Here is the latest Movie News from The New York Times.
Hong Kong Journal: Exit the Dragon? Kung Fu, Once Central to Hong Kong Life, Is Waning
The kung fu culture that Bruce Lee helped popularize — and that gave the city a gritty, exotic image in the eyes of foreigners — is in decline.
‘Suicide Squad’ Soundtrack Locks Down a Second Week at No. 1
Drake’s “Views” remained at No. 2, and the rapper’s collaborator PartyNextDoor debuted at No. 3.
Ang Lee Is Embracing a Faster Film Format. Can Theaters Keep Up?
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” will be shown in a new format at the New York Film Festival, but Sony is still figuring out how to best show it beyond New York.
‘Ben-Hur’ Is Latest Flop for Paramount
The film, which cost Paramount and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about $100 million to make, arrived to a disastrous $11.4 million in domestic ticket sales.
Behind-the-Scenes Shots from the Set of ‘Anthropoid’
The film’s director, Sean Ellis, and stars, Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, share impressions from the set.
Sinosphere: Hong Kong Objects to Alien Presence in Its Skyline (No, Not the Spaceship)
A poster for the movie “Arrival” depicts an otherworldly craft above Hong Kong’s harbor, but it’s the tower in the foreground that’s really out of place.
Anatomy of a Scene | Hell or High Water
David Mackenzie narrates a scene from his film featuring Ben Foster and Chris Pine.
Jonas Mekas Gets a Look at His Life Through Another Filmmaker’s Eyes
Mr. Mekas, who was among the subjects of Metropolitan’s “85 and Up” series last year, has been to tens of thousands of movies in his 93 years, but he has never experienced one as he did the other day.
What I Love: Steve Guttenberg’s Little Home in the Sky
The actor and his girlfriend, Emily Smith, live in a one-bedroom near Lincoln Center.
News Anchors Mad as Hell in ‘Network’ and Suicidal in ‘Kate Plays Christine’
Christine Chubbuck shot herself on July 15, 1974, on the air. Did she inspire Paddy Chayefsky’s classic satire?
David Mackenzie Narrates a Scene From ‘Hell or High Water’
The director discusses the opening sequence of his film featuring Ben Foster and Chris Pine.
This Week’s Movies: August 19, 2016
The New York Times film critics review “Ben-Hur,” “A Tale of Love and Darkness” and “Morris from America.”
Snapshot: Edgar Ramírez Speaks Five Languages and Has One Peculiar Habit
Here, he also discusses portraying the Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Durán in “Hands of Stone.”
On DVD: On DVD, an American in Paris (and in the Soviet Union)
The musicals “Silk Stockings” (1957) and “Song of Russia” (1944) depict culture clashes between East and West in the Cold War and World War II.
Movie Listings for Aug. 19-25
A guide to movies playing at theaters in the New York City area, as well as select festivals and film series.
Review: ‘War Dogs,’ an Absurd (and True) Gunrunning Tale
Jonah Hill and Miles Teller play 20-something entrepreneurs who plunge into the weaponry business and end up in over their heads.
Review: In ‘Spaceman,’ a Pitcher Specializing in Brashness
Josh Duhamel portrays the ballplayer Bill Lee at a stage when he is slowly realizing that his major-league days are over.
Review: In ‘Kubo and the Two Strings,’ Origami Fuels an Animated Quest
This movie from Laika Films (“Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) combines stop-motion animation and computer-generated backgrounds with a moving and magical tale.
Review: ‘Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV,’ Where the Bad Guys Sport Silly Hats
Unless you’re a fan of the hugely successful Final Fantasy video game series, this big-screen version is too ludicrous for words.
Review: ‘Kampai! For the Love of Sake’ Celebrates Japan’s Best-Known Libation
Mirai Konishi’s light documentary focuses on brewery experts and others who have devoted their lives to this complex rice-based beverage.
Review: ‘Ixcanul,’ From Luminous Ritual to Emotional Explosions
The first feature from Jayro Bustamante contrasts a quiet agrarian life in Guatemala with a hard-hitting tragedy.
Review: Daniel Radcliffe Battles Homegrown Extremists in ‘Imperium’
Inspired by the career of a former F.B.I. agent who infiltrated white supremacist groups, the film may get moviegoers’ blood boiling.
Review: In ‘Making a Killing,’ Guns Do Slay People, Children Included
This documentary focuses on the role of the National Rifle Association in blocking legislation to tighten gun laws.
Review: Treasonous Play for Justice in ‘The People vs. Fritz Bauer’
The film follows the West German prosecutor whose efforts to track down fugitive Nazi war criminals was often obstructed by superiors and underlings.
Review: Wrestling With Gay Identity and Parental Wishes in ‘Spa Night’
Chronicling the tensions facing a Korean-American teenager, Andrew Ahn’s first feature contemplates the anxieties of outsiders trying to find their place in America.
Review: ‘Lo and Behold,’ the Danger, and Potential, of the Digital Revolution
Werner Herzog interviews experts and others about the internet, robots, artificial intelligence and other aspects of our technology-driven world.
Review: ‘Ben-Hur’ Is a Savage Update for a New Generation
Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of the sword-and-sandals spectacle offers a rip-roaring chariot race but is largely devoid of pious posturing.
Toronto International Film Festival to Screen ‘The Birth of a Nation’ as Planned
The film’s director, writer and star, Nate Parker, has come under fire in recent days as details of a 1999 rape case in which he was charged and later acquitted have resurfaced.
Werner Herzog Says ‘The Internet Has Its Glorious Side’
The German filmmaker, whose new film “Lo and Behold” traces the rise of the internet, does not have a cellphone but says he is not a neophyte.
Review: ‘Morris From America’: A 13-Year-Old Stranger in a Strange Land
An American teenager seeks his place in the world in Heidelberg, Germany.
A Week of Mel Brooks in Brooklyn
“History of the World, Part I” is one of seven Brooks movies being served with food and drinks at the theater-restaurant Syndicated.
Tika Sumpter on Playing the Future First Lady, Michelle Obama
In “Southside With You,” Ms. Sumpter plays Mrs. Obama at 25, then Michelle Robinson, getting ice cream and a first kiss from the future president.
Review: From Natalie Portman, Israel’s Birth Distilled in Mood and Memory
“A Tale of Love and Darkness,” based on Amos Oz’s memoir, depicts a family caught up in the conflict and confusion leading to Israel’s war of independence.
What in the World: Stardom in India Has Its Price: Thousands of Gallons of Milk
For decades, fans of the Tamil actor Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, better known as Rajinikanth, have bathed pictures of him in milk, a sign of devotion. Milk dealers, however, would like to see it stop.
‘The Birth of a Nation,’ Nate Parker’s Heralded Film, Is Now Cloaked in Controversy
It has become clouded by a nearly two-decade-old case in which Mr. Parker was accused, and later acquitted, of raping a fellow student while at Penn State.
Arthur Hiller, ‘Love Story’ Director, Dies at 92
For a time he was one of Hollywood’s most commercially successful directors, piloting nearly 70 feature films, television movies and series episodes.
Kristen Stewart, the Good Bad Girl
You know the actress from her films. The real Kristen Stewart — funny and fiercely open — is only just emerging. That took years of work.
1999 Rape Case Swirls Around Nate Parker and His Film ‘The Birth of a Nation’
The film is attracting unwanted attention because of renewed interest in the 17-year-old case in which Mr. Parker, the film’s director, writer and star, was accused — and later acquitted — of rape.
Review: ‘When Two Worlds Collide’ Portrays a Battle for the Amazon
This dutiful documentary casts indigenous protesters against the government and commercial interests intent on exploiting Peru’s rich natural resources.
Doubling the Movie Magic: A Retrospective of Great Pairings
A new Film Forum series, Return of the Double Feature!, includes 26 film duos that provide a richer experience than watching each movie individually.
Review: ‘Mohenjo Daro’ Depicts a Go-To Hero’s Exertions in Antiquity
Set in 2016 B.C., this Ashutosh Gowariker film is a standard epic adventure with music and romance.
Advertising: It’s Thrilling. It’s Chilling. It’s a 30-Minute Commercial.
Advertisers are experimenting with minimovies using top stars and directors as more people skip or block ads when streaming shows or browsing the web.
‘Suicide Squad’ Tops Box Office for Second Weekend
The film was joined by several wide-ranging offerings, including “Sausage Party,” “Florence Foster Jenkins” and “Hell or High Water.”
Kenny Baker, the R2-D2 Robot in ‘Star Wars,’ Dies at 81
R2-D2 so changed Mr. Baker’s career that in later years he told an interviewer that if he could go back in time, he would do it again for free.
Shah Rukh Khan, ‘King of Bollywood,’ Was Detained at a U.S. Airport for the Third Time
“Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America,” said Mr. Khan, the last time he was held at an American airport.
Night Out: Craig Robinson’s Turtles Give Him Guilt Trips
The star of “Morris From America” and “The Office” tests his German, tastes sausage and anticipates consequences to being the working father of two reptiles.
Guns. Money. Iraq. And Then a Screenplay for ‘War Dogs.’
Stephen Chin, a writer for this new film starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, adds authenticity gained from research for his own Iraq script.
Snapshot: Simon Helberg Trades His ‘Big Bang’ Geek for Meryl Streep
Mr. Helberg, who plays an engineer on “The Big Bang Theory,” used his piano skills to get a part opposite Ms. Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins.”
Cover Story: Parker Sawyers Summons His Inner Obama
An actor’s first big break has him playing the president as a young man.
This Week’s Movies: August 12, 2016
The New York Times film critics review “Sausage Party,” “Florence Foster Jenkins” and “Hell or High Water.”
Review: In ‘Disorder,’ Danger Lurks in Many Corners, or None at All
This movie from Alice Winocour follows a veteran returning to France from Central Asia who takes what seems to be a fairly straightforward security job.
Review: Beyond the Politics in ‘Abortion: Stories Women Tell’
Both sides are addressed in this documentary, which largely focuses on viewpoints and personal experiences in Missouri and Illinois.
Review: ‘Operation Chromite’ Revisits a Korean War Invasion
John H. Lee’s drama concerns a squad of South Koreans who infiltrate North Korean forces and secure a lighthouse critical to the Battle of Inchon.
Review: A Mission Against All Odds in the Wartime Thriller ‘Anthropoid’
Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan star as Resistance fighters in Czechoslovakia who set out to assassinate one of the chief architects of the Holocaust.
Review: In ‘Edge of Winter,’ an Unstable Dad With a Gun
Underage driving and drinking, mental illness, firearms and jealousy in a hunting-trip thriller: What could go wrong?
Review: ‘The Lost Arcade,’ a Love Letter to Old New York
A bittersweet reminiscence of arcade days and nights in 1980s and ’90s New York.
Review: In ‘The Model,’ She’s Camera Ready but Woefully Naïve
Maria Palm stars in this film about high-fashion dreams and personal disappointments.
Movie Listings for Aug. 12-18
A guide to movies playing at theaters in the New York City area, as well as select festivals and film series.
Review: In ‘Pete’s Dragon,’ a Magical Bond in Peril Again
This reboot from the director David Lowery tells its standard-issue story at a nice clip.
Review: ‘Florence Foster Jenkins,’ Singing So Wretched It’s Legendary
Meryl Streep stars in an enjoyable look back at a would-be singer and a Carnegie Hall concert remembered for how awful it was.
Review: In ‘Joshy,’ Wedding’s Off, Bachelor Party’s a Go
Written and directed by Jeff Baena, this comedy features Thomas Middleditch and Adam Pally, among others, enjoying a weekend of middle-class debauchery.
Review: In ‘My King,’ Blindly Falling Fast and Furious
Told in flashback, this film follows the collision and decade-long duel between a guarded lawyer and an impulsively charismatic restaurateur.
Review: A Waltz Across Texas in ‘Hell or High Water’
Brothers on a bank-robbing spree make their way through a desert of economic decline in this film by David Mackenzie.
Review: In ‘Sausage Party,’ Metaphysical Queries and Orgies in Aisle 5
In this free-spirited romp through the supermarket, potty-mouthed foodstuffs give voice to matters both humorous and spiritual.
Scene City: A Garbo-Like Meryl Streep Celebrates Her New Movie
At the premiere of “Florence Foster Jenkins,” the three-time Oscar winner was a seen-but-not-heard star presence.
A Fellini Summer. A Conquistador’s, Too.
The IFC Center and Socrates Sculpture Park are featuring the films of Federico Fellini and Werner Herzog.
‘Pioneers of African-American Cinema’: Black Filmmaking Aborning
This five-disc collection from Kino Lorber examines a host of early filmmakers, with a special focus on Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams.
‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Blends Animation and Origami
The new film, directed by Travis Knight of Laika, shares the tale of a young boy’s adventures.
Even Superheroes Punch the Clock
Many of summer’s tentpole movies (“Suicide Squad,” “Star Trek Beyond”) offer workplace allegories, with rivalries and power plays.
Review: ‘An Art That Nature Makes,’ an Illuminating Look at Rosamond Purcell
In this documentary, Molly Bernstein invites us to see the world through the lens of her subject, Ms. Purcell, a photographer.
‘Scary Lucy’ Statue Is Replaced on Anniversary of Comedian’s 105th Birthday
The widely mocked statue of Lucille Ball was unveiled in her western New York hometown of Celoron.
List of Five: Usher’s Sense of Style
For a man with a big career, it’s the little things that count.
Making ‘Suicide Squad’ a Smash, Despite Withering Reviews
The Warner Bros. film about a gang of DC Comics supervillains set box office records over the weekend, with about $135 million in domestic sales.
David Huddleston, the Title Lebowski in ‘The Big Lebowski,’ Dies at 85
Mr. Huddleston, a character actor with a gift for the cantankerous role, also played the blowhard Mayor Olson Johnson in “Blazing Saddles.”
Jesse Eisenberg on the Surprising Success of ‘The Spoils’ in London
Mr. Eisenberg and Scott Elliott, the show’s director, discussed the play and the differences between American and British audiences.
Review: In ‘Nine Lives,’ a Man’s Life Is Like a Litter Box
Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner and Christopher Walken star in a film about a distracted father who must turn into a cat to learn his lesson.
Review: In ‘The Tenth Man,’ Contending With a Father and a Traditional Upbringing
A charmer with a documentary feel, this film follows a man’s return to Buenos Aires to reconnect with his father in a bustling Jewish neighborhood.
Review: Dim All the Lights, Again: ‘Will You Dance With Me?’
Derek Jarman’s test footage shot at an East London disco is being shown as a short feature.
Movie Listings for Aug. 5-11
A guide to movies playing at theaters in the New York City area, as well as select festivals and film series.
On DVD: ‘The Untouchables’ TV Series: Old-School Gangster Trapping
Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) and his trusty band of Treasury investigators pursue the mob and other wrongdoers in this period-drama box set.
Snapshot: Jeff Bridges Muses on Guns, Trump and Adoration for the Dude
The actor, who starred as Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit,” stars in the new film “Hell or High Water.”
Chris Costner Sizemore, the Real Patient Behind ‘The Three Faces of Eve,’ Dies at 89
The woman whose story of dissociative identity disorder was made into the 1957 Oscar-winning movie was eventually treated and became a mental health advocate.
How ‘The Little Prince’ Came to Animated Life
A combination of computer-generated animation, paper cutouts and stop-motion effects gave dimension to the story.
John Waters Tells the Story of His Mustache
The director, whose sleazy classic “Multiple Maniacs” will be newly rereleased this week, shares the four-decade-long tale of his iconic facial hair.
Review: ‘Olympic Pride, American Prejudice’ Recalls Black Athletes in 1936
This documentary, directed by Deborah Riley Draper, brings racial inequality to the forefront in the Olympics held in Berlin during the Third Reich.
Review: ‘Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny’ Lionizes a Maverick Talent
Louis Black’s film is a cozily chronological ramble through a director’s career highlights and personal reminiscences.
Review: The Lobster Scene in ‘Multiple Maniacs’? It Still Startles
A restoration by the Criterion Collection puts this early John Waters film back on the screen — and in theaters — in all its perverted glory.
Review: ‘Five Nights in Maine’ Probes the Pain of Loss
In Maris Curran’s delicate drama, a man whose wife has died goes to visit her mother, and the two slowly examine their grief.
Review: ‘collective:unconscious,’ the Stuff of Dreams Reinterpreted
In this omnibus work about the individuality of interpretation, five filmmakers transcribed their dreams, which were then directed by others in the group as shorts.
Review: War Made Terrifyingly Palpable in ‘Citizen Soldier’
This documentary powerfully uses footage to track a group of American soldiers during a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011.
Review: In ‘The Brooklyn Banker,’ Troy Garity Shows Promise (With the Mob)
The latest entry in the gangster genre, this drama concerns a number cruncher who proves more useful for local gangsters than is healthy.
Review: In ‘Front Cover,’ Struggling for Self-Acceptance
This gay romance, written and directed by Ray Yeung, takes a gentle, thoughtful look at the intersection of ethnicity and sexuality.
Review: Soul of Calypso Elevates the Bollywood-Flavored ‘Bazodee’
This romance finds an Indian family from London visiting another in Trinidad and Tobago for a party celebrating their children’s engagement.
Review: ‘Neither Heaven Nor Earth’ Engages the Horrors of War
In Afghanistan, a captain of French NATO troops and a Taliban commander are forced into an unlikely alliance by a common, invisible enemy in this film.
Review: In ‘Little Men,’ Boys Develop a Bond That Is Threatened by Money
In an adventure story edged with unspoken risks, the young actors take the kind of chances that their more careful elders have been trained to avoid.
Review: Fanciful Classic ‘The Little Prince’ Is Turned Into Modernist Fable
A gray corporate world rendered in computer graphics enfolds the stop-motion universe of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s tender tale.
Feature: Jonah Hill Is No Joke
He’s proved himself as a dramatic actor. Why isn’t he taken seriously?
Disney Dismisses Alex Timbers as Director of ‘Frozen’ Musical
As Disney develops “Frozen” as a musical for Broadway, it decides to replace the highly regarded director Alex Timbers.
A Word With: Joe Dante: ‘Gremlins’ Director Reflects on His Biggest Hits
A BAMcinématek retrospective of Mr. Dante’s films will pair classics such as “Gremlins” and “The ‘Burbs” with gems from the past, like “Dial M for Murder.”
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on ‘Sausage Party,’ Their R-Rated Animated Film
This is the story of a supermarket hot dog who leads other products on a quest to understand the true nature of their fate.
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