Production Updates & Trailers
Heavy week for upcoming-film tracking: @thefilmstage debuted or surfaced trailers for Kiyoshi Kurosawa's France-set 'Serpent's Path' (opening September) [[1], via retweet], Rinko Kikuchi Sundance winner 'Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!' (September) [2], Maika Monroe gothic horror 'Victorian Psycho' (September, with Cannes review link) [3], and Olivia Colman/Peter Dinklage sci-fi 'Wicker' (October, shot by The Brutalist's Lol Crawley) [4]. Posters arrived for Robert Eggers' 'Werwulf' [5] and Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' (opening Sept. 9) [6]. Lance Hammer's 'Queen at Sea' — his first film in nearly two decades — received an October 30 theatrical date, quoting a February Berlinale review post [7]. Andrew Scott's first look in Simon Stone's 'Elsinore' was revealed, set for a November 20 release after a TIFF premiere [8]. The most-liked post in this set was the Lee Chang-dong announcement — 'PossibleLove' will hit theaters October 23 and arrive on Netflix November 6 — which drew ~39k views and 1,010 likes [9].
Film Reviews & Criticism
On the review front, Matt Johnson's Anthony Bourdain biopic 'Tony' is praised as 'less of a standard biopic and more of a film about how a small period of time can end up shaping a person' [10]. Gregg Araki's 'I Want Your Sex' is framed as 'a plea to the younger generation to chill out and have more sex,' with the review arguing 'the alternative of being old and reflecting on missed opportunities is far more painful' [11]. Karim Aïnouz's 'Rosebush Pruning' is called 'a reminder of how difficult it can be to mold nihilistic characters into darkly attractive protagonists' [12]. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'The Samurai and the Prisoner' earns a Critic's Pick designation, noted as a 'stately, contemplative' film that 'delights in subverting genre expectations to fascinating effects' [13].
Cinematheque & Repertory Screenings
NYC repertory programming was the focus of several posts linking to a weekend watch guide. Highlights include: Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Charisma' screening on ultra-rare 35mm at js_film_nyc with the director in a Q&A [14]; Franco Piavoli's 'Nostos: The Return,' called the best adaptation of 'The Odyssey,' at Spectacle NYC [15]; Visconti's 'White Nights' in a 4K restoration at Film Forum [16]; Nicholas Ray's 'Rebel Without a Cause,' 'Bigger Than Life,' and 'Party Girl' on 35mm at Roxy Cinema [17]; and MoMA's Silent Movie Week featuring Lubitsch, Chaplin, and Raoul Walsh [18].
Home Media & Streaming Releases
Streaming curation was robust. Sophy Romvari's 'Blue Heron,' called 'one of 2026's essential films,' arrived on the Criterion Channel [19]. The week's streaming guide noted 'Disclosure Day' on digital, 'Eephus' on Prime Video, 'Close Your Eyes' on Film Movement+, and 'April' on MUBI and Metrograph at Home [20]. A second weekly guide highlighted films by John Early and Lucrecia Martel on digital, 'The Drama' on HBO Max, and more [21]. The standout post — ~54k views and 441 likes — announced that 'Neon Genesis Evangelion,' 'Evangelion: Death (True)²,' and 'The End of Evangelion' all come to the Criterion Channel on September 1 [22].
Festival & Premiere Coverage
Festival news centered on NYFF: the 2026 poster designed by Marcel Dzama was unveiled [23], and Tony Gilroy's 'Behemoth!' was announced as the Centerpiece selection, marking its world premiere at the 64th NYFF [24]. Ahead of a Venice debut, @thefilmstage premiered an exclusive trailer for 'The Cat Wakes Up And Yawns; Then Love' [25]. Claire Denis' 'The Fence' — reviewed at TIFF — received a surprise theatrical opening at IFC Center on August 7, a move that drew an alarmed reaction from critic Bilge Ebiri when retweeted [26].
Also this week
Interviews & Filmmaker Discourse (~0%): The week's marquee interview was Gregg Araki, who spoke with @tylekurner about 'I Want Your Sex,' Madonna, Mapplethorpe, and gooning. His most-quoted line — and the author's most-discussed post at 367 likes and ~25k views — was a provocative urging of the young generation: 'I think it's sad, the idea of these young guys not having sex with boys, girls, anybody... go out of your house and experience a life while you're young, as opposed to you're going to be, like, 50 one day and go,
