Awesome Movies

Nowness presents an excerpt from Christopher Kippenberger’s upcoming documentary Kart Kids. The film, which Kippenberger has been shooting for the past decade, follows three kids in Germany’s go-kart racing scene. We can’t wait to see more of it.

Set in the 1950’s, Woody Allen’s latest film follows four people working in a Coney Island amusement park. The color grading is a bit too vibrant, but we’re still looking forward to it. Starring Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Jim Belushi and Juno Temple. Premieres 12/1/17.

Want to know how long it will take to binge watch an entire series? BingeClock has data for over 8,000 TV shows to help figure out how much time you need. They also offer a similar capability for planning movie marathons. It ain’t the prettiest website, but it’s really useful.

CineFix picks its top 10 cinematographers of all time. The next time you praise a movie’s lighting, camera movement, framing, coloring or even mood, know that it’s not just because of the director, set designer or cameramen. It’s the cinematographer at work.

ScreenPrism treats Wes Anderson’s breakout film Rushmore as the director’s coming-of-age. The movie sees the debut of Anderson’s dollhouse aesthetic – albeit raw and less ornate – and penchant for indie music, while the story and theme are lifted from his life.

“I realized that this is what I was gonna do, what I was going to die trying.” HBO and critically-acclaimed producer Susan Lacy (American Masters) present “an intimate portrait” of one of the most talented and prolific directors of all time – Steven Spielberg. Premieres 10/7/17.

A biologist joins the latest expedition into a bizarre disaster zone to find out what happened to her husband, who was sent there in the previous expedition. Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later, Sunshine) directs Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac in this sci-fi mystery.

“There are no choices.” Blade Runner draws us in with memorable visuals of a dystopian future. But at its core, it’s a noir film. Lessons from the Screenplay lists the three key elements of noir and how they manifest in Ridley Scott’s classic.

From the late 50’s to the early 70’s, oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty was one of the richest men in the world. Like most rich men, he was frugal to a fault. In 1973, his then teenage grandson was kidnapped for ransom. Guess what J. Paul said.

Alicia Vikander steps into Lara Croft’s battered tank top, jeans and boots. Coming in 2018, Tomb Raider is based on the video game’s awesome 2013 reboot. So we’re expecting to see Lara receive Jackie Chan levels of pain. With no saves and reloads.

(PG-13) Hot on the heels of Atomic Blonde comes Red Sparrow. Based on Jason Matthews’ eponymous spy novel, the movie stars Jennifer Lawrence as one of the products of a Russian program that trains girls to become wily and seductive secret agents.

(PG-13: Language) “Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough…” A tool. A gag. A clue. CineFix presents its top 10 movie props of all time, be they extremely effective on their own or fully supported by the film itself. And no, the top pick isn’t Rosebud.

The unique YouTube channel Film Color Palettes compiles scenes from visually compelling movies, and then proceeds to break down the images into collections of color swatches. It’s a neat resource for designers and artists, though it could use more videos. (Thanks Lane!)

An office worker’s usual commute turns exciting and then sinister when a stranger offers him a large amount of money to spot a hidden passenger on the train. Crooks just won’t stop messing with Liam Neeson, and even he’s getting tired of it.

(PG-13) “It’s not gonna happen for you. Not in a million years!” “…but after that?” Get a good look at James Franco’s comedy drama about what is widely considered the worst movie ever made. The line between ambition and delusion can sometimes be tricky to pin down.

(PG-13, Flashing lights) Director Darren Aronofsky has an incredibly consistent filmography. It’s not only in terms of his movies’ quality, but also in the themes that he chooses to tackle and visualize: ambition, fantasies, and the gap between parents and children.