The bizarre subculture of dime-store Christmas movies seems oddly pervasive this year, and has not gone unnoticed at SNL. The “Not Ready for Primetime Players” have at least one more gift in the form of a cut short, featuring host James Franco in an endless stream of indistinguishable Hallmark Channel classics.
When The Disaster Artist arrives in theaters this December, Tommy Wiseau will finally receive something akin to the notoriety he’s always wanted. Thanks to James Franco, the aspiring filmmaker behind what came to be known as the worst movie ever made will be perceived in a more sympathetic light. As the new trailer for The Disaster Artist promises, the world (or all the people who see this movie, anyway) will finally know the name Tommy Wiseau.
If you missed out on the cult phenomenon that is The Room, fear not: A24 is here to ensure that you are fully schooled on Tommy Wiseau’s disasterpiece and thus better able to appreciate James Franco in The Disaster Artist. The studio is hosting screenings of The Room nationwide next week, and the best part? They’re free. Better still? Those who attend the screenings will receive invites to early screenings of The Disaster Artist, too.
While it probably wouldn’t be fair to say that I enjoy James Franco as an actor, I certainly find him to be one of the more interesting talents working today. Unlike most actors, Franco is entirely immune to decline; he can make an independent horror film or a second-rate biopic and immediately pivot into a new blockbuster franchise or prestige television series. And since his career refuses to conform to any established patterns, it makes it really difficult to know if his upcoming projects are actually any good. Is The Vault an arthouse horror film or a movie elevated from the VOD ranks by Franco’s presence? Who knows?
HBO is one week from its flagship hit’s return, so those fall offerings will get some extra push. And speaking of exploitation – here’s a double-dose of James Franco, as The Wire creator David Simon takes us through porn history with a trailer for HBO’s The Deuce.
If you read up on the life of explorer Gertrude Bell, it’s abundantly clear that this is a woman whose story should be told. In 2003, The Guardian devoted an entire article to the influence her cartography had on the modern Middle East, with Bell practically drawing the country border of Iraq by her lonesome. And now audiences will be able to explore her legacy with Queen of the Desert (via Deadline), a new film starring Nicole Kidman and both written and directed by the legendary Werner Herzog.
We haven’t seen much from Alien: Covenant since the red band trailer dropped late last year and a few photos here and there. But today brings a brand new photo of the colony ship’s crew (and a guest cameo), which finds everyone smiley and free of danger.
Alright, SXSW, let’s do this. With just weeks to go before the start of this year’s fest, SXSW has announced even more additions to their 2017 lineup, including the world premiere of James Franco’s The Disaster Artist — the actor / writer / director’s new film based on the making of Tommy Wiseau’s totally bonkers cult favorite The Room. The programming team has also announced this year’s Midnighters lineup, featuring several intriguing genre films to play in the late-night slot (aka peak mind-melting hour).