By William Earl According To The variety Dan Berk and Robert Olsen grew up obsessed with the golden era of ’80s action movies, worshipping box office hits like “Midnight Run,” “Lethal Weapon” and “Die Hard.” When they came across the script for a high-concept film named “Novocaine” — in which a mild-mannered man named Nate can’t feel pain and has to save his love interest from violent bank robbers — they loved the idea. But they were eager to add the humor and pathos that elevated their favorites. “There was something about those films where they’re very funny, yet they don’t lose their stakes,” Olsen says. “They’re not such a comedy that they don’t care about the characters. They have protagonists you get to know.” Luckily, Berk and Olsen, who had previously written and directed ...

By Naman Ramachandran According To The variety BookMyShow India’s Red Lorry Film Festival has landed a prestigious opening night selection with “September 5,” the Oscar-nominated drama that recreates ABC’s live coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack. The announcement comes as the festival, now in its second year, expands to include screenings in both Mumbai and Hyderabad from March 21-23. Directed by Tim Fehlbaum and distributed by Paramount Pictures, “September 5” immerses viewers in the claustrophobic confines of ABC Sports’ broadcasting station during the infamous hostage crisis, where journalists found themselves just hundreds of feet from the unfolding tragedy. BookMyShow India’s Red Lorry Film Festival has landed a prestigious ope...

By Adam B. Vary According To The variety In the indie comedy “She’s the He,” which premiered at SXSW on Sunday, high school seniors Alex and Ethan decide during the last week of school to pretend they’re trans so they can sneak into the women’s locker room. If that sounds like a premise lifted right out of MAGA-era attacks on trans rights, it’s because it is — that’s the point. First-time writer-director Siobhan McCarthy dreamed up the idea just over a year ago, in February 2024, after discovering online that the one high school comedy that spoke to them as a teenager — the 2006 Amanda Bynes comedy “She’s the Man” — was just as formative for many other trans kids. That led to a conversation with their friend, Will Geare (who co-edited “She’s the He” with McCarthy)...