New year, New Shia LaBeouf. “The Capuchin Franciscan friars are overjoyed to welcome him into the fold and witness his deep commitment to his faith journey.” The ceremony took place at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish in Solvang, the same Capuchin parish where LaBeouf trained for months for his role as Franciscan friar Francesco Forgione in Abel Ferrara’s 2022 film …
‘Padre Pio’ The offbeat historical drama “Padre Pio” bears the stamp of writer-director Abel Ferrara, a maverick filmmaker known for brutish, feverish genre pictures like “Bad Lieutenant” and “The Addiction.” As is his wont, Ferrara makes some creative choices here that may alienate some viewers. Available on VOD; also playing theatrically in limited release Reed Harkness in 2003, from the …
ROME — Abel Ferrara, whose gritty New York exploitation films of the 1980s and 1990s delved into the soulless evils of drug addiction, corruption and sexual violence, pays homage to one of Italy’s best-known and most revered saints in his newest film, “Padre Pio.” That the film, which stars Shia LaBeouf and premieres at the Venice Film Festival next week, …
