June 2022 – Below the Line

The Essex Serpent Costume Designer Jane Petrie on Putting Cowboy Couture Into Her Period Creations

June 30, 2022 Robin Milling Comments Off

The Essex Serpent, streaming on Apple TV+ is a mixture of forbidden love with a hearty dose of folklore. Based on the novel by Sarah Perry, the six episodes center on London widow Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), a passionate paleontologist, who moves to the coastal town of Essex to investigate reports of a mythical water serpent spreading terror among the villagers. While consulting with the dashing married town pastor Will […]

With L.A. Reeling From the Arclight Hollywood and Landmark Pico Closures, We Take a Closer Look at Movie Exhibition

June 30, 2022 Debra Kaufman Comments Off

The 12-screeen Landmark Pico theaters was a hub of moviegoing — art films and blockbusters alike — for 15 years. But COVID-19 thinned out the crowds and when Landmark was unable to come to an agreement with the landlord, Landmark Theatres president Kevin Holloway was forced to announce its closure at the end of May. Everyone who loves going to the movies, especially those living on the Westside, mourned its […]

Nominations Announced for the 9th Annual Location Managers Guild International Awards

June 30, 2022 Staff Comments Off

The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) has announced nominations for the 9th Annual LMGI Awards, which honor the outstanding and creative visual contributions by location professionals in film, television, and commercials from around the globe. Winners will be honored at the LMGI Awards ceremony, which will be returning to a live in-person event on Saturday, Aug. 27. The honors also recognize outstanding service by film commissions for their support “above and beyond” during […]

The Accidental Turitz: Why the Academy Must Nominate Top Gun: Maverick for Best Picture If It Wants the Oscars to Remain Relevant

June 29, 2022 Neil Turitz Comments Off

I have to say, I’ve really, really loved being back in the movie theater these last few months. Just sitting in a dark room, staring up at the big screen, and watching movies the way they were meant to be seen — with no mask on my face (restrictions having been lifted) — has truly been wonderful. And now that I’ve seen everything worth seeing through the first six months […]

The Black Phone Director Scott Derrickson on Recreating His Childhood Fears From the ’70s and How He Met His Co-Writer

June 29, 2022 Edward Douglas Comments Off

Director Scott Derrickson has had a pretty interesting career since making The Exorcism of Emily Rose in 2005. He helmed the Keanu Reeves-led remake of the classic sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still, only to return to the horror genre with Sinister, which put him in business with prolific producer Jason Blum. and marked his first time working with Ethan Hawke. The success of that film led him […]

Union Roundup: The Calls to Boycott Production in States That Ban Abortion Are Growing Louder, and Harder for Hollywood to Ignore

June 28, 2022 Mark London Williams Comments Off

Originally, this was going to be a “lite” summer column, before a wee break for Independence Day, which now commemorates – what, exactly? A time when the female half of the population had independent autonomy over their bodies? We even had a book review planned – well, we still do, you’ll just have to read a bit first. But as you all-too-well know, things in an already explosive time erupted […]

Scott Stueckle Announces Retirement After Nearly 30 Years at Kino Flo Lighting Systems

June 28, 2022 Staff Comments Off

Scott Stueckle has announced that he’s retiring after nearly 30 years as a Sales Manager at Kino Flo Lighting Systems. As of now, Ray Goitiandia will be taking over Stueckle’s duties, and any inquiries on projects that involved Stueckle can be directed to Goitiandia at [email protected] Frieder Hochheim, the president and founder of Kino Flo Lighting Systems, sent out a touching tribute to his staff in honor of Stueckle’s decades […]

Film Academy Invites 397 to Join Membership – 44 Percent of Whom Are Women

June 28, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 397 artists and executives to join the organization. These are all individuals who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion, and equity remaining a priority. The 2022 class is 44 percent women, while 37 percent belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50 percent […]

The Offer DP Elie Smolkin on Recreating the Classic Look of The Godfather While Putting His Own Stamp on the Paramount+ Series

June 27, 2022 Ian Spelling Comments Off

Growing up, Elie Smolkin loved movies. He and his family shared a routine, wherein Elie, his brother, and their mother would drop by their local Blockbuster, and each got to pick one new movie from the expensive aisle and four from the 99-cent aisle. On weekends, they’d sit and watch all the movies. “We had such different tastes,” Smolkin told Below the Line during a recent conversation. “I was obsessed […]

Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and The Man Who Fell to Earth, and How They Handle Criticism

June 27, 2022 Ian Spelling Comments Off

Interviewing Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman is almost as entertaining as their current projects, Showtime’s The Man Who Fell to Earth and the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Lumet and Kurtzman are longtime friends and frequent collaborators who serve as both writers and producers on the two shows. Kurtzman, of course, is also the current boss of the Star Trek television universe, which includes not just Strange New […]