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NZ Herald
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Jessica Lange's touching portrait of dementia and loss
Great Lillian: Jessica Lange. Photo / Supplied The Great Lillian Hall, directed by Michael Cristofer, is in cinemas now. The onset of dementia in loved ones or oneself can be a frightening and heartrending journey of learning, compassion and grief. Films such as The Father and Still Alice have portrayed the condition to soul-shattering effect.
Irish Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen: Island life in a mythical world
Muckle Flugga Author : Michael Pedersen ISBN-13 : 978-0571387724 Publisher : Faber & Faber Guideline Price : £16.99 This debut novel by award-winning poet Michael Pedersen tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his son on the island of Muckle Flugga, the northernmost inhabited point of these islands. Although a real island, the novel offers mythic versions of both Muckle Flugga and the Edinburgh of our other protagonist, Firth. In the world of Muckle Flugga, people are writers and lighthouse keepers and candlemakers, and although the real world provides a framework, it's easy to forget once immersed in the novel's lush landscapes. Pedersen's linguistic register encompasses both high drama and whimsy, and he excels at immersing us in the vivid seascapes of the island and its surroundings. The plot tracks the redemptive connection that blossoms between Ouse, the solitary but inspired lighthouse keeper's son, and Firth, the despairing and morally compromised writer who visits the island to fulfil a childhood dream before a planned suicide. The lighthouse keeper, known only as The Father, casts a shadow over proceedings. He is a convincingly-drawn tyrant and although twisted by grief, we come to understand the man he once was. The island itself proves a magnetic character, infecting the dreamscapes of the characters in a manner reminiscent at times of The Magus by John Fowles . Here, the natural world is transcendently beautiful but charged with agency: 'The same stars that reflect dreamily in Muckle Flugga's windowpanes are those that send ships spinning in circles until the sea's ready to claim them…' READ MORE As a debut, there are quirks in the writing that can prove frustrating – it takes a number of chapters before the dialogue between the characters begins to flow, with the omniscient narrator often telling us things we might enjoy discovering through real-time interaction between the characters. The italicisation of the dialogue has a similarly distancing effect. Although the descriptions are lyrical, there are times when a sentence such as 'What's outside hits him like a flying hug from a fond face in a faraway place' suggests a preference for profusion over precision. However, this is a singular and ambitious debut, and those who enjoy a serving of fantasy with their literary fiction will find this an absorbing and immersive read.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Kathy Bates Cracked ‘Matlock' — with Wisdom from Anthony Hopkins and ‘Fried Green Tomatoes'
On June 5, the IndieWire Honors Spring 2025 ceremony will celebrate the creators and stars responsible for some of the most impressive and engaging work of this TV season. Curated and selected by IndieWire's editorial team, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the creators, artisans, and performers behind television well worth toasting. We're showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event. A studied actor celebrating her biggest TV role ever at age 76, Kathy Bates recruited some legendary help to get ready for 'Matlock.' In 1992, the year after she won her Academy Award for 'Misery,' Bates presented Anthony Hopkins with his Oscar for 'Silence of the Lambs.' More from IndieWire On '1923,' Aminah Nieves Delivered One of TV's Great Breakout Performances - but She Almost Said No to It Amazon MGM Studios Unveils 'Vought on Ice' Fan Activation in Los Angeles to Celebrate 'The Boys' The pair caught up in 2021 when Hopkins won Best Actor again for 'The Father.' Both killers of the silver screen, Hannibal Lecter and Annie Wilkes were keen to talk shop — an honor Bates extended to IndieWire as our 2025 Vanguard award winner. 'When he was doing 'The Father,' I had seen a lot of the interviews [Hopkins] was giving to the press,' said Bates. 'He was talking about being an actor who did extensive work on his characters and took tremendous notes on his scripts. At his age now, though, he just learns his lines and learns his lines. Then, he goes out and has a ball.' Hopkins and Bates are world-famous for disappearing into their characters. What it takes to pull that off is still a mystery to many, but the challenges facing Bates on 'Matlock' are clear. CBS's so-called 'reboot' centers on a quietly extraordinary role and an undeniably genius actor. To hear Bates tell it, you need a robust toolkit to make the part work, and the script is where you start. 'It's interesting to me that [Hopkins] went from being fully prepared to letting it fly and staying in the moment. With this, I find I really have to do both,' said Bates. 'This is not your grandfather's 'Matlock.'' A contemporary Trojan horse, this unique spin on a classic crime title — starring Andy Griffith from 1986 to 1995 — sees Bates leading the charge as Madeline Kingston. Yes, Kingston. The new Matlock is an accomplished attorney too, but one who only assumes the iconic moniker as an alias. Last season, viewers watched Matty Matlock go undercover at Jacobson Moore, an elite law firm in New York City, to investigate its culpability in the opioid epidemic. 'For the pilot especially, to walk into that boardroom, I had to have a fully formed character without being able to relate to any of the other actors,' Bates said. 'I had to really dig deep and find out, 'Who is this woman? How much of myself can I use to create her?'' Confronted inside by megawatt talents Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, and more from the show's stellar cast, Bates spins Matty into a walking-talking subversion of the 'invisibility' so many women say they feel as they age. Teaming up with Cloud Nine to secure the rights to 'Matlock,' showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and her production company, Sutton Street, delivered a ratings juggernaut. 'Every bit of this show, I just can't believe it,' said Bates. 'I feel like this should have come earlier in my career. It's a total surprise to me that I would have this success right now, and we're all just going, 'Can you believe this?' The numbers are incredible.' The smash-hit legal drama has appeal across demographics and continents. Bates says it's also the most publicity she's ever done. Much like Demi Moore's 2024 Oscar campaign for 'The Substance,' the pensive reexamination of sexism at the core of 'Matlock' continues to connect with fans. Per Bates, Urman came up with the idea while taking a walk to reflect on her own evollution as a woman in Hollywood. What had aging into her forties really meant for Urman? And what else might change in the showrunner's fifties, sixties, and beyond? 'I was extremely lucky they wanted Matty to be in her seventies, because they could have easily gone with the great-great granddaughter of Andy Griffith's Matlock,' said Bates. 'But Jennie really puts her soul into things. I've always felt that who you are as an artist has to be informed by who you are as a human being, and she's this stellar human being who has really put her heart inside this character.' 'Matlock' lets Bates repurpose erasure as a kind of narrative cloaking device. While Matty hunts for clues and argues cases, Bates covertly thumbs through the psychological layers of a woman on a well-meaning revenge mission. On TV shows, it's common for directors to set 'tone meetings' to decide the look, feel, and flavor for each episode. With 'Matlock,' Urman gave Bates a specific mood to hit in every scene. That's 'deeper than stage directions,' said Bates, who added, 'You don't want to play the character. You want to be the character so that you can play with the other actor.' Bates combed through pages and pages of 'Matlock' to find what she calls 'essential storytelling architecture.' Trained in the Sanford Meisner method of acting — and not afraid to throw that terminology around! — Bates prepares solo by combining heavy line repetition with deep character work. (For annotations, shes uses the Scriptation app, but said her process used to involve stacks of paper, colored pens, and a three-hole-punch.) Devouring that same material in a group, Bates said, has produced a new technique. As suggested by actor David Del Rio (aka first-year associate Billy Martinez), the main collaborative engine for 'Matlock' grew out of the spare time that gets wasted on some sets. After checking their marks and moving to allow the cameras to get in position, actors often go back to their trailers. 'With the Del Rio method, we take that time to go and all sit down in another room and say, 'OK, I don't understand this case,'' said Bates. ''What's happening here?' 'Can you explain that case to me?' 'What's going on with you and I here?' 'Where are we?' 'What's the tone of this?' That gives us a way to really be firm and understand what's happening in each scene.' This isn't the first time Bates has leaned into the expertise and advice of other actors. One of the first big instances came with her bittersweet comedy performance in 'Fried Green Tomatoes' — a memory with lessons Bates says she recognizes now but that wishes she had learned then. 'I wish I had a chance to go back and redo Evelyn Couch,' she said. Post-Oscars for 'Misery,' Bates was in Japan when she got the script from director John Avnet. 'I thought, 'Oh, this is fabulous! I want to do it,'' said Bates. 'But when I got back home, my head was spinning. He was asking me about wigs and costumes and this and that, and I thought, 'Holy crap.' I was used to doing theater where you have weeks to prepare.' On set, 42-year-old Bates found herself overwhelmed by the frantic pace of shooting and said she was unsure how to bring the sympathetic role of Evelyn to life. That's when she went to talk to her senior co-star, the zesty Jessica Tandy, who at 74 was two years younger than Bates is now. 'I knocked on Jessica's trailer door and she said, 'Ah, you've come to see the Wise Woman,'' said Bates. Tandy pushed her junior castmate to refocus on her acting skills and told her to 'go do three plays on Broadway.' An accomplished stage performer, who had just left New York, Bates realized years later that Tandy was pushing her to embrace the same ethos titans like Hopkins are sharing with her now. 'The English actors and the British actors and the Australian actors make it look so easy. Even when they're young, they train in the theater,' said Bates. 'That rehearsal time has to be part of who you are as an actor, and I don't think I did it long enough in New York to have had that under my belt. At the time we did 'Fried Green Tomatoes,' I certainly was nowhere near the level of Jessica.' Bates still loves that movie and says she'll end up watching scene after scene if she catches 'Fried Green Tomatoes' on TV. She's especially fond of the menopause moment, when Evelyn says, 'I'm too old to be young and I'm too young to be old.' And yet, looking back, the 'Matlock' star says she can't help but see the film as an uncracked case. 'I was always running to catch up, and I think it shows on screen,' said Bates, adding that she also wished she had done more to support Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson on the press tour. Bates said they were frequently sidelined in coverage by the attention on her and Tandy — despite the two Oscar winners repeatedly insisting, 'It's their story.' Once again, Bates used the word 'effortless.' These days, the ferociously kind talent is fast to compliment CBS, cast, and crew but continues to demand more from herself as an actor and public representative who is ready to fight for 'Matlock.' 'I kind of rake myself over the coals when I shouldn't, but I do feel a tremendous responsibility,' Bates said. 'Last season, I asked somebody, 'How long have you been doing this?' And one guy would say, 'Oh, I've been doing this for 35 years.' 'Oh, I've been doing this for 20 years.' You start adding that up, and there's hours and hours and hours of experience of all these people there.' She continued, 'So, you respect that. You respect each human being and what they bring to the table. That's what I walk onto set with — the respect for the experience that everybody has brought to create this show. It truly fills me with joy to be around such people.' Happy to discuss cliffhangers but overjoyed to pick apart character choices, Bates said 'Matlock' still feels 'like serendipity.' It's also become her second home in Hollywood — the first Bates says she's had since falling for Rob Reiner's team on 'Misery.' The actor lives near the CBS backlot in Los Angeles, where Matty Matlock will spend Season 2 living in a studio version of New York, while Bates continues to embrace real wisdom. 'You've got to know your stuff so you can make it look easy,' she said. 'Then, you can fly.' Best of IndieWire All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme' Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear' Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies: 65 Films the Director Wants You to See
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen review – anything can happen on this remote Scottish island
Often thought of as the northernmost point of the British Isles, the Scottish island Muckle Flugga lies on the outer reaches of the Shetland archipelago. Norse legend has it that this craggy and almost uninhabitable place was created by two warring giants, obsessed with the same mermaid. While throwing boulders at each other, one of the rivalrous giants' missiles accidentally plopped into the sea: and so the island was born. A version of this mythic tussle is central to Michael Pedersen's debut novel. When the narrative opens, delivered in a lively present tense sprinkled with Scots, The Father and his 19-year-old son Ouse are the only residents on the island. The Father mans Muckle's lighthouse, and is as volatile as the waves he illuminates. A gossip from a neighbouring island describes him as irascible, with 'a viper in his throat and … a broken soldier's thirst for whisky'. Ouse, meanwhile, is 'a queer sort' 'who sounds as if he's been sooking helium out of party balloons … always staring off into the distance'. He's famed in the area for being an 'artiste', a dab hand at needlework with a reputation for producing beautiful handmade textiles. What unites father and son is that they take their stewardship of the island seriously. They are devoted to the extraordinarily various wildlife – puffins, gannets, sea otters, peacock butterflies – and hypnotised by the thrillingly chimeric weather. Unspoken grief for The Mother, who drowned two years before the story begins, also binds the two together. The Father assumes his only heir will eventually take over the family business. Enter Firth, a foppish twentysomething failed writer from Edinburgh with griefs of his own. Racked with self-loathing, he has vowed to kill himself after fulfilling a promise: to visit the enchanted isle of Muckle Flugga, much loved by his late grandfather. Almost as soon as he arrives, Firth is entranced by Ouse's mercurial demeanour, as he parses landscapes and seascapes alien to Firth's urban eyes. Firth is struck, too, by the blazing potential of Ouse's artistic talent. He wants to whisk him away to the mainland and make him a star. Thus begins the tug of war for Ouse's allegiance: The Father, familiarity and tradition yank one way, but Firth, possibility and the seductive unknown pull just as hard. This perhaps presents the plot as neat and fairly recognisable: a narrative of masculine archetypes vying for one-upmanship, with notes of The Tempest. But Pedersen introduces wild cards – spooky visions of religious zealots, a pumpkin-punching contest – that emphasise the strangeness of this remote place, so far away from the norms of the mainland that anything might be possible. Significant among these zany additions is the ghost of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson – who came from a family of lighthouse engineers – acts as imaginary friend and confidant to Ouse. He counsels Ouse for his maternal loss and guides him through the decision about where his future might lie. Pedersen threads the apparition's dialogue with aphorisms from the real Stevenson's work and correspondence. The novel's most memorable feature, and perhaps most potentially divisive one, is its loudness. The characterisation of the villainous but vulnerable father, of the hapless city type and of the ethereal innocent is bold and broad – sometimes cartoonish. The setting, rich with images of the aurora borealis and storm-lashed shores, is almost psychedelic. But the narrative voice is loudest of all: constantly baroque, with the linguistic and emotional dials turned up high. Firth receives an unexpected letter, and the missive is 'a Pandora's box, a bete noire, a curse, a lifeline, an arch nemesis, a fairy godmother … a gift from the gods'. A flurry of snow after an exchange between the protagonists is 'a divine offering, the impetus for reconciliation under the auspices of a natural phenomenon'. Pedersen is known as a poet, and his wonder at the magic of language is evident in this self-consciously high style. In places, the linguistic busyness occludes the plot's more interesting undertones: the queer desire between Ouse and Firth, considerations about our place in and responsibilities to the natural world. But there is, ultimately, something immensely charming about this novel. It is weird, rambunctious and repeatedly demands the reader surrender to its particular wildness. Its generosity of spirit, its unrestrained warmth and humour – the brilliantly kinetic description of a surprise ceilidh is a case in point – steadily worked away at my scepticism. Like Ouse's flamboyant designs, inspired by the spectacular landscape around him, it is 'garishly alive'. Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen is published by Faber (£16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix Hires Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, to Oversee U.K. Film
Ollie Madden, director of Film4 and Channel 4 drama, will be leaving the U.K. broadcaster in October to become director of U.K. film at Netflix. Madden will be joining the Anne Mensah-led U.K. content team as of early October. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ben McKenzie on His Crypto Doc 'Everyone Is Lying to You for Money': A "Human Story About Trust" "NATO for News": Is a Joint Effort by Media Companies the Way to Go in the Age of AI? Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts 'Adolescence,' Debunks a "Myth," Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut He will lead the streamer's U.K. film slate and act as the primary U.K. contact for films on Dan Lin's slate where the intellectual property, talent, and production are based in the U.K., 'with the exception of family films for the U.S./Canada, including Narnia and Dahl, which will continue to be overseen by Racheline Benveniste,' Netflix said. He will also develop a select portfolio of filmmaker-led series. Madden has worked as both an executive and producer across film and high-end drama. 'I'm very excited to work with Anne and Dan to build Netflix's film business in the U.K.,' he said about his future role. 'I've been incredibly proud to spend the past eight years with Film4 and, more recently, Channel 4 Drama, and it's very hard to say goodbye to all my wonderful colleagues and projects,' Madden said in a Channel 4 statement. 'The independence, distinctiveness and mark of quality that Film4 and Channel 4 represent is a precious thing, and I'm confident it will continue to thrive long after my departure.' Farhana Bhula, Film4's head of creative and deputy director, will take over as interim director of Film4, effective from July 1. Gwawr Lloyd, commissioning editor, drama, will become interim head of drama at Channel 4, reporting to Ian Katz. Channel 4 said in a staff memo obtained by THR: 'We are writing to let you know that after a remarkable eight years at the channel Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, will be leaving us in October. Under Ollie's leadershi,p Film4 has backed a string of critical and commercial hits from many of the most exciting directors working today. He has overseen scores of award-winning films, including 9 Oscar wins for The Favourite, The Father, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest, and 24 BAFTA wins for Beast, The Favourite, The Father, Rocks, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, and Earth Mama.' It added: 'Ollie's commitment, passion and reputation for nurturing talent has seen Film4 not only work with some of the best-known writers and directors in the UK and Ireland but also cement our industry reputation as a huge champion of new talent, backing over 27 debut films and five series by debut writers throughout his Film4 tenure, including Molly Manning-Walker's How to Have Sex and Rose Glass' Saint Maud.' The memo also lauded Bhula. 'Farhana has worked alongside Ollie to create a culture of ambition, collaboration and artistic excellence, enhancing Film4's reputation as one of the most pioneering and dynamic teams in the business,' it said. 'With a current slate that epitomizes everything Film4 stands for, the team will go from strength to strength under Farhana's leadership.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
