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A new Broadway season has begun, and there are currently nine productions of plays set to open this fall. Could we see any of them contend at next year’s Tony Awards? Below, find the plot of each play as well as the awards histories of its author, cast and creative team, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

“The Roommate” (opens September 12; closes December 15)

In this new play by Jen Silverman, Sharon has never had a roommate before. But after her divorce she needs a housemate to pay the bills. That’s when Robyn arrives. The story follows an unexpected, life-changing friendship that’s both funny and deeply moving between two very different middle-aged women as they navigate the complexities of identity, morality and the dream of reinvention.

The production stars Golden Globe winner Mia Farrow and three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone. It is directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien.

The subscription-based nonprofit Manhattan Theatre Club has joined producers of the previously announced Broadway production of Jez Butterworth’s The Hills Of California and will offer the play to subscribers as part of Mtc’s 2024-25 season.

Producers Sonia Friedman Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Neal Street, Brian Spector, and Sand & Snow Entertainment, with Stephanie P. McClelland announced the September arrival on Broadway of The Hills of California. At that point, no mention was made of Mtc, or of the show being offered as part of Mtc’s subscription series.

The Hills of California is now on sale to Mtc subscribers as the third production in the company’s Broadway 2024-25 season.

Sam Mendes will direct the first Butterworth play since 2018’s acclaimed The Ferryman. Other Butterworth Broadway productions include Jerusalem in 2011 and The River in 2014.

The Hills of California begins previews Wednesday, September 11, at the Broadhurst Theatre and opens Sunday,...

Is there still a future for The Kids Are Alright? Recently, star Mary McCormack spoke with The Los Angeles Times about her efforts to save the cancelled ABC TV show.

Set in the 1970s, the sitcom centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The cast includes Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard.

Read More…...

Why did ABC cancel The Kids Are Alright? Recently, network boss Karey Burke addressed ABC's decision to end the TV show after only one season, TVLine reports.

Set in the 1970s, the sitcom centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The cast includes Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard.

Read More…...

ABC found success in 1980s-themed comedy with The Goldbergs. Now has dialed the "wayback machine" even further back, with The Kids Are Alright TV show. Does this old school comedy have the right stuff to make its mark on the Nielsen ratings and score another installment? Will The Kids Are Alright be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. **Status update below.

An ABC sitcom, The Kids are Alright stars Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard. The 1970s-period comedy centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Since its the ’70s, Peggy (McCormack) and Mike (Cudlitz) are raising their kids with a lack of supervision which might stun today’s parents, and now their eldest son wants to quit the seminary to go "save the world." The...

Vulture Watch

Are the Clearys surviving the '70s? Has The Kids Are Alright TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on ABC? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Kids Are Alright, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?

What's This TV Show About?

An ABC sitcom, The Kids Are Alright stars Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard. The 1970s-period comedy centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Since its the ’70s, Peggy (McCormack) and Mike (Cudlitz) are raising their kids with a lack of supervision which...

Network: ABC.

Episodes: 23 (half-hour).

Seasons: One.

TV show dates: October 16, 2018 — May 21, 2019.

Series status: Cancelled.

Performers include: Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard.

TV show description:

From creator Tim Doyle, The Kids Are Alright TV show is an ensemble sitcom, set in the 1970s. The series follows the Cleary family, a traditional Irish-Catholic clan, as they live out their lives amidst the upheaval of the 1970s. Read More…...

Are the Clearys any better than just "all right" during the first season of The Kids Are Alright TV show on ABC? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like The Kids are Alright is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of The Kids Are Alright season one episodes here. **Status update below.

An ABC sitcom, The Kids Are Alright stars Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard. The 1970s-period comedy centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los...

As we inch closer to upfronts week, the broadcast networks are cleaning house to make room for some new series. 

As such, ABC has now swung the ax on freshman comedy The Kids Are Alright, and freshman drama The Fix. 

Of the two cancellations, The Kids Are Alright is the biggest surprise. The Mary McCormack and Michael Cudlitz-fronted series had strong reviews. 

It started strong in the ratings, but has tailed off in recent weeks. It is currently averaging 4.1 million total viewers and a 0.9 rating in the demo in live + same day measures. 

Related: Grey's Anatomy Renewed for Two Seasons at ABC

The cast also included Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Andy Walken, Santino Barnard, Tim Doyle, Sawyer Laucius, and Jax Laucius. 

The Fix was Robin Tunney's returned to TV. The Marcia Clark legal drama launched earlier this year to weak reviews. 

Additionally, it...

ABC isn't keeping the Clearys' show in the family. The alphabet network has cancelled The Kids Are Alright TV series so there won't be a second season.

The Kids Are Alright stars Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard. The 1970s-period comedy centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Since its the ’70s, Peggy (McCormack) and Mike (Cudlitz) are raising their kids with a lack of supervision which might stun today’s parents, and now their eldest son wants to quit the seminary to go “save the world.” The times they are a-changing, and the Cleary family is not immune to the turbulence around them. Read More…...

ABC has canceled “The Kids Are Alright” and “The Fix” after one season each.

The news on “The Kids Are Alright” was announced by series creator Tim Doyle on Twitter. “‘The Kids Are Alright’ is dead. I just got the call. Goodbye,” he wrote.

The ensemble comedy, set in the 1970s, centers on a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys. Mom Peggy (Mary McCormack) and dad Mike (Michael Cudlitz) are raising eight boisterous boys, who spend their days with little supervision, against the backdrop of one of America’s most turbulent decades.

The series also starred Sam Straley as Lawrence Cleary, Caleb Foote as Eddie Cleary, Sawyer Barth as Frank Cleary, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey Cleary, Jack Gore as Timmy Cleary, Andy Walken as William Cleary and Santino Barnard as Pat Cleary.

The series was inspired by the childhood of creator/executive producer Doyle, who also narrated in voiceover. Randall Einhorn...

The Tim Doyle-created The Kids Are Alright has been canceled by ABC.

Penned and executive produced by the former Last Man Standing showrunner, the first season of the 1970s-set ensemble comedy premiered October 16 last year and is scheduled to wrap up on May 21 in what will now be a series finale.

Following a very traditional Irish-Catholic family in suburban L.A. amidst the hangover from the 1960s, parents Mike (Michael Cudlitz) and Peggy (Mary McCormack) are overwhelmed raising eight boys and are hit by a figurative truck when oldest son Lawrence (Sam Straley) returns home to declare he’s quitting the seminary to “save the world.”

As Doyle stated repeatedly when the show was picked up by the Disney-owned net to series in 2018, the Tkaa is inspired by his family and childhood with fifth son Timmy (Jack Gore) essentially playing the Ep as a boy.

Ratings for The...

This news is anything but alright: ABC has pulled the plug on The Kids Are Alright, canceling the gem of a comedy ahead of Season 2.

Series creator Tim Doyle announced the cancellation Friday via Twitter.

“The Kids Are Alright” is dead. I just got the call. Goodbye. #TheKidsAreAlright ⁦@TheKidsABC⁩ pic.twitter.com/BsTTd7r2mG

— Timothée Doyle (@FlakedAndFormed) May 10, 2019

The 1970s-set series starred The Walking Dead alum Michael Cudlitz and force of nature Mary McCormack as Mike and Peggy Cleary, the no-nonsense heads of a large Irish-Catholic family that included boys as varied as wannabe star Timmy (Jack Gore...

CAA represents Us rights; deal expected soon.

International Film Trust (Ift) has boarded sales rights to Sundance selection To The Stars and will kick off talks with buyers in Cannes.

CAA represents Us rights and a Us deal is expected soon. Ift head of international Todd Olsson will present colour and black-and-white versions of the film to international buyers on the Croisette.

Martha Stephens (Land Ho!) directed the coming-of-age story about a shy farmer’s daughter in 1960s Oklahoma who strikes up a friendship with a lively city transplant that will change their lives forever.

Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom) and...

By mid-May, the broadcast networks must make some tough calls as to which series will return for the 2019-20 season, and which… won’t.

As that deadline draws near, TVLine is singling out a few “bubble” shows and sizing up their prospects — based in large part on creative strides (and stumbles) and future potential, but also with a requisite nod to cold, hard numbers.

Next up is a 1970s-set family comedy that may be running out of… time.

The Show | ABC’s The Kids Are Alright (Season 1 resumes Tuesday, March 19, at 8:30/7:30c)

The Case For Keeping | Kids is way better than alright.

The Kids Are Alright is doing alright after all. ABC just announced they've given a full season order to the freshman TV show.

Set in the 1970s, the comedy centers on the Clearys, an Irish-Catholic family living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The cast includes Michael Cudlitz, Mary McCormack, Sam Straley, Caleb Foote, Sawyer Barth, Christopher Paul Richards, Jack Gore, Andy Walken, and Santino Barnard.

Read More…...

ABC has given back orders to Tuesday comedy series The Kids Are Alright and Splitting Up Together. With that, the network has picked up additional episodes of all of its fall series that did not have full-season orders.

ABC would not specify the size of the pickups for freshman Kids Are Alright and sophomore Splitting Up Together beyond calling them full-season orders. I hear Kids Are Alright has received a Back 9 order for a traditional 22-episode full season, while Splitting Up Together will produced five additional episodes for a 18-episode second season.

Kids Are Alright, from ABC Studios, has been the stronger ratings performer of the two, as the 1970s blue-collar family comedy, airing at 8:30 Pm, is benefiting from a stronger lead-in from The Conners. Romantic comedy Splitting Up Together, from Warner Bros TV, airs behind Black-ish at 9:30 Pm and regularly ranks as the least=watched ABC series...

ABC has picked up “Splitting Up Together” and “The Kids Are Alright” for full seasons.

Freshman series “The Kids Are Alright” premiered in October in the post-“The Conners” timeslot. From creator and executive producer Tim Doyle, the series is inspired by Doyle’s own childhood. The show stars Michael Cudlitz as Mike Cleary, Mary McCormack as Peggy Cleary, Sam Straley as Lawrence Cleary, Caleb Foote as Eddie Cleary, Sawyer Barth as Frank Cleary, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey Cleary, Jack Gore as Timmy Cleary, Andy Walken as William Cleary, and Santino Barnard as Pat Cleary. Randall Einhorn is also an executive producer. ABC Studios produces.

Sophomore comedy “Splitting Up Together” is from executive producers Ellen DeGeneres, Emily Kapnek, Jeff Kleeman and Dean Holland. The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae,...

Here’s some alright news: ABC’s Tuesday comedy block isn’t splitting up anytime soon. The Alphabet Network has given full-season orders to freshman sitcom The Kids Are Alright, as well as sophomore series Splitting Up Together, TVLine has learned. We hear that nine additional episodes of Kids have been ordered, along with five more episodes of Splitting.

Inspired by executive producer Tim Doyle’s childhood, The Kids Are Alright follows a large Irish Catholic family navigating the trials and tribulations of life in 1970s Los Angeles. The show stars Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead) and Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight...

Well here we are, the ABC Upfront and probably the largest fall lineup we have to go through. While other Stations are unloading anywhere from 3 to 8 shows ABC has cancelled 14 shows ... so far. So lets quit dilly dallying and get down to what were getting from ABC this fall.

Our first show is, A Million Little Things. A story about a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, others are struggling in their careers and relationships, but all of them feel stuck in life. After one of them dies unexpectedly, it’s just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Along the way they discover that friends may be the one thing to save them from themselves.

“A Million Little Things” stars David Giuntoli as Eddie, Ron Livingston as Jon, Romany Malco as Rome, Allison Miller as Maggie, Christina Moses as Regina,...

ABC has released the first trailers for their upcoming fall shows following the release of their 2018-2019 fall schedule on Tuesday.

Of the trailers released today, comedy “The Kids Are Alright” and dramas “The Rookie” and “A Million Little Things” will debut this fall. “Schooled,” “Whiskey Cavalier,” “Grand Hotel,” and “The Fix” will debut at midseason.

Watch the trailers and read the official series descriptions below.

“The Kids Are Alright”–Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. Et

Set in the 1970s, this ensemble comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as they navigate big and small changes during one of America’s most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.

Cue The Who. ABC has ordered The Kids Are Alright TV show to series. In a day overwhelmed by cancellations and renewals, there were also a few new programs greenlit today. This one hails from ABC Studios. Writer Tim Doyle is executive producing, and the sitcom is inspired by his childhood. A 1970s comedy, The Kids Are Alright centers on the Irish-Catholic Cleary family. The Walking Dead's Michael Cudlitz and The West Wing's Mary McCormack star as Mike and Peggy Cleary. These parents of eight sons are just trying to get through the day in a working-class neighborhood near Los Angeles.   The ABC cast also includes Sam Straley as Lawrence, Caleb Martin Foote as Eddie, Sawyer Barth as Frank, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey, Jack Gore as Timmy, Andy Walken as William,...

ABC ordered a mix of comedy pilots this season — most revolved around families but some ventured into workplace and even the superhero genre. In the end, the ones that made the cut to series are the 1970s-set The Kids Are Alright (fka untitled Tim Doyle), which just got the nod, and Single Parents, which was picked up earlier today. Both are family comedies, as are all renewed ABC half-hour series.

ABC last year tried to broaden up its comedy field with The Mayor, its most profile new comedy series and the only one to get a fall launch. It fizzled as did another comedy that had a strong workplace component, Alex Inc. Meanwhile, the revival of ABC’s classic family comedy Roseanne had a blockbuster premiere. The family-themed new comedy Splitting Up Together, which launched behind Roseanne, was the only freshman ABC comedy to make it to Season 2.

The Kids...

ABC has ordered the period comedy “The Kids Are Alright” to series.

Set in the 1970s, the ensemble, single-camera comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as they navigate big and small changes during one of America’s most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.” Times are changing and this family will never be the same. The series is inspired by the childhood of writer and executive producer Tim Doyle.

It stars Michael Cudlitz as Mike Cleary, Mary McCormack as Peggy Cleary, Sam Straley as Lawrence, Caleb Martin Foote as Eddie, Sawyer Barth as Frank, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey, Jack Gore as Timmy, Andy Walken...

The Columbine massacre happened in 1999. It’s crazy to think it’s been over twenty years because we seem to have a new school shooting every month now. And as they grew in prevalence, the conversation surrounding them shifted from tragedy to politicization. Gus Van Sant’s Elephant arrived in 2003 as a poetic psychological display unconcerned with pretending to know answers. It documented the experience of this tragic event as an emotional confluence between troubled souls on both sides of the gun — the mundane taking on meaning beyond its façade. With the help of a 24-hour news cycle, however, this notion of problematic complexity has been erased. Now it’s monster versus victim. It’s mental illness versus gun control. The empathy necessary to solve this terrifying epidemic ceases to exist.

Choosing to tell a story on this subject in 2018 must therefore combat many more prejudices and preconceptions than at...

Being a teenager is hard. We’ve all been through it and survived, coming out the other end hopefully a healthy and curious adult. For some though, it can be literal hell on Earth, with potentially deadly issues. This week, one such independent film opens that seeks to tackle it. It’s called And Then I Go, a drama that tackles some truly important things. There’s a fine line to walk between examination and exploitation, but this movie does it quite well. In fact, it’s one of the more surprising indies of 2018 so far. It really sneaks up on you and leaves its mark. Consider me impressed. The movie is a character study of sorts, focused in on teenagers and how bullying/exclusion can lead to tragic results. This is the IMDb plot synopsis: “In the cruel world of junior high, Edwin suffers in a state of anxiety...

The Orchard’s “And Then I Go” culminates in a school shooting carried out by a pair of eighth graders, a story that has only grown more relevant since its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival last June. Arman Darbo plays Edwin, a distressed outcast with loving parents (Justin Long and Melanie Lynskey) and a caring principal (Tony Hale, two-time Emmy-winner for “Veep”). His lone friend since kindergarten is Robby, aka “Flake” (Sawyer Barth, “Bridge of Spies”), whose father collects firearms.

Jokes about getting back at their locker-jamming bullies transform into concrete plans to kill classmates. Still, the film “isn’t elegiac or fatalistic, nor is it a dread-filled slog toward an inevitable conclusion. There are glimmers of hope along the way,” wrote IndieWire’s Michael Nordine in his B review, likening the film to Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”

Brett Haley and Jim Shepard...

"You've got to help me with this kid, Budzinski." The Orchard has debuted a trailer for the indie drama And Then I Go, directed by Vincent Grashaw, based on Jim Shepard's novel "Project X". The film stars Arman Darbo and Sawyer Barth as friends in middle school. "In the cruel world of junior high, two friends suffer in a state of anxiety and alienation. Misunderstood by their families and demoralized at school, their fury simmers quietly until an idea for vengeance offers them a terrifying release." The full cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Tony Hale, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz, Royalty Hightower, Michael Abbott Jr., and Sean Bridgers. This played at a number of smaller film festivals last year, and is going straight to VOD for release. It looks like a strong indie film about growing up as an awkward kid in school. Here's the official Us trailer (+ posters...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Abundant Acreage Available (Angus MacLachlan)

Faith-based cinema is as diverse a genre as there is, from the extreme, often violent portraits of devotion from established directors like Martin Scorsese and Mel Gibson, to the attacks on logic in the God’s Not Dead and Left Behind pictures. Angus MacLachlan, a great storyteller of the not-too-deep south, offers a nuanced example of what this genre can bring, returning with the moving Abundant Acreage Available.

As summer cools down, we’re entering perhaps the best time of year for cinephiles, with a variety of festivals — some of which will hold premieres of our most-anticipated 2017 features — gearing up. As we do each year, after highlighting the best films offered thus far, we’ve set out to provide a comprehensive preview of the fall titles that should be on your radar, and we’ll first take a look at selections whose quality we can attest to. These acclaimed 25 films from Sundance, Cannes, Berlinale and more will arrive between September and December (in the U.S.) and are all well worth seeking out.

Kill Me Please (Anita Rocha da Silveira; Sept. 1)

Following in a wave of cerebral psychological horror films such as The Witch, It Follows, and The Babadook, Anita Rocha da Silveira’s debut Kill Me Please is the latest art-horror film that’s concerned with the internal repercussions of trauma.

"If anyone asks, we're not friends!" The Orchard has debuted an official trailer for the film Super Dark Times, an indie thriller about a group of teens whose friendships is tested by a violent tragedy involving a samurai sword. This feels like a stylish new mix of Stand By Me and Donnie Darko, with a dash of "Stranger Things" thrown in, though the official description says it's a "meticulously observed look at teenage lives in the era prior to the Columbine High School massacre." Very interesting reference for the setting. The cast includes Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Sawyer Barth, Max Talisman, Elizabeth Cappuccino, and Amy Hargreaves. This looks damn good, I am very much looking forward to catching this. The main teen, Owen Campbell, is also the star of another underseen indie, As You Are. He's on the rise in a big way. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for...

Dark times fall on four high school friends after a traumatic event takes place in the woods involving a samurai sword. EW says that Super Dark Times is a beautifully made film about how the awkwardness of high school friendships and how they can feel like murder. You can check out the trailer and poster for the film here. Super Dark Times was directed by Kevin Phillips and this is what he had to say about the project:

“There was a time when the screenwriters [Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski] and I referred to the film’s genre as ‘nostalgia horror,’ but we moved away from that label,” Phillips says. “We were hoping to utilize ideas of nostalgia but dive a bit deeper and create a situation that audiences could relate to and hopefully be a bit hypnotized by.”

The story is set in 1995 suburbia and stars Owen Campbell (The Americans, Boardwalk Empire) and Charlie Tahan (Wayward Pines,...

Tony Sokol Aug 4, 2017

The new trailer for Super Dark Times hints at an intriguing high school horror. Take a look within...

“A harrowing but meticulously observed look at teenage lives in the era prior to the Columbine High School massacre,” reads the official synopsis for Super Dark Times, director Kevin Phillips’ feature debut - his 2015 short film, Too Cool For School, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to enthusiastic reviews.

Set in 1995 suburbia, Super Dark Times stars Owen Campbell (The Americans, Boardwalk Empire) and Charlie Tahan (Wayward Pines, Love Is Strange) as the two best friends. It also features Amy Hargreaves (13 Reasons Why), Max Talisman (Orange Is The New Black), Elizabeth Cappuccino (Jessica Jones), and Sawyer Barth (Public Morals).

The trailer hints at a traumatic event in the woods that involves four high school students and a samurai sword, but the advance press hints the film is more about shifting dynamics of high school.

A seemingly unplanned moment of violence drives the harrowing teen drama Super Dark Times, the Kevin Phillips pic that debuted at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and gets a trailer release from the Orchard today. Watch it above.

“The film’s about some friends, and they kind of get into some shit with a samurai sword,” Phillips told Deadline during the fest in April. “It’s an accident, and it leads to a disaster — for not only their friendship but for their lives and for their young brains, I think. It just starts spiraling from there, and the guilt and paranoia that’s associated with this tragedy takes a toll.”

Directed by first-time feature helmer Phillips from a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, Super Dark Times stars Owen Campbell and Charlie Tahan as best friends growing up in an Upstate New York suburb in the 1990s, where...

Kevin Phillips’ feature directorial debut is a knock-out. There’s no other way to put it, really. Comparison is being made by many to Stand By Me, but I think it’s closer to Jacob Estes’ 2004 thriller Mean Creek. To talk about either film, the same spoiler is unavoidable: a bully dies, accidentally, and the rest of the film is how the characters deal with it. Where the two films depart is that fallout and the tone therein. Mean Creek handles how the guilt can consume you, and while Super Dark Times absolutely deals with that, the manifestation of it is drastically different. It’s strange, occasionally comedic, and always intriguing.

Teen friends Josh (Charlie Tahan) and Zach (Owen Campbell) are watching scrambled porn on a tube TV and discussing girls at school. Ahh, the 90’s. As boys do, they ride their bikes to get snacks at a quick stop,...

And Then I Go Review And Then I Go (2017) Film Review from the 23rd Annual Los Angeles Film Festival, a movie directed by Vincent Grashaw, starring Arman Darbo, Sawyer Barth, Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Tony Hale, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz, Royalty Hightower, [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: And Then I Go: An Unflinching Drama That Hesitates At The End [La Film Festival 2017]...

Super Dark Times? How about Super Fuckin’ Dark Kick-Your-Teeth-In Stressful No Good Very Bad Times. Writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski construct a backyard crime drama – like if Brick followed a cover-up instead of investigation – while debut filmmaker Kevin Phillips acts as visionary/our soul’s executioner. You know what’s going to happen. It’s obvious. That still doesn’t keep this maliciously pitch-black thriller from ripping your guts out, locked eye-to-eye all the while. Tension is tighter than a leather gag and adolescent unpreparedness heightens reaction. Choke on your fancy words, because there’s only one phrase that captures our reaction – holy shit. Savage, sincere and so very unsettling.

Collins and Piotrowski open on death – a dear carcass that’s been dragged into a school cafeteria. It’s a short intro that leads into Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) sitting on a basement sofa, discussing boyhood pleasantries.

Set in an familiar and ambiguous time and place (mid-90s in anytown USA), Super Dark Times functions as a kind of trojan house until its twist. Delivering horror thrills, the Kevin Phillips-directed feature first and foremost invests in character development as an effective and sympathetic coming-of-age story until it lives up to its title. We follow four friends Zach (Owen Campbell), Josh (Charlie Tahan), Daryl (Max Talisman), and Charlie (Sawyer Barth) as they have mild, seemingly innocent adventures: watching scrambled pay-per-view softcore porn, playing 8-bit video games, biking over an abandoned bridge, and ultimately stealing from Josh’s brother. The last part doesn’t end well and it is impossible to discuss the film without spoiling the twist.

Before I provide fair warning and get into spoilers I’ll simply say Super Dark Times delivers on its premise. Virtually free from quirk and black humor, the film is an effective,...

Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, and Elizabeth Cappuccino go through some Super Dark Times in Kevin Phillips' Tribeca-premiering feature debut. Also starring Max Talisman, Sawyer Barth and Amy Hargreaves, the harrowing feature follows Zach and Josh, two teenage best friends growing up in mid-'90s suburbia whose lives are forever changed following an unexpected and horrific moment of violence. "The film's about some friends, and they kind of get into some sh*t with a samurai…...

The 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival kicks off this April in New York, and horror fans attending the cinematic gathering have plenty of titles to look forward to, including the world premiere of Mickey Keating's Psychopaths.

From the Press Release: "Tribeca’s Midnight section is the destination for late night audiences to discover the best in psychological thriller, horror, sci-fi, and cult cinema. This year’s six selections offer new genre experiences for even the most extreme viewer.

Devil's Gate, directed by Clay Staub, written by Peter Aperlo, Clay Staub. (Canada, USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Struggling to overcome a recent professional tragedy, a tough-as-nails FBI agent (Amanda Schull) relocates to a small North Dakota town to investigate the disappearance of a local woman and her young son. The search leads to the missing woman’s husband’s (Milo Ventimiglia) secluded farm, on which answers, new mysteries, and God-fearing terrors await.

We’ve seen Jeffrey Donovan‘s future, and it involves a starring role on Hulu’s next original series.

The Burn Notice/Fargo alum has been cast in Shut Eye, a dark comedy about the underground world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them.

RelatedHugh Laurie Drama Chance Picked Up for Two Seasons at Hulu

Donovan will star as Charlie Haverford, a failed magician who now works as a psychic and con man overseeing a number of the city’s fortune-telling parlors. When he suffers a blow to the head, Charlie begins to...

One Tree Hill and Dexter alum Bethany Joy Lenz has been tapped as the female lead opposite Andrew Buchan in TNT’s drama pilot from writer Aron Eli Coleite and Jerry Bruckheimer TV. Rounding out the cast of the thriller are Bruce Greenwood (Thirteen Days) and Benito Martinez (The Shield), Nicole Muñoz (Defiance), and Roberta Colindrez (Birdman). In addition to Buchan, they join previously announced JoBeth Williams, Harris Dickinson and Sawyer Barth. Home delves into the…...

Broadchurch‘s Andrew Buchan and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, Dexter) are set to star along with Harris Dickinson (Some Girls) and Sawyer Barth (Public Morals, Black Box) in TNT pilot Home, a dramatic thriller from writer Aron Eli Coleite and Jerry Bruckheimer TV. Home delves into the secrets lingering behind the façade of a seemingly idyllic suburban family. Rose Altman couldn't be happier: An accomplished designer with a successful business, the newly pregnant Rose is…...

Broadchurch‘s Andrew Buchan is heading into the eye of another familial storm, joining TNT’s dramatic pilot Home as the male lead, TVLine has learned.

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Additionally, JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist), Harris Dickinson (Some Girls) and Sawyer Barth (Black Box) have landed co-starring roles in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced project, which delves into the secrets lingering behind the façade of a seemingly idyllic suburban family.

Home centers on the not-yet-cast Rose Altman, an accomplished designer with a successful business who is expecting a child with husband Joe (Buchan), a highly regarded prison psychologist.