“Number Two”… see what they did there? Grossing its entire $11.5 million production budget on opening day, Jeff Tremaine’s sequel Jackass Number Two cemented the Jackass brand as an early-2000s cultural phenomenon. The divisive film helped lock Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and the rest of the crew into the era’s list of instantly recognizable … Read more

Parallel Mothers / Madres paralelas (2021) Director: Pedro Almodóvar Screenwriter: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma  Pedro Almodóvar’s 2021 film Parallel Mothers (Madres paralelas) reaffirms the director’s mastery of color, emotion, and female-centered storytelling. The film made headlines early in its festival run for a … Read more

Jackass: The Movie became a cultural phenomenon. Made on a modest $5 million budget—much of which reportedly went toward travel—the MTV Films production grossed around $80 million worldwide, roughly sixteen times its budget. The film cemented Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and the rest of the crew in early-2000s pop culture, making it hard to … Read more

Death on the Nile (2022) Director: Kenneth Branagh Screenwriters: Michael Green Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Tom Bateman, Russell Brand, Sophie Okonedo, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey, Dawn French, Armie Hammer, Jennifer Saunders, Annette Bening Kenneth Branagh returns to Agatha Christie’s famed Belgian detective in this 2022 film adaptation of Death on the Nile. As with … Read more

Uncharted (2022) Director: Ruben Fleischer Screenwriter: Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle The Uncharted video game series, launched in 2007, quickly became synonymous with fast-paced action, globe-trotting thrills, and cinematic treasure-hunt adventure. Drawing clear inspiration from adventure films like The Mummy, National Treasure, … Read more

Wayne’s World (1992) Director: Penelope Spheeris Screenwriter: Mike Myers, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ed O’Neill, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf 1992 was a defining year in popular cinema, populated by returning action stars and emerging talents alike. From blockbuster heavyweights to influential independent filmmakers, … Read more

Cabaret (1972) Director: Bob Fosse Screenwriter: Jay Allen Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson, Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel, Helen Vita When the musical Cabaret first appeared on stage in the late 1960s it shared the conventions of its genre, but Bob Fosse’s 1972 film adaptation transformed its cinematic approach. Fosse, … Read more

When MTV introduced Jackass as a stunt-driven series in 2000, few could have predicted how influential and lucrative the project would become. What began as a low-budget, digitally recorded show evolved into a cultural phenomenon and a highly profitable film franchise. The group—led on-screen by Johnny Knoxville and guided behind the scenes by director-producer Jeff … Read more

Jackass Forever (2022) Director: Jeff Tremaine Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGehey, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Spike Jonze Cinema often promises escape: unfamiliar places, fantastical spectacles and high-budget thrills. Jackass Forever offers a different kind of escape—no CGI set-pieces or stunt-driven blockbusters, but a raw, unvarnished showcase of physical … Read more

Seen by some as a flashy stunt and by others as an impressive display of craft, one-shot films are always a major creative undertaking. Both immersive and self-aware of cinema’s artifice, a one-er or one-shot film is a stylistic choice that can either deepen a story or distract from it, depending on how it’s used. … Read more