In today’s Movie News Rundown: David Fincher wants to be more prolific; The Queen’s Gambit and what it means to be a prodigy; Borat’s daughter actress Maria Bakalova gives a major interview about that hotel room situation; and a Delaware-related correction.
David Fincher: The Mank director tells Premiere says he signed an exclusive deal with Netflix in order to expand his body of work: “I’d like to work like Picasso painted, to try very different things, to try to break the shape or change the operating mode. I like the idea of having a body of work. And yes, I admit that it feels strange, after forty years in this profession, to only have ten films under my belt. Well, eleven, but ten that I can say are mine. Yes, objectively, it is a pretty terrifying observation.” The Playlist picked up the story from Premiere, a French magazine which is not yet online.
Ten?: What’s the 11th film he doesn’t count? Alien 3, which he has disavowed because it was recut without his agreement. He recently described the film to Vulture thusly: “I was a hired gun to make a library title for a multinational, vertically integrated media conglomerate.”
The Queen’s Gambit: In the latest episode of the Low Key podcast we talk about Netflix’s excellent The Queen’s Gambit and how it portrays a child chess prodigy. It’s a discussion that incorporates Michael Jordan, Street Fighter and nature v. nurture. You can listen on on Apple or Spotify or here:
https://shows.acast.com/low-key/episodes/the-queens-gambit-and-what-it-means-to-be-a-prodigy
‘What Do You Think He Was Doing?’: Maria Bakalova gives The New York Times her side of what happened in the hotel room with Rudy Giuliani in Borat 2, in which she posed as a reporter to lure him into a compromising situation in which he reaches down his pants, for reasons that are open to interpretation. What does she think he was doing? “I saw everything that you saw. If you saw the movie, that’s our message. We want everybody to see the movie and judge for themselves,” she told the Times. The actress, who played Borat’s daughter, Tutar, adds: “Movies like this are showing people’s true colors. … It’s going to show Rudy’s real character. You’re responsible for your own decisions. So, no, I don’t feel bad.”
Schwarzenegger to Netflix: The Conanator (I’m not great at nicknames) is going to Netflix for his first regular TV role, a spy drama about a father and daughter that I will watch regularly if it’s good and religiously if it’s bad. The Hollywood Reporter says a script-to- series deal is coming together but wouldn’t it better with no script at all? I just want Arnold’s daughter using highfalutin technology and him saying “The only tech I need… is this.” (Holds up TEC-9).
Correction: Earlier this week, I wrote about five films set in Delaware, the home of our new president. My mistake: There are six films set in Delaware. “Days of Power is a feature film indie thriller shot entirely in Delaware and has an anti-puppy mill message,” writes Paul Lewis, who acts in the film and composed the music. The idea of pop-star-uncovers-murderous-puppy-mill is so crazy it just might work, and Eric motherpupping Roberts is in this movie, but why oh why didn’t they name it Puppy Mill? This could have been Green Room with puppies. Oh well. The Delaware locations look great:
And Now: Yesterday’s Movie News.
Main image: David Fincher, Shutterstock.
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