Cinema News

August 30, 2024

	By Mekado Murphy

Hey, movie fans!

We hope you're enjoying the end of summer! Before fall comes crashing in, we wanted to bask a little bit longer in that warm glow. We spent part of the season being nostalgic about a film year that has surpassed many in quality, 1999. We shared our favorite movies of that year, including "The Matrix" and "The Blair Witch Project," and looked back at a couple of the year's stars, like Haley Joel Osment and Tom Cruise. And the critic Wesley Morris wrote about why it was a great year to see movies, as well as start writing about them.

If you want to start dipping your toe into fall, you can do that with some of our festival coverage. The Venice Film Festival is in full swing and the Oscar conversations have already begun. Our awards columnist Kyle Buchanan is there, and he has updates on the Maria Callas biopic that may put the Oscar-winning Angelina Jolie back into the awards spotlight, plus he lets you know what all to watch for (like the "Joker" sequel) at the festival. Another anticipated sequel, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," in theaters Sept. 6, opened Venice. Buchanan spoke with Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and their director, Tim Burton, about reuniting for that film.

In other preview news, have you been getting annoyed with trailers lately? So have we. The writer Esther Zuckerman offers some ways to fix them.

Enjoy the long weekend, and enjoy the movies!

Paramount Pictures

Critic's Notebook

Movie Trailers Have Gotten Worse. Why Aren't Studios Having Fun With Them?

Promos give away too much or too little or are misleading or don't leave anything out. We could go on. But there are ways to fix them.

By Esther Zuckerman

Against a blue and white backdrop with the number "81" repeated a few times, Angelina Jolie, in a long black sleeveless dress, smiles slightly.

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

The Projectionist

This Biopic Could Be Angelina Jolie's Oscar Comeback

"Maria," about the opera diva Maria Callas, plays to the star's strengths. Its Venice Film Festival debut was timed so the actress could avoid Brad Pitt.

By Kyle Buchanan

Ricardo Nagaoka for The New York Times

Asian Men Are Finally Starting to Get the Girl (or Guy)

Western pop culture, past and present, has often emasculated Asian male characters. A new crop of roles are starting to offer alternatives.

By Matt Stevens and Ricardo Nagaoka

CRITICS' PICKS

A despondent man sits at a table with his hands clasped. A giant flower is in a vase.

Sean Price Williams/Sony Pictures Classics

Critic's pick

'Between the Temples' Review: A Widower Walks Into a Bar

And meets his former music teacher, upending his life, in Nathan Silver's touching comedy, starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane.

By Manohla Dargis

MOVIE REVIEWS

A woman sits at an outdoor table holding a boy on her lap.

Aaron Ricketts/Netflix

'The Deliverance' Review: The Power of Camp Compels Him

Lee Daniels directs Andra Day and Glenn Close in an exorcism tale that includes melodrama along with the scares.

By Amy Nicholson

A family gathers, holding each other in a dark room, with light shining on them.

Glen Wilson/Sony Pictures

'Afraid' Review: Hey Siri, Don't Kill Us

A family surrenders control of its life to artificial intelligence with predictably dire results — for this movie's viewers.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

On a private jet, a woman in an orange blouse is hugged by a man in a white dress shirt and a gray striped tie.

Rob Batzdorff/Showbiz Direct

'Reagan' Review: The Gipper Takes on Moscow

In this unabashed love letter to former president Ronald Reagan, Dennis Quaid fights the Cold War with conviction.

By Glenn Kenny

A woman in a red dress sits on a bar counter and extends her leg to where her big toe nearly touches that of a man standing in a red shirt.

Kino Lorber

'The Falling Star' Review: A Dark Story in Meticulous Wrapping

A series of mishaps befall an activist-turned-bartender in a visually rich but shallow Belgian film.

By Alissa Wilkinson

Laurence Fishburne, in a navy sweatshirt, sits in a white astronaut chair; Casey Affleck, in a dark outfit and blue pants, sits behind him, holding a device.

Bleecker Street

'Slingshot' Review: Trapped in Space

The paranoia sets in all too quickly in this spare psychological thriller, starring Laurence Fishburne and Casey Affleck.

By Brandon Yu

In a dark image, a man in the shadows is bathed in teal light, streaks of red and purple behind him.

Lionsgate

'1992' Review: Can They Get Along?

The uproar that followed the verdict handed down in the police beating of Rodney King serves as a mere backdrop for fathers and sons to work out their issues in a heist thriller.

By Ben Kenigsberg

In a living room, a woman screams and points at someone offscreen.

Shout! Studios

'The Wasp' Review: A Feminine Face-Off

This twisty psycho-thriller, about two childhood friends reunited under eerily ambiguous circumstances, is above all a dramatic showcase for its stars, Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer.

By Beatrice Loayza

Neon	'Seeking Mavis Beacon' Review: A Search for a Black Luminary Two digital sleuths set out to find the woman who lent her image to computer software in this scattered documentary. By Natalia Winkelman

CLASS OF 1999

A photo collage invokes scenes from, clockwise from far left,

Illustration by Tala Safie; photos: Universal Pictures; 20th Century Fox; Universal Studios; Criterion Collection.

Class of 1999

These Are Our Favorite Movies From 1999. What Are Yours?

In our view, these eight comedies, dramas and more have attained classic status 25 years later. Let us know your own picks.

By The New York Times

A photo collage shows various stars from 1999 including, clockwise from bottom left, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Pierce Brosnan, Julia Roberts, Eddie Murphy, Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment.

Illustration by Tala Safie; Photographs: MGM; Sony Pictures; Touchstone Pictures; Spyglass Entertainment Group; Jon Farmer/Touchstone Pictures; Merie W. Wallace/Warner Bros.

Class of 1999

A Great Year for Movies. The Best Year to Start Writing About Them.

At the box office 25 years ago, hits like "Runaway Bride," "The Sixth Sense" and "Bowfinger" hint at the abundance that overwhelmed a young critic.

By Wesley Morris

A photo collage shows Tom Cruise in various poses and with various expressions from

Illustration by Tala Safie; Photos: New Line Cinema; Warner Bros.

Class of 1999

The Year Tom Cruise Gave Not One but Two Dangerously Vulnerable Performances

Twenty-five years ago, the superstar starred in "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Magnolia," and opened himself up for the camera in ways he rarely has since.

By Amy Nicholson

Illustration by Tala Safie; Photos via Warner Bros.

Class of 1999

Here's Why 'The Matrix' Is More Relevant Than Ever

One scene reflects the themes — A.I., fake news, transgender lives and Gen X — that make the film a classic.

By Alissa Wilkinson

A photo collage shows close up shots of a woman's teary eye, a man with his eyes closed and teeth clenched, a woman with a wary expression and a man walking. A missing poster appears at bottom right and a videocassette case is seen near the middle.

Illustration by Tala Safie; Photos via Artisan Entertainment and Getty Images

Class of 1999

Before Reality Became Debatable, There Was 'The Blair Witch Project'

Twenty-five years ago, the indie horror blockbuster compelled audiences to ask, "Was that real?" The question now permeates our age of misinformation.

By Maya Salam

In a black-and-white image shot from a distance, Haley Joel Osment, in a dark short-sleeve button-down and light-color pants, stands atop the roof of a dwelling. His hands are clasped in front of him and his legs are spread wide.

Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times

Class of 1999

Haley Joel Osment Sees Contentment

Twenty-five years after breaking through in the smash "Sixth Sense," the actor has worked steadily, finding a balance that has eluded some child stars.

By Melena Ryzik

NEWS & FEATURES

In a portrait, Kane tilts her head and rests it on her hands as she looks directly at the camera.

Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times

The Highly Deceptive, Deeply Loved, Down-to-Earth Carol Kane

Her range is wider than her oddball roles suggest, and the actress adored by Anjelica Huston, Tina Fey and Bette Davis is more connected than you'd think.

By Melena Ryzik

In a full-length portrait, the actress stands with her head thrown back and to the side, eyes closed, one hand holding the other arm.

Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Meet the Trans Actress Who Could Make Oscar History

Karla Sofía Gascón plays a drug kingpin who undergoes gender-affirming surgery in a performance that wowed Cannes. Is the academy next?

By Kyle Buchanan

In a movie scene, Winona Ryder is in goth mode while Michael Keaton is wearing the black-and-white suit and white face paint of Beetlejuice.

Warner Bros.

The 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Reunion Reunion: How It Came Together

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and their director, Tim Burton, look back on the first movie, the "Day-O" scene and their ghost comedy's afterlife.

By Kyle Buchanan

In a house with boxes around, a boy sitting on a sofa, and a woman kneeling by him, look with concern at something out of frame.

Netflix

What to Know About the Real Story That Inspired 'The Deliverance'

A mother in Indiana claimed that she and her three children were bedeviled by shadowy figures and swarms of black flies — and possessed by demons. A Netflix movie tells their story.

By Sarah Bahr

STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS

A man, holding a balancing pole, walks on a wire between two large buildings.

Jean-Louis Blondeau/Polaris Images

Three Great Documentaries to Stream

This month's picks involve a high-wire showman, a self-dramatizing tennis star and a Brazilian director reflecting on his past.

By Ben Kenigsberg

A warrior in a bandanna, face bloodied, holds his fist up to fight.

Pathfinder Pictures

Seeking Free Quality Streaming? Try Plex.

This specialty streamer offers live TV along with a robust collection of free, ad-supported movies.

By Jason Bailey

A man holding out his arm in front of him, operates a device that creates a digital projection in the air.

Vyjayanthi Movies

Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

Among this month's picks, there's a blend of sci-fi and Hindu mythology, plus Nicolas Cage in postapocalyptic times.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

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