Baz Luhrmann is set to tackle the story of Joan of Arc as his next project. Titled Jehanne d’Arc, the film will tell the epic tale of Joan of Arc, a teenager who claimed to be acting under divine guidance as she helped lead France to victory during the siege of Orléans. She stood by Charles VII during his coronation of the King of France but was later captured and handed over to the English. They put her on trial for heresy, and she was ultimately burned at the stake at the young age of nineteen.
Deadline reports that Luhrmann is in the midst of his creative process now, with a casting breakdown set to go out today. The project is looking for a young woman to star in “The ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War.” There have been plenty of adaptations of Joan of Arc’s story going back over 100 years, but Luhrmann is sure to add his distinctive visual flair to the project, which could make this something to behold. Some of the more notable adaptations include Victor Fleming’s 1948 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Luc Besson’s 1999 movie starring Milla Jovovich.
Luhrmann was previously attached to develop the English-language adaptation of the Russian novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The story finds the Devil and his entourage visiting the Soviet Union and includes elements of religion, satire, comedy, and the supernatural. Luhrmann stepped away from the project earlier this year, reportedly due to concerns over the book rights.
Fans have been eager for Luhrmann’s next project, particularly after the success of Elvis. The 2022 musical biopic starred Austin Butler as the King of Rock n’ Roll and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. He also released Faraway Downs on Hulu and Disney+ last year, a six-episode mini-series which was an extended version of Australia, the 2008 movie starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. “I was inspired to re-approach my film Australia to create Faraway Downs because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world,” Luhrmann said. “With over 2 million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work. I am honored to world premiere Faraway Downs in Australia, the place that has inspired me and my work my entire life, and with a partner like SXSW who deeply recognizes the intersection of film, television and music with storytelling.“
It’s time to look at the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation: Christopher Nolan. A caveat – our Christopher Nolan movies ranked list is just one person’s opinion, and his work is divisive. Everyone has their favourites (and least favourites), so I’m hoping this ranking will open up some discussion in the comments below. We do not include Following in this list, as it’s only 69 minutes and can’t be put on the same level as his other work – although it’s an interesting black and white curio. Also, note that this list ranks all of his movies from worst to best, so if you don’t see your favourite film of his right off the top, don’t panic!
Insomnia (2002)
In my mind, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. So, when I say one of his movies is his “worst,” that doesn’t mean it’s actually bad. Insomnia is based on a tremendous Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgård in the lead, and I think his performance is slightly better than Al Pacino’s here. That said, Robin Williams gives a genuinely unnerving performance as the movie’s antagonist, and it also has gorgeous cinematography by Wally Pfister. It’s just that – at least compared to other films on this list – it’s the one that feels the most like an assignment.
Interstellar (2014)
One of Nolan’s most ambitious efforts, Interstellar is brilliant at times and annoyingly conventional at others. For me, the movie works wonderfully when Nolan is attempting to make his variation on 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I’ve never liked the side plot where Matt Damon is found marooned and becomes an antagonist. A movie like this doesn’t need a “bad guy.” However, Matthew McConaughey is terrific in the lead, and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is a revelation.
Tenet (2020)
I found this movie utterly incomprehensible when I saw it in theatres, due mainly to the atrocious sound mix. Throughout his career, Nolan has taken a lot of heat for not having clear dialogue, and he went overboard with the mixing here, as it obscured an already tough-to-decipher plot. It made me quite angry when I saw it the first time, but I enjoyed the movie more when watching it at home – with subtitles. Like all of his films, it’s visually arresting, and the score by Ludwig Göransson is a winner. Nolan has always been inspired by the James Bond franchise, and his two heroes in this one, John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, are likely the closest we’ll ever get to seeing how Nolan would tackle that series (although then again – who knows?). Also worth noting, Nolan must have taken the audio criticism to heart because all of the dialogue in Oppenheimer is clear as a bell.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I enjoyed Nolan’s divisive end to his Dark Knight trilogy, even if it couldn’t help but pale compared to its predecessors. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a bit of a letdown as a villain, at least compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker, but I still think it serves as a satisfying end to the franchise, with Bruce Wayne earning the retirement he’s spending with Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle. It’s also the first movie where Nolan’s sound mixes became problematic, and I’ll never forget how hard it was to figure out what Bane was saying the first time I saw the opening action sequence when it was attached as a teaser to IMAX showings of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Memento (2000)
I know this will be a controversial place for the movie that put Nolan on the map. Structurally, it’s brilliant; I just personally don’t think it holds up to repeated viewings as much as other movies on this list. Even still, it’s pretty audacious filmmaking, and one can see that this immediately made him a superstar director.
The Prestige (2006)
This one has always been the most underrated movie in Nolan’s filmography, as Disney’s Touchstone didn’t position it as the event it would have been had it come out just a few years later. Hugh Jackman gives the performance of his life as one of two duelling illusionists who have a rivalry over a teleportation trick that leads to devastating moral consequences for both men. This is one of Nolan’s movies that gets better every time you watch it, with Christian Bale’s performance a bit of a puzzle that only really comes together on its second viewing. This also has one of my favourite bits of Nolan casting ever – David Bowie as Tesla.
Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan started to reinvent the superhero saga with this, and I remember, when I first saw it, thinking it had more in common with epic adventure movies like The Last Samurai or Gladiator than anything else I’d seen. To me, it paid off, and Christian Bale makes for an iconic Caped Crusader (and a great Bruce Wayne), while Michael Caine will always be my favourite Alfred.
Dunkirk (2017)
This one seems divisive, as some think Nolan’s WW2 movie is too thinly plotted. To me, they’re missing the point, as this is supposed to be a raw experience that puts you in the shoes of the various soldiers participating in the evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s his shortest movie since Following, and it can’t be beaten on a technical level. Tom Hardy has one of his best roles as a heroic RAF fighter pilot, acting almost completely with his eyes until the final shot.
Oppenheimer (2023)
When it was announced that this would be a three-hour biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, people cracked wise on Twitter that it would just be three hours of men talking in rooms. And you know what – it is. But Nolan knows precisely how to make a movie like this, and it’s one of the tightest, most explosive three-hour dramas you’re ever likely to see. This is genuinely epic filmmaking and a masterpiece on every level, featuring perhaps Nolan’s best-ever cast. Cillian Murphy is brilliant as a man who shaped the modern world, for better or worse, while Robert Downey Jr gives his best performance since Iron Man in a critical supporting role.
Inception (2010)
What else can be said about one of our generation’s best science fiction movies? It’s the movie that proved a dazzling action movie can be just as challenging as an indie and still make hundreds of millions of dollars. It also boasts one of my favourite musical scores of all time, with Hans Zimmer’s work career-defining.
The Dark Knight (2008)
But, as good as Inception is, to me, Nolan’s masterpiece will always be The Dark Knight. It’s still the best superhero movie ever made, and I firmly believe it belongs in any serious conversation about the best movies ever made. It’s thematically rich and features one of the most outstanding modern performances, Heath Ledger’s Joker. Sixteen years later, it’s still the tentpole movie every would-be blockbuster wants to be.
It’s time to look at the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation: Christopher Nolan. A caveat – our Christopher Nolan movies ranked list is just one person’s opinion, and his work is divisive. Everyone has their favourites (and least favourites), so I’m hoping this ranking will open up some discussion in the comments below. We do not include Following in this list, as it’s only 69 minutes and can’t be put on the same level as his other work – although it’s an interesting black and white curio. Also, note that this list ranks all of his movies from worst to best, so if you don’t see your favourite film of his right off the top, don’t panic!
Insomnia (2002)
In my mind, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. So, when I say one of his movies is his “worst,” that doesn’t mean it’s actually bad. Insomnia is based on a tremendous Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgård in the lead, and I think his performance is slightly better than Al Pacino’s here. That said, Robin Williams gives a genuinely unnerving performance as the movie’s antagonist, and it also has gorgeous cinematography by Wally Pfister. It’s just that – at least compared to other films on this list – it’s the one that feels the most like an assignment.
Interstellar (2014)
One of Nolan’s most ambitious efforts, Interstellar is brilliant at times and annoyingly conventional at others. For me, the movie works wonderfully when Nolan is attempting to make his variation on 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I’ve never liked the side plot where Matt Damon is found marooned and becomes an antagonist. A movie like this doesn’t need a “bad guy.” However, Matthew McConaughey is terrific in the lead, and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is a revelation.
Tenet (2020)
I found this movie utterly incomprehensible when I saw it in theatres, due mainly to the atrocious sound mix. Throughout his career, Nolan has taken a lot of heat for not having clear dialogue, and he went overboard with the mixing here, as it obscured an already tough-to-decipher plot. It made me quite angry when I saw it the first time, but I enjoyed the movie more when watching it at home – with subtitles. Like all of his films, it’s visually arresting, and the score by Ludwig Göransson is a winner. Nolan has always been inspired by the James Bond franchise, and his two heroes in this one, John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, are likely the closest we’ll ever get to seeing how Nolan would tackle that series (although then again – who knows?). Also worth noting, Nolan must have taken the audio criticism to heart because all of the dialogue in Oppenheimer is clear as a bell.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I enjoyed Nolan’s divisive end to his Dark Knight trilogy, even if it couldn’t help but pale compared to its predecessors. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a bit of a letdown as a villain, at least compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker, but I still think it serves as a satisfying end to the franchise, with Bruce Wayne earning the retirement he’s spending with Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle. It’s also the first movie where Nolan’s sound mixes became problematic, and I’ll never forget how hard it was to figure out what Bane was saying the first time I saw the opening action sequence when it was attached as a teaser to IMAX showings of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Memento (2000)
I know this will be a controversial place for the movie that put Nolan on the map. Structurally, it’s brilliant; I just personally don’t think it holds up to repeated viewings as much as other movies on this list. Even still, it’s pretty audacious filmmaking, and one can see that this immediately made him a superstar director.
The Prestige (2006)
This one has always been the most underrated movie in Nolan’s filmography, as Disney’s Touchstone didn’t position it as the event it would have been had it come out just a few years later. Hugh Jackman gives the performance of his life as one of two duelling illusionists who have a rivalry over a teleportation trick that leads to devastating moral consequences for both men. This is one of Nolan’s movies that gets better every time you watch it, with Christian Bale’s performance a bit of a puzzle that only really comes together on its second viewing. This also has one of my favourite bits of Nolan casting ever – David Bowie as Tesla.
Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan started to reinvent the superhero saga with this, and I remember, when I first saw it, thinking it had more in common with epic adventure movies like The Last Samurai or Gladiator than anything else I’d seen. To me, it paid off, and Christian Bale makes for an iconic Caped Crusader (and a great Bruce Wayne), while Michael Caine will always be my favourite Alfred.
Dunkirk (2017)
This one seems divisive, as some think Nolan’s WW2 movie is too thinly plotted. To me, they’re missing the point, as this is supposed to be a raw experience that puts you in the shoes of the various soldiers participating in the evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s his shortest movie since Following, and it can’t be beaten on a technical level. Tom Hardy has one of his best roles as a heroic RAF fighter pilot, acting almost completely with his eyes until the final shot.
Oppenheimer (2023)
When it was announced that this would be a three-hour biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, people cracked wise on Twitter that it would just be three hours of men talking in rooms. And you know what – it is. But Nolan knows precisely how to make a movie like this, and it’s one of the tightest, most explosive three-hour dramas you’re ever likely to see. This is genuinely epic filmmaking and a masterpiece on every level, featuring perhaps Nolan’s best-ever cast. Cillian Murphy is brilliant as a man who shaped the modern world, for better or worse, while Robert Downey Jr gives his best performance since Iron Man in a critical supporting role.
Inception (2010)
What else can be said about one of our generation’s best science fiction movies? It’s the movie that proved a dazzling action movie can be just as challenging as an indie and still make hundreds of millions of dollars. It also boasts one of my favourite musical scores of all time, with Hans Zimmer’s work career-defining.
The Dark Knight (2008)
But, as good as Inception is, to me, Nolan’s masterpiece will always be The Dark Knight. It’s still the best superhero movie ever made, and I firmly believe it belongs in any serious conversation about the best movies ever made. It’s thematically rich and features one of the most outstanding modern performances, Heath Ledger’s Joker. Sixteen years later, it’s still the tentpole movie every would-be blockbuster wants to be.
He doesn’t like it and he doesn’t agree with it, but he won’t accept it. Donald Glover has taken aim at the Star Wars franchise, saying that all of the fun and excitement it once had has drifted off into a tight-ass galaxy far, far away.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia getting the best of us or that some of us have aged out of that thrill of seeing Star Wars repeatedly on opening weekend or that the franchise just can’t focus on “fun”, but Donald Glover is having none of it, hoping he can be part of bringing some pure entertainment back into the series. “I just want it to be fun. As a Star Wars fan myself, I think it’s important that there needs to be fun being had.” Glover would say that the state of our society may be partly responsible for this, potentially damaging both entertainment and our connection to one another. “It’s very hard to have fun right now. It’s tough because there are very serious things happening and those are the only things that connect us, weirdly. So I get why things are serious, but part of the human experience, I believe, is we have a responsibility to have enjoyment. And I just feel like we’re lacking in that department.”
So, where does Donald Glover fit into all of this straight-faced Star Wars material? Through Lando Calrissian, of course, the character he adopted for Solo: A Star Wars Story and will play in a spin-off feature. As he added, Star Wars “can be super serious. Sometimes it’s way too serious. Everything that has to do with the Skywalkers is like so serious. [With] Lando, I think the best part about him is he’s a scoundrel. And I feel like people can relate to that, and he’s probably like ‘man, this war is whack. I need money,’ which I feel everyone can relate to. I want to bring fun to Star Wars. I just want it to be fun.”
Many op-ed pieces have been written about Star Wars losing that fun factor, so Donald Glover isn’t exactly out on a Cloudy City gantry here. There is entertainment to be found in the series still but with so much – six shows alone have debuted since 2019, with Skeleton Crew coming in December – and some drastic tonal shifts, how can proper attention really be given to “fun”? And, really, how can we define that?
Is Star Wars lacking “fun” at this point? Are the current shows a necessary reflection of our times? Give us your take in the comments below.
Today, Grand Theft Auto Online received an update, with the PC port of the crime sim finally getting anti-cheating software. Yet not everyone is happy, as this update has now made it impossible to play GTA Online on Steam Deck.
Today, Grand Theft Auto Online received an update, with the PC port of the crime sim finally getting anti-cheating software. Yet not everyone is happy, as this update has now made it impossible to play GTA Online on Steam Deck.
Are Optimus Prime and Megatron about to banish Beetlejuice Beetlejuice back to the Neitherworld when Transformers One rolls out in theaters this weekend? Analysts say Paramount‘s animated Transformers origin story could ride to the top of the box office with a $30-$40M debut. If these numbers hold, Transformers One will take the top spot, burying Tim Burton’s worth-the-wait sequel beneath a mound of dirt and static grass.
Despite Transformers One likely taking the box office crown this weekend, let’s give it up for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which earned $188 million domestically and $264 million worldwide. A little more than $106 of that $264M is mine after taking myself, my wife, and three friends to see Burton’s new film this past weekend. Was it worth waiting for? Absolutely! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. I expected a nostalgia-driven throwback with little meat on the bone. I got a loving tribute to beloved characters, new and fun storylines, heart-warming practical effects, and a new dance sequence that left me in stitches. See it!
The official synopsis for Transformers One reads:
“TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.“
JoBlo’s Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, reviewedTransformers One, saying it’s the best Transformers movie to date. In his review, Chris said, “One thing worth noting is that the audience I saw this with REALLY seemed to love the movie. They laughed and cheered throughout, and when it was over, the audience gave it a huge round of applause, which is something you really never get at free screenings in my neck of the woods. There’s a reason why Paramount’s been doing so many word-of-mouth screenings, as this has the potential to be a major hit, and, again, it’s the best Transformers movie ever made by a wide margin.”
How much money will Transformers One make at the box office this weekend? Let’s see your predictions in the comments section below.
Overwatch 2’s collaborations have spanned external sources like anime, multimedia franchises, and K-pop groups, but Blizzard is once again going back to its own treasure trove for the game’s next set of themed skins. The studio already did a Diablo crossover last year, and this time Overwatch 2 is celebrating World of…
Overwatch 2’s collaborations have spanned external sources like anime, multimedia franchises, and K-pop groups, but Blizzard is once again going back to its own treasure trove for the game’s next set of themed skins. The studio already did a Diablo crossover last year, and this time Overwatch 2 is celebrating World of…
With a career that stretches back 50 years, Charles Band is one of the most well-known names in genre filmmaking. The head of companies like Empire Pictures and Full Moon Features, Band has over 400 producing credits, nearly 90 directing credits, and over 60 writing credits. A few years ago, he started telling the story of what it has been like bringing all of that entertainment into the world with his autobiography Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking (you can pick up a copy at THIS LINK) – and now he has revealed that he’s currently working on a second autobiography, titled Horror Puppet!
Band told PopGeeks, “I don’t want to step back (from filmmaking) until I’m forced to, by end of life. I enjoy what I do and, yeah, I’ve done it for a long time. Sometimes I feel like I’m the puppet and someone else is sort of pulling the strings. Like, ‘Keep making movies, Charlie.’ As a matter of fact, I wrote a book a few years ago that did quite well, published by Harper Collins, called Confessions of a Puppet Master, and it ended where I stopped telling my story around the beginning of COVID and so much has happened since then. I’ve gone back with the biographer, and we’re halfway through a new book called Horror Puppet, which is exactly how I feel these days. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Okay, now what?’ But I love the process …“
Written with Adam Felber, Confessions of a Puppetmaster had the following description: Renowned producer, director, and “B movie” showman Charles Band takes readers on a wild romp through Hollywood’s decidedly un-Oscar-worthy underbelly, where mayhem and zombies reign supreme, and cheap thrills and entertainment are king. Zombies, aliens, a little skin, lots of gore — and even more laughs — the cinematic universe of Charles Band is legendary. From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love. In Confessions of a Puppetmaster, this congenial master of Grindhouse cinema tells his own story, uncut.
Born into a family of artists, Band spent much of his childhood in Rome, where his father worked in the film industry. Early visits to movie sets sealed young Charlie’s fate. By his twenties he had plunged into moviemaking himself and found his calling in exploitation movies — quick, low-budget efforts that exploit the zeitgeist and feed people’s desire for clever, low-brow entertainment. His films crossed genres, from vampire flicks to sci-fi to erotic musical adaptations of fairy tales. As he came into his own as a director, he was the first to give starring roles to household names like Demi Moore, Helen Hunt, and Bill Maher. Off set, Band’s life has been equally epic. Returning to his beloved Italy, he bought both Dino De Laurentiis’s movie studio and a medieval castle. After Romania’s oppressive communist regime fell, he circumvented the U.S. State Department to shoot films in Dracula’s homeland. He made — and then lost — a moviemaking fortune. A visionary, Band was also at the vanguard of the transition to home video and streaming, making and distributing direct-to-video movies long before the major studios caught on.
In this revealing tell-all, Band details the dizzying heights and catastrophic depths of his four decades in showbiz. A candid and engaging glimpse at Hollywood’s wild side, Confessions of a Puppetmaster is as entertaining as the movies that made this consummate schlockmeister famous.
As a longtime fan of Band’s movies, I found Confessions of a Puppetmaster to be a fascinating read, and I was surprised that he was able to cover so much ground in a book that’s just under 300 pages. His childhood, business endeavors like selling leatherbound copies of the New York Times and getting into video distribution, wacky adventures, illnesses, love and loss. Starting movie companies like Empire and Full Moon. The ups and downs of those companies. The time his house was firebombed. What it was like to own a castle in Italy. From 1951 (the year of his birth) to 2020 (when he didn’t let the pandemic stop him from continuing to make new Full Moon content), it’s all in there… But I’m sure he has a lot more stories to tell, so I’m glad to hear there’s going to be another book. I’ll definitely be reading Horror Puppet.
Have you read Confessions of a Puppetmaster, and will you be reading Horror Puppet? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
