At 24 years-old, Jason Hochberg (Fred Hechinger) is officially too old to be into summer camp. But he passes up a law internship anyway to come to Camp Pineway and be a counselor one last time. Once Jason arrives, he’s not only the oldest counselor there; he’s immediately ostracized for his childlike eagerness toward camp activities. The rest of the counselors mainly have flirting and partying in mind.
Bobby (Billy Bryk) wants girls to like him, but he tries too hard and turns them off. Chris (Finn Wolfhard) already has a thing with Shannon (Krista Nazaire), but they’re hiding it from Bobby. Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai) and Demi (Pardis Saremi) are a stereotypically gorgeous couple. The rest of the teens fit easily into high-school comedy archetypes — Ezra (Matthew Finlan) is queer and loves theater, Ari (Daniel Gravelle) is the self-serious film buff, Miley (Julia Doyle) is the self-righteous vegan...
Bobby (Billy Bryk) wants girls to like him, but he tries too hard and turns them off. Chris (Finn Wolfhard) already has a thing with Shannon (Krista Nazaire), but they’re hiding it from Bobby. Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai) and Demi (Pardis Saremi) are a stereotypically gorgeous couple. The rest of the teens fit easily into high-school comedy archetypes — Ezra (Matthew Finlan) is queer and loves theater, Ari (Daniel Gravelle) is the self-serious film buff, Miley (Julia Doyle) is the self-righteous vegan...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jourdain Searles
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival is underway. While this is one of the festivals where a lot of awards season contenders start getting buzz as we head into the fall and winter months, it's also a place where hidden horror gems can sneak up on you as we head into Halloween. Like many film festivals, TIFF has its own genre programming block called Midnight Madness where horror, thrillers, and the wilder side of filmmaking can be experienced. This year, a handful of titles have been getting some decent buzz, ranging from "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard making his directorial debut with the slasher comedy "Hell of a Summer" to "Dream Scenario" putting Nicolas Cage into everyone's dreams and plenty in between.
Let's take a closer look at some of the horror titles drumming up noise at TIFF 2023.
Read more: The 95 Best Horror Movies Ever
Hell Of A Summer
Director: Finn...
Let's take a closer look at some of the horror titles drumming up noise at TIFF 2023.
Read more: The 95 Best Horror Movies Ever
Hell Of A Summer
Director: Finn...
- 9/13/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Slasher riffs and parodies date back nearly as long as slashers themselves, dissecting the enduring tropes and familiar formulas. In Hell of a Summer, first-time directors/writers Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) and Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) frame their slasher riff as a buddy comedy from the perspective of teens, aimed solely at teens. The directors’ acting backgrounds translate to an ensemble of entertaining and lively performances, though their debut is less effective in form and slasher thrills.
After a requisite opening kill, Hell of a Summer spends a lengthy first act assembling Camp Pineway’s summer camp counselors, running through the archetypical roles destined to kill or be killed. Leading the charge is tenured counselor Jason (Fear Street’s Fred Hechinger), an “ancient” 24-year-old by his younger co-worker’s repeated jabs. Jason’s an unflappably plucky guy who tries to rally the team in the absence of the camp’s missing owners,...
After a requisite opening kill, Hell of a Summer spends a lengthy first act assembling Camp Pineway’s summer camp counselors, running through the archetypical roles destined to kill or be killed. Leading the charge is tenured counselor Jason (Fear Street’s Fred Hechinger), an “ancient” 24-year-old by his younger co-worker’s repeated jabs. Jason’s an unflappably plucky guy who tries to rally the team in the absence of the camp’s missing owners,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Making a grand entrance into the world of directing, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard present their feature debut, Hell of a Summer. With the vibes reminiscent of Friday the 13th and Sleep Away Camp, this film delivers nostalgia that captures the essence of the golden age of horror slasher cinema. Each character checks off the 1980s horror trope boxes, ensuring that every campy moment feels both authentic and delightfully over the top. Bryk and Wolfhard also star.
Starts with John and Cathy, owners of Pineway Summer Camp sitting around a campfire drinking beer and playing guitar. When one of them leaves to grab more alcohol, things end very badly for the two of them. Cut to Jason (Fred Hechinger) in the passenger seat while his mom drives him to work as a camp counselor at Pineway for $115 a week. The arrival of the other counselors presents a colorful array of...
Starts with John and Cathy, owners of Pineway Summer Camp sitting around a campfire drinking beer and playing guitar. When one of them leaves to grab more alcohol, things end very badly for the two of them. Cut to Jason (Fred Hechinger) in the passenger seat while his mom drives him to work as a camp counselor at Pineway for $115 a week. The arrival of the other counselors presents a colorful array of...
- 9/11/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“Anne of Green Gables” returns for its final installment of the planned trilogy with “Fire and Dew,” in which Canada’s famed literary orphan starts taking the first steps into adulthood. Having fully embedded herself with the Cuthberts at Green Gables, Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine) leaves home to seek out better opportunities and higher learning in Charlottetown.
The adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel “Anne of Green Gables” was split into three chunks, which means the first movie was buoyed by Anne’s discovery of a new life filled with wonders, while the second followed her hilarious scrapes as she truly became part of the Avonlea community. Thus, the final movie carries the burden of concluding the story. That is reflected in how the energy feels dialed down, but it is also about Anne being more of an adult, and thus the fun of her mishaps and outlandish imagination are missing.
The adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel “Anne of Green Gables” was split into three chunks, which means the first movie was buoyed by Anne’s discovery of a new life filled with wonders, while the second followed her hilarious scrapes as she truly became part of the Avonlea community. Thus, the final movie carries the burden of concluding the story. That is reflected in how the energy feels dialed down, but it is also about Anne being more of an adult, and thus the fun of her mishaps and outlandish imagination are missing.
- 9/23/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
With Thanksgiving comes the return of Canada’s most famous literary orphan to PBS with the second “Anne of Gables” installment. “The Good Stars,” the second film in a trilogy, continues the adventures of poor orphan girl Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine), who’s finally found a home with elderly couple Matthew (Martin Sheen) and Marilla Cuthbert (Sara Botsford) at Green Gables. When last we saw Anne, she had settled into her new home and made a bosom friend out of Diana (Julia Lalonde). Taking on the adolescent phase of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Edwardian novel series, “The Good Stars” parallels the growing pains that Anne herself is going through as she becomes a teenager.
Before delving into some of the film’s missteps though, a few positive notes for what is overall an enjoyable hour and a half spent on Prince Edward Island. We are happy to say that Anne...
Before delving into some of the film’s missteps though, a few positive notes for what is overall an enjoyable hour and a half spent on Prince Edward Island. We are happy to say that Anne...
- 11/23/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Anne Shirley’s fake freckles have got to go.
Of all the faults in PBS’ “Anne of Green Gables,” these are the most glaring and, well, in your face. The spots stand out in stark contrast to actress Ella Ballentine’s clear complexion, and in each scene the viewer is often caught up marveling at the freckles’ uniformity instead of paying attention to the dialogue or action.
Read More: Rachel McAdams Reading You ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Is Your Fantasy Made Real — Listen
It’s a testament to Ballentine’s talents then that she is able to overcome those distractions and present a very charming, sprightly and chatty Anne Shirley, the literary orphan made famous in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s children’s novels. This ability is in keeping with the heroine herself, who is always melodramatically lamenting her red hair and plain looks but just can’t stop herself from...
Of all the faults in PBS’ “Anne of Green Gables,” these are the most glaring and, well, in your face. The spots stand out in stark contrast to actress Ella Ballentine’s clear complexion, and in each scene the viewer is often caught up marveling at the freckles’ uniformity instead of paying attention to the dialogue or action.
Read More: Rachel McAdams Reading You ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Is Your Fantasy Made Real — Listen
It’s a testament to Ballentine’s talents then that she is able to overcome those distractions and present a very charming, sprightly and chatty Anne Shirley, the literary orphan made famous in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s children’s novels. This ability is in keeping with the heroine herself, who is always melodramatically lamenting her red hair and plain looks but just can’t stop herself from...
- 11/23/2016
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
The Hallmark Channel’s annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming extravaganza begins Nov. 2. Here are the abbreviated synopses for the five original movies you’ll tune in for (whether you’ll admit it or not):
1. Snow Bride (premieres Sunday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. Et): Katrina Law (Spartacus: War of the Damned) stars as “Greta, an L.A. tabloid reporter assigned to get the scoop on a senator’s son whom they hear is planning a Christmastime marriage proposal. If Greta gets it right, there’s a big promotion in it for her. But when she sets out for the political family’s snowy estate,...
1. Snow Bride (premieres Sunday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. Et): Katrina Law (Spartacus: War of the Damned) stars as “Greta, an L.A. tabloid reporter assigned to get the scoop on a senator’s son whom they hear is planning a Christmastime marriage proposal. If Greta gets it right, there’s a big promotion in it for her. But when she sets out for the political family’s snowy estate,...
- 10/23/2013
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
The Hallmark Channel’s annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming extravaganza begins Nov. 2. Here are the abbreviated synopses for the five original movies you’ll tune in for (whether you’ll admit it or not):
1. Snow Bride (premieres Sunday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. Et): Katrina Law (Spartacus: War of the Damned) stars as “Greta, an L.A. tabloid reporter assigned to get the scoop on a senator’s son whom they hear is planning a Christmastime marriage proposal. If Greta gets it right, there’s a big promotion in it for her. But when she sets out for the political family’s snowy estate,...
1. Snow Bride (premieres Sunday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. Et): Katrina Law (Spartacus: War of the Damned) stars as “Greta, an L.A. tabloid reporter assigned to get the scoop on a senator’s son whom they hear is planning a Christmastime marriage proposal. If Greta gets it right, there’s a big promotion in it for her. But when she sets out for the political family’s snowy estate,...
- 10/23/2013
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
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