On this day in movie history – The Humans (2021 movie & play):

The Humans

directed and written by Stephen Karam,

based on the play by Stephen Karam,

was released in the United States on September 12, 2021.
Music by Nico Muhly.

Cast:

Jayne Houdyshell, Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Steven Yeun, June Squibb.

Recommended reading:

The Humans

Play by Stephen Karam.

Published by Nick Hern Books.

ISBN-10: 1848427980

ISBN-13: 978-1848427983

Description:

Three generations of the Blake family have assembled for Thanksgiving in Brigid and Richard’s ramshackle pre-war apartment in Lower Manhattan. Whilst the event may have a slightly improvised air, the family is determined to make the best of its time together. As they attempt to focus on the traditional festivities, fears of the past and pressures of the future seep into the reunion and the precariousness of their position becomes increasingly evident.

Stephen Karam’s blisteringly funny and bruisingly sad drama, The Humans, is a stunning portrayal of the human condition; a family at its best and worst navigating the challenges of everyday life.

On this day in movie history - Ennio (2021):

Ennio

documentary directed and written by Giuseppe Tornatore,

released at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on September 10, 2021.

Music by Ennio Morricone.

Cast:

Ennio Morricone, Gino Paoli, Quincy Jones, Miranda Martino, Alessandro De Rosa, Gianni Morandi, Nicola Piovani, Pat Metheny, Giuliano Montaldo, Bruce Springsteen, Bernardo Bertolucci, Silvano Agosti, Roland Joffé, Dario Argento, Clint Eastwood, Lina Wertmüller, Caterina Caselli, Walter Branchi, Alessandro Alessandroni, Bruno Battisti D'Amario, Edoardo Vianello, Sergio Miceli, Goffredo Petrassi, Daniele Furlati, Boris Porena, Enrico Pieranunzi, Igor Stravinsky, Carlo Savina, Ettore Zappegno, Eva Fischer, John Cage, Giuseppe Tornatore, Gianni Meccia, Franco Migliacci, Edda Dell'Orso, Bruno Zambrini, Tonino Poce, Paul Anka, Chet Baker, Luciano Salce, Sergio Leone, Carlo Verdone, Roberto Faenza, Sergio Bassetti, Marco Bellocchio, Raffaella Leone, John Huston, Dino De Laurentiis, Gillo Pontecorvo, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Enzo Ocone, Barry Levinson, Quentin Tarantino, Sergio Sollima, Mina, Marina Cicogna, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Dino Asciolla, Antonello Neri, Franco Piersanti, Elio Petri, Paul Simonon, Alberto Lattuada, Liliana Cavani, Dulce Pontes, Hans Zimmer, Stanley Kubrick, Enzo G. Castellari, Furio Colombo, Joan Baez, John Williams, Antonio Pappano, Wong Kar-Wai, Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani, Marco Tullio Giordana, Valerio Zurlini, Terrence Malick, Mychael Danna, Andrea Leone, Claudio Mancini, Robert De Niro, David Puttnam, Herbie Hancock, Gilda Buttà, Oliver Stone, Maria Travia, Fabio Venturi, Marco Biscarini, Phil Joanou, Mike Patton, Zucchero, James Hetfield, 2Cellos, Patti Austin, Chris Botti, Tituss Burgess, Walter Chiari, Coolio, Leonardo DiCaprio, Down Low, Emma Marrone, Mireille Mathieu, Metallica, Bette Midler, Muse, Eddie Redmayne, Tim Roth, Béatrice Schönberg, Ridley Scott, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Patrick Swayze, Totò, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jonathan Tunick.

On this day in movie history - The Card Counter (2021):

The Card Counter

directed and written by Paul Schrader,

was released in the United States on September 10, 2021.
Music by Robert Levon Been and Giancarlo Vulcano.

Cast:

Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe, Alexander Babara, Bobby C. King, Ekaterina Baker, Bryan Truong, Dylan Flashner, Adrienne Lau, Joel Michaely, Rachel Michiko Whitney, Muhsin Fliah, Joseph Singletary, Kirill Sheynerman, Amia Edwards, Britton Webb, Amye Gousset, Dior Choi, Billy Slaughter, Shane LeCocq, Olivia Peck, Rob Eubanks, April Alsbury, Mike Aston, Lucky Belcamino, William Buster Benefield, Michael Biss, Jayden Braddock, John Ceallach, Danny Chung, Luca De Massis, Douglas DeLisle, Craig Deroche, Marlon Hayes, Jeremy Howard, Hassel Kromer, Don Lay, Lamar Lott, Alireza Mirmontazeri, Skylar Neale, Sherri Piper, Nita Procell, Fran Robertson, Brittney Souther, Joey Traywick, Alfonzo Walker, Marcus Wayne, Kate Lyn Whitaker, Calvin Williams.

On this day in movie history - Last Night in Soho (2021):

Last Night in Soho

directed by Edgar Wright,

written by Eddie Richey,

based on a story by Edgar Wright,

was released at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on September 4, 2021.
Music by Steven Price.

Cast:

Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Diana Rigg, Matt Smith, Terence Stamp, Aimee Cassettari, Rita Tushingham, Colin Mace, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen, Jessie Mei Li, Kassius Nelson, Rebecca Harrod, Alan Mahon, Connor Calland, Pauline McLynn, Josh Zaré, Jacqui-Lee Pryce, Elizabeth Berrington, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Beth Singh, Paul Brightwell, Will Rogers, Terence Frisch, Celeste Dring, Jeanie Wishes, Andrew Bicknell, Adam Sopp, Richard Corgan, Michael Mears, Tom Hartwell, Paul Hamilton, Wayne Cater, Sam Claflin, Sam Parks, Alan Ruscoe, Margaret Nolan, Christopher Carrico, Kent Goldfinch, Ian Harrod, Ian Hartley, Luke Hope, Daniel Maggott, Richard O’Sullivan, Michael Jibson, Lisa McGrillis, Al Roberts, Derek Lea, Melissa Fox, Jodie Hassell, Stephanie Lamey, Amy Andrea, Alison Parsons, Ashley Shaw.

On this day in movie history - The Automat (2021):

The Automat

documentary directed by Lisa Hurwitz,

written by Michael Levine,

released at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States on September 2, 2021.
Music by Hummie Mann.

Cast:

Mel Brooks, John W. Romas, Carl Reiner, Krystyna Romas, Alec Shuldiner, Wilson Goode / W. Wilson Goode Sr., Elliott Gould, Howard Schultz, Norris Horn, Steve Stollman, Roy Rosenbaum, Marianne Hardart, Lorraine Diehl, Lisa Keller, Edwin K. Daly Jr., Bill Romas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Paul Hardart, Apache Ramos, Ron Barrett, Jack Benny, John Fritsche, Joseph Horn, George Coe, Lisa Hurwitz.

On this day in movie history - La voz humana a.k.a. The Human Voice (2021 movie & play):

La voz humana

a.k.a. The Human Voice,

directed by Luis Fernandez,

based on the play The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau,

released in the United States on July 27, 2021.

Cast: Carlota Sosa.

Recommended reading:

The Human Voice

Play by Jean Cocteau.

Translated by Daniel Raggett.

Published by Oberon Books.

Oberon Modern Plays.

First published 1929.

ISBN-10: 1786826542

ISBN-13: 978-1786826541

Description:

'I'm whispering into your ear – and we couldn't be further apart.'

A woman, a phone call, a final conversation. In this extraordinary and prophetic monologue, a woman fights for the person she loves. Jean Cocteau's iconic play explores our desperate need for human relationships – and the machine that has changed them forever.

On this day in movie history - Fear and Loathing in Aspen (2021):

Fear and Loathing in Aspen

directed and written by Bobby Kennedy III,

was released in the United States on July 23, 2021.
Music by Wayne Kramer.

Cast:

Jay Bulger, Cheryl Hines, Laird Macintosh, Amaryllis Fox, Maxwell Loeb, Emily Garnet, Lincoln Nemeth, Paul Morgan, James Chambers, Henry Dills, Mac Hedges, Dabbs Anderson, Danny Power, Bobby Kennedy III, Weston Cage Coppola, Blair Carlyle, Carlo Lombardi, Kick Kennedy, Alexis Kelley, Charlie Oldman, Peyton Morse, Uma von Wittkamp, Maggie Nixon, Tage Plantell, Maya Ferrario, Micah Flamm, John Harper, Blake Lindsley, Damian Lund.

On this day in movie history - Pig (2021):

Pig

directed and written by Michael Sarnoski,

based on a story by Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski,

was released in the United States on July 16, 2021.

Music by Alexis Grapsas and Philip Klein.

Cast:

Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Cassandra Violet, Julia Bray, Elijah Ungvary, Beth Harper, Brian Sutherland, David Shaughnessy, Gretchen Corbett, Sean Tarjyoto, Darius Pierce, Kevin Michael Moore, Tom Walton, Davis King, Nina Belforte, David Knell, Adam Arkin, Dana Millican, Dalene Young, October Moore, Brandy (the pig), Cody Burns, Parker Green, Carlo Hernandez, Josh C. Logan, Kent W. Luttrell, Anita Marier, Troy Oelke, Baka Prase, Bill Salfelder, Jamie Martin Stewart, Kieran Thomas, Daniel Vasic, Christian Wilson.

On this day in movie history - The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021):

The Story of Film: A New Generation

a two-part documentary directed and written by Mark Cousins,

was released at the Cannes Film Festival in France on July 6, 2021.
Narrated by Mark Cousins.

On this day in movie history - With/In (2021):

With/In

Anthology in two volumes.

Segment titles:

Coco and Gigi. I’m Listening. In the Air. Intersection. Leap. Mother! Neighborhood Watch. Nuts. One Night Stand. Shell Game. Still Life. Touching. Twenty Questions.

Directed by:

Jonathan Cake, Bill Camp, Chris Cooper, Griffin Dunne, Bart Freundlich, Gina Gershon, Sebastian Gutierrez, Sanaa Lathan, Elizabeth Marvel, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Nivola, Rosie Perez, Maya Singer, Morgan Spector, Mickey Sumner.

Written by:

Portia A. Buckley, Jonathan Cake, Griffin Dunne, Bart Freundlich, Gina Gershon, Sebastian Gutierrez, Arliss Howard, Marianne Leone, Michael Lindley, Margaret Nagle, Sam Nivola, Zonia Pelensky, Rosie Perez, Maya Singer.

Released at the Tribeca Film Festival in the United States.

Volume 1 shown on June 13, 2021.

Volume 2 shown on June 14, 2021.

Cast:

Talia Balsam, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Justina Machado, Julianne Moore, Rosie Perez, Maya Singer, Morgan Spector, Taj Swaminathan-Sipp, Adrianne Palicki, Elizabeth Marvel, Carla Gugino, Gina Gershon, Emily Mortimer, Debra Winger, Alessandro Nivola, Julianne Nicholson, Griffin Dunne, Chris Cooper, Bill Camp, Jonathan Cake, Arliss Howard, Trudie Styler, Mickey Sumner, Sam Nivola, Marianne Leone, Fuschia Sumner, May Nivola, Zonia Pelensky, Phoebe Cake, Iggy Cake, Silas Camp.

On this day in music history:

Hummingbird by 2002 (2021)

Where the Action Is... by Sue Foley (2002)

Hummingbird

Album by 2002,

released June 11, 2021.

Track list: Rainbow Cove; Walela; Gathering the Clouds; Sunlight in the Rain; Sacred Mountain; Through the Rainbow; Courting the Moon; Jasmine Rain; Wind Dancer; First Day of Spring.

Where the Action Is...

Album by Sue Foley,

released June 11, 2002.

Track list: Where The Action Is; Vertigo Blues; Love Disease; Two Bluebirds; Stupid Girl; Let It Go; Every Hour; Baby Where Are You; Get Yourself Together; Roll With Me Henry; Down The Big Road Blues; Gotta Keep Moving.

Recommended reading - Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, by Eddie Muller (2021):

Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir

by Eddie Muller (2021).

Revised and Expanded Edition.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

ISBN: 9780762498970

ISBN-10: 0762498978

Description:

This revised and expanded edition of Eddie Muller's Dark City is a film noir lover's bible, taking readers on a tour of the urban landscape of the grim and gritty genre in a definitive, highly illustrated volume.

Named by The Hollywood Reporter one of the "100 Greatest Film Books of All Time!"

Dark City expands with new chapters and a fresh collection of restored photos that illustrate the mythic landscape of the imagination. It's a place where the men and women who created film noir often find themselves dangling from the same sinister heights as the silver-screen avatars to whom they gave life. Eddie Muller, host of Turner Classic Movies' Noir Alley, takes readers on a spellbinding trip through treacherous terrain: Hollywood in the post-World War II years, where art, politics, scandal, style -- and brilliant craftsmanship -- produced a new approach to moviemaking, and a new type of cultural mythology.

Recommended reading - Golden Age Detective Stories (2021):

Golden Age Detective Stories

Edited by Otto Penzler.

Published by American Mystery Classics.

Published 2021.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1613162162

ISBN-13: 978-1613162163

Description:

"In addition to well-known contributors, such as Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner, Penzler presents memorable tales from the lesser-known [...] This sampler is an easy gateway to other volumes in this high-quality series." – Publishers Weekly.

"For some readers, the book will be a walk down memory lane, or a way to reconnect with writers they haven’t visited in a while; for others, it’s a wonderful introduction to some new writers―people who not only excelled at mystery fiction, but who also helped create and define the genre. The book belongs on the shelf of any true mystery fan, and in the collection of every library’s mystery section." – Booklist.

"Exemplary." – Kirkus.

The greatest detectives of the Golden Age investigate the most puzzling crimes of the era.

Sometimes, the police aren’t the best suited to solve a crime. Depending on the case, you may find that a retired magician, a schoolteacher, a Broadway producer, or a nun have the necessary skills to suss out a killer. Or, in other cases, a blind veteran, or a publisher, or a hard-drinking attorney, or a mostly-sober attorney… or, indeed, any sort of detective you could think of might be able to best the professionals when it comes to comprehending strange and puzzling murders.

At least, that’s what the authors from the Golden Age of American mystery fiction would have you think. For decades in the middle of the twentieth century, the country’s best-selling authors produced delightful tales in which all types of eccentrics used rarified knowledge to interpret confounding clues. And for even longer, in the decades that have followed, these characters have continued to entertain new audiences with every new generation that discovers them.

Edgar Award-winning anthologist Otto Penzler selects some of the greatest American short stories from era. With authors including Ellery Queen, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Anthony Boucher, this collection is a treat for those who know and love this celebrated period in literary history, and a great introduction to its best writers for the uninitiated. Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs.

On this day in movie history - The Survivor (2021):

The Survivor

directed by Barry Levinson,

written by Justine Juel Gillmer,

was released in the United States on April 27, 2022.
Based on the book Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano, by Alan Scott Haft.
Also, the graphic novel The Boxer: The True Story of Holocaust Survivor Harry Haft, by Reinhard Kleist.
Music by Hans Zimmer.

Cast:

Ben Foster, Billy Magnussen, Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, Saro Emirze, Danny DeVito, John Leguizamo, Dar Zuzovsky, Laurent Papot, Paul Bates, Svetlana Kundish, Sonya Cullingford, Michael Epp, Erik Contzius, Kingston Vernes, Sophie Knapp, Zachary Golinger, Charles Brice, Scott Alexander Young, John Guerrasio, Pablo Raybould, Amalina Ace, Bálint Magyar, Márk Szekulesz, Aaron Serotsky, Miklós Kapácsy, Andrew Hefler, Kristóf Widder, Patrick McCullough, Peter Linka, Hans Peterson, Katia Bokor, Stephen Saracco, Björn Freiberg, Nikos Brisco, Alan Jouban, Adam Zambryzcki, András Kovács, Gábor Czap, Anthony Molinari, Zsolt Erdei, Zach Anderson, Árpád Antolik, Attila Arpa, Marc Alan Austen, Jeff Burhans, Sandy Burhans, Christian Carrigan, Jim Cleary, Karim Ghajji, Emerson Henley, Roderick Hill, Ken Holmes, Zámbó István, Colton Langan, Perla Middleton, Robert Myers, Cailyn Peddle, Peter Schueller, Marc Schöttner, Ferenc Iván Szabó, Balázs Veres, Conor William Wright, Lauren Yaffe.

On this day in music history - Lord of Light, by Fiona Joy Hawkins (2021):

Lord of Light

Song by Fiona Joy Hawkins,
released March 19, 2021.

On this day in movie history – Violet (2021):

Violet

directed and written by Justine Bateman,

was released at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the United States on March 18, 2021.
Music by Vum.

Cast:

Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey, Justin Theroux, Dennis Boutsikaris, Erica Ash, Zachary Gordon, Todd Stashwick, Bonnie Bedelia, Peter Jacobson, Jim O'Heir, Simon Quarterman, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Benedict, Keith Powers, Cassandra Cardenes, Al Madrigal, Rain Phoenix, Steve Agee, Anne Ramsay, Colleen Camp, Jason Dohring, Jordan Belfi, Federico Dordei, James C. Victor, Matt Ingebretson, Liliana Mijangos, Brooklynn MacKinzie, Jakari Fraser, Mason Wells, Kathleen Wilhoite, Annica Liljeblad, Joe D'Angerio, W. Tré Davis, Erin Cantelo, Jack Nicholls, Antonio Raul Corbo, Nicole Gabriella Scipione.

On this day in movie history - Land (2021):

Land

directed by Robin Wright,

written by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam,

was released in the United States on February 12, 2021.
Music by Ben Sollee and Time for Three.

Cast:

Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Sarah Dawn Pledge, Kim Dickens, Warren Christie, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, Brad Leland, Jordan Bullchild, Dave Trimble, Rikki-Lynn Ward, Mia McDonald, Barb Mitchell, Dennis Corrie, Valerie Planche, Laura Yenga, Randolph West, Darin Grisdale, Darren Poirier, Thomas Komarniski, Shawn Loo, Edmund Gee, Maureen Bronner, Matthew Godden, Jordan Gooden, Vattanak Khun, Bud Klasky, Faith Louissaint, Travis Gordon Phillips, Mike Richards, Jill Maria Robinson, Daniel D'Angelo Sparks, Steve Tsang, Travis Willier.