in “Felicity” and as a scene-stealing white rapper in “Scary Movie 3,” he’s mostly flown under-the-radar in Hollywood. That seems like it’s all about to change.
You can see similarities to the career resurgence of Mickey Rourke when he blazed back onto the...
The film’s success begins and ends with actor Simon Rex, who dives headfirst into a career-defining performance. Rex’s story is well known in media, as he got his start appearing in solo scenes in porno movies before becoming a model and MTV DJ. After dipping into TV with stints in “Felicity” and as a scene-stealing white rapper in “Scary Movie 3,” he’s mostly flown under-the-radar in Hollywood. That seems like it’s all about to change.
You can see similarities to the career resurgence of Mickey Rourke when he blazed back onto the...
- 9/3/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Telluride is off and running, and it’s not business as usual.
The first day began with the annual patron brunch, where press, talent and other festival-goers mingle in the celebration of the Colorado getaway, now in its 48th year. In attendance were “Belfast” writer and director Kenneth Branagh with one of his stars Jamie Dornan, which screens for the first time later this evening. Others include “A Hero” writer and director Asghar Farhadi, “The Power of the Dog” co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee, “Flee” director Jonas Poher Rasmussen and “Red Rocket” writer and director Sean Baker with his two stars Simon Rex and Bree Elrod.
Afterward, Telluride co-director Julie Huntsinger greeted the media in attendance at the press orientation, speaking about the full slate and everything it has to offer. In an obvious sign of the times, Huntsinger shared that for one of the first times in recent memory, one of their tribute honorees,...
The first day began with the annual patron brunch, where press, talent and other festival-goers mingle in the celebration of the Colorado getaway, now in its 48th year. In attendance were “Belfast” writer and director Kenneth Branagh with one of his stars Jamie Dornan, which screens for the first time later this evening. Others include “A Hero” writer and director Asghar Farhadi, “The Power of the Dog” co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee, “Flee” director Jonas Poher Rasmussen and “Red Rocket” writer and director Sean Baker with his two stars Simon Rex and Bree Elrod.
Afterward, Telluride co-director Julie Huntsinger greeted the media in attendance at the press orientation, speaking about the full slate and everything it has to offer. In an obvious sign of the times, Huntsinger shared that for one of the first times in recent memory, one of their tribute honorees,...
- 9/2/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As usual, Telluride Film Festival has unveiled their 2021 lineup just moments before the event gets underway. Taking place from Thursday, September 2 through Monday, September 6, 2021, the lineup features Mike Mills’ C’mon C’mon, Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s King Richard, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, as well as Cannes highlights Bergman Island and Red Rocket, and more.
See the lineup below.
The Automat (d. Lisa Hurwitz, U.S., 2021) In person: Lisa Hurwitz
Becoming Cousteau (d. Liz Garbus, U.S., 2021) In person: Liz Garbus
Belfast (d. Kenneth Branagh, U.K., 2021) In person: Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan
Bergman Island (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany/Sweden, 2021) In person: Mia Hansen-Løve
Bitterbrush (d. Emelie Mahdavian, U.S., 2021) In person: Emelie Mahdavian, Colie Moline
C’Mon C’Mon (d. Mike Mills, U.S., 2021) In person: Mike Mills,...
See the lineup below.
The Automat (d. Lisa Hurwitz, U.S., 2021) In person: Lisa Hurwitz
Becoming Cousteau (d. Liz Garbus, U.S., 2021) In person: Liz Garbus
Belfast (d. Kenneth Branagh, U.K., 2021) In person: Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan
Bergman Island (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany/Sweden, 2021) In person: Mia Hansen-Løve
Bitterbrush (d. Emelie Mahdavian, U.S., 2021) In person: Emelie Mahdavian, Colie Moline
C’Mon C’Mon (d. Mike Mills, U.S., 2021) In person: Mike Mills,...
- 9/1/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Texas City in Galveston County, Texas, in the summer of 2016. Mikey Saber (Simon Rex)—or Mike Davies, as he’d rather not be called—lopes off a greyhound bus into the broiling heat, covered in facial bruises, his possessions only a stale, dirt-caked sports bag thrown over his shoulder. This is no triumphant Odyssean homecoming, a prodigal son welcomed into the bosom of redemption. He is trouble: all devilishly good-looking male-model cheekbones and taut physique, whose real desire to please induces nothing but suffering to others and himself. This is his latest rodeo.
As a Sean Baker protagonist, he’s actually a slight anomaly, although this is still a very Bakeresque milieu. Whereas his past work threw ingenuous, warm-hearted individuals into hostile worlds (festooned always in bright cinematography and decor), here the first-billed on the cast list is the monster. Or the hero of his own life, and deliverer of others,...
As a Sean Baker protagonist, he’s actually a slight anomaly, although this is still a very Bakeresque milieu. Whereas his past work threw ingenuous, warm-hearted individuals into hostile worlds (festooned always in bright cinematography and decor), here the first-billed on the cast list is the monster. Or the hero of his own life, and deliverer of others,...
- 7/16/2021
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
Red Rocket director Sean Baker is prepared to receive hate mail, he said at a press conference in Cannes on Thursday.
Baker said he’s been the recipient of plenty of angry comments before, so he is philosophical about the impending reaction to Red Rocket‘s open-ended tale of a washed-up porn star in pursuit of a teenager. He’s also confident that A24, the film’s U.S. distributors, will support him.
“A24 is taking it domestically in the United States, and you know they’re a fearless company, and I think they’re going to take anything that comes our way head on,” he said. “But I don’t want to be negative about it. I know we’re tackling tough subjects here, and I know there are themes and images that are triggering in this film, I get it. But again, it’s part of the discussion…...
Baker said he’s been the recipient of plenty of angry comments before, so he is philosophical about the impending reaction to Red Rocket‘s open-ended tale of a washed-up porn star in pursuit of a teenager. He’s also confident that A24, the film’s U.S. distributors, will support him.
“A24 is taking it domestically in the United States, and you know they’re a fearless company, and I think they’re going to take anything that comes our way head on,” he said. “But I don’t want to be negative about it. I know we’re tackling tough subjects here, and I know there are themes and images that are triggering in this film, I get it. But again, it’s part of the discussion…...
- 7/15/2021
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
After rolling winners with his last two indie outings, Tangerine and The Florida Project, director Sean Baker makes it a trifecta with Red Rocket, a wild ride about a big-time male porn star who returns penniless from LA to his native Texas to figure out and regain his groove. Like Baker’s previous films, this one deals with a very specific sub-culture that is used to the max to inform the often wayward characters. A highlight of the Cannes Film Festival 2021 competition, this wayward and raunchy outing will, like Baker’s previous work, attract a following with a taste for something fresh and different.
Though shot in the Galveston area during Covid under strict conditions, plenty of bodily fluids are exchanged in this free-wheeling spree, and one of its cardinal virtues is that you never know where it’s going next. As with its predecessors, this one feels at once...
Though shot in the Galveston area during Covid under strict conditions, plenty of bodily fluids are exchanged in this free-wheeling spree, and one of its cardinal virtues is that you never know where it’s going next. As with its predecessors, this one feels at once...
- 7/14/2021
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Baker blew audiences away when he arrived in Cannes with the gorgeous Florida Project, so his latest feature, showing in Cannes in the main competition, was one of the most eagerly awaited films of the festival. And while it contains elements that will be familiar to those who have watched his previous films, Red Rocket lacks one essential ingredient to bind and those elements and make them rise to those anticipated heights.
Some of Baker’s trademark filmmaking is here, in particular the absolutely sumptuous colours that light up the screen. The candy-coloured houses and stores are so vibrant and cartoonish that it seems impossible they exist in real life, yet Baker seeks them out and uses them to beautiful chromatic effect. Here, though, the film is grainier than in his previous work.
The story centres on a man Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) who arrives in Texas City, stony broke and beaten up.
Some of Baker’s trademark filmmaking is here, in particular the absolutely sumptuous colours that light up the screen. The candy-coloured houses and stores are so vibrant and cartoonish that it seems impossible they exist in real life, yet Baker seeks them out and uses them to beautiful chromatic effect. Here, though, the film is grainier than in his previous work.
The story centres on a man Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) who arrives in Texas City, stony broke and beaten up.
- 7/14/2021
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon to another standing ovation, as one of the stronger U.S. films to debut in the South of France.
The drama, which will be distributed in the United States by A24, received five minutes of sustained applause inside the Palais.
“It’s amazing to be here at the Cannes Film Festival, especially this year, in which we’re seeing cinema come back,” Baker said in brief remarks to the crowd. “It feels so great to be back in a movie theater.”
“Red Rocket” follows a washed-up male porn star, Mikey Saber (played by Simon Rex), who moves back home to Texas City, Texas, crashing on his mother-in-law’s couch and trying to patch things up with his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) during the summer before the 2016 presidential election. As Mikey looks to make a comeback,...
The drama, which will be distributed in the United States by A24, received five minutes of sustained applause inside the Palais.
“It’s amazing to be here at the Cannes Film Festival, especially this year, in which we’re seeing cinema come back,” Baker said in brief remarks to the crowd. “It feels so great to be back in a movie theater.”
“Red Rocket” follows a washed-up male porn star, Mikey Saber (played by Simon Rex), who moves back home to Texas City, Texas, crashing on his mother-in-law’s couch and trying to patch things up with his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) during the summer before the 2016 presidential election. As Mikey looks to make a comeback,...
- 7/14/2021
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
In showbiz, they have awards for everything — Oscars, Golden Globes and, of course, the Palme d’Or. Adult film actor Mikey Davies, aka “Mikey Saber,” has five Avn Awards, and he creates opportunities to humble-brag about them constantly now that he’s back in Texas City, the tiny Gulf Coast town he and girlfriend Lexi left together shortly after high school. They got married, moved to Los Angeles, and made a decent living shooting porn together for a time. But that was roughly 20 years ago, and now, Mikey has fallen on hard times. Or limp times, as the case may be.
There must be dozens, if not hundreds, of American indie films about young people escaping a dead end like Texas City and heading east or west, where opportunity lies. Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (the director’s first film to compete for the top prize at Cannes) is about...
There must be dozens, if not hundreds, of American indie films about young people escaping a dead end like Texas City and heading east or west, where opportunity lies. Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (the director’s first film to compete for the top prize at Cannes) is about...
- 7/14/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Former porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) might be “blessed” — at least according to the sore underage girl he’s grooming during a post-coital chat in the flatbed of her pickup truck — but the reality of the situation is that the guy is nothing less than a living curse. He’s a big-dicked, self-obsessed, hyper-opportunistic hex of a man whose puppy dog con artist schtick is so transparent that even naive teenagers can see right through it, which is exactly why people lower their guard and let him. Into their houses; into their panties; into their dreams for the future that Mikey incepts into their heads for his own benefit. And he doesn’t stop trying to weasel his way deeper into any of those things for a single minute of Sean Baker’s utterly singular and weirdly lovable “Red Rocket,” .
It begins with the blaring shriek of Nsync’s...
It begins with the blaring shriek of Nsync’s...
- 7/14/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Premiering in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, “Red Rocket” both advances and further clarifies what has become director Sean Baker’s signature hook, marking a now four-strong series that sees in the lives of sex workers a kind of key to unlock elements of the modern American experience.
Swapping the iPhone-shot frenzy “Tangerine” and the 35mm bubblegum pop of “The Florida Project,” Baker’s latest finds him speaking in a more traditional prestige indie vernacular for a film with plenty to say about the past four years.
And if you don’t get that “Red Rocket” is more than just a character study of a washed-up porn star in his Texas hometown during the summer of 2016, well, an early shot of Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) rolling a joint with stars-and-stripes-printed paper while watching that year’s Republican National Convention should help clear things up.
Not that the...
Swapping the iPhone-shot frenzy “Tangerine” and the 35mm bubblegum pop of “The Florida Project,” Baker’s latest finds him speaking in a more traditional prestige indie vernacular for a film with plenty to say about the past four years.
And if you don’t get that “Red Rocket” is more than just a character study of a washed-up porn star in his Texas hometown during the summer of 2016, well, an early shot of Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) rolling a joint with stars-and-stripes-printed paper while watching that year’s Republican National Convention should help clear things up.
Not that the...
- 7/14/2021
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
The selection process is going down to the wire as everyone awaits confirmation the physical event will go ahead.
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux announced earlier this month the Official Selection for its 74th edition, due to run July 6-17, will be unveiled just under a month from now on May 27.
Fingers are crossed throughout the international film industry that a physical edition will happen after 2020’s cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic but one year on and Frémaux and his selection committee are once again pulling together an Official Selection against a backdrop of immense uncertainty.
France...
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux announced earlier this month the Official Selection for its 74th edition, due to run July 6-17, will be unveiled just under a month from now on May 27.
Fingers are crossed throughout the international film industry that a physical edition will happen after 2020’s cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic but one year on and Frémaux and his selection committee are once again pulling together an Official Selection against a backdrop of immense uncertainty.
France...
- 4/29/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow¬Jeremy Kay¬Jean Noh¬Louise Tutt
- ScreenDaily
Focus Features takes majority of territories.
FilmNation has sold out international territories including a large swathe to Focus Features on Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, which immediately became a must-have title for buyers when it was announced earlier this month.
Baker’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated The Florida Project is in post after it filmed under strict Covid protocols during the pandemic.
In a flurry of high-profile deals, Le Pacte has snapped up the film for France, Roadshow Distribution for Australia and New Zealand, Lev Cinemas for Israel.
Focus Features has acquired Red Rocket for the rest of the world excluding North America,...
FilmNation has sold out international territories including a large swathe to Focus Features on Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, which immediately became a must-have title for buyers when it was announced earlier this month.
Baker’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated The Florida Project is in post after it filmed under strict Covid protocols during the pandemic.
In a flurry of high-profile deals, Le Pacte has snapped up the film for France, Roadshow Distribution for Australia and New Zealand, Lev Cinemas for Israel.
Focus Features has acquired Red Rocket for the rest of the world excluding North America,...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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