blog film

SATIN

2011-09-08T02:41:00.000-07:00

A washed up Vegas lounge singer, Jack Satin (HAMILTON VON WATTS), has no money, no job, and delusional aspirations of fame. When Jack is forced to leave Vegas, he packs up his old Cadillac and hits the road for Atlantic City. But his car dies in the desert and Jack is left stranded in the small town of Lost Springs. There, Jack meets jazz legend turned mechanic, Doc Bishop (ROBERT GUILLAUME), who helps him with his car trouble. Although Jack is far from the stage, he begins to find himself feeling at home in the small town. When he meets local bar owner, Lauren Wells (MELISSA JOAN HART), Jack starts to see there is more to life than chasing fame and fortune. Doc encourages Jack to explore his true love of music, while Lauren provides the audience he has always wanted. But as Jack realizes this town has more to offer him than the bright lights of the big city, his Vegas past catches up with him -- what unfolds is comedy at the crossroads of life.

BURNING PALMS

2011-09-08T02:40:00.000-07:00

A subversive tale that interlaces five stories set in Los Angeles, where no taboo is left unexplored as each character careens toward a dark and often comic fate.

DEAD AWAKE

2011-09-08T02:39:00.000-07:00

DEAD AWAKE is a seductive supernatural thriller starring Rose McGowan, Amy Smart and Nick Stahl set against the backdrop of a mysterious tragedy that shattered their lives a decade ago and which sets them on a path to uncover the truth that lies between the living and the dead.
BACKSTAGE
NICK STAHL
"Dylan"
About his Character

ROSE McGOWAN
"Charlie"
About her Character

AMY SMART
"Natalie"
About her Character

OMAR NAIM

NESIM HASON

Dead Awake EPK Premiere <

CHAIN LETTER

2011-09-08T02:37:00.001-07:00

Six friends receive a mysterious chain letter via text and email from a maniac who hunts down those who delete the message. Who knew they should take the threats in the chain letter seriously or that their favorite technologies could help track and kill them!

This maniacal game pits friend against friend as they try to escape the impossible. Break the chain, lose a life. Chain Letter features a great ensemble cast led by stunning Tinsel Town ingénue Nikki Reed (Twilight) and Betsey Russell (Saw III, IV, V, VI, and Saw 3D). Created by Deon Taylor Enterprises and produced in association with the resoundingly successful Saw franchise.

THE LIGHTKEEPERS

2011-09-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

Seth Atkins (Academy Award Winner, RICHARD DREYFUSS) is the light keeper on a deserted outer beach of Cape Cod in the year 1912. Seth’s assistant suddenly quits, no longer able to tolerate his bad attitude and hate for women. He is left to manage the lighthouse on his own, until a mysterious, strapping young man washes up on shore with the desire to become Seth’s new assistant. They eventually swap tales from their past, beginning to explain each of their distaste for women. It’s not long before the two men must contend with the lovely Ruth Graham (MAMIE GUMMER) and her housekeeper, Mrs. Bascom (Golden Globe Nominee BLYTHE DANNER) who move into a nearby cottage for the summer.

A NOVEL ROMANC

2011-09-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

Nate Shepherd, late 40's, and Jenny Sparks, early 30's, meet in a fancy New York eatery. Complete strangers who have had a rotten day, waiting for their better halves, they reveal to one another that they are going to meet new people tonight. They quickly realize they are waiting for each other. When Nate loses his girlfriend (after getting fired from his cushy job at an ad agency) and Jenny loses her boyfriend to a drug overdose, Nate’s girlfriend (Adi) suggests that they should move in together as friends to split the rent and ease each others pain. Jenny supports Nate when he realizes his dream to write a novel and Nate is there for Jenny as she struggles to come to grips with her late boyfriend’s sordid past. As their friendship grows into something more, their relationship becomes a loving but complicated experience. What ensues is joy, pain, and understanding.

Casting Bits: ‘Attack the Block’ Star in HBO’s ‘Da Brick’, Rachel Boston in ‘It’s a Disaster’, Harry Lloyd in ‘Closer to the Moon’

2011-09-05T02:20:00.000-07:00

If you happened to catch a screening of Attack the Block this summer, you probably walked away thinking the same thing we did: this John Boyega kid is going to be a huge star. Well, Boyega’s now landed his first part since Attack the Block opened, and it sounds like a great one. He’ll play the lead, Donnie, in HBO’s series Da Brick, a fictionalized telling of the earliest days of Mike Tyson‘s boxing career. Spike Lee is set to direct the pilot episode from a script by John Ridley (Three Kings), and will also executive produce along with Tyson, Ridley, Jim Lefkowitz, and Entourage creator Doug Ellin.
Da Brick centers around a young man in modern-day Newark, NJ who gets released from juvenile detention on his 18th birthday. The series will aim to deal with larger issues like “what it means to be a young, black man in supposedly post-racial America” and “what it means to be a man both for himself, and to those around him.” As long as the British Boyega can pull off a convincing Jersey accent, this seems like pitch-perfect casting. [Deadline]
After the jump, In Plain Sight‘s Rachel Boston faces a possible apocalypse with Julia Stiles and America Ferrera, and Harry Lloyd, a.k.a. Viserys Targaryen, joins Vera Farmiga and Mark Strong in Closer to the Moon.
Harry Lloyd, probably best known to American audiences as creepy Viserys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, has signed on to star in Closer to the Moon alongside Vera Farmiga and Mark Strong. Set in 1959 Bucharest, the film revolves around a Jewish former anti-Nazi revolutionary group who’ve since redirected their energies to fighting communism. When they get caught robbing a bank under the guise of staging a film shoot, they’re arrested and sentenced to death. But before they’re executed, they’re forced to reenact the crime scene for a propaganda film. Strong plays one of the men sentenced to die, and Farmiga the mother of Strong’s child. Lloyd will be the cameraman recruited to shoot that film, who eventually falls in love with Farmiga’s character. Sounds intense.
In addition to Game of Thrones, Lloyd’s other recent projects have included Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre and the upcoming Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady. Nae Caranfil is directing Closer to the Moon, which is scheduled to start shooting in Bucharest this fall. [Deadline]
In Plain Sight actress Rachel Boston will join Julia Stiles and America Ferrera in It’s a Disaster, an indie comedy by writer-director Todd Berger. The plot follows four couples who gather at a house for Sunday brunch, only to find they’re trapped inside together while the world outside falls apart. Berger will also co-star in the film, along with his The Vacationeers comedy troupe mates Kevin M. Brennan, Jeff Grace, and Blaise Miller. Boston’s role is that of Lexi Kivel, a “whip-smart wildcard.” [The Hollywood Reporter]
Discuss: Exactly how tired do you think Harry Lloyd is of hearing Dumb & Dumber jokes about his name by this point?

Telluride Festival Primary Lineup Announced: New Cronenberg, Payne, Herzog Films Playing

2011-09-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

The Telluride Film Festival, a presentation of the National Film Preserve which takes place beginning tomorrow, Friday Sept 2 and runs through Monday Sept 5, is an unusual beast as far as film festivals go. The core film lineup is not announced until the day before the festival begins, so attendees have to commit to the fest without knowing any of the movies that will definitely play.
Now the first list of films is out, and it has some expected inclusions such as David Cronenberg‘s A Dangerous Method (trailer) and the Cannes fave The Artist (trailer). In addition there are some good surprises, such as Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender‘s reunion, Shame (pics), and the Dardenne Brothers‘ The Kid With a Bike.
More films will be announced at the last minute over the next couple days. One addition, for example, according to Kris Tapley, is Butter. Peter is arriving in Telluride later today so he’ll have coverage of the festival during the holiday weekend. Check out the announced lineup below.
From the Telluride press release:
38th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program, the ‘SHOW’:

ALBERT NOBBS (d. Rodrigo Garcia, U.S., 2011)
THE ARTIST (d. Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2011)
BECOMING BERT STERN (d. Shannah Laumeister, U.S., 2011)
BITTER SEEDS (d. Micha X. Peled, U.S., 2011)
BONSÁI (d. Cristián Jiménez, Chile, 2011)
A DANGEROUS METHOD (d. David Cronenberg, U.K.-Switzerland-U.S.-Canada, 2011)
THE DESCENDANTS (d. Alexander Payne, U.S., 2011)
DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (d. Lisa Immordino-Vreeland, U.S., 2011)
FOOTNOTE (d. Joseph Cedar, Israel, 2011)
THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD (d. Joshua Marston, U.S.-Albania-Denmark-Italy, 2011)
GOODBYE FIRST LOVE (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France, 2011)
LE HAVRE (d. Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, 2011)
HOLLYWOOD DON’T SURF (d. Greg Macgillivray, Sam George, U.S., 2011)
IN DARKNESS (d. Agnieszka Holland, Poland, 2011)
INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2011)
THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (d. Jon Shenk, U.S., 2011)
THE KID WITH A BIKE (d. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgium, 2011)
LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD (d. Martin Scorsese, U.S., 2011)
PASSERBY (d. Eryk Rocha, Brazil, 2011)
PERDIDA (d. Viviana García Besné, Mexico, 2011)
PINA (d. Wim Wenders, Germany, 2011)
A SEPARATION (d. Asghar Farhadi, Iran, 2011)
SHAME (d. Steve McQueen, U.K., 2011)
THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2011)
TARGET (d. Alexander Zeldovich, Russia, 2011)
THE TURIN HORSE (d. Béla Tarr, Hungary, 2011)
THE WAY HOME (d. Dr. Biju, India, 2010)
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (d. Lynne Ramsey, U.K., 2011)

AMC Greenlights ‘Secret Stash,’ Kevin Smith’s Comic Shop Reality Series

2011-09-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

Mark the date: September 1, 2011. A banner day for Kevin Smith. Not only does his controversial film Red State hit all sorts of video on demand outlets today but AMC has just officially greenlit Secret Stash (working title), a reality show set in his Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash comic book store in Red Bank, NJ. Smith is executive producing the show which should start airing in the first quarter of 2012. Read what Smith had to say about it and more after the jump.
The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and more simultaneously reported on AMC’s news, which also included an extended premiere of The Walking Dead and another new show called JJK Security which revolves around a private security company in Georgia.
Smith released the following quote about his excitement teaming up with AMC:

Draper. Meth. Zombies. This show couldn’t be on a better network. AMC is to television what Miramax was to cinema back when I first got in the game: they’re the premier destination for any story-teller looking to spin an offbeat yarn that no other outlet has the stones to touch. And as if I didn’t love them enough, now they’re putting my friends on TV! I’m ecstatic, proud, and extremely lucky to be in bed with a network I watch religiously anyway. And if they’d pushed just a little harder in the negotiations, I’d have done this show for no payment beyond early access to every episode of MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, and WALKING DEAD.

The show will originally air as six, hour long episodes. Anything beyond that is surely dependent on ratings.
What will the show be about? Nerd culture. The atmosphere of excitement, passion and more of buying collectibles, comic books and the kinds of bonds that community creates. Here’s the description from the official press release:

The Secret Stash is a one hour series that captures the world of the local comic book store. Way before comic book culture went mainstream, the comic store has not only been a place for people to buy, sell, or trade for cool stuff; but also to hang out and be part of a community that just loves comics. Secret Stash will capture both of these aspects of comic store life. It will document the daily banter of The Secret Stash and it’s employees and devoted customers; and it will capture the fun and emotion of buying and selling collectibles and comic memorabilia that happens in comic book stores all across the country and in mega-venues like Comic-Con.

And Here’s AMC Senior VP Joel Stillerman:

The comic book store is, in many ways, the corner bar for comic book fans. It is still this place where everybody knows your name, and you can go and geek out with like minded people. If I lived closer, I’d want to hang out at here.

Are you going to watch this show? Did you go out for the casting call a few months ago?

Cameron Crowe Calls ‘Say Anything 2′ A Pipe Dream

2011-09-05T02:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even the best of us get stuck with our foot in our mouth. That seems to be what happened with Cameron Crowe earlier this month when he told an audience he would consider making a sequel to Say Anything and that he’d spoken to John Cusack about it. He has thought about where kickboxer Lloyd Dobler and valedictorian Diane Court might go after the end of the film and he has spoken to Cusack about it, but it was years ago and at this point, Crowe doesn’t want to ruin that personal film with an unnecessary sequel. Read exactly what he said, and some of his ideas about where it could have went, after the jump.
Thanks to IFC for getting to the bottom of this. Right off the bat Crowe said he was surprised his quote circled around like that and said the film is “definitely a pipe dream,” adding the following:

It’s a personal thing for me, that movie. It’s probably my favorite thing I’ve ever done. And the last thing I would ever dream of doing is touching something that I feel so proud about in any way. I just love the characters and I was sort of musing out loud with this really cool person that had asked the question.

As for speaking to John Cusack about the sequel, here’s Crowe’s explanation:

I always loved the Truffaut / Antoine Doinel relationship. And I said [to Cusack], ‘We should have made more movies more often with that character or another character.’ I so strongly relate to Cusack’s persona and his acting. He really can say the words and make them sing. I wish I’d done more stuff with him. It’s kind of odd that plans didn’t align in that way.

Forced to give up some ideas of where a sequel could have gone, Crowe offered up this:

I remember those characters and I keep thinking that there’s more that I could write about some of them, and not just Lloyd. If anything, it would be a side character or some story where there was some kind of linkage. I love Mike Cameron, I love the poor drunk that they drive home on the night of the grad party. As a writer, there’s just more there that I always thought, ‘Well someday.’ Maybe it’s just a short story. Maybe it’s a miniature kind of thing that I write some day.

But he concluded reiterating”

…There’s no script, nobody’s out there trying to pitch a ‘Say Anything…’ sequel.

So there you have it, straight from the horses mouth.

‘The Wolverine’ Gets a Rewrite From ‘Jack the Giant Killer’ and ‘Total Recall’ Scribe Mark Bomback

2011-09-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

You know what they say about idle hands: they screw up perfectly good scripts. Let’s hope that’s not the case for The Wolverine, which James Mangold will direct next year. The existing draft was written by Christopher McQuarrie and is said to be quite good. But now, as the film is delayed until a 2012 shoot, Total Recall remake and Jack the Giant Killer writer Mark Bomback has been brought on to rewrite. He also wrote Live Free or Die Hard, so…
Along with that hire, we’ve got a few details, as Variety says the cast will be all Japanese and Japanese-American actors except for Hugh Jackman and “a newly-expanded character named Viper, who’s the Caucasian secretary for Japan’s Minister of Justice.” (Here’s a wiki entry on Viper.)
The cast news should please fans greatly, and mollify anyone concerned about the fact that Fox has decided to shoot a lot of the film in Vancouver rather than lensing it all in Japan. (Some of it will still shoot in Japan.)
We already knew the script was based on the early ’80s Wolverine comics miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, but the trade offers this synopsis: “Story will find Wolverine suffering from amnesia and searching for answers about his past in the Japanese criminal underworld where he finds both love and tragedy.” Let’s hope this rewrite is for the better, or at least a lateral move at the very worst.

Cool Stuff: Tom Whalen’s ‘Monsters Inc.’ Kicks Off Mondo Pixar Series

2011-09-05T02:11:00.000-07:00

Mondo has done a series for Star Wars, they’re still releasing posters for Star Trek, they have several different Director’s Series running and just yesterday they announced they’ll be doing a series for Jurassic Park. Not to outdo themselves, but Thursday they announced yet another ongoing series of posters: Pixar movies. The first poster, Monsters Inc. by the great Tom Whalen, goes on sale Friday. Check it out after the jump.
Here’s Monsters Inc. by Tom Whalen.

The 18″x24″ screen print has a limited edition of 365 and costs $45. Follow @MondoNews on Friday September 2 to purchase.

The amount of layers and detail in this piece might make it Whalen’s best yet. It’s really awesome. I especially love the fact that Randall is “invisible” on the side. Still, I’d love to see some other artists interpret these Disney characters. Whalen has done several for Mondo already and while they’re all very evocative, and his clean style blends perfectly with their image, I hope this series brings us new artists showing us Pixar characters.
What do you think of this image? What artists and Pixar movies would you like to see paired? Personally, I’m going to stray from the obvious (Stout Incredibles or Toy Story) and say Olly Moss doing Wall-E. That would be great. He’s already shown what he can do with Up and Ratatouille in his Paper Cuts show and each were some of the best in that series. It’s obvious he’s a fan.
Also, Eric Tan has done some phenomenal work on Disney stuff – including Wall-E and Cars – for Acme Archives so he obviously loves Pixar too. It would be fantastic to see some new work of his screenprinted for Mondo.
Okay, enough rambling. Disney, Pixar and Mondo just gets me incredibly excited. I can’t be the only one.

Ben Affleck’s ‘Argo’ Adds Michael Parks, Clea DuVall, Richard Kind; Official Synopsis Revealed

2011-09-05T02:08:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros has sent out the obligatory press release to announce the commencement of filming on Ben Affleck‘s third film as director, Argo. We’ve known most of the cast for a while: Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman, with more recent additions Kyle Chandler, Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane and Taylor Schilling.
Now we’ve got an official synopsis for the film, which adapts the true story of a CIA team that posed as a film crew in order to extract diplomats from Tehran in 1979. But perhaps of more interest to some who already know the story is the confirmation of cast additions that include the great Michael Parks (above), as well as Clea Duvall and Richard Kind.
I can’t really do better than the press release, which goes like this:

Based on true events, “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis — the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades.

On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.
“Argo” also stars Oscar(R) winner Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Bryan Cranston (TV’s “Breaking Bad”) and John Goodman (“You Don’t Know Jack”). The main cast also includes Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks, and Taylor Schilling.
Affleck is directing the film from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a selection from Master in Disguise by Antonio Mendez. David Klawans, Chris Brigham, Graham King, Tim Headington, Chay Carter and Nina Wolarsky are serving as executive producers.

Superhero Bits: Iron Man 3, The Dark Knight Rises, Justice League, X-Men Destiny, Superman

2011-09-05T02:06:00.000-07:00

Want to see a list of all the special features on the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray? How about watch all the deleted scenes from the Thor Blu-ray? What are five things Christopher Nolan has to get right with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises? Have pictures of the Batcave leaked? Could Sony have snuck Christoph Waltz into The Amazing Spider-Man? Which Avengers actor confirmed they’d be appearing in Iron Man 3? Read about all of this and more in today’s Superhero Bits.

Batman has problems on Facebook and now Superman is having problems with Google+ thanks to Joy of Tech via High Definite.
If you’re a regular reader of Superhero Bits, we knew last week that Captain America: The First Avenger hits Blu-ray and DVD on October 25. Now BBFC (via CBM) has got a list of all the special features and deleted scenes. There’s a lot of stuff, but nothing longer than 11 minutes:

03:44:01 MARVEL ONE-SHOT: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR’S HAMMER
01:08:17 THE AVENGERS – EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES!
03:40:16 (CAPTAIN AMERICA’S ORIGIN)
10:20:20 (OUTFITTING A HERO)
05:47:02 (HOWLING COMMANDOS)
11:41:07 (HEIGHTENED TECHNOLOGY)
09:53:15 (BEHIND THE SKULL)
08:23:13 (THE TRANSFORMATION)
02:13:15 CAPTAIN AMERICA – SUPER SOLDIER
01:37:13 THE AVENGERS
00:38:06 (DELETED SCENES: NORWAY TANK ATTACK)
01:29:22 (DELETED SCENES: BUCKY’S BATTLE)
00:57:23 (DELETED SCENES: YOU DESERVE A MEDAL)
02:02:22 (DELETED SCENES: THERE’S A PLACE FOR YOU HERE)
00:39:08 (DELETED SCENES: NORWAY TANK ATTACK W/COMMENTARY)
01:29:24 (DELETED SCENES: BUCKY’S BATTLE W/COMMENTARY)
00:57:23 (DELETED SCENES: YOU DESERVE A MEDAL W/COMMENTARY)
02:18:05 CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE FIRST AVENGER (THEATRICAL TRAILER #1)
02:17:19 CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE FIRST AVENGER (THEATRICAL TRAILER #2)

This is just the beginning of a long, hilarious, interaction on Facebook between General Zod, Lex Luthor and a bunch of special guests. Thanks to Dorkly via Nerd Approved.
True Blood actor Joe Manganiello, who was up for the part of Superman in Man of Steel, has another idea of a comic book character he’d love to play. Here’s what he said in an interview with the Huffington Post:

I’d love to do a version of ‘The Punisher,’ but it would have to be directed by Michael Mann. Like a hardcore, rated-R version of ‘The Punisher.’

Everyone is talking about the new, relaunched, Justice League #1 from DC Comics. Artist Ted Brandt did his own visual relaunch, reimaging the team as a Western posse. Head to Gamma Squad to see the full sideshow.
Geek Tyrant has a terrific, eye-opening article called 5 Things You Hope Christopher Nolan Knows About Bane. Simple facts like he speaks, he’s a brilliant tactician, he’s incredibly strong even without his venom and more. I know I learned a thing or two and you’ve gotta hope this stuff is in The Dark Knight Rises.

Here’s a cool spin on the classic picture frame from ThinkGeek. It comes with speech bubble stickers so you can customize your own comic book page in picture form.
I Am Rogue spoke to Stellan Skarsgard about a bunch of things but, of course, got into his experiences in The Avengers. Here’s a quote:

Well with the scene we did in Thor, it was like Loki, one way or the other, entered Eric’s mind. And in Avengers, you will see more clarity in how Loki is using Eric’s mind….He is of importance but the size of the role is not big. It’s a small role and it is a pretty crowded film with a lot of actors in it.

This is the box art for X-Men Destiny, which you’ve seen some images from in previous columns. It’ll be out on September 27. Thanks to the Daily Blam. Check out the new trailer too.

Anna Kendrick in Talks for ‘Pitch Perfect’

2011-09-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

A cappella groups are a college campus staple to a certain extent, and also one of the more divisive forces in music. There’s not much middle ground on a cappella performance — people tend to either love groups that perform song catalogs using only the human voice, or they have zero tolerance for the concept altogether.
Despite an admiration for the art and a general love for the voice as an instrument, I’m generally in the latter camp. So I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch Pitch Perfect, even if it does cast Anna Kendrick as a college student who finds herself through a cappella performance.
Mickey Rapkin wrote a non-fiction book called Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory which will be the basis for the film, to be directed by Avenue Q director Jason Moore. That last point is actually the hook for me, as Avenue Q was a very funny musical — if he can bring the same energy to Pitch Perfect, I might be able to get over my general disinterest in a cappella. Here’s the book description:

Roman Coppola’s New Film is ‘A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III’

2011-09-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

Briefly: It’s been nine months since we heard anything about the new film that Roman Coppola is reportedly putting together. He’s been busy working on music videos and collaborating on features, often directing second unit, with sister Sofia Coppola, father Francis and friend Wes Anderson. But it has been just over ten years since Coppola’s one feature directorial effort, CQ. (A film that holds up quite well on repeat viewings.) So we’re ready to see something new from the guy.
Last year Sofia Coppola said her brother was working on something new, but she offered no details, and reps for Roman Coppola were not forthcoming with more info. Now we’ve learned that the title of the film is A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. The Playlist dug up the info on the website of Roger Neil, who scored Mike Mills’ wonderful film Beginners. (He did some work on CQ as well.) There’s no more info about the new Coppola film — no plot, not even a genre — but at this point I’ll take this very minor update.

TV Trailers: Patricia Clarkson on ‘Parks & Recreation’, Plus ‘Community’ and ‘Glee’

2011-09-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

Sad as I am to see summer go, there is something I’m really looking forward to about the coming months, and that is the advent of the television’s regular season. After a long summer away from my imaginary friends in Pawnee, Greendale, and Lima, I’m eager to check back in and see what the new premieres have to offer. Hit the jump to see:

The beginnings of a triple-Tammy drink-off in a preview for Parks & Recreation Season 4
Greendale Community College literally dancing for joy in the promo for Community Season 3
Those crazy New Directions kids up to their usual tricks again in a spot for Glee Season 3

If, like me, you’ve been dying all summer to get a glimpse of Tammy 1 (Patricia Clarkson), you’ll definitely want to check out this extended preview for the fourth season of Parks & Recreation. Among teases of several other plot points, we get our first looks at Tammy 1 and the recently announced Tammy 0 (Paula Pell), mother of Ron Motherfucking Swanson (Nick Offerman). As it turns out, Tammy 2 (Megan Mullally) is actually the nice one of the bunch. An upcoming episode will see the three women face off in an “old-fashioned prairie drinking contest,” while Leslie gets caught in the crossfire.

(I’m told you can also download the preview for free on Amazon, but it’s not working for me at all.)
I exaggerate only slightly when I say that my face looked like Andy’s (Chris Pratt) in the header image while I was watching this video. Parks & Recreation‘s fourth season hits Thursday, September 22 at 8:30 PM on NBC. [Cinema Blend]
A few days ago, we showed you the first promo for John Goodman‘s appearance on the third season of Community. A new spot has landed, which covers most of the same ground but also but mixes in clips of some jazzy dance numbers. Jeff (Joel McHale) may not understand the appeal of Glee at all, but it seems the people making Community do — and if the musical number (or, fingers crossed, musical episode?) is half as fun as it looks, it may end up out-Glee-ing Glee itself.
The new season of Community will premiere on NBC Thursday, September 22 at 8 PM — just before Parks. [Vulture]
Speaking of which, here’s another promo for the third season of Glee. The video promises, “New year, same underdogs,” and indeed, it looks like more of the same: Sue (Jane Lynch) and Will (Matthew Morrison) are still engaging in their rivalry, Finn’s (Cory Monteith) still wrestling with being unpopular, and Brittany (Heather Morris) is still charmingly ditzy. But hey, it looks like Quinn (Dianna Agron) has gone punk rock, or something, so that’s something new to look forward to, right?
Glee will return for its third season Tuesday, September 6 at 8 PM on Fox. Yes, that’s this Tuesday. Summer is officially over. [Vulture]

‘Shark Night 3D’ Director David Ellis to Remake Anime ‘Kite’

2011-09-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

The latest film from Final Destination 2 and Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis is Shark Night 3D, which opens in theaters today. That makes this afternoon a good time to announce his next film, which will likely be a remake of the anime OVA Kite (aka A Kite), which was directed by Yasuomi Umetsu and released in 1998. Rob Cohen was doing to direct the live-action version at one point, but little has been heard about for some time. The story involves an orphaned girl who is coerced into sexual servitude and murder — in other words, don’t expect a direct translation in this live-action version.
Variety says this new live-action version will be “a character-driven actioner centered on a young woman living in a failed state, post-financial collapse, where the corrupt security force profits on the trafficking of young women. When her father, a cop, is slain by someone dirty inside the force, she vows to track the murderer down with the help of her father’s ex-partner — never realizing he is, in fact, the man who had her father killed.”
(Read a far more detailed plot synopsis here. Sounds like classic early ’80s exploitation — think along the lines of Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 — but with the extra freedom provided by using animation rather than live actors. I love that exploitation trend, but always feel that extra freedom pushes stuff like Kite too far into ‘creepy’ for me to like it.)
There is no cast announced at this point, but the film plans to shoot in January.
The original OVA is known for excessive violence, which can be seen in the trailer below, but also for explicit sexuality and rape. So, yeah, expect some of that to be toned down for the remake.

‘Melancholia’ US Trailer

2011-09-05T01:58:00.000-07:00

There’s not a whole lot in this first official domestic trailer for Lars von Trier‘s Melancholia that we haven’t seen in previous trailers and clips. (Such as the great UK trailer we just saw a few days ago.) But what the hell, the film is among our most-anticipated of the year, and this trailer offers up a great HD look at the gorgeous and subtle cinematography from Manuel Alberto Claro.
So hit the jump and get one more look at the ways in which sisters played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg deal with the possibility of the impending end of life on Earth.

PHOTOS: ‘The Avengers’ Assemble in New York’s Central Park

2011-09-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Joss Whedon and his crew spent plenty of time destroying the streets of Cleveland as the burg doubled for New York City, but sometimes there’s nothing like the real thing. Almost the full cast of The Avengers (Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Stellan Skarsgard and Mark Ruffalo) was filming at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park in Manhattan Friday and some really great photos have come online.
These don’t spoil anything in particular but if you have been avoiding everything Avengers-related, you probably want to stay away. Potential spoilers (very small ones) follow.

Thanks to Celebuzz (via The Daily Blam) for these photos. Head there for several more but these are easily the best.

If you’ve made it this far you are probably fine with spoilers and so let me speculate this. I have a feeling this is from the very end of the movie, maybe after the final battle is done, and Thor and Loki are heading back to Asgard as they are the only two in full costume. I could be wrong, but that’s what it looks like. (Hiddleston has said he’s going to be in Thor 2, which slightly supports that interpretation.)

Casting Bits: Ed Helms in ‘Le Mac’ Remake; Paul Dano in ‘Night Moves;’ Steve Coogan in ‘The Catastrophist’

2011-09-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

The long Labor Day holiday weekend is upon us, and between that and the Venice and Telluride film festivals, it seems like a lot of Hollywood has shut down in anticipation of the last relaxing days of summer. But we’ve got a few new casting bits to throw your way regardless. After the break,

Ed Helms will remake a French pimp comedy,
Paul Dano is among the cast additions to Kelly Reichardt’s new film Night Moves,
The unlikely duo of Stephen Dorff and Steve Coogan are in an adaptation of the novel The Catastrophist,
and found footage film Evidence gets new players.

First up, Ed Helms is going to produce and star in a remake of the 2010 French film Le Mac, which “follows a mild-mannered banker forced to masquerade as a notorious gangster and pimp.” Johnny Rosenthal is writing (he’s also a writer on Bad Santa 2) and Media Rights Capital is financing with Ben Stiller’s company producing as well. No director is set at this point. The French trailer for the original is below, and even without English dialogue you can probably see why Ed Helms seems like an appropriate choice for the remake. [Variety]
I talked the other day about Night Moves, the film that Meek’s Cutoff director Kelly Reichardt is prepping with Peter Sarsgaard set to appear. Now Paul Dano, Bruce Greenwood and Zoe Kazan are set for roles. Dano and Sarsgaard will play two of an environmentalist trio plotting to blow up a dam. Rooney Mara has been offered the third lead role, but scheduling might prevent that from happening. Quite a nice cast that Reichardt has set up so far; the critical attention thrown at Meek’s Cutoff seems to be paying big dividends when recruiting actors. [The Playlist]

Next up: Nick Broomfield, who has become a director who makes some dodgy documentaries (Kurt & Courtney, Sarah Palin: You Betcha!) and the occasional good feature (Battle for Haditha, Ghosts) is prepping a film that will hopefully be one of the latter. The Catastrophist will adapt Ronan Bennett‘s novel, “a love story set against Belgian Congo’s decolonization in the 1960s.”

Steve Coogan, Stephen Dorff and Canadian rapper K’naan are the lead cast at this point — the film still needs a female lead — and the film is set to sell rights at TIFF next week, and shoot soon in a Tanzanian mining town. Here’s the book synopsis:

The Catastrophist is a haunting novel set in the politically charged landscape of the Belgian Congo just before independence. At its heart is the passion between novelist James Gillespie and the fiery idealistic journalist Inès, whom he follows to Africa as their affair begins to fray. They are as unlike as lovers can be: He is willfully apolitical and desperate for her love, while she is obsessed with the unfolding drama, caught up in history, hero worship, and soon, a new passion. In a country that will self-destruct upon giving birth to itself, Gillespie is plunged into violence and betrayal, and moved by love to a final act of nobility.

[Variety]

Finally, in case Apollo 18 hasn’t turned you off the whole ‘found footage’ conceit, there is Evidence, which has roped in new cast members. Nolan Gerard Funk was already on board, and now the film has Dale Dickey (Winter’s Bone), Caitlin Stasey, Torrey DeVitto (Pretty Little Liars), Albert Kuo and Harry Lennix. Not a bad lineup, all things considered.
The story has two detectives trying to figure out the truth behind a desert massacre using primarily the electronic devices (phones, cameras, etc) on the victims. Olatunde Osunsanmi (The Fourth Kind) is set to direct. [STYD]

Behind The Scenes ‘Battleship’ Clip Features Rihanna and Explosions

2011-09-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

To date we’ve only seen a teaser trailer for Peter Berg‘s loose, to say the least, adaptation of the Hasbro board game Battleship and fan response has been largely venomous. The film, scheduled for release May 18, 2012, has plenty of time to fix that though as more of the its epic scale and story will continue to be revealed. From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like Aqua Independence Day.
Familiarizing us with that story and characters seems to be the aim of this behind the scenes video from Entertainment Tonight. It’s got some new stunts, explosions, and breaks down who each of the stars – Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker and Liam Neeson – play. Check it out after the jump.
While the clip comes from Entertainment Tonight, The Playlist provided the heads up. Here you go.
If you weren’t sold on the trailer for Battleship, this clip isn’t going to turn you around just yet. With nine months to go until its release, there’s obviously still a lot of work that needs to be done. This clip, as well as the trailer, are probably just early renderings of some of the less impressive things that’ll eventually end up in the movie.
It seems to me, though, that the whole conceit of Battleship – aliens vs. Navy in a massive, big budget showdown – is either something you buy into or you don’t. The footage that’s been release actually looks more like a Michael Bay movie than a Peter Berg movie and, in Bay’s movies, it’s not so much about the story as it is about a huge, visceral experience. If you don’t fall in line with those kind of movies, Battleship probably won’t work for you anyway.
Do you agree with that? And do you have any expectations about this movie?

VOTD: Stop Motion ‘Toy Story’ Space Adventure

2011-09-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

The Pixar movies have spawned a multi-billion dollar merchandising bonanza. And as kids know, in toy form these characters aren’t limited to playing their specific roles from the movies. Want some of the Cars to have different paint jobs and guns? That can happen. Want the Monsters Inc. monsters to be cuddly and cute instead of scary? That’s possible too. And if you want Rex and Woody to join Buzz Lightyear in an outer space adventure, putting them in spacesuits is completely legitimate.
Mattel is releasing a new line of Toy Story toys called Toy Story: Space Mission and to help with promotion, they’ve teamed up with Disney to make an official stop motion short film using the new toys. Watch Buzz, Woody and Rex take on Zurg after the jump.
Thanks to Pixar Times (via Bleeding Cool) for the heads up. Here’s the video.
Pixar Times also has a bunch of cool facts about this film such as:

It took a crew of 8 people over more than 1300 hours and a span of 4 weeks to complete the toymation
Every second needed 12 frames of pictures
Every shot needed at least 3 takes, many of which had to be done separately with each toy and then composited together later
Each toy had to be taken apart and reassembled with wire and museum putty in order to be rigged properly to animate
The dust bunnies were created from an old carpet the team almost threw out right before production on the toymation project began
The crew made 5 trips to the supermarket to clear out their asparagus, big broccoli heads, and artichokes to build the vegetable forest set

Gotta love seeing the Toy Story toys being played with by a kid, even if they’re in weird spacesuits. Anyone out there feeling like buying one of these?

Telluride Blog: Why We Travel To the Telluride Film Festival

2011-09-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Note: Parts of this blog post are reprinted from last year.
Every September, a small rustic mountain ski town in Colorado becomes host to one of the most elite film festivals in North America — The Telluride Film Festival.

My friend Alex Billington of FirstShowing has a theory that most of the good film festivals are hard to get to. Alex’s theory is that to see the good films first, you really need to work for it. To attend Sundance, you need to fly into Salt Lake City and drive an hour into the Park City. To attend the Cannes Film Festival, you have to fly into Paris and take a six hour train ride into Cannes.
Unless you take the expensive plane that Hollywood studio types charter directly into the small small airport in Montrose and take a one hour shuttle into Telluride, then you’re flying into Denver, taking a very small plane into a very small airport in Durango (this is the type of airport where if you show up less than 30 minutes before your flight, there is a hand written note on the counter telling you that the desk attendant is busy loading the bags into the plane.). And from Durango, it’s still a two hour drive into Telluride. Even then, you’re probably not staying downtown — it’s too expensive. The three years I’ve attended Telluride, I’ve stayed in a more affordable ski hotel over the mountain, which means we have to take a 15 minute gondola ride into the city each morning and night.
Of course, Alex’s theory (which even he’ll admit) discounts great festivals like the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, both which are easily accessible by air flight.
People who don’t attend film festivals might easily confuse Sundance with Telluride as both take place in small mountain towns with movie theaters created from nothing.
Telluride’s high school auditorium is transformed into a state of the art movie theater. The small convention center is turned into a Chuck Jones-themed movie palace. Even the Elks lodge downtown is also fitted with a screen and seats. Walking around Telluride, you get the feeling these people could turn a banana into a small umbrella and put on a show…
But Telluride and Sundance are completely different monsters. Telluride is what I imagine Sundance might have been like twenty years ago. Sundance is overrun with movies starring mainstream movie stars, celebrities, paparazzi and parties, while Telluride is more about independent, foreign and documentary films. A large portion of the festival-goers at Sundance are from Hollywood (the locals call them “the people in black”, as the Los Angeles visitors are easily identifiable). Telluride, on the other hand, seems to be mostly attended by rich locals, most of whom don’t work in the film industry.
Hundreds of journalists from around the world flock to Park City to cover Sundance, while the Telluride Film Festival attracts only a dozen or so movie critics. Part of the reason might be the secluded location and expensive film pass. A Telluride pass costs around $700 for the three and a half days of the festival, and they don’t offer press passes to anyone. If you are lucky enough to see four movies a day then you’re paying an average of around $45 a ticket (and you thought the 3D/MAX prices at your local multiplex were high. And of course, this doesn’t take into account the money spent on travel and accommodations.
The selections are eclectic, foreign (many of the films premiered at Cannes) and there is a large amount of classic screenings. It would be easy to attend this festival as a cinephile and see not one new movie. A lot of the classic films screened are movies not available on DVD or VHS. In some cases, the print being projected is the only one still known to be in existence.
Not only is it pricey and hard to get to, but you’re gambling at the same time. You see, unlike most other film festivals which announce their line-ups months in advance (partly to stimulate attendance/ticket sales and get mainstream attention), Telluride doesn’t reveal their line-up until 24 hours before the festival begins. You can see the line-up that was announced Thursday here.
And even then, most of the bigger films are hidden in TBA “Sneak Preview Screening” slots. This allows Telluride to secretly premiere films that are already set to “officially premiere” at other festivals like Venice, Toronto, New York and Fantastic Fest. Of course, you’ll never hear the word “premiere” come out of anyone’s mouths that work or program the festival.
Four years ago Telluride secretly screened Jason Reitman’s Juno before it’s scheduled Toronto premiere. Three years ago Danny Boyle secretly screened Slumdog Millionaire in the high school auditorium. Two years ago, Reitman returned with Up in the Air, days before the scheduled TIFF premiere. Last year, Fox Searchlight sneak previewed Black Swan and 127 Hours, while King’s Speech surprised everyone even though it was on the listed line-up.
Before I started writing about movies, before I started /Film, I was just a film fanatic. I volunteered at Sundance every year (working 8 hours a day gave you free housing and entrance into almost any movie you wanted to see). I would come back from Sundance and hold movie nights with my friends. I would screen smaller films that my friends wouldn’t normally even know about, nevermind see. Movies like Primer or Saved. I would force my friends to go to the opening night of a film at the Landmark in Cambridge (which was the indie theater of choice, but a hike from where I lived) to see films like The Puffy Chair or Garden State. Sharing these films with friends
For me, attending Telluride means being at that first screening — where the buzz begins.
Not too long before Slumdog premiered at Telluride, the film was slated to go direct to dvd. Fox Searchlight saved the movie and was initially planning to give it a very limited release. Boyle got a standing ovation following the film’s conclusion (yes, in the town’s high school auditorium). Searchlight and Boyle were both overwhelmed by the response at the screening. I remember approaching Boyle at a party later that night — and by party, I mean a little get together with about a dozen people in a bar downtown. I told him I thought Slumdog had the potential to be a huge breakout hit. While he was very grateful in his response, the look on his face read “are you crazy?”. It’s easy now to realize that Slumdog could have been the hit that it became, but without the magic of hindsight, it didn’t look like a movie that would be marketable to mainstream audiences. And in the months leading up to release, I talked about the film on this site at every opportunity.
I attend festivals like Telluride (and the upcoming longer visits to Toronto and Fantastic Fest in Austin) to find movies to share with you guys and gals. This, to me, is my favorite part of this job. To find and expose films like The Wackness, Monsters, Fish Tank and Moon to the large readership of /Film. I understand that most of you are not here to read about film festivals or small independent films. Most of you are here for the hourly news updates and coverage of sci-fi, comic book, action and genre films. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t be interested in some of the small indie films I discover on these festival journeys.
Each year, I struggle to find better ways to present these findings to you guys. The industry standard is to write movie reviews for every film screened, but I feel that most of you probably aren’t interested in reading full reviews for films you know little about and probably wont have a chance to see for another year. And I doubt many of you have any interest in reading a nasty review of a film which might never even be released on DVD. Writing those type of reviews accomplishes nothing. You don’t need to be warned to avoid a film that will never even enter your radar, and it certainly doesn’t do the struggling filmmaker who created it any good. I would rather focus on the films that I think should be on your radar. Films you should look out for. And giving you an advance heads up on films that will be part of the Academy Awards battle come year end.
I’m also trying to focus more on the experience side of things, and give you guys a look into what it is like to attend these festivals. I will try to do more video blogs, alongside with other movie journalists guests like Alex of Firstshowing and Steve of Collider, among many other movie website writers (especially when we hit Austin). I also hope to include a bunch of photos in my blogs to capture the locations, people, and experience (some of you may have seen my first experiments in photoblogging during Cannes). I’m also going to be conducting a few interviews with some of the filmmakers behind the films, and giving you more insight into their creation.
I will be covering the Telluride Film Festival for the next few days, and next week traveling to Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival. And from there I’ll be traveling to Austin Texas for Fantastic Fest. Please join me on this journey of film and discovery. I can’t wait to share some of the experiences and reactions with you. This is only the beginning.

This Week In Trailers: Where Soliders Come From, The Love We Make, The Weird World of Blowfly, Un monstre à Paris (A Monster In Paris), El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

2011-09-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers?

Where Soldiers Come From Trailer
Documentary filmmaker Heather Courtney looks to have made a movie that keeps the embers of war stoked in our collective consciousness.
Of course it’s silly to think that any one of us would forget that there are bombs going off, people being shot, violence raging throughout the Korengal Valley and elsewhere, all across Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it’s documentaries like this, that put real stories and faces to the things happening over there that make it impossible to think that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
There is something unique in these stories and this trailer established its angle right from the outset. It comes out with a strong case for itself by showcasing its award status. Nothing wrong with laying out all the places where it’s played or where it has won some accolades. Establishes pedigree, respectability at the very least before getting into the stories of the people it is going to showcase.
What I like about this approach is that it’s damn near a minute into a two minute plus trailer before we see any kind of discharge of weaponry. It downplays the idea of a soldier as a person on the field of battle, instead opting to show them outside of the war, away from the theater of combat. It’s this kind of advertisement that makes a movie like this enticing.
It’s not going to give you Restrepo. It’s a story, it seems, of when these guys come back and how they’re changed because of what they’ve been through, what they’ve seen.
A Monster In Paris Trailer

Which one of these would you want to see?
Produced by Luc Besson (Are there any movies being made in Europe that don’t have his finger in it?), this is about the best example I’ve seen about two ad campaigns that are, at the core, the same in wanting to promote the same movie but with one having a much better edge when it comes to style and substance.
So, the question stands, which of these do you think does it better?
If you answered the former and not the latter then you’re ahead of the game. If you answered the second one then I’m sure you enjoy your Japanese animation dubbed and your movies to be presented without any of those pesky subtitles. It’s honestly fine if you like American one better but the original French version just seems to be better able at seemingly like a movie more mature than it is, and certainly more interesting than its Anglo clone.
They honestly come off as two entirely different movies, the French version looking far more engaging and risque, as I’m totally turned off by the wacky presentation of the second with its obnoxious voiceover. It’s hard to say, though, whether a movie about a big looking bug would hold my attention it certainly stands to reason that a movie that looks like it’s for adults and has a more adult theme could get some people to give in to its charms.
Vanessa Paradis’ singing most definitely is a +1 to the French version so consider me in Paris’ camp on this. The animation looks mature with regard to there not being a single child anywhere to be found and, for some reason, it’s always interesting to me to find an animated film that takes that element out of the equation. Director Bibo Bergeron gets my vote for what appears to be a movie with a robust theme, a little bit of goofiness, and a great female voice talent that will hopefully be belting out more than one sultry ditty.
El Bulli: Cooking in Progress Trailer

Show of hands: Who thinks that restaurants that indulge in molecular gastronomy, where “courses” number in the dozens, are the safe havens and refuges for an elitist class? I’ve never visited one but I have to admit to wanting, more than anything else, to find out what all the hype is about, certainly as it pertains to El Bulli.
For those unfamiliar with the restaurant, here’s all you need to know about the hype surrounding the place, located on the northeastern part of Spain, by way of Christian Science Monitor:

The restaurant’s average price of €270 ($388) per head — not including drinks, tax or tips — was another of its distinctive features.
The diner could boast more than a million reservation requests yearly at a place that seated just 50 and opened for dinner only, usually just six months a year.
The other six months were used by Adria to travel the world in search of ideas and then to conceive and painstakingly practice preparing dishes that have astounded gastronomy critics and dedicated foodies alike.

I loathe the word “foodies” but this trailer perfectly sets up why people were so damned obsessed with this place. It’s focus on the kind of haute cuisine that would compel people, literally, to fly halfway around the world to enjoy its spoils would be reason enough to make a documentary but this trailer, though, doesn’t focus so much on its progressive attitude towards food creation. Rather, it’s a slow burn that introduces us to the man running everything, Ferran Adrià, as he addresses those working in the restaurant, and us at home, what the real aim is.
It’s not creating good food first and then letting the rest take care of itself, it’s about creating emotional connections to the experience of eating, he says. It’s compelling and interesting and not like anything I’ve seen come out of the mouth of a chef. The trailer does a good job in not getting mired in minutiae and ephemera, though.

Seeing this food be made, the meticulousness with which they construct a four hour meal, that’s the real meat here. It’s the connections these individuals make with the creation of things no one has ever put to their lips that make this seem like a doc that’s a must see. Director Gereon Wetzel’s examination of something that has thrilled the taste buds of a certain segment of the population is communicated quite well, visually, and leaves us wanting to consume more.
The Love We Make Trailer

What fascinates me most about a documentary like this is wondering just how many times Paul McCartney has sang “Let It Be” and trying to ascertain if it still has that same kind of ring it did when he first performed it.
The man, no doubt, is told on a near hourly basis about how much The Beatles informed the life experience of so many people but his comments that we get almost immediately that inform what it is we’re doing here in the first place, and why this diverges from your usual concert documentary, is smart. It establishes him as a person, an individual, who is not just a rock star looking to create a benefit for the sake of creating one and as a man who himself had to live through a bombed out landscape not unlike what happened around the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.
Absolutely, this trailer’s awfully short but here is one case where brevity actually plays in its favor. As soon as you play the September 11th card there’s nothing more needed other than a few more lines about what the aim of the show is and why it’s important. Sir Paul does that as he contextualizes what the point of this whole thing is and, I don’t know why, but this trailer gets me as it seems like living tribute and behind-the-scenes documentary.
If there’s anything I would question is why the black and white. It seems de rigueur to make these kinds of things black and white but, I would assert, there’s nothing wrong with color so why the conscious decision to go monotone? Slightly distracting but nonetheless a non-issue.
The Weird World of Blowfly Trailer
I have no idea who this guy is but this trailer certainly made me care for a little while.
A story about a man who has been influential to some of the biggest names in hip hop and R&B this is one of those tales of a person who achieved a modicum amount of success only to find themselves, years later, both an inspiration and living a life not unlike that of someone who has a minimum wage job. What we see here is the flash and sizzle of the notoriety and the banality of Clarence Reid when he’s not the alter ego known as Blowfly.
Unlike the trailer for Where Soldiers Come From, this trailer just blows through the many film festivals that really could have been used much better than they are here. I don’t know this movie from a hole in the ground and the festival love this movie has received could have at least been used as something that separates it from every other documentary looking for some attention. That aside, the trailer is lean and wastes no time in establishing who Clarence is an artist and what kind of influence he’s had with guys like Ice-T and Chuck D.
Seeing the guy ambulating down a street, looking breakable and frail, belays the nutty looking guy in a sparkly costume just hunk-a-chunking his hips on the main stage. He’s in his element and it’s not until we get here that we are shown how solitary this man’s existence is. It’s at the same time sad and empty but it’s interesting from the standpoint that even though stories like his are nothing new, artists who made thousands for labels and were just as soon left to fend for themselves once the money train stopped chugging, it is still worth listening to.
Cinematographer turned director, Jonathan Furmanski, seems to have made a film that is showcasing a world class talent that might as well be living right next door.

Note bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers to possibly be included in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com
In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week:

Hell Trailer – I don’t think I understand what’s going on as much as I am just flat out bored by the premise of another post apocalyptic thriller.
Fireflies In The Garden Trailer – A trailer that shows a movie that actually looks like a melodrama worthy of release but knowing full well it’s been languishing on a shelf makes me weary.
Hunger Games Teaser Trailer - Positively, the most boring thing I’ve seen this week. Call me back when there’s real footage to be seen.
The Skin I Live In Trailer – Absolutely demented and I love it.
Melancholia UK Trailer – There’s something about a movie you just want to see immediately and this one just tempts you with its fantastical wiles.
Stay Cool Trailer - Looks perfectly suited to debut on the Hallmark Channel.
Alps Trailer - Weird, strange but I’m hypnotized by the way it’s communicating to be about what it is.
Miss Bala Trailer – Just thrilling and exciting. Love the tempo.
A Dangerous Method Trailer -Stuffy period drama. Has some interesting elements but I’m not so sure it’s worth getting worked up over.
The Heineken Kidnapping Trailer - I think I’m missing a lot by not understanding the language but it nonetheless looks like the kind of film that transcends that and could be an exciting import.
Moneyball UK Trailer – How many different trailers has there been for this? I don’t know but every single one reaffirms my desire to see this movie.
Margaret Trailer – This is disappointing. What started out with a hint of promise, this trailer devolves into a movie that offers nothing new.
Martha Marcy May Marlene Trailer – Flat out, it’s one of the best movies of the year and Elizabeth Olsen is electric. After having seen it this week, I can say this trailer dances between being intentionally coy and revealing just enough quite nicely.
Janie Jones Trailer - Damn you, emotionally manipulative trailer! (I liked it.)

The Tobolowsky Files Ep. 50 – The Primary Source

2011-09-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

It all started when I played in a band with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Sometimes the truth is a funny thing. Sometimes it just rocks your world. A rock and roll story almost twenty years in the making.
The Tobolowsky Files is a podcast from the people who brought you the /Filmcast, featuring a series of stories about life, love, and the entertainment industry, as told by legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky. You can buy Stephen’s new story (EXCLUSIVE to the e-book format) by going to stephentobolowsky.com and you can e-mail Stephen at stephentobolowsky(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Telluride Blog: Alexander Payne’s ‘The Descendants’ and Cannes Sensation ‘The Artist’

2011-09-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

During my first day at the Telluride Film Festival, I had the opportunity to screen Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants and the much talked about Cannes sensation The Artist, a black and white silent film set in the silent-era Hollywood. Both of the films will be vying for awards come Oscar season, and you can get the scoop right here. Also after the jump is a couple of ramblings and musings on how Telluride has changed in the information age and rise of social media, along with some of the photos I’ve taken during my first day in this small mountain town.

The Telluride Film Festival hasn’t changed much over the 38 years they have been running it. When I first began attending the festival just a hand-full of years ago, I remember going to this little press meeting in downtown Telluride. Alex from Firstshowing and I sat in the corner like outsiders. Most of the small room was filled with journalists and critics for print publications from around the world. I don’t remember how many other online writers were in that room that day, but it wasn’t many. How things have changed.

This year we walked in to the annual pre-fest press meeting and the main table in the middle of the room was filled with mostly online journalists. The print press, now in the corners. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as this change has been happening everywhere. It is just kind of strange to see it happen here, in Telluride.

Even the whole idea of surprise secret screenings seems to be something invented for an earlier time. Don’t get me wrong, the surprise screenings are part of the reason I come to this festival, but it seems like this festival is at odds with technology. Bloggers now tweet photos from bookstores revealing hints at what movies might be on the secret program. Other bloggers publish articles giving away some of the big secrets — for example, the film Butter is one of the sneak premieres at this year’s fest.
If this were a decade ago, people would have still noticed Jennifer Garner on the plane or around town and begun talking and speculating. The gossip would spread, but certainly not as fast as it does today. Only minutes before the charter jet to Telluride was set to take off and there were already tweets and blogs reporting Garner’s appearance of the flight, and how this almost certainly meant that Butter would be part of the secret program.

Secret service have been in and around town for a couple weeks now, but not for the film festival. Down the highway a bit, celebrities have gathered for an entirely different event — On Sunday, the fashion designer Ralph Lauren’s son David Lauren will marry Lauren Bush, niece of former President George W. Bush, at a 17,000-acre ranch. Two former United States presidents will be in attendance, alongside the likes of Oprah and Johnny Depp (who after being spotted in a store around town, it was immediately speculated on blogs and twitter that his appearance could mean that Rum Diary might be the second sneak premiere).

The first film I screened was my most anticipated film of the festival – Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants. Payne’s 2004 academy award-winning film Sideways established him to the masses, but for me it was his 1999 adaptation of Election starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderrick. It is still one of my favorite films of all time — if you havent seen it, please do me a favor and check it out. Payne has been absent since winning the Oscar, directing the pilot of the HBO series Hung, contributing a short film to the feature collaboration Paris, Je T’Aime, and partly writing the 2007 Adam Sandler comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (a writing credit which I, like many, still find baffling).

The /Filmcast: After Dark – Ep. 158 – Marketing Hunger Games and Making ‘Tucker and Dale vs. Evil’ (GUEST: Director Eli Craig)

2011-09-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley chat about how excited they aren’t about The Hunger Games. Special guest Eli Craig joins us to discuss his film Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is currently available on VOD and will hit theaters on September 30th.
You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. We’ll be back on Slashfilm’s live page on Sunday (9/4) at 10 PM EST / 7 PM PST to hear us discuss Red State.

Eddie Murphy is Brett Ratner’s Choice to Host the Oscar

2011-09-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit to feeling some degree of surprise when I first heard that director Brett Ratner would be co-producing the upcoming 84th Academy Awards, but at the same time, Ratner’s career has always been one of surprising success. For instance, using only a modicum of skill, Ratner was able to turn out three Rush Hour films, which went on to gross almost $1 billion worldwide. And the huge returns of Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand only ensured that this guy would not be going away anytime soon.
So maybe Ratner’s Oscar gig will be similarly successful to mass-market audiences. Turns out the director has an ace up his sleeve for the upcoming ceremony: he wants Tower Heist star Eddie Murphy to host it.
According to Deadline, Ratner will be meeting this Tuesday with Academy bigwigs to present Eddie Murphy as his one and only choice to host this year’s Oscars. While this is not a done deal yet (there are “a lot more steps” necessary before this becomes a reality), Murphy is apparently “showing interest.” Murphy’s career isn’t exactly on fire as of late; aside from the Shrek films, he’s appeared in a string of critical and box office failures. But apparently Tower Heist may end up being a hit, and a gig hosting one of the most popular telecasts in the world might be a nice addition to Murphy’s résumé at this stage.
I, for one, think Murphy would provide the telecast a breath of fresh air. It’s been a long time since Murphy has been anything approaching what I would describe as “edgy,” but maybe a high-profile hosting job will show us the charisma and style of Murphy’s that we all fell in love with, so long ago. And as for Ratner producing? So long as there’s no interpretive dance set to Michael Giacchino’s score from Up this year, I’ll consider it a smashing success.

Telluride Blog: Pixar’s ‘La Luna’, the Black List Favorite Dark Comedy ‘Butter’ and Wim Wenders’ 3D Dance Documentary ‘Pina’

2011-09-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

On day two of the 38th annual Telluride Film Festival and I caught the amazing new Pixar film LA Luna, Wim Wenders 3D documentary Pina about the famous modern dance choreographer, and the first surprise premiere screening of the festival, Jim Field Smith‘s dark dramedy Butter, a top Black List screenplay about a midwest butter carving championship which stars Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry and Hugh Jackman.

There are very few things better than Pixar’s short animated films. They are often fun, sometimes sophisticated, always imaginative, but never boring. In the past few years, Pixar has released a set of Cars Toons featuring Mater and the characters of the Cars universe, on video and television. I’m not a fan of Cars, but I understand the demand to see more of these characters.
I believe that Toy Story 3 was the perfect bookend to the series and conclusion for the characters — I’m not really interested in seeing a fourth film (although it sounds like one is being developed). But again, demand warrants action. Recently Pixar has been producing a series of Toy Story short films. While I’m happy with this compromise, I was a bit disappointed that Pixar decided to drop their usual animated short film from Cars 2 in favor of a Toy Story short. I’m excited to see our toy friends return in front of The Muppets, or other live action films, but why give away this prime spot which is usually dedicated to the innovative shorts we’ve come to love over the years.

Thankfully it seems like a one-time move, as Enrico Casarosa‘s original short film La Luna is scheduled to be attached to Brave when it hits theaters in June 2012. The film is about “a young boy coming of age in peculiar circumstances.” I don’t want to say anymore, as not to ruin the surprises and magic. Here is the official plot synopsis which does an amazing job of telling you what the short is about without ruining any of the story or surprises:

La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait. A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions?

The story was inspired by Casarosa’s childhood life by the Genoa sea, and personal experiences growing up with “a father and grandfather that couldn’t support each other, rarely speaking to one another.”
The short film has been screening on the festival circuit, and I’m glad I was able to catch it early, in 3D, in front of a feature presentation at the Telluride Film Festival. The story feels like a timeless fairytale that was locked in a vault for hundreds of years, and only just now unleashed for the world to enjoy. La Luna features beautiful fantastical Miyazaki-inspired visuals, and a lovely score by Michael Giacchino. A new classic which will be enjoyed for decades to come.
You can watch a clip below:
We trekked over to the Galaxy theatre (a school gymnasium which has been converted into a space-themed movie theatre) to see Wim Wenders‘s latest film Pina, a 3D documentary on the famous German modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch.

Some of you probably recognize the name as Pina has been the leading influence in modern dance from the 1970′s until her death in 2009. I really have little interest in the world of dance, but I was told the film was something to experience.

Pina is a very beautiful film capturing some of Pina’s famous dances, with her original dance troupe, in cinematically pleasing natural and urban locations. I would show this film to anyone who argues that 3D is a gimmick or that 3D should only be used in big blockbuster action movies. Pina is proof that a small indie film, a documentary at that, can be elevated with great 3D composition and presentation. That said, the film is pretty borring as a whole. I’m one that loves storytelling and isn’t a fan of the more abstract narratives that Pina would tell on stage. I was also very disappointed that we learned very little about Pina herself, her methods, what the dances meant, or even how they were crafted.
The little narrative we did get comes in the form of comments from Pina’s dancers. The comments range from how great Pina was, or how she had an amazing ability to see something in someone. Again, little substance. And it didn’t help that the comments were presented in voice over on top of shots of the dancers starring at the camera in front of a interview backdrop.
If you’re a fan of modern interpretive dance, this film is something to see and experience. If you, like me, crave more story or insight than what can be provided from a collection of interpretive dances, you might want to check out something else instead.

Every yea, the Telluride Film Festival usually presents two sneak preview premieres which aren’t announced until the day of the show. The Saturday screening was Jim Field Smith‘s dark dramedy Butter, Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry and Hugh Jackman. Jason Micallef‘s screenplay placed #3 on the 2008 Black List, an industry poll of the hottest unproduced scripts of the year.

Jennifer Garner plays Kaitlen Pickler, the ambitious conservative wife of Iowa’s reigning 15 year butter sculpting champ (Ty Burrell) who decides to enter the race on her own when he is forced to retire. The only obstacles that stand in her way are an adopted young black girl named Destiny (Yara Shahidi) who has a telent for butter carving and a stripper (Olivia Wilde) who has it out for Pickler.
The screenplay is very smart, and the story almost plays as a distant cousin of Alexander Payne‘s Election. Not as well crafted as that film, but both films would make one fantastic double feature. Garner channels her inner Sarah Palin for the role, and you’ll love to hate her.
I was most shocked at Rob Corddry‘s sometimes dramatic turn as the man who adopts young Destiny. I had always assumed that Corddry would continue his career appearing in second rate comedy features and comedy central television shows, but this role shows that he has much more to offer. And yeah, there is a sex scene between Twilight star Ashley Greene and Olivia Wilde which will be the talk of the internet, but its part of a subplot which feels almost completely unnecessary. Hugh Jackman also has a small, but hilarious, role as the owner of a car dealership in town.
I’m not sure if the film has any Oscar chances as the screenplay seems a bit too edgy for the Academy and Garner’s performance borders on parody… but maybe. Butter is the type of movie that Fox Searchlight use to be so great at distributing — but it isn’t a Searchlight film, but instead a Weinstein Co production. I feel like something has happened in the last two years and a shift has happened. Even Tree of Life seems more like a Sony Pictures Classics film than it does a Searchlight movie. And some of the greatest movies of this past Summer season came from 20th Century Fox? Whats going on here?
Butter is the rare dark comedy that will have you laughing out loud, sometimes in disbelief, but also connect on an emotional level that you might have not expected. It might not be the grand slam that Election was, but I still recommend you check it out.

Californication Three Season Pack

2011-09-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day today is the Californication Three Season Pack for only $49.99, 62% off the $130 suggested retail price. Thats less than $17 a season. The deal is only good until midnight tonight, so act fast!