Weekend Picks, 08/18/23

Five film-related recommendations you’ll love, coming at you every weekend.

This week: The Exorcist, AI, scary sounds, and more.


“‘This Is an Existential Threat’: Will AI Really Eliminate Actors and Ruin Hollywood? Insiders Sound Off,” Todd Spangler (Variety)

Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of the WGA strike in Hollywood right now. It threatens jobs, creativity, and studios are seemingly okay with that if it helps their bottom line. This article from Variety takes a look at what’s at stake as the two sides continue to fight in this battle for the soul—or elimination of it—of Tinseltown.

Read the article here.


The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fright, Nat Segaloff

With the recent passing of director William Friedkin this book’s release is perfectly timed for diving deep into his most well-known film. The Exorcist Legacy uses interviews and personal papers to craft a story spanning from 1949, when the real-life exorcism that inspired the film took place, all the way to the present, where the film remains one of the scariest things ever put on screen. If you’re a horror fan this book is a must read.

Pick up a copy of The Exorcist Legacy here.


Robert De Niro Films, Ranked

On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Far Out has taken on the Herculean task of ranking the 100+ films that make up Robert De Niro’s monumental career. Filled with gems (and a few clunkers), this list will remind you just how impressive the actor’s filmography is.

Read it here.


A24’s Trailer for the Stop Making Sense Re-Release

Next month A24 is bringing what is arguably the best concert film ever back into theaters in a fully restored 4K IMAX format. Stop Making Sense, the collaboration between Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads, is a creative masterpiece that is quite an experience, even on a small screen. It’s sometimes parodied, often praised, and no matter how many times you’ve seen it it’s always fantastic. Whether you’re a Talking Heads fan or not, you’ll love this film. Check out the trailer:


Maestro Trailer

Headlining next month’s New York Film Festival and heading to Netflix in December, Maestro tells the story of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein. It stars and is directed by Bradley Cooper, and by the looks of this new trailer is going to be in the hunt when the Oscars roll around. Check it out: