Luke Korem (born November 1, 1982) is an American filmmaker whose credits include directing and producing the critically acclaimed music documentary Milli Vanilli, the Showtime series Action, and the SXSW award-winning documentary Dealt.[1][2][3][4] He produces under his production company banner, Keep On Running Pictures, based in Austin, Texas.
Career
[edit]In 2017, Korem directed and produced Dealt, a documentary featuring the life and career of Richard Turner, renowned as one of the world's greatest card magicians, who is completely blind.[5] Dealt premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, where it won the audience award for Best Documentary Feature.[6] The film was sold to IFC Films / Sundance Selects for distribution and received critical acclaim, accumulating a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.[7][8] Variety wrote that the film is "fascinating and multifaceted"; Film Threat said, "Director Luke Korem masterfully tells this story"; and The Playlist wrote that Dealt achieves "a height few films manage to reach".[9][10][11]
In 2019, Korem directed and executive-produced the four-part docuseries Action for Showtime.[12] It explores the lives of professional gamblers and bookies as they navigate the landmark 1992 Supreme Court ruling lifting the ban on sports gambling in America. The series debuted on March 24, 2019, and received positive critical reviews.[13] IndieWire wrote, "Action is a reminder that the margin between success and failure, like so many areas in this country in 2019, is slimmer than a lot of people pretend it is", and that the series "shows the agony and ecstasy of the multibillion dollar industry".[14]
In June 2023, Korem's music documentary Milli Vanilli premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and it was released globally by Paramount+ in October of that year.[15][16] The film received critical acclaim,[17][18] including a critic's pick by The New York Times, Variety, and The Times (UK).[19][20] Variety called it "a captivating and moving documentary", and The Daily Telegraph gave the film four stars and said it's "an absorbing blend of comedy and tragedy".[21] The International Documentary Association awarded Milli Vanilli as one of the best music documentaries of the year.[22] Milli Vanilli was produced by Korem's production company Keep On Running Pictures, in association with MRC and MTV Entertainment Studios.[23]
References
[edit]- ^ Kelley, Seth (March 18, 2017). "SXSW Announces 2017 Audience Award Winners". Variety. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (February 12, 2019). "Showtime Sets 'Action' Docuseries Exploring Legalization of Sports Gambling". Deadline. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Tsai, Martin (June 11, 2023). "Milli Vanilli Review: Doc Chronicles the Rise and Fall of Infamous Group". TheWrap. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Milli Vanilli – Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "'Dealt': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. August 31, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Kupecki, Josh. "SXSW Film Announces Audience Awards". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 29, 2017). "SXSW Winner 'Dealt' Ends Up in Sundance Selects' Hand". Deadline. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Dealt (2017), October 20, 2017, retrieved November 18, 2019
- ^ Leydon, Joe (March 17, 2017). "SXSW Film Review: 'Dealt'". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Dealt | Film Threat". November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ "Card Mechanic Documentary 'Dealt' Plays a Winning Hand [Review]". theplaylist.net. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (March 22, 2019). "'We're not allowed to talk about it': inside the world of US sports betting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Action, retrieved July 9, 2019
- ^ Greene, Steve (March 24, 2019). "'Action' Review: Showtime Series Helps Identify the Human Gamble of Sports Betting". IndieWire. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Milli Vanilli | 2023 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ Hibberd, James (September 13, 2023). "'Milli Vanilli' Trailer Tells Untold Story of Music's Most Infamous Con". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Milli Vanilli". Rotten Tomatoes. October 24, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Milli Vanilli". Metacritic.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (June 12, 2023). "'Milli Vanilli' Review: The Saga of the Infamous Pop Duo, Now Seen from the Inside, Becomes a Captivating and Moving Documentary". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ Midgley, Carol (December 5, 2023). "Milli Vanilli review — how a lip-syncing scandal ended in tragedy". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ Singh, Anita (October 25, 2023). "The Milli Vanilli story: from being 'better than McCartney' to being exposed as frauds". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "IDA Documentary Awards 2023". International Documentary Association. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (June 1, 2023). "Paramount+ Snaps Up Milli Vanilli Feature Doc". Deadline. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Keep On Running Pictures official website
- Luke Korem at IMDb