News

Interview: Daniel Bruhl is “The Alienist” on TNT

Published

6 years ago

February 11, 2018

For Daniel Bruhl, being cast as the title character in TNT’s new series “The Alienist” was a dream come true. The actor, who has a historian’s fascination with the past, could hardly believe the luck of being cast in a period crime drama set in New York, and the complexity of his character made the role even more thrilling.

“The Alienist” centers on Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist in 1896 New York, who finds himself involved in the investigation of a string of brutal murders. The victims, all young boys who had been pulled into the city’s sex trade, have been horribly mutilated, and Kreizler believes that by studying the murders he and his colleagues can create a psychological portrait of who the killer is and aid in his capture.

But how does one prepare for a role that requires not only an understanding of a time period, but also the the practice of psychology in its infancy? It was a challenging question, but one that the actor was keen to answer.

“I was mesmerized by the book by Caleb Carr,” Bruhl told me when we chatted earlier this week. “I was gripped by it and these wonderful characters who are all pioneers exploring fields that we now take for granted.”

And so, his preparation began. He began to read about the history of New York and the political climate in the late 1800s while simultaneously reading the work of Freud and Jung.

It also helped that the actor’s wife is a psychologist and was able to give him insights into the history of its study and practice. In fact, it was one of those insights in particular that helped cement part of Dr. Kreizler’s personality.

“She told me that back in the day psychologists didn’t take part in what we now call instructive analysis,” he said. “Today, every shrink has to go to a psychologist themselves to help deal with the pressures of a profession which puts them face to face with people dealing with horrible mental illnesses, some of whom have done terrible things or had terrible things done to them.”

Psychologists or “alienists” as they were called at the time, did not readily have an outlet to deal with these pressures and it could take a heavy toll on them. Bruhl knew that this was key to understanding why Kreizler. so confident in analyzing others, became uncomfortable when the lens was turned upon himself.

With all of his preparation complete, the moment came to travel to Budapest where the series’ production crew had painstakingly recreated 19th century New York, and Bruhl recalls that he and his fellow actors were in awe of that creation.

Dakota Fanning, Daniel Bruhl, and Luke Evans in TNT’s “The Alienist” Photo by Kata Vermes

“I remember walking down Mulberry St. with Luke [Evans] the first time, and we were just enthralled by it,” he said. “The passion put into building these sets was amazing. In Kreizler’s house, every piece of furniture, every prop was from the time period and that, of course, made it easier for the actors to believe that we’re living and working in that time.”

But it wasn’t all backlots and manufactured sets. Budapest itself was a boon to the production team.

“There’s so much preserved architecture from that time period, especially for filming locations for the upper class scenes,” Bruhl explained. “I didn’t know Budapest before shooting, and I was surprised by how grand and pretty it really is.”

Filming on location also enabled Bruhl and his fellow actors time to really bond and get to know each other. An amazing chemistry comes through on screen, and Bruhl pointed out that much of that came from he and his fellow actors spending most of their time together.

“None of us lives in Budapest and we actually enjoyed hanging out together even when we weren’t working,” he said. “You wouldn’t do that if you didn’t like your colleagues. It was really remarkable.”

At the end of the day, Bruhl feels honored to have been part of a project like this, and is obviously hopeful to inhabit the world again should TNT want to adapt further books in the series.

“The Alienist” airs Monday nights on TNT (check local listings for time).

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

Published

1 hour ago

May 2, 2024

Timothy Rawles

atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

^{Airport ’75}

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

^Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

^Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

^{The Clovehitch Killer}

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

_Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

^Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Never Hike Alone 2’

Published

2 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Jacob Davison

There are fewer icons more recognizable than the slasher. Freddy Krueger. Michael Myers. Victor Crowley. Notorious killers who always seem to come back for more no matter how many times they are slain or their franchises seemingly put to a final chapter or nightmare. And so it seems that even some legal disputes cannot stop one of the most memorable movie murderers of all: Jason Voorhees!

Following the events of the first Never Hike Alone, outdoorsman and YouTuber Kyle McLeod (Drew Leighty) has been hospitalized after his encounter with the long thought dead Jason Voorhees, saved by perhaps the hockey masked killer’s greatest adversary Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) who now currently works as an EMT around Crystal Lake. Still haunted by Jason, Tommy Jarvis struggles to find a sense of stability and this latest encounter is pushing him to end the reign of Voorhees once and for all…

Never Hike Alone made a splash online as a well shot and thoughtful fan film continuation of the classic slasher franchise that was built up with the snowbound follow up Never Hike In The Snow and now climaxing with this direct sequel. It’s not only an incredible Friday The 13th love letter, but a well thought out and entertaining epilogue of sorts to the infamous ‘Tommy Jarvis Trilogy’ from within the franchise that encapsulated Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Even getting some of the original cast back as their characters to continue the tale! Thom Mathews being the most prominent as Tommy Jarvis, but with other series casting like Vincent Guastaferro returning as now Sheriff Rick Cologne and still having a bone to pick with Jarvis and the mess around Jason Voorhees. Even featuring some Friday The 13th alumni like Part III‘s Larry Zerner as the mayor of Crystal Lake!

On top of that, the movie delivers on kills and action. Taking turns that some of the previous fils never got the chance to deliver on. Most prominently, Jason Voorhees going on a rampage through Crystal Lake proper when he slices his way through a hospital! Creating a nice throughline of the mythology of Friday The 13th, Tommy Jarvis and the cast’s trauma, and Jason doing what he does best in the most cinematically gory ways possible.

The Never Hike Alone films from Womp Stomp Films and Vincente DiSanti are a testament to the fanbase of Friday The 13th and the still enduring popularity of those films and of Jason Voorhees. And while officially, no new movie in the franchise is on the horizon for the foreseeable future, at the very least there is some comfort knowing fans are willing to go to these lengths to fill the void.

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News

New Vampire Flick “Flesh of the Gods” Will Star Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac

Published

2 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

80s nostalgia is still going strong in the horror community. As proof of this, Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) is developing a new 80s themed vampire film. However, unlike some of the other nostalgia bait films that have come out recently, Flesh of the Gods is packing some serious talent.

First, the film is written by the legendary Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en). If that wasn’t enough, the film will star Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) and Kristen Stewart (Underwater).

Variety gives us a glimpse into the story line, stating that: “Flesh of the Gods is set in glittering ’80s L.A., where married couple Raoul (Oscar Isaac) and Alex (Kristen Stewart) each evening descend from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into the city’s electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with a mysterious and enigmatic figure known as Nameless and her hard-partying cabal, the pair are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.”

Cosmatos offers his own opinion of the film. “Like Los Angeles itself, ‘Flesh of the Gods’ inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare. Both propulsive and hypnotic, ‘Flesh’ will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”

Producer Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) seems to also be excited about The Flesh of the Gods. “This director, this writer, these incredible actors, vampires, choice ’80s punk, style and attitude for miles… that’s the film we’re bringing you today. We think it’s wildly commercial and wildly artful. Our ambitions are to make a movie that ripples through popular culture, fashion, music and film. Can you tell how excited I am?”

Flesh of the Gods is set to begin filming later this year. It will launch at Cannes with WME Independent, CAA Media Finance, and XYZ Films. The Flesh of the Gods does not currently have a release date.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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