Actor, writer, director, and producer Fisher Stevens, who was just nominated for two Emmy Awards for co-directing and producing the Cannes 2016 Official Selection and HBO Documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, has joined RadicalMedia as an artist in residence.
His addition will continue to amplify RadicalMedia’s rapid expansion in premium entertainment programming. Stevens recently directed National Geographic’s critically acclaimed Before the Flood, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for co-directing and producing the documentary Crazy Love, and went on to win the Academy Award for producing the documentary The Cove in 2010. Joined by his producing partner Zara Duffy, Stevens will be based out of RadicalMedia’s New York office to develop and produce a slate of film and television projects together.
“The combination of experience, passion and commitment to quality storytelling that Fisher brings to the table is unique within the industry. His films have made a significant impact on a variety of important subjects and we’re honored to welcome him to the Radical family,” said Justin Wilkes, president of RadicalMedia Entertainment.
RadicalMedia, whose productions recently earned four Primetime Emmy nominations, has ten series and multiple documentary films in production, and yesterday it was announced that they are producing the TV project that has drawn legendary talk show host David Letterman out of retirement–a long-form interview program created with partner World Wide Pants to air in 2018 on Netflix. Also announced are new seasons of National Geographic’s MARS, IFC’s Stan Against Evil and EPIX’s American Divided; and new docuseries–The Untold Story of the 90s for History Channel, and two Joe Berlinger-directed true crime nonfiction series: Spike’s currently airing eight-part Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio (which debuted July 22) and SundanceTV’s Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders about the infamous crime that inspired Truman Capote’s seminal tome “In Cold Blood” (airing November 18 and 19, 2017).
“For years I’ve admired the work RadicalMedia has done. Just being in the space alone is inspiring," said Stevens. "I’m thrilled to be partnering with Justin, Jon (Kamen) and Frank (Scherma), whose creativity and passion know no bounds. I’m excited to create amazing work together.”
Stevens joins a lineup of top filmmakers who have partnered with RadicalMedia on a range of projects including Berlinger, Liz Garbus, Morgan Neville, Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio and Ron Howard. Their in-house post-production facility Outpost Digital also draws top creative talent, notably Cary Fukunaga, who cut Beasts of No Nation at RadicalMedia, and the makers of Netflix’s Chef’s Table and HBO’s miniseries, The Night Of.
RadicalMedia has had a string of recent back-to-back TV successes, including Hamilton’s America for PBS’ Great Performances, examining the creative force and history behind Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway megahit; Stan Against Evil, Dana Gould’s IFC comedy-horror series starring John C. McGinley and Janet Varney; the six-part National Geographic global event series MARS with partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment; and Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design and Oh, Hello On Broadway. RadicalMedia just received 2017 Emmy Award nominations for Year Million on National Geographic, Fear the Walking Dead: Passage for AMC and Doc & Darryl representing ESPN’s 30 for 30 docuseries.
Stevens has been in the entertainment business for more than 30 years. His recent acting includes roles in the HBO series Vice Principals, and The Night Of, NBC’s The Blacklist, as well as the Coen Brothers film Hail Caesar! and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. In addition to documentary films, Stevens has directed theatrical films (Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin) and Broadway theater (John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown). In 2010 Stevens co-founded Insurgent Media, producers of the 2012 SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary Beware of Mr. Baker, the critically acclaimed Blank City, American Masters’ Woody Allen: A Documentary and the Netflix Original Mission Blue, which he also directed. Stevens will direct the upcoming feature Palmer, which made the 2016 Blacklist.
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More