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As winter approaches we are all in need of something spicy to watch to make our temperature rise and if you are a fan of romantic comedies, then we have the perfect recommendations for you. From critically acclaimed movies like The Big Sick to new and popular romantic comedy movies like The Idea of You, Prime Video has everything you need. So, here are the 7 best R-rated romantic comedy movies available on Prime Video right now.

If you want to watch more R-rated romantic comedy movies here are some more recommendations for you available on Netflix, Hulu, and Max (formerly known as HBO Max).

The Idea of You Credit – Prime Video

The Idea of You is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay co-written by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt. Based on the 2017 novel of...

Have you ever wondered about the intricate behind-the-scenes dynamics that can influence the trajectory of a TV show and the careers of those involved? Such is the tale of how Marisa Tomei—known to many as the heartwarming Aunt May in the MCU—faced a fork in her path to stardom after a brief but impactful stint on NBC’s A Different World.

As a vibrant Hillman College student, Maggie Lauton, Tomei made a brief appearance in the debut season before a provocative storyline led to her unceremonious exit. Debbie Allen, who assumed the producer’s mantle from season two onward, had ambitious plans for exploring Tomei’s character.

Marisa Tomei as Aunt May | Marvel Studios

A planned storyline intended to highlight the complex realities of interracial relationships at the time was met with executive pushback, ultimately leading to Tomei’s firing from the show.

The Untold Story Behind Marisa...

Exclusive: Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy), Billy Campbell (Troll), and Rhys Coiro (Hustlers) have joined Sophie Turner in the psychological thriller Trust for Twisted Pictures and Republic Pictures.

Details as to their roles are under wraps. Other new additions set to round out the cast include Peter Mensah (Gladiator 2), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), and Gianni Paolo (Power).

In Trust, Turner plays a Hollywood starlet who seeks refuge in a secluded Airbnb following a high-profile scandal, only to find herself at the mercy of hardened criminals on the hunt for a score.

Carlson Young (The Blazing World) is directing from a script by Gigi Levangie (Stepmom), with Twisted Pictures’ Oren Koules producing alongside Miles Koules of Koulest Productions. The film stems from a new multi-picture distribution deal between Twisted Pictures, producer of the Saw franchise, and Republic Pictures. Production commences in Mexico later this month.

Currently starring on ABC’s The Conners,...

Earlier this month, we learned that Game of Thrones cast members Sophie Turner and Kit Harington will be reuniting for writer/director Natasha Kermani’s Gothic horror film The Dreadful… and close on the heels of that announcement comes the news that Turner has also signed on to star in a psychological thriller called Trust, which is coming our way from Twisted Pictures, the production company behind the Saw franchise.

Twisted Pictures has secured a multi-picture deal with Republic Pictures, with Republic Pictures acquiring the worldwide rights to Trust. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, “The Paramount Global housed Republic Pictures was revived in 2023 as an acquisitions only label, and has a slate that includes Samara Weaving starrer Azreal and Jon Voight action film The Painter.” The Republic Pictures name goes back to 1935 and the days when the company was a standalone studio that specialized in serials, Westerns, and B-movies.

Actress...

[Editor’s note: This article includes some light spoilers for Prime Video’s “Upgraded.”]

If there’s one thing that’s true about art and life: Nothing is ever really free. This goes double for art that shows up in film and TV. Each piece either needs to be created purposefully for a project by the art team or licensed from the artist or estate that holds the digital/image reproduction rights to it — unless you want a tattoo artist suing you for copyright infringement for putting an actual Mike Tyson tattoo on Ed Helms’ face.

We take it for granted, but everything that we see on screen is intentional. All the art must either be created by a project’s art team or licensed, whether that be old photographs on a desk, posters on a bedroom wall, graffiti on the side of a building, or, in the case of Carlson Young’s new film, “Upgraded,” multiple galleries full of modern art. If a piece isn’t purpose-made,...

Sophie Turner is stacking up her work schedule!

The 27-year-old actress has been cast in the lead role for an upcoming psychological thriller titled Trust, THR reveals.

Saw franchise production company Twisted Pictures is producing, with Republic Pictures acquiring worldwide rights.

Keep reading to find out more…

Carlson Young, whose latest movie Upgraded just premiered on Prime Video, will serve as director.

While plot details are being kept under wraps, Gigi Levangie penned the script.

This is Sophie‘s second movie casting in less than a week.

Last Friday (February 9), it was announced that Sophie will reunite with her Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington for a new horror film. Get the scoop!

Also coming up on Sophie‘s slate is the limited series Joan, which will air on ITV in the UK and on The CW in the US. Find out more and see a first look here!

Icymi:...

In addition to gothic horror movie The Dreadful, announced earlier this week, Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”) has also been set to star in the thriller Trust, THR reports today.

The film is described as a psychological thriller, and The Hollywood Reporter notes that it comes courtesy of “director Carlson Young (Upgraded) and Saw outfit Twisted Pictures.”

“Republic Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to the feature project, the first to be distributed under a multi-picture deal between Oren Koules’ Twisted Pictures and Republic.”

We have no plot details for Trust at this time. Stay tuned for more.

Gigi Levangie wrote the screenplay.

Twisted Pictures’s Dan Heffner and Ketura Kestin will executive produce with Lena Roklin of Luber Roklin Entertainment. Ethan Harari will co-produce.

The post ‘Trust’ – Sophie Turner Starring in Psychological Thriller from ‘Saw’ Franchise Producers appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sophie Turner will star in the psychological thriller Trust from director Carlson Young and Saw outfit Twisted Pictures.

Republic Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to the feature project, the first to be distributed under a multi-picture deal between Oren Koules’ Twisted Pictures and Republic.

Gigi Levangie penned the screenplay, with plot details for the project being kept under wraps. Producing alongside Koules is Miles Koules of Koulest Production. Twisted Pictures’s Dan Heffner and Ketura Kestin will executive produce with Lena Roklin of Luber Roklin Entertainment. Ethan Harari will co-produce.

Turner, repped by CAA and the U.K.’s Independent, is best know for her Emmy nominated role on HBO series Games of Thrones. Her recent credits include HBO’s The Staircase and Netflix feature Do Revenge. Upcoming projects are ITV’s Joan, which will see Turner star as Joan Hannington, the well-know English diamond thief.

Young most recently directed the popular Amazon rom-com Upgraded,...

Amazon Prime has yet again given its audience another fantastic rom-com, Upgraded. The director, Carlson Young, has done an amazing job of efficiently carving out a love affair between Anna and William. The plot revolves around the double life that Anna tries to live while lying about her profession to the very sophisticated Catherine. For once, the commoner, who had been shunned all her life, wanted to feel included in the elite society. Was it wrong on Anna’s part to try and pretend to be someone else? Will Catherine help her even after knowing her truth? Will William accept Anna the way she is? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

Why Was Anna’s Life Such A Mess?

Anna was leading a miserable life in New York, spending her days at her sister and brother-in-law’s house because she couldn’t afford to pay rent. She was always feeling...

The Riverdale alum finally graduates out of high school roles, aged 29, with a frothy Valentine’s offering that adds a meet-cute to a Devil Wears Prada tale

I’ll admit that my first thought upon seeing Upgraded, a new Amazon Prime romcom, was something close to excitement – finally, a leading role for Camila Mendes that’s not in high school. At 29, the Riverdale alum, so game for whatever batshit curveball that show threw her and so sharp in Netflix’s romp Do Revenge, is a veteran of commanding the screen as a bitchy, beautiful, secretly vulnerable teen queen. Upgraded, from actor turned director Carlson Young, offers Mendes the much-deserved chance to act her age – or, at least, a scrappy third-tier assistant old enough to have a master’s degree in art history, who gets in way over her head and also charms everyone around her.

Like many a teen-show-to-feature upgrade before it,...

The treasure trove of young talent that emerged from The CW’s “Riverdale” is truly astonishing, and Camila Mendes is no exception. Her star power as both an actress in and executive producer of the immediately classic rom-com “Upgraded” takes the New York University alum to new heights.

While Mendes’ former “Riverdale” costars are flying high in their respective lanes, with Cole Sprouse stealing scenes even as a mute zombie in the Diablo Cody-penned “Lisa Frankenstein” to Charles Melton’s haunting, award-winning (yet Oscar-snubbed) performance in “May December,” Mendes has proven her own visionary chops in recent years. The star had a standout role in frothy high school dark comedy “Do Revenge” opposite Maya Hawke, and now holds her own alongside iconic actress Marisa Tomei in “Upgraded.”

Mendes’ likability (and relatability) almost mirrors Amanda Bynes’ Hollywood reign during the “She’s the Man” and “Sydney White” days. “Upgraded” is essentially “What a Girl Wants...

In this romantic comedy, Ana Santos (Camila Mendes) is a smart and ambitious art enthusiast with dreams of running her own gallery. She is currently paying dues as an unpaid trainee at a premiere NYC auction house, run by the influential and demanding Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei). When Ana is sent on her first work trip and gets unexpectedly upgraded to first class, she meets the handsome and well-connected Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a series of fortuitous events and VIP introductions that suddenly have Ana winning at work and caught up in a whirlwind romance she never expected. However, this little white lie begins to unravel, threatening to ruin Ana’s career and newfound romance. Directed by Carlson Young.

Upgraded will stream exclusively on Prime Video starting Friday, February 9th.

Tonight’s screening of Upgraded is at Marcus Ronnies Cine at 7pm.

It’s quite the feat to craft a satisfying, clever romantic comedy in this cynical day and age, given almost every meet-cute, situational shenanigan and grand gesture has already been put to celluloid. However, “Upgraded,” which initially appears to be a stereotypical rags-to-riches tale centered on a desperate gal’s life drastically improving after telling a white lie to a cute guy, keeps these expected elements fresh and vibrant. Director Carlson Young and screenwriters Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts ground sharp, soaring sentiments in a reachable reality, innovatively remixing the genre’s familiar formulas to create their own meaningful and rather endearing movie.

Ana (Camila Mendes) is overworked and underpaid, stuck in a low-level trainee program at a premiere New York City auction house, Erwin, which brokers million-dollar deals on paintings. It’s her dream in life to open up her own art gallery and move out...

After becoming a household name with her popular role in ‘Riverdale’, actress Camila Mendes is all set to bowl fans over with her much-loved swoony charm. Playing Ana Santos, a broke but ambitious art curator intern from New York, Mendes will soon be seen in the upcoming Amazon Original movie ‘Upgraded’. The film takes viewers alongside the streets of London in this romantic comedy, where mistaken identities and luck-filled meet-cutes will steal their hearts this Valentine’s season.

Mendes, who also dons the hat of an executive producer for the film, felt an instant connection to Ana Santos and was excited to be fully involved in developing her character arc as well as the story.

“What I love most about starring in projects I also get to produce, is having more authority to weigh in on creative choices,” says Mendes.

She adds, “I got to develop this script for months...

In this romantic comedy, Ana Santos (Camila Mendes) is a smart and ambitious art enthusiast with dreams of running her own gallery. She is currently paying dues as an unpaid trainee at a premiere NYC auction house, run by the influential and demanding Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei). When Ana is sent on her first work trip and gets unexpectedly upgraded to first class, she meets the handsome and well-connected Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a series of fortuitous events and VIP introductions that suddenly have Ana winning at work and caught up in a whirlwind romance she never expected. However, this little white lie begins to unravel, threatening to ruin Ana’s career and newfound romance. Directed by Carlson Young.

Upgraded will stream exclusively on Prime Video starting Friday, February 9th

The virtual screening of the film is Monday, February 5, 6pm Ct.

Enter this contest by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance “virtual” screening of Upgraded on Monday, February 5th, 2024 at 6:00pm, featuring a post-credits Q&a with stars Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux!

Synopsis: In this romantic comedy, Ana Santos (Camila Mendes) is a smart and ambitious art enthusiast with dreams of running her own gallery. She is currently paying dues as an unpaid trainee at a premiere NYC auction house, run by the influential and demanding Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei). When Ana is sent on her first work trip and gets unexpectedly upgraded to first class, she meets the handsome and well-connected Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss – a white lie that sets off a series of fortuitous events and VIP introductions that suddenly have Ana winning at work and...

It's a big day for unexpected TV news, including the return of some beloved stars, some unexpected remarks from the creators of Game of Thrones, an FX documentary that's all about sperm.

Needless to say, today's updates are all over the map.

Let's begin with an exciting update about one of the most talented actors working today.

Forest Whitaker has appeared in shows as varied as The Shield, Andor, and Young Rock.

And now, he'll be making his return to the small screen with a new MGM+ with the 10-episode limited series Emperor of Ocean Park.

An adaptation of the bestselling 2002 novel by Stephen L. Carter, the show will feature Whitaker as a prominent judge and the patriarch of a wealthy family.

“Forest Whitaker brings his unique gravitas and grace to every role he plays,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+.

“We are beyond fortunate that Forest will inhabit the...

“Upgraded” is a new ‘rom-com’ feature, directed by Carlson Young starring Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Lena Olin and Marisa Tomei, streaming February 9, 2024 on Prime Video:

“…’Ana’ (Mendes) is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss ‘Claire’ (Tomei).

“When she's upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets ‘Will’ (Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss--a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Check out the official trailer (above), poster and film stills for the upcoming film from Amazon MGM Studios Upgraded. The film, which stars Camila Mendes, will begin streaming globally on Prime Video on February 9, 2024.

Ana (Camila Mendes) is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss Claire (Marisa Tomei). When she’s upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets handsome Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface.

About The Film

Genre: Comedy, Romance Starring: Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Thomas Kretschmann,

Gregory Montel, Aimee Carrero, Andrew Schulz, Rachel Matthews, with Lena Olin and Marisa Tomei, also starring, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Anthony Head, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson Director: Carlson Young Screenplay: Christine Lenig and Justin Matthews & Luke Spencer Roberts Producer: Mike Karz,...

At the time, Scream 4 seemed like a pretty definitive end for the franchise, providing Sidney Prescott with a second round of closure and riffing on all of the (then) recent trends in horror media. Of course, no matter how satisfying they may be, endings are always bittersweet, so fans were understandably bummed that this would be the last we’d ever see of good old Ghostface. That’s why it makes sense that folks were ecstatic when MTV announced that they were producing a televised follow-up to Scream, Wes Craven’s iconic horror franchise.

After all, a small-screen adaptation of a series known for its satirical meta elements and memorable protagonists could absolutely thrive on network television, especially with the TV horror renaissance of the mid-2010s gifting us with plenty of shows to satirize. From American Horror Story to Hannibal and Bates Motel, there was more than enough...

Click here to read the full article.

As 2022 drew to a close, some stars and Hollywood executives leaned into the luxury of staying home for the holidays, while many others ventured further afield to celebrate. Among the hot spots were perennial getaway favorites Aspen, Cabo, Maui and St. Barts along with destinations from Fiji and Taiwan to Dubai and Madagascar. Here are highlights of the Hollywood crowd’s globe-trotting merrymaking.

Home in L.A.

Topping haute L.A. holiday parties was Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s soirée, complete with a gingerbread rendering of their Bel-Air residence, where Kim Kardashian, Jane Fonda, Billie Eilish and Vanessa Hudgens mingled. North West joined Sia to sing “Santa’s Coming for Us” at the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve bash in Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s home in Calabasas, with Machine Gun Kelly, Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio and Kathy Hilton among guests and red Christmas trees as decor.

Exclusive: Anthony Head (Ted Lasso), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Rachel Matthews (Do Revenge), Andrew Schulz (White Men Can’t Jump), Grégory Montel (Call My Agent!) and Thomas Kretschmann (Westworld) have signed on for roles in the romantic comedy Upgraded, which Carlson Young is directing for Gulfstream Pictures, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Tempo Productions.

The actors join an ensemble which also includes Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Marisa Tomei and Lena Olin, as previously announced.

The upcoming film follows Ana (Mendes), an aspiring art trainee attempting the impossible by trying to follow a dream while making ends meet. When Ana is shown a vote of confidence by her formidable boss Claire (Tomei) on a last-minute business trip to London, she must struggle to balance her future career and the attentions of a handsome new suitor.

Head will play the colorful and eccentric artist Julian Marx, with Jackson as Ana’s colleague Amy, a...

Camila Mendes smiling for the camera. Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/Birdie Thompson/AdMedia

Camila Mendes shows off her amazing physique in a plunging red carpet dress at the Venice Film Festival.

The Riverdale star was one of the attendees of the famous Venice event.

Her look was one of the ones that caught people’s attention the most, and here is the reason why.

Attending the Bones and All premiere, Mendes wore a gorgeous black sequined dress with a super low neckline that fit her perfectly. This sparkling gown is from Giorgio Armani Privé Spring 2017 collection.

The dress accentuated her amazing and toned body, with revealing cut-outs around her hips.

She accessorized this look with a pair of gold almond-shaped earrings, a soft brown wing, and her hair slicked back into a bun with some baby hairs glued to her forehead.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by camila mendes (@camimendes)

Yes,...

Exclusive: Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and Lena Olin (Hunters) have signed on to star alongside Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux in Gulfstream Pictures’ romantic comedy Upgraded, which has entered production in the UK.

In the film from actor-director Carlson Young (The Blazing World), aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.

Tomei will take on the role of the formidable auction house executive Claire Dupree, a brilliant and terrifying boss to auction-house trainee Ana. Olin will play the charismatic and charming Catherine Laroche, a wealthy and influential art seller, and the mother of Ana’s love interest, William.

Developed in part by...

Not wasting much time mounting her sophomore film, actress-director Carlson Young is moving from horror fantasy world of The Blazing World into the difficult-to-navigate waters of mixing professional with personal. Deadline reports that production has already began on Upgraded – a rom-com featuring the likes of Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux (who’ll next be seen in The Greatest Beer Run Ever). Filming will take place in both London and New York City.

Written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane.…...

Exclusive: Camila Mendes (Riverdale) and Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone) will lead the cast of Gulfstream Pictures’ romantic comedy Upgraded, from actor-director Carlson Young (The Blazing World), which has entered production in the UK.

In the film written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.

Developed in part by Mendes and Matthews, Upgraded is the third film financed by Gulfstream Pictures this year, following the Josephine Langford-led rom-com The Other Zoey and the motorcycle racing pic One Fast Move, starring Kj Apa, both of which are currently in post-production. Bill Bindley and Mike Karz are producing for Gulfstream,...

Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Icelandic-Swedish-Polish drama “Lamb,” starring Noomi Rapace was awarded best film and actress for Rapace at the 54th edition of Sitges’ International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, which wrapped Sunday.

The prizes add to an Originality Prize which the film received when competing at July’s Cannes Un Certain Regard.

“Lamb,” a horror-comedy combo, follows protagonist Maria, played by Rapace, a woman living with her husband in the total loneliness of the Icelandic countryside. According to a Variety review, “creepy-funny-weird-sad ‘Lamb’ proves just how far disbelief can be suspended if you’re in the hands of a director — and a cast, and a SFX/puppetry department — who really commit to the bit.” Lamb is produced by Go to Sheep, Black Spark Film & TV and Madants with New Europe Film Sales and A24 attached.

Rapace shared best actress honors with Susanne Jensen in Peter Brunner’s “Luzifer.” Justin Kurzel...

Here’s the thing about dreams. They’re almost always boring to think about unless they’re your own, or you’re a therapist who’s being paid to analyze them. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped Carlson Young from expanding her acclaimed 2018 short into this feature film, which the debuting filmmaker says was inspired by a recurring dream and the 17th century science fiction novel of the same name by Margaret Cavendish. Although The Blazing World boasts visual stylishness to spare, viewers will be hard-pressed to enjoy going down this cinematic rabbit hole.

That’s not a random reference; the ...

Here’s the thing about dreams. They’re almost always boring to think about unless they’re your own, or you’re a therapist who’s being paid to analyze them. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped Carlson Young from expanding her acclaimed 2018 short into this feature film, which the debuting filmmaker says was inspired by a recurring dream and the 17th century science fiction novel of the same name by Margaret Cavendish. Although The Blazing World boasts visual stylishness to spare, viewers will be hard-pressed to enjoy going down this cinematic rabbit hole.

That’s not a random reference; the ...

Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.   Vertical Entertainment is handling the release of Carlson Young's feature debut the fantasy thriller The Blazing World. Her film debuted at Sundance back in the new year where she picked up a nomination for the Next Innovator Award.    We have an exclusive clip to share with you today. Check it out below. The Blazing World will be On Demand and in cinemas on October...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Corpse Club co-hosts Derek Anderson and Jonathan James discuss more of their recent viewings and Halloween season recommendations, including Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass, Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game, the eleventh season of The Walking Dead, Carlson Young's The Blazing World, and the Red Tide episodes of American Horror Story: Double Feature!

You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.

Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, The Blazing World is headed to theaters and VOD on October 15th! The film is Carlson Young's feature directorial debut based on her 2018 short film of the same name, and we have a look at the brand new trailer.

"Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge."

Written by Carlson Young & Pierce Brown, the film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Carlson Young.

The post Watch the New Trailer for Carlson Young’s The Blazing World appeared first on Daily Dead.

"Darkness eats, darkness keeps." Vertical has released an official trailer for the film The Blazing World, marking the feature directorial debut of actress / filmmaker Carlson Young. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year. Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Sundance then adds: "Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge." Freaky! Carlson Young also stars in the film, along with Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, and John Karna. This looks like it goes to really weird, demented, dark places. You just have to see it because - whoa. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Carlson Young's The Blazing World, direct...

30-year-old filmmaker, writer, director, actress Carlson Young came in guns blazing at Sundance this year with her directorial debut, “The Blazing World,” a “feminist horror” and down-the-rabbit-hole surreal fairytale about female trauma. Co-written with Pierce Brown and starring Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Young herself, the film was a dark, nightmare fantasy about Margaret (Young), who had been plagued with dreams of a strange world since she was a little girl.

Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Trailer: Sundance Trauma Fairytale Looks To Exorcise Demons at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to The Blazing World, the feature helming debut of actor-director Carlson Young (Scream: The TV Series). The fantasy thriller, which had its world premiere earlier this year at the Next section at the Sundance Film Festival, will now get an October 15 day-and-date release.

Young also co-wrote wrote and stars in the pic alongside Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko and John Karna. The plot: Margaret (Young), who ever since she was 6 years old has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.

Young wrote the...

The Woodstock Film Festival has announced the slate for its 22nd edition, with 11 world premieres among the 43 features on the bill.

The festival will take place September 29 to October 3 in three Hudson Valley communities about two hours north of New York City. In-person screenings and events will be featured throughout the fest’s five days, but online options will also enable attendees to connect amid the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.

Panels, concerts and comedy sets along with film screenings are planned in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties. Neon chief Tom Quinn is slated to receive the festival’s Honorary Trailblazer Award, an honor announced in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.

The festival will kick off with Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary about a pathbreaking Filipina-American garage band, with a performance by some of the band’s members following the screening. Music is an annual touchstone for Woodstock’s lineup,...

Stars: Carlson Young, Udo Kier, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney, John Karna, Soko, Lillie Frank, Liz Mikel | Written and Directed by Carlson Young

Actress Carlson Young (best known for Scream: The TV Series) turns writer-director-star with this trippy horror debut, adapted from her own 2018 short film. Inspired by a 1666 sci-fi novel by pioneering author Margaret Cavendish, The Blazing World delivers delivers nightmarish imagery and some decent jump scares, but the simplistic script struggles to match the quality of the visuals.

Young plays Margaret (presumably named in tribute to Cavendish), a depressed student who’s still haunted by the mysterious death of her twin sister Elizabeth (Lillie Frank), who drowned in the swimming pool when they were both children. In particular, she has recurring memories of a sinister figure (Udo Kier) who appeared just before the death, seemingly beckoning both sisters into a black hole.

When Margaret’s frequently bickering parents (Vinessa...

A country house. A quarrelling couple. A swimming pool. An infant floating face down. The Blazing World makes clear reference to Don’t Look Now in its opener, only this time we have an operatic score and Udo Kier standing next to a black hole, beckoning the dead infant’s young sister to follow him to an alternate dimension. It makes a pretty strong impression, setting the tone for a film that makes a show of its high production values.

Things progress quite nicely hereafter, albeit for just 20 minutes or so. Carlson Young gives a good performance as Margaret Winter, the surviving infant who is now a young woman, and she has chemistry with her parents, the still quarrelling Alice (Vinessa Shaw) and Tom (Dermot Mulroney). Those production values give it a good look, too. Offbeat camera angles are paired with stylish grading and full-bodied colours, creating frames that can be genuinely painterly,...

Psychological fantasy will play Sitges in October.

123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.

Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.

Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...

Psychological fantasy will play Sitges in October.

123 Go Films has acquired international sales rights to Carlson Young’s Sundance London-bound The Blazing World and will launch talks at the Cannes Marché next week.

Los Angeles-based Brady Bowen and his team will engage in the Marché via a virtual booth and brings the psychological fantasy to its first major market after it premiered in Sundance at the start of the year.

Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, and Udo Kier in the story about a young woman who returns to her family home decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister,...

The North Bend Film Festival is back this July with a hybrid edition that will have a mix of in-person programming, along with virtual screenings and special events. Here's a look at the festival's extensive offering, including a screening of The Blazing World, a conversation with Richard Kelly, and much, much more:

The North Bend Film Festival returns this summer with a hybrid festival taking place July 15-18, 2021. The in-person portion of the fest returns audience members to the historic art deco North Bend Theatre for a curated offering of feature film and short screenings, while both the virtual and physical programs will be complemented by special events, conversations with filmmakers, and immersive experiences. The majority of titles will be exclusive either to physical or virtual programs, with only a few overlaps making for a unique festival experience however you choose to attend.

This year's festival will open with the in-person screening of Swan Song,...

Sundance Film Festival: London has revealed that “Zola” and “Coda” will be among the 2021 lineup, when the festival returns to Picturehouse Central next month.

“Coda” — an acronym meaning “Child of Deaf Adults” — features Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”) and 19-year-old Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”) navigating their relationship, while “Zola” is based on a 148-tweet viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” Wells. It stars Taylor Paige (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Riley Keough (“Max Max: Fury Road”) and will close the 4-day festival.

Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers,” described as a “musical odyssey,” opens the festival on July 29.

Other feature film offerings, which have been selected from the longer line-up shown at the Sundance Film Festival, include “The Nest,” starring Jude Law (“Sherlock Holmes”), animation “Cryptozoo,” which features Lake Bell (“BoJack Horseman”) and Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”), and documentary “Writing With Fire,” about a female-run Indian newspaper, which...

In the Russian artist Uldus Bakhtiozina’s retro-futurist, feminist spoof on costume dramas, Tzarevna Scaling (Doch Rybaka), a young woman, Polina (Alina Korol), who works at a fried-fish food truck, is offered a mysterious herbal tea to assuage her insomnia. Upon drinking it, Polina wakes up the next day, only to be transported to a bizarro parallel universe. In it, an outlandishly dressed royal—a kind of pissy, mean-spirited fairy-godmother—leads Polina through a test, to prove if she has what it takes to become a tzarevna. Since Polina learns about her unique chance through an old, clunky television set, it’s possible that the entire dreamworld is a trap inside the television set, and Polina’s ordeal is nothing more than a cynical beauty contest.In Bakhtiozina’s Alice-in-Wonderland meets Cinderella quest, the final showdown gets solved quickly when Polina’s asked, rather predictably, what makes her think that she’s so special,...

Above: Carlson Young’s The Blazing World Midnight screenings are my personal haven at festivals. Whenever main competitions start to feel a bit weary, I gladly deflect to genre-driven sessions for a sharper edge and a quickened pulse. At the same time, the competitions have also made some welcome room for genre (consider Parasite or Bacurau), which serves as a reminder that horror has always been well suited not only to bold narrative leaps and visual experimentation, but also to a social and cultural critique. This proclivity continues in the recent electrifying horror movies by Jordan Peele (Get Out and Us), and by indie women directors. I’m thinking particularly of Amy Seimetz’s stellar I Die Tomorrow, which was originally scheduled to premiere at SXSW, in 2020, and Rose Glass’s Saint Maud, an absolute find at TIFF, in 2019, which is finally getting recognition in the UK, and was just released in the US.

Here’s a look at three more genre-related projects that recently played during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: The Blazing World from Carlson Young, the end-of-the-world comedy How It Ends, and James Ashcroft’s Coming Home in the Dark.

The Blazing World: For her feature film debut, Carlson Young (who many genre fans will remember from her days on Scream: The TV Series) takes us on a nightmarish descent into the fragile and fractured psyche of a young woman named Margaret (also played by Young), who has been living with the trauma and grief caused by the accidental death of her twin sister decades prior. As she contemplates committing suicide, Margaret finds herself transported into an alternate world where she is tasked with retrieving a series of keys by a mysterious man called Lained (Udo Kier), who sends her on a journey that will force her to confront her demons...

Exclusive: WME has signed writer-director-actress Carlson Young, who is fresh off of the Sundance premiere of her feature directorial debut, The Blazing World.

Based on Young’s 2018 Sundance short of the same name, the film follows a self-destructive young woman who decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.

Young stars alongside Dermot Mulroney, Udo Kier, and Vinessa Shaw. The project is the first in the filmmaker’s Saturn Returns trilogy, a series of three thematically and visually connected films that explore the relationship between female identity and trauma recovery.

On the TV side, Young most recently appeared in the new Netflix hit series, Emily In Paris. She had a starring role in Disney Channel’s As The Bell Rings and Scream: The TV Series on MTV and recurred on...

Visually stunning and psychically rending, The Blazing World is Carlson Young’s feature film debut; she writes, directs and stars without missing a step. Inspired by her 2018 Sundance short of the same name—which was in turn inspired by a recurring dream, and loosely-adapted from Margaret Cavendish’s 1666 book The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World—this latest iteration is impeccably layered and rich with symbolism.

Expect a horror-fantasy dreamscape filled with ghosts of Guillermo Del Toro, Dario Argento and David Lynch—plus a haunting score by composer Insom Innis. Young spins a universal yarn of grief, depression and reframed trauma through a supremely personal lens.…...

The Blazing World, writer-director-actor Carlson Young’s visually arresting, occasionally infuriating feature-length debut, embraces a dizzyingly vast array of cinematic and literary influences, but never manages to transcend the sum of those influences to stand or fall on its own. Even as damning as that critique might sound, it does little to diminish the sheer scope of Young’s ambition, ambition that should be welcomed in new or veteran filmmakers, or the self-confidence in her abilities or her willingness to fearlessly jump headfirst into symbolic subject matter and material of the neo-Freudian/neo-Jungian kind....

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Photo: ‘The Blazing World’/Sundance ‘The Blazing World’--A Cult Classic Mixtape Carlson Young, the writer, director, and star of the new film ‘The Blazing World’ did not go small for her feature debut. ‘The Blazing World’, which is based on a 2018 short film also directed by Young, is a bizarre phantasmagoria of a film, reminiscent of the work of David Lynch, Tarsem Singh, and Nicholas Winding Refn. It starts out as a mental illness horror story briefly detours into a Linklater-esque hangout film, and then goes full-on Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s got a touch of narrative attention deficit disorder, feeling at times more like a music video stretched to feature-length than a cohesive story (Young directed the music video for the song ‘Catch & Release’ by the band Peel; the song features prominently on this film’s soundtrack). Depression makes it hard to focus though, so this is relatable.

In 2018, Carlson Young (one of this writer’s favorite cast members from the first two seasons of Scream: The TV Series) debuted her short film The Blazing World at the Sundance Film Festival, and now, three years later, she’s celebrating the world premiere of the feature film version of that very same story as part of the fest’s 2021 slate of programming. Co-written by Young and Pierce Brown, The Blazing World explores the trauma of a young woman (played by Young) who is desperate to move on from a horrific tragedy from her childhood, but finds herself forced to make her way through a labyrinthian nightmare that holds the key to her emotional freedom. The Blazing Young also stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, and Vinessa Shaw.

Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Young about her journey of building upon the short film version of The Blazing World...