The gang gets back together for Jackass Forever and the group’s longtime director goes in depth on a truly nutty stunt; The Offer stars Miles Teller as the producer fighting to keep The Godfather production together; John Wilson shares his tips on second-unit photography; how Battinson happened. All in today’s Movie News Rundown.
Did You Know? The Batman director Matt Reeves wrote his three-hour super hero epic with star Robert Pattinson in mind.
I Also: Wrote a screenplay with Robert Pattinson in mind. But his agent (wisely) screens my calls now.
After a Few Delays: The surefire frontrunner for Best Picture at the 2023 Academy Awards hits theaters this Friday. Yes, I’m talking about Jackass Forever. In this enlightening feature, director Jeff Tremaine tells us about a stunt that is exactly what it sounds like: The Cup Test. But seriously, about Oscars? A lot of people argue that there should be an Academy Award for stunts, and this story proves it.
A Note of Caution: “Cups are designed to prevent the ultimate tragedy, but you can definitely feel something like that,” Tremaine says. The “something like that” in this case being boxing punches, softball pitches, hockey slap shots, and more!
Revisit the original Cup Test from the 2001 Jackass series: if you dare.
Fun For the Whole Family: While this video is unfortunately age-restricted and therefore can only be viewed on youtube.com, I have a strong memory of watching this with my parents when Jackass first came out 20 years ago. So I say, if it was fun for all ages then, then it still is now.
Inside the Making of a Landmark: The Offer looks at the tumultuous production of 1972’s The Godfather — you might have heard of it. Vanity Fair has an in-depth look at the Paramount+ series which stars “Miles Teller as the novice producer tasked with overseeing the adaptation of a pulpy gangster novel that would go on to become a cinematic landmark.” That novice producer was Albert S. Ruddy, and the director was Francis Ford Coppola, who was unknown at the time. In The Offer, Ruddy and Coppola had to battle an angry Paramount Studios, an angry Frank Sinatra and an angry Cosa Nostra to get their masterpiece made. It’s a cool piece on what looks to be ViacomCBS’ first marquee series on Paramount+.
When: The Offer hits the streaming service on April 28. Here’s the just-released teaser trailer:
As We Noted Yesterday: The second virtual Sundance Film Festival wrapped over the weekend. And IndieWire has their “annual plea” for distributors to take swings — or at the very least, second looks — at these presently distributor-less films. Their wishlist includes jury-winner Nanny and Audience Award-winning documentary Navalny, which we loved.
Did Someone Say ‘Big Streamer’? Over at Variety, Rebecca Rubin looks at whether Sundance has become a film festival primarily for streamers to fill out their catalogues.
If You: Were on a cell phone-less retreat for much of January, catch up here.
You, meditating in Ojai, missing all the Sundance action
Casual TV Rec: How To with John Wilson is a gem of a show, the first and second season of which are available now on HBO Max. It’s like a mix of Nathan Fielder (who executive produces) and comedian Joe Pera? It’s hard to describe so it’s best if you just watch.
How to Shoot Second-Unit Photography with John Wilson: While Wilson gained notoriety shooting and editing short essays on New York City himself, his HBO Max show has him working with a second unit photography unit for the first time. “I gave a style guide to the second-unit shooters filled with .gifs that I made from old footage. Stuff like, ‘Stay wide unless you’re using the zoom for comedic effect,’ or instructions on how to frame signage or recognize patterns. The biggest note was to try not to shoot anything that looks like it might already exist on Getty Images,” he explains to Le Cinéma Club.
Bingo! In that Le Cinéma Club interview, Wilson also relays an archaic wish to open a bingo hall in NYC. In high school, at our summer’s big event: The Lawrence County Fair, I used to play bingo as a gag, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. So I support Wilson’s impractical desire.
A More Intense TV Rec: I finished Season 1 of Yellowjackets this weekend and I’ll be anxiously awaiting Season 2 of the Showtime survivalist series.
My Non-Spoiler Review of the Yellowjackets Finale: I loved the use of this The Offspring classic for a cool slo-mo walking shot. And the show’s theme music and accompanying open credits visuals rocks. Listen/watch here:
Main image: Johnny Knoxville in Jackass Forever. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures/MTV Entertainment Studios.
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