Joe Allen

New York

Movies and Television Writer at Freelance

Articles

The second season of Max's trippiest prestige series is now 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

1 week ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

The White Lotus season 3 was one of the most anticipated shows of 2025. Now that most of the season has aired, some sections of the audience have voiced their displeasure with the storytelling so far. Fans have flocked to social media with complaints about the pace of the plot, such as saying that most of the season is a buildup to what they expect to be a mediocre ending. They say the series should be binged rather than watched in weekly installments.
Ari Aster's Eddington seems to be a movie all about doomscrolling

1 week ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

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James Cameron thinks blockbusters can only survive if we 'cut the cost in half'

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

The space movie remains one of the most popular genres of big-budget filmmaking, and Ryan Gosling is no slouch either. Put the two together, and you might have a recipe for success (or you might have First Man, which was admittedly not aimed at a massive audience). Project Hail Mary, Gosling's next sci-fi movie, has officially wrapped filming according to its writer Drew Goddard.
Everything we know about 1944, the next Yellowstone spin-off

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

Table of Contents As one chapter in the Yellowstone story closes, another is getting set to open. The season 2 finale of 1923 was also the show’s series finale, but fear not! Taylor Sheridan is not abandoning his most popular universe. Instead, we’re getting 1944, a new show that chronicles a different era in the Dutton family.
Superman star Rachel Brosnahan has offered some new details on Clark and Lois's relationship

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

The first peaks at James Gunn’s Supermanthat we’ve gotten so far have suggested that there’s going to be plenty of kissing in the final film. Lois Lane is a crucial part of Superman’s story, but her role has varied from adaptation to adaptation. In a recent interview with Collider, Rachel Brosnahan, who plays her in this version of the story, has offered some new details about the nature of Lois and Clark’s relationship in the film. “They’ve been together for about three months,” she explained.
Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' features a slew of familiar faces

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

Wes Anderson is back, and he’s bringing many of his favorite actors with him. The trailer for Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme follows a father and daughter who set off on a whirlwind adventure together. Benicio Del Toro plays businessman Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, while Mia Therepleton plays his daughter, Sister Liesel.
Do we actually need a John Wick 5?

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

Table of Contents News broke this spring that John Wick was coming back to the big screen. John Wick 5was confirmed, as was the news that John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski would be back for the new film. This surprise franchise, which started with a 2014 film that became a cult phenomenon, has grossed more money with each subsequent installment.
Elijah Wood says 'Lord of the Rings' did not pay a 'massive' salary

3 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Ringstrilogy made a lot of people a lot of money, but as it turns out, the film’s stars were not among the people receiving huge paychecks. In a recent interview with Business Insider, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the trilogy, confirmed that he and the rest of the cast did not receive a ton of money to be in the movies, which famously took a full year to shoot.
David Fincher will direct Brad Pitt in a 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' sequel

3 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

David Fincher is reuniting with one of the defining stars of his career. Variety is reporting that Fincher will direct Brad Pitt in a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film, which comes from a script from Quentin Tarantino, does not have an official title and is apparently being set up at Netflix. Pitt will reprise his role as stuntman Cliff Booth, who may have killed his wife.
April binge guide: The best shows on Amazon Prime

3 weeks ago | themanual.com | Joe Allen

Even if you’ve picked a streaming service, it can be impossible to narrow down what you’re really looking for. If you’ve run out of the best Netflix movies and Netflix Original series to watch, you’ll need to find somewhere else to turn. Fortunately, Netflix is far from the only game in town. Anyone who uses Amazon Prime to get packages delivered to them quickly also has access to a library of fairly impressive shows and movies.