Just when his fans may have figured that David Cronenberg had called it a career (he’s now 79 and hadn’t made a feature since the misfired Maps to the Stars in 2014), along comes a film that only the Canadian maestro of the perverse could have created. Obsessed more than ever here with body parts and the twisted and/or constructive uses he sees fit to assign to them, Cronenberg hasn’t made exactly a comedy with Crimes of the Future . But what could have been a grossly and even off-puttingly gruesome display of torturous experiments and corporal corruption has been treated with an unexpectedly light and even playful hand, a sense underlined by the characters’ tacit as well as explicit admissions that they don’t entirely know what they’re doing in their adventurous search to meld the human and the mechanical. Originally readied for production in 2003 before being canceled, this is a film very much targeted to the director’s core audience; rarely, if ever, have human … [Read more...] about Cannes Review: David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes Of The Future’
Pretty little things
What to Watch on Hulu: ‘Conversations With Friends,’ ‘Candy’ and Kurt Warner’s ‘American Underdog’ Story
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. This May on Hulu begins with a mysterious egg and ends with the story of a legendary punk guitarist. What falls between those two looks pretty promising too, including an indie drama featuring Tim Roth and a much-loved Eighties sitcom. But let’s start with that egg. Watch all of these shows and movies on Hulu for free with a free trial to Hulu, which you can get here . Your subscription continues for as little as $6.99/month (or $69.99/year) after your free trial ends. Buy: Hulu Unlimited Streaming at $6.99 Hatching (May 6) The 2022 Sundance Film Festival played host to a bunch of creative horror films and streaming services have benefitted in the months that followed. On the heels of last month’s premiere of Fresh, the online dating thriller that takes a chilling turn, comes this darkly comic Finnish film about a … [Read more...] about What to Watch on Hulu: ‘Conversations With Friends,’ ‘Candy’ and Kurt Warner’s ‘American Underdog’ Story
Jewelry Store Employees Fight Back Against Smash-and-Grab Thieves
Instagram / @princessbridediamonds A group of smash-and-grab thieves definitely got more than they bargained for when jewelry store employees decided they weren't going to give up their goods without a fight. The whole thing went down at Princess Bride Diamonds in Huntington Beach, CA over the weekend. It's business as usual until 4 men in hoodies, covering their faces and armed with hammers charged into the building. One man was able to smash a jewelry case ... but then the employees leap into action. A male employee comes sprinting to the front of the store, landing some serious haymakers. The female employees turn it on too, kicking, punching and even throwing a chair at the would-be-robbers. The whole thing is pretty badass ... and the crooks take off without managing to steal any jewelry. Princess Bride Diamonds let customers know they'll be closed for the next 4 days while they clean up the smashed glass and … [Read more...] about Jewelry Store Employees Fight Back Against Smash-and-Grab Thieves
What to Watch on HBO Max: ‘The Staircase,’ ‘Spring Awakening’ and the Return of ‘Hacks’
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Movies? Returning series? New series? Reunions of Tony-winning Broadway casts of hit musicals? HBO Max has it all in May. The return of Hacks is the immediate standout here, but it’s not the only promising piece of original programming. Beyond that, May offers a chance to catch up with some great movies you might have missed, starting with a Nineties classic from Hong Kong. Watch all of these shows and films for free with a subscription to HBO Max . An HBO Max subscription costs just $9.99/month. Go ad-free with the HBO Max no-ads package for just $14.99/month (in line with pricing for Netflix or the popular $13.99 Disney Bundle ). See full HBO Max sign-up details here . Buy: HBO Max Subscription at $9.99 Chungking Express (May 1) Partly thanks to the endorsement of Quentin Tarantino, Hong Kong director … [Read more...] about What to Watch on HBO Max: ‘The Staircase,’ ‘Spring Awakening’ and the Return of ‘Hacks’
Dave Chappelle Reportedly Told Accused Attacker ‘Your Story Will Die With You’ During Backstage Meeting
Isaiah Lee, the 23-year-old accused of attacking Dave Chappelle on stage earlier this month, recalled his backstage meeting with the comedian in a new interview with The New York Post . Lee said Chappelle asked him why he tackled him during a stand-up set at the Hollywood Bowl, to which Lee said, “I told him my mother and grandmother, who fought for his civil rights to be able to speak, would be upset at the things he said.” According to Lee, Chappelle replied, “Now your story will die with you, son.” Lee then noted, “But he’s wrong. I’m sitting here talking to you about it.” Lee’s version of the conversation came after Chappelle offered his side at a stand-up show after the attack. According to Chappelle, Lee said that his grandmother was being forced out of her Brooklyn neighborhood because of gentrification, and he hoped to draw attention to her story. Speaking from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, Lee said he stormed the … [Read more...] about Dave Chappelle Reportedly Told Accused Attacker ‘Your Story Will Die With You’ During Backstage Meeting
Review: Joji Masters Self-Deprecating Pop on ‘Ballads 1’
If you know George Miller primarily as the shock-comedy expert who helped make Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” go viral with a series of puerile hip thrusts in 2013, his new album under the name Joji might be evidence of one of the greatest transformations in modern pop culture. Ballads 1 is elegiac and prettily pout-faced; Miller used to make you cringe, Joji makes you cry. Like most transformations, this one wasn’t immediate. Miller started putting out music in 2014, initially under the name Pink Guy; he trafficked in rap that stuck close to the outrageously click-tastic videos he made as Filthy Frank. But soon he began to release more meditative, melodic songs, settling on the name Joji. In 2017, Joji put out In Tongues , a bruised, sensitive, one-note EP; he also issued an official statement ending Filthy Frank. In Tongues felt like the same song over and over — some days, hearing yet another dour ballad gloomed up with unvarying drum programming is cause enough … [Read more...] about Review: Joji Masters Self-Deprecating Pop on ‘Ballads 1’
‘When You Eliminate the Wikipedia, You Arrive at the Personal’: Inside the Making of ‘Moonage Daydream’
Brett Morgen vividly remembers the first time he met David Bowie . When the Thin White Duke insults your work, it tends to burn deep into your memory. It was 2007, at which point Morgen had been a filmmaker for over a decade and had made documentaries on boxers ( On the Ropes ), Black music in America (the Say It Loud series), legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans ( The Kid Stays in the Picture ) and the Chicago 10 ( Chicago 10 ). He had this idea for a collaboration with Bowie on what he called “a sort-of hybrid experimental film.” A lifelong fan, he was beyond excited when the rock star agreed to a meeting. And then, Morgen recalls over a Zoom call from his home in Los Angeles, the sit-down with Bowie and his associates started getting “a little contentious. He went from dismissive to just ripping into one of my movies. I felt like I was being tested. Right after he laid into me, someone asked, ‘What’s your favorite Bowie album, Brett?’ I said, ‘Well, to be quite … [Read more...] about ‘When You Eliminate the Wikipedia, You Arrive at the Personal’: Inside the Making of ‘Moonage Daydream’