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There will be a concert fundraiser with all net proceeds benefiting M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) in Redondo Beach, California on July 21. "The Journey Begins Now" will feature some of today's top teen stars including:
Hunter Gomez
Joey Pearson
Jared Wagner
Kelly-Lynn
Chris & AJ Holyfield
Reserved seats are available for $20 at www.tjbnproductions.com.
Location: Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA
Date: July 21, 2007
Time: Show starts at 7:00pm
Arrive early and see on display the Gruzen Racing Team's "Merciless Mouse" dragster as well as a trailer displaying a Hawthorne Police Dept. cruiser which was wrecked by a drunk driver. Also in the lobby prior to the show, listen to a 4 member jazz band from Mira Costa High School and check out the performers' tables with CDs and other items for sale.
Click the banner for more information, plus pictures and links to the stars' websites.
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Prince William and Prince Harry will mark the 10th anniversary of their mother's death with an event to celebrate her life. The Concert for Diana on 1st July 2007, which would have been Diana's 46th birthday, will be one of the first events to take place in the new Wembley Stadium. Proceeds from the concert will go to charities supported by the late Princess, and to charities of which the Princes are Patrons.
When is the event?
Concert for Diana will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, on Sunday 1st July, 2007.
What time will I need to get to the venue, when will the show start and finish?
Stadium Gates open 2pm
Show Starts 4pm
Show finishes 10pm
* Please note, there will be 2 intermissions for rest breaks and to enable you to buy food and drinks.
Where is the venue? How do I get there?
Official Police advice - DO NOT DRIVE to Wembley Stadium
With excellent transport links, Wembley Stadium is located in North West London and is a mere 10-12 minute train journey from Baker St or Marylebone. Nearest stations are:
Wembley Park (Jubilee & Metropolitan tube lines)
Wembley Stadium (Chiltern rail)
Wembley Central (Bakerloo tube, Silverlink rail)
Performers:
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Duran Duran
English National Ballet
Fergie
James Morrison
Kanye West
Natasha Bedingfield
Orson
Pharrell Williams
Roger Hodgson of Supertramp
Tom Jones
Wix Wickens
Bryan Ferry
Elton John
The Feeling
Joss Stone
Lily Allen
Nelly Furtado
P. Diddy
Rod Stewart
Take That
Status Quo
Will Young
Charities
Concert for Diana is a celebration of the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana was a passionate champion of the rights of disadvantaged people and did much to highlight the plight of people living with HIV or AIDS, offering a visible helping hand to those in need. Prince William and Prince Harry have followed in her footsteps, supporting work with the young, underprivileged and vulnerable both in the UK and abroad and becoming Royal Patrons in their own right. All proceeds from ticket sales after deduction of all costs and expenses of the Concert will be given in equal shares to the Concert beneficiaries who are:
Princess Diana's Patronages and Memorial Fund
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund works to raise awareness of issues that were close to Diana's heart, and provides grants to support charitable organisations in the UK and abroad, working in areas related to the kinds of causes she championed. These include projects to assist those living with HIV/AIDS, communities affected by landmines, and other vulnerable and marginalised people. The Concert for Diana will also support the work of the five organisations other than Centrepoint of which the Princess was Patron at the time of her death -- the Royal Marsden and Great Ormond Street Hospitals, The Leprosy Mission, The National AIDS Trust and the English National Ballet.
Prince William
Centrepoint, UK
Prince William is Patron of Centrepoint, the UK's leading youth homelessness charity. As a child, the Prince visited homelessness charities in London with his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. William also visited a homelessness charity in Newport, Wales with his father just before his 21st birthday. In 2005, William spent a few days volunteering at Centrepoint working with young people. Prince William said "Charities like Centrepoint do such an amazing job in helping to combat homelessness and social exclusion and I just wanted to lend my support to their remarkable efforts."
Prince Harry
Sentebale, Lesotho
In April 2006, Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso founded a new charity called Sentebale to help vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho, particularly those orphaned as a result of AIDS. The new organisation is a major step in Prince Harry's pledge to continue his mother's work with disadvantaged children. He co-founded the charity with Lesotho's Prince Seeiso whose own mother Queen Mamohato, a much-loved figure in the country, died in 2003. Harry revealed: "Sentebale means 'forget me not'. We chose the name as a memorial to the charity work of our own mothers, as well as a reminder to us all not to forget Lesotho or its children ."
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Charlie Bartlett has won the audience award at the Tremblant Canada Film Festival for best feature. It earlier won the audience award at the Maui Film Festival.
And earlier we posted a review of the film from The Hollywood Reporter. We raved about it after choosing it as one of our Top Picks from this year's Tribeca Film Festival and they agreed.
Today a similarly good review appears at Film Stew. It puts the film right up there with some of the greatest teen comedies of all time.
Charlie Bartlett hits theaters August 3.
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Yesterday we announced the release date for 2006 Toronto International Film Festival favorite Mandy Lane. It was one of our Top Picks of the year.
Dimension Films will put it out in limited release on July 20.
Here is the trailer:
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Cashback was our #1 Top Pick from the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and one of our favorites of the past year (including over 15 festivals attended and over 175 films we've seen). We've been following it ever since and it will finally be in US theaters on July 20.
Now Magnolia Pictures has released some brand new, extremely large resolution production stills. They include some never before seen pictures. They are humongous resolution and far too large to upload to our server and post thumbnails. So check them out at the Magnolia Pictures press site.
We're also pleased to bring you this brand new interview with Cashback writer/director Sean Ellis, courtesy Magnolia Pictures.
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You're an internationally renowned photographer, you've directed music videos and advertising films... Did all these activities naturally lead you to directing a feature film?
Nowadays, thanks to video, you can make films for nothing. But when I was young, the only way you could practice making films was with the costly 16 mm. process. So, to create the images I had in my head, I first turned to photography, although my aim has always been to become a filmmaker.
But did you have to learn a new craft when you directed CASHBACK?
You learn on the job every day, especially on a set. But the main way I learned was by watching films. I've always been obsessed by the question, "Why did I like such and such a film?" Ever since I was a child, I've always written down in a notebook what I liked, in terms of the photography, special effects, or even the credits.
So, you weren't under any particular pressure when you directed your first film?
You know, when you're a photographer, you have about a dozen people on the set, waiting for you to do something with your camera. But when you're a director, you're surrounded by a director of photography, a sound engineer, a wardrobe supervisor, a set designer, etc. And you can rely on them. So, in that sense, there's less pressure on a director than on a photographer. In fact, that's what I like about making a film: working with other people.
For your first film, you wrote the screenplay, too...
I'm not a screenwriter. My desire to write came from the fact that I wasn't reading anything interesting. Then someone said to me, "Why don't you write yourself?" So, that's what I did. But as I'm not a writer, I need to mentally visualize first the whole film before I put it down on paper. That's how I work. It's a bit laborious and strange.
This film came together incredible fast...
Having directed the short film (Note: which was included in the film), I wondered how I would develop this story to turn it into a feature film. Once I'd found the beginning and end, I said to myself, "From now on, I'll write ten pages a day." So, the actual writing took seven days. Then, we went into pre-production.
Do you realize that this kind of thing never happens in the movies?
I'd been contacted by the studios, but all their projects took forever to get off the ground. I couldn't understand it. I'd say, "We have a screenplay. Why can't we film it?" I was told that it wasn't as simple as that, that it needed more development or rewriting, etc. I was sick of it, so I wrote a screenplay and I said, "Here's the story. Let's cast it, budget it, and shoot it." And that's what we did.
As simply as that...
But that's how it happened! My theory is that if things are supposed to happen, they will...
And if they're not supposed to, then there's a good reason.
To what extent is Ben's story yours?
It is in a way. I've never worked nights in a supermarket. But Ben's ability to stop time, to suspend it, and to capture emotions - that's like my work as a photographer. And Ben's childhood memories are more or less mine. The one about the Swedish au pair, for example, is genuine. (laughs) To think that some people think it's a stereotype!
So, is Ben's view of beauty yours?
Partly. It's true that there can be something depressing about beauty. When you come across it by surprise, it's so intense... Whether it's a work of art, or a man or woman you meet in the street...
I sometimes spend the next few hours stuck on moments like that... And there are so many of them! It can go to your head, it's so powerful.
With CASHBACK, one gets the feeling that you wanted to work on subjectivity...
The films I like play on emotions. That's what I look for, stories in which you're plunged, immersed emotionally. So, with CASHBACK, I too wanted to lead the audience into an uninterrupted flow of thoughts and actions -- Ben's. Every scene had to flow on from the one before in a sort of current of perceptions which carries along the audience without their realizing it. Thus, the flashbacks, for example, had to remain almost imperceptible, without any breaks, so we could follow Ben's progress. That's also the reason behind the scenes in which we go from one set to another without cutting.
Would you say that making movies is "making time"?
Yes. And you have to have something to say. When you make a film, you work on the duration, or on a series of moments, whereas in photography, all the work is concentrated on capturing a fraction of a second...
The supermarket is a common setting in our lives, but little used in films. How did it go, shooting in a place like that?
It's a "self-lit" set. We added very little in the way of lighting. You can make a supermarket interesting, but at the start, I didn't want to -- it's a sad place for Ben, and it had to be so for us, too. Then, as we get further and further inside the narrator's imagination and he starts to enjoy the supermarket, we made it imperceptibly more brightly coloured, more attractive. That's what you see in the second part of the film.
One of the important choices you made as director was to cast Sean Biggerstaff as Ben. He's not a typical young lead...
He gives off something non-aggressive, he has an aura of calm. He's also relatively malleable. For the screen test, I asked him to record the voiceover using different accents. I then spent a while dreaming of the film as I listened to this cassette on which he displayed a wide variety of voices. But the main reason I chose him was you don't really see him as a sexual deviant. (laughs) Because if you think about it, what Ben does is a little bit suspect. If you could stop time and you take advantage of that power to undress women, would you go telling everyone about it?!
Probably not... I was very aware of this pitfall. As early as the short film, I remember showing the film to girlfriends and asking them, "Do you think this guy is a pervert?" If they had said yes, I would have got it all wrong. I needed them to say that he was adorable, touching, and ideally even say something like: "You know, I wouldn't mind if he did the same thing to me"!
You had to direct the actors -- that's one of the main differences with being a photographer...
Actors are very interesting. To me, a good director is someone who knows people, who understands how they work and who then uses that to get what he wants. It's an art and it's very tricky. To think that actors go along with it to earn their living is crazy. With Sean Biggerstaff, he worked better under pressure and that meant not showing him playbacks and not giving him too much praise. This uncertainty made him go with his instincts and he has great instinct! On the other hand, with Emilia Fox (Sharon), I had to spend a lot of time describing the character and her past before the shoot so she could feel what it was that Sharon was going through and then she played it so beautifully from there.
Emilia Fox said the film could be described as "a way of learning to love imperfection". Do you agree with that?
I think that the film tells us that what we spend our lives looking for is often right in front of us. And if we take the time to see things calmly, we find in us what we want or we find ways to obtain it. And what is supposedly imperfect can be seen differently. I think that the little girl with hairy arms is adorable, I don't know why.
The film is full of allusions like that, such as the scene with Sharon's wandering bit of sandwich.
We all fantasize about "Gone with the Wind" love stories. But the reality's very different. Sometimes insignificant or embarrassing things can trigger encounters. Some horribly embarrassing things have happened to me which, in retrospect, turned out to be hilarious as well as touching after all. In situations like that, you're far from posing, you're exposed. It's interesting.
With your keen eye for observation, you paid particular attention to the secondary roles...
To me, secondary roles must be lively. If they're not, they have no reason to be in the film. I wanted people to identify with them, for them to behave in ways people recognize or in which they recognize their friends. I drew inspiration from acquaintances or friends of friends. Others came about thanks to the actors who played them, such as Jenkins, the manager. The actor made us laugh so much on the short film that I wanted to write a big part for him. The atmosphere was very good on the set and we were also able to use several improvisations.
Like your photos, the film is sometimes very sexy. Do you have a theory about this?
No, there's nothing more subjective. I try to film things on instinct which I personally find very sexy. As for the lighting, my experience just allows me to know what will come out well, that's all. The rest is a matter of personal appreciation. For example, to go back to the Swedish au pair, it was one of the sexiest experiences in my life and yet my memory must have embellished it quite a lot. In fact, when I think back to it now, I see the reconstruction I did for CASHBACK, and the real memory of it has gone...
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Last September, we attended the World Premiere of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane at the Toronto International Film Festival. This take on the teen slasher flick from first-time director Jonathan Levine, done in a fresh new way which must be seen to be believed, turned out to be one of our Top Picks of the festival (of over 30 films we saw) and one of our favorites of the year. We caught the film again in a packed house at the sold out U.S. Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas this past March.
The film had been picked up by The Weinstein Company to great fanfare at Toronto and we've been following its progress ever since. Or lack of it, as a release date had not been forthcoming. We now finally have word from Bloody-Disgusting.com that the film will be in theaters on July 20.
Put this one on your calendar!
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We loved Charlie Bartlett when it premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. It was one of our Top Picks. Now The Hollywood Reporter, one of the two giants of the industry media (the other being Variety) has concurred with us and then some. They are calling it "one of the best teen comedies in ages." Some excerpts:
The teenage rebel is such an iconic figure in cinema, one verging on cliche, you would think that smart filmmakers would steer clear at all costs. Fortunately, writer Gustin Nash and director Jon Poll, each making his feature debut, are perhaps too new to their jobs to be smart.
Consequently, we have a fresh, provocative, surprising take on this figure in "Charlie Bartlett." The film certainly hits the anticipated areas of teen angst, alienation, loneliness, disenchantment and drug use. But the makers maintain a comic touch, preferring keen observation and even irony to cynicism and despair.
Yelchin delivers one of those performances that pop eyes. He is old and wise and yet a kid. He is in constant motion but never out of focus. He hits every comic beat without sacrificing any of the seriousness of the issues and character dilemmas strewn throughout the story. He carries the movie on his shoulders yet shares every scene with fellow actors superbly. It's a breakthrough role.
Among the adults, Downey and Davis are wonderful, offering soul-searing looks at human frailty and disenchantment that comes with age. Dennings shares many tender moments with Yelchin, allowing the natural chemistry between these young actors spark the romance within the movie.
The Canadian-based production is aces, with the school and homes having a lived-in look that so seldom permeates teen movies.
NOTE: The complete review does have spoilers.
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Here it is...I know you've been waiting breathlessly for it...it's the 2007 American Film Institute (AFI) list of the Top 100 Movies of all Time!
1. CITIZEN KANE
2. THE GODFATHER
3. CASABLANCA
4. RAGING BULL
5. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
6. GONE WITH THE WIND
7. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
8. SCHINDLER'S LIST
9. VERTIGO
10. THE WIZARD OF OZ
11. CITY LIGHTS
12. THE SEARCHERS
13. STAR WARS
14. PSYCHO
15. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
16. SUNSET BLVD.
17. THE GRADUATE
18. THE GENERAL
19. ON THE WATERFRONT
20. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
21. CHINATOWN
22. SOME LIKE IT HOT
23. THE GRAPES OF WRATH
24. E.T.
25. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
26. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
27. HIGH NOON
28. ALL ABOUT EVE
29. DOUBLE INDEMNITY
30. APOCALYPSE NOW
31. THE MALTESE FALCON
32. THE GODFATHER PART II
33. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NET
34. SHOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
35. ANNIE HALL
36. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
38. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
39. DR. STRANGELOVE
40. THE SOUND OF MUSIC
41. KING KONG
42. BONNIE AND CLYDE
43. MIDNIGHT COWBOY
44. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
45. SHANE
46. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
47. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
48. REAR WINDOW
49. INTOLERANCE
50. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
51. WEST SIDE STORY
52. TAXI DRIVER
53. THE DEER HUNTER
54. M*A*S*H
55. NORTH BY NORTHWEST
56. JAWS
57. ROCKY
58. THE GOLD RUSH
59. NASHVILLE
60. DUCK SOUP
61. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
62. AMERICAN GRAFFITI
63. CABARET
64. NETWORK
65. THE AFRICAN QUEEN
66. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
67. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
68. UNFORGIVEN
69. TOOTSIE
70. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
71. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
72. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
73. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
74. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
75. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
76. FORREST GUMP
77. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
78. MODERN TIMES
79. THE WILD BUNCH
80. THE APARTMENT
81. SPARTACUS
82. SUNRISE
83. TITANTIC
84. EASY RIDER
85. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
86. PLATOON
87. 12 ANGRY MEN
88. BRINGING UP BABY
89. THE SIXTH SENSE
90. SWING TIME
91. SOPHIE'S CHOICE
92. GOODFELLAS
93. THE FRENCH CONNECTION
94. PULP FICTION
95. THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
96. DO THE RIGHT THING
97. BLADE RUNNER
98. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
99. TOY STORY
100. BEN-HUR
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We are pleased to report that The Final Season has been picked up for distribution by the Yari Film Group and is scheduled to be released October 12.
We first began following the progress of this film in early 2006 as it was about to go into production. The World Premiere took place at the Tribeca Film Festival where we reported from the red carpet, screening, Q&A, and afterparty. It was one of our Top Picks from the festival and one of our favorites of the year so far.
Here is some of our recent coverage:
Report from the World Premiere
Pictures from the red carpet
World Premiere Q&A video (pt. 1)
World Premiere Q&A video (pt. 2)
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Yesterday we posted an interview with Emile Hirsch about his role in the upcoming Into the Wild, the Sean Penn-directed film based on the Jon Krakauer book.
A few hours ago we received the official trailer.
And now we have our first look at the poster.
The studio has also released the following stills.
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Here is the much anticipated trailer for Sean Penn's Into The Wild (see some details about the film in yesterday's post). It is also available for download here in QuickTime and Windows Media formats.
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Charlie Bartlett was one of our Top Picks from this year's Tribeca Film Festival and hits theaters August 3. Star Anton Yelchin sat down with Nylon for Guys to discuss the film. You can see the entire issue online with a free trial registration.
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The team behind Local Color, one of our Top Picks of the past year, headed back to the New Orleans area last year to shoot a romantic comedy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Meg Ryan, Colin Hanks, Selma Blair, and Trevor Morgan (also of Local Color), the George Gallo-directed film was originally titled Homeland Security, and we've reported on it here. Other names were tested, including Chasing Marty and My Mom's New Boyfriend. They have now settled on a name, and the film will be officially titled More Than You Know. The film will be distributed by Columbia -- no date yet.
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Into the Wild, the film based on the Jon Krakauer book, tells the true story of the tragic death of Chris McCandless. Chris is played by Emile Hirsch, who's been getting a lot of press as of late due to his upcoming portrayal of Speed in Speed Racer.
But while fans will have to wait until well into 2008 for that one, Into the Wild is set to debut this fall. EW.com sat down with Emile to discuss the film, and what it was like to work with director Sean Penn.
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Jess Manafort's The Beautiful Ordinary is set to debut at Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival this Friday. The film features an all-star cast of today's up-and-coming young stars including Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Chris Marquette, Sean Marquette, Aaron Himelstein, John Robinson, Melonie Diaz, and Michael Welch. You'll recognize some of those same names from films like Alpha Dog and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, two of our Top Picks of the 2006-07 festival year.
There will be three screenings:
Fri, Jun 22
7:30pm
Landmark's Regent Theatre
Tue, Jun 26
5:00pm
The Landmark (Pico & Westwood)
Wed, Jun 27
10:00pm
The Landmark (Pico & Westwood)
There is a teaser trailer posted at the film's official site as well as some screencaps at Chris-marquette.com.
TRAILER
SCREENCAPS 1
SCREENCAPS 2
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We don't normally cover Broadway, but as the lines between the movie industry and theater aren't necessarily sharp, we see no reason not to post this little gem. Here is Triumph, the insult Comic Dog on the red carpet at the Tony Awards.
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Walk the Talk finally has an official site. Lots of goodies there, including the trailer and four clips. The film stars Evan Ellingson, Cary Elwes, Illeana Douglas, Chris Pratt, and Anson Mount. Evan appeared as Josh Bauer in this past season of 24, and co-stars in The Bondage, one of our Top Picks of the 2006-07 year in independent film (not yet released). Coincidentally, Illeana Douglas plays his mother in that film.
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Yesterday we named Australia's Introducing the Dwights as a film to see when it opens on the Fourth of July in the States. Meanwhile, downunder in Oz, the movie will open on June 28 under the original title Clubland.
Australia's movie magazine Film Ink has posted interviews with stars Brenda Blethyn and Khan Chittenden.
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For 15 years, martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li have been trying to get together and collaborate on a film. Now they are doing it, and have been shooting The Forbidden Kingdom in China since early May.
Yesterday, a press conference was held with director Rob Minkoff and lead actor Michael Angarano.
VIDEO
Here is some additional viewer video of a Q&A with cast and crew.
VIDEO
The cast and crew also posed for some pictures. Some are posted at Sina.com and others at Sohu.com.
Thanks to CrazyLoofah.
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Here are a few films which I've seen at festivals in the past year that will hit theaters in the next few months. There are many others I haven't listed because they don't have dates yet. This list is in release order. Most of these may only play in NY and LA and a few select markets. See them if you can. You won't be disappointed.
Links are to reviews I've written (if any) or pictures if not.
FILM -- (DISTRIBUTOR) -- RATING -- Release platform -- Release date
INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS (WARNER INDEPENDENT PICTURES) R Exclusive 7/4/2007
This was titled Clubland when I attended the World Premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film festival. It was one of my Top Picks and is one of the best of the year so far. From Australia, starring the amazing Brenda Blethyn and newcomer Khan Chittenden. Part romantic comedy/part coming-of-age story. Very sweet film.
CASHBACK (MAGNOLIA) R Limited 7/20/2007
This was my #1 Top Pick of over 30 films I saw at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and one of my favorites of over 175 films at 15 festivals in the past year. It's been playing overseas to great acclaim and is winning awards and sweeping festivals all over the world. Stars Sean Biggerstaff, known to most as Oliver Wood of Harry Potter. Hard to describe -- romantic comedy but with a poignant, almost science fiction/fantasy twist to it. It was originally a 20 minute short film which was nominated for Best Short at the 2006 Academy Awards. Writer-director Sean Ellis took the short and added a first act and a third act, keeping the original short intact in the center -- never been done before.
FIERCE PEOPLE (LIONSGATE/AFTER DARK) R Exclusive 7/20/2007
Shot in the spring of 2004, has sat in limbo for over 3 years. Stars Donald Sutherland, Diane Lane, Kristen Stewart, Anton Yelchin. Directed by Griffin Dunne. I saw it at the 2006 Woodstock Film Festival and begged to get it released. Another one that's hard to describe. Offbeat, quirky, funny, shocking, complex. Very very entertaining.
CHARLIE BARTLETT (MGM) R Wide 8/3/2007
Just attended the World Premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Stars Anton Yelchin and Robert Downey, Jr. Comedy/coming-of-age. One of the funniest movies I've seen in quite some time. Yelchin is arguably the best actor in America under age 19 and is brilliant in this. Lots of drug content but mass appeal nonetheless.
WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY (LIONSGATE/AFTER DARK) R Limited 8/17/2007
Extremely controversial film. Set in an afterlife way station for people who have committed suicide, but something of a romantic comedy. Stars Patrick Fugit of Almost Famous. Shot 2 years ago, some thought would never see the light of day. Haven't seen but have heard good things and am looking forward to it. Patrick is a terrific actor.
TRADE (LIONSGATE) R Exclusive 9/21/2007
Went to the World Premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Stars Kevin Kline and newcomer Cesar Ramos. About human trafficking across the Mexican border. Based on a true story. Brutal and hard to watch at times but also a road movie with some humor. Will surprise.
THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB (SONY CLASSICS) Not yet rated Exclusive 9/21/2007
Huge ensemble cast, too many to single out. Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels. Haven't seen but looking forward to it.
NANKING (THINKFILM) R Exclusive 12/12/2007
Documentary. Saw this one at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and it blew me away. Terribly frightening. Tells the story of the rape of the city of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of the horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded together to save 250,000 -- an act of extraordinary heroism. Not for the squeamish but moved me to tears. Mind-blowing.
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"The great thing about film criticism is that everyone has a voice to share. I've always found it amazing that two people can watch the same exact film and get a completely different reaction out of it." No, those aren't my words, but they certainly could be. The statement opens a provocative piece on "what makes a great film," penned by our friend Tony Farinella at MatchFlick.
Farinella writes, "Great movies don't even feel like a "movie." They feel like real life. You stop thinking of them as "characters" in a movie. You start to think of them as "friends." You smile when they do well. You get angry at them when they mess up. You cry when they die. You are really invested in them and their well-being."
From Hostel 2 to Rocky, Blue Velvet to Ordinary People, Farinella takes a very close, personal look at what makes his heart beat faster. If movies are the universal language, why do we often speak in different tongues? That's the question posed in this eloquent take on "What's a good movie to you?"
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The Philadelphia Inquirer (my own hometown newspaper) boasts a woman who is arguably one of the best journalists in the country writing about film, Carrie Rickey. Ms. Rickey is also a member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, where she has spearheaded an effort to come up with the group's first ever Top 100 Films list. Partly in response to the annual American Film Institute's Top 100, AWFJ's members "honored a significantly greater number of films made by and/or about women."
AWFJ's pre-release announcement says, for example, "Maitland McDonagh applauds Clueless, that trendy teen spin off of Jane Austen's Emma, as a "nimble comedy of manners that has brains and heart to match its bubbly good looks," while Carrie Rickey calls Ingrid Bergman's performance in Notorious her "most sensual ever" and Eleanor Ringel Gillespie praises Fernanda Montenego in Central Station as "a world-class study of bitterness dissuaded, scorn swept away, possibility and optimism stumbled upon after too long an absence." And, find out which film Susan Wloszczyna says makes The Devil Wears Prada look like a knock off."
The list in its entirely will be posted at the AWFJ site on June 25.
Posted by phileysmiley at 03:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Here are some updates and news about a few films we've been following: Cashback, Factory Girl, Trade, and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane --
Cashback has been selected for the Durban International Film Festival.
There will be two screenings:
June 24
8 PM
Nu Metro Cinecentre -- Suncoast
June 29
8:30 PM
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre
Writer/director Sean Ellis will be in attendance.
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Factory Girl has been selected for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
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Trade director Marco Kreutzpaintner and star Kevin Kline will receive the prestigious "peace prize" of German films, the Bernhard-wicki-filmpreis (Die Brucke-der friedenspreis des deutschen films) on June 28 at the Munich Film Festival.
And the film's release has been pushed back yet again. Roadside Attractions will put Trade in NY and LA theaters on September 21.
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Finally, rumor has it that All the Boys Love Mandy Lane may pop up at a Frightfest Film Festival preview event" in Cambridge, England.
Films will be announced soon.
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This just in: Brad Gann's Black Irish has won the award for Best Feature at the Jackson Hole Film Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Congrats to all on the Black Irish team!
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Alan Bacchus writes on his Daily Film Dose blog, "The 1980s are generally considered a dead zone for great filmmakers. Pundits frequently laud the 70s filmmakers of Friedkin, Coppola, Lucas, Ashby and also proclaim their demise in the 80s. Indeed, the general conservative attitude in international politics perhaps caused this seismic shift in film artistry."
We've heard this lament quite often. But more than a few of us tend to disagree. "In Hollywood circles, changing economics of cinema-going resulted in the first "tent-pole" films, and the proliferation of the over-exploited sequel-mania," Bacchus explains. "When people mention the 80s the brainless action films of Stallone and Schwarzenegger come to mind first. The number of literature comparing the 1990s videostore generation with the 1970s film school generation are increasing as well."
So in that spirit, he has compiled a list of directors of the 80s -- not necessarily the best directors of the decade, but at least the ones for whom the 80s were their best years.
Posted by phileysmiley at 05:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
As readers of this blog know, Black Irish was one of our Top Picks of 2006 and we have been following its progress since the World Premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival. We've seen it several times since then.
We are now able to announce that Black Irish has just signed a U.S. theatrical distribution deal with a new company called Anywhere Road.
Release will be in early September with at least 4 cities at first, expanding to 20 later on.
This is exclusive news for readers of this blog and has not been announced anywhere else yet. Stay tuned for more details!
Posted by phileysmiley at 09:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Man in the Chair, our #1 Top Pick from this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival, has been selected for the
12th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival on New York's Long Island.
The film will screen Monday, July 23 at 7:00 pm.
Meanwhile, Man in the Chair star Michael Angarano has been hard at work in China, playing the lead in the new Jackie Chan/Jet Li collaboration The Forbidden Kingdom. In a recent entry on Jackie Chan's blog, the master of martial arts had this to say about his 19-year old co-star:
"Filming with us is an American teenager named Michael. Although he hasn't studied martial arts, he is quick to learn all the movements regardless of whether they involve jumping, somersaulting, or kicking. I am so happy with his performance! If he is given a task he can't do right away, he will practice and study until he gets it right. I really appreciate his dedication and I like him very much. A lot of times young people can be lazy and it's rare to find someone as diligent as Michael is."
High praise from one of the best in the world. We're really looking forward to this one come May 2008.
Another project of his, The Final Season, was one of our Top Picks from the recently concluded Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Radio Iowa reports that a distribution deal may be forthcoming.
And a review of One Last Thing at Slashfilm, now out on Blu-ray disc, says, "Angarano gives a remarkably mature performance, tough and fragile." We loved this film last year and highly recommend picking it up.
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The paucity of film news on the blog this week is partly due to the industry slowdown post-Memorial Day. But it's mostly due to your intrepid reporter's decision to actually travel to a location which is not work-related. Of course, the photographer in me doesn't go on vacation even when I do, so forthwith some of the sights to be found in delightful Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean just a couple of hours from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, the town attracts visitors from all three metropolitan areas, making it unique among East Coast resort beaches.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
The obligatory historical marker (L)
Lifeguard shack at Baltimore Avenue & the boardwalk -- looks like a beach day! (R)
This is why it's called Rehoboth Beach -- it's all about the ocean
Shells often wash ashore, and other things as well (just kidding) (L)
It's also about the famous one mile boardwalk (R)
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel -- Victorian elegance right on the beach (L)
It's also about the plentiful shopping -- got some board shorts here (R)
Irish Eyes, one of many great dining spots -- the best in Delaware (L)
Tails I win (R)
Don't mess with the law 'round these parts (L)
Actually, it's the 3-day Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics (R)
The gentleman informed me with pride that he has been around as long as the town (L)
Nothing compares to boardwalk food -- Grotto's Pizza is a local staple (R)
Lera and Aneliya serve up Thrasher's famous funnel cakes (L)
Jason and Ryan man one of three Thrasher's Fries locations -- the ultimate boardwalk food (R)
Ryan's Gems and Junk (yes, that's the name) (L)
And no trip to the boardwalk is complete without arcade games (R)
I was determined not to go home without one (yes, I won one) (L)
Speaking of horses... (R)
Taking home a bunch of those, too (L)
Hmm...which one should I try for? (R)
So many choices (L)
That's more like it (R)
Getting out aggression (L)
Finally, rides complete the experience -- one for the little ones (R)
One for the bigger ones (L)
One for those who want to lose their lunch (R)
Don't ask how many dollars I dropped to end up with those (L)
Needs no explanation (R)
And some more memories:
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Several weeks ago, I posted a remembrance of my best friend Dan, who passed away suddenly on Friday, May 4. Dan was an avid hockey player, beginning at 13 and continuing until age 23. He spent a good portion of those ten years at The Rink in Montvale, New Jersey. This past Friday skaters from the New York City metropolitan area gathered at that venue for a night of hockey in memorial to Dan, with all proceeds going to NARSAD, the Mental Health Research Association. The event was a resounding success, raising over $1400 for that lifesaving organization.
Area residents, hockey fans, friends, and family gathered and shared memories of Dan. In addition to being a good friend, he was a contributing reporter, photographer, and photo editor for this blog.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
The Rink in Montvale, Dan watching over the event
Dan's #26 shirt, players
Some of the action
Mother Sharyn, Father Pete, sister Kerry, and event organizer James (L)
The players and family (R)
Friends and family
Posted by phileysmiley at 07:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cashback was our #1 Top Pick from last year's 2006 Toronto International Film Festival (out of 30+ films), and one of our favorites of the 175+ films we saw at 15 festivals since the start of 2006.
DVD release dates have been announced for the following regions:
Region 1: July 24
Region 2: September 24
Region 1 includes Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories.
Region 2 includes the Middle East, Western Europe, Central Europe, Egypt, French overseas territories, Greenland, Japan, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland.
Just a reminder that Cashback will hit theaters in the US on June 20, leaving a one month window prior to DVD. I highly recommend catching it in theaters. It is a breathtaking film which should be seen on the big screen.
Posted by phileysmiley at 03:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing Snow Angels once again. I'd attended the World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January (see links below). This time the venue was the venerable Brooklyn Academy of Music, which plays host to the Sundance Institute at BAM series every spring.
Of the hundreds of films screened at Sundance, only 9 narrative features were selected to be shown at BAM this year, and Snow Angels was one of them. The first of two screenings was held last night.
This was the first time the film had been seen since Sundance, and this was the very first audience to see the film under the Warner Independent Pictures banner, the distributor who picked up the film following the festival.
I was excited to be seeing it again for a number of reasons. First, it is possibly the best film I've seen so far in 2007, out of about 75 films and 6 festivals. Second, David Gordon Green would once again be conducting a Q&A, and I was looking forward to having the chance to chat with him again. Finally, on a personal note, I'd convinced my mom to come see it with me -- she lives about 45 minutes away -- and she was my guest.
The theater was sold out -- it was packed to the rafters. Many were film students at the nearby colleges and universities, as well as New York area residents who hadn't been able to make it out to Park City, Utah in January and had been hearing about the film. At Sundance, few knew anything about the film going in, and many simply chose it because it looked interesting. Here, almost everyone had an interest in seeing it based on what they'd heard and read, so the interest level was much higher.
Writer-director David Gordon Green introduced the film and pointed out some of the audience members who were involved in its production. The genesis of the film was in New York. This is where the company that made the film was based and where the creative team first began putting it together. Almost everyone involved in the making of the film was New York area or East Coast-based, which is one reason it was shot in Nova Scotia. So many involved in the making of the film showed up, some seeing it for the first time.
Seeing it again was a very different experience. I was able to focus on small details which I'd missed before, which is one reason I love seeing films again and again. I also paid a bit more attention to the actors' performances since I didn't have to focus as much on the story itself.
The audience here reacted a bit differently than at Sundance. There are some lighthearted moments in the film, but they also laughed at some unlikely places. I was not that surprised but I did notice it. The audience applauded as the credits rolled, as they did at Sundance.
After that, the experience here vs. Sundance was refreshingly different. Usually at festivals and screenings such as this, a good portion of the audience leaves at the end of the film and does not wait for the Q&A. A few left, but almost everyone here stayed. That was a pleasant surprise. Green came up front again, and was joined by Olivia Thirlby, who plays Michael Angarano's love interest in the film.
Green opened up the floor for questions. The theatergoers were a bit timid and shy at first, as is typical, but once the questions started flowing they continued nonstop. I started things off by asking about the casting. He began with Sam Rockwell -- Green sent him the script, which he wrote with Rockwell in mind, and he accepted. That started the ball rolling. Green said that he met Michael Angarano over lunch in LA. It was his first discussion with any actor for the role of Arthur Parkinson, and he said that after talking with Michael for awhile he knew he had his Arthur. He offered him the part and Mike accepted. He did not audition or interview any other actors for the part. Then Green began holding auditions for the part of Lila. Olivia Thirlby auditioned and he knew he had his Lila. He offered her the part and she accepted. The process continued this way -- he got his first choice for every role.
Green was fantastic. He loves to talk about the process of filmmaking and his thoughts about what went into the making of Snow Angels. So we learned a lot more about the film than we did at Sundance. The questions were terrific, a few had been asked at Sundance as well, but many were from people who really know about what goes into making independent films and it allowed Green to open up.
Both Green and Thirlby commented on the humor in the film, and were surprised at the laughter as was I. It was not that it was inappropriate, though. He seemed pleased with it. He talked at length about the decision to lighten up the film that way. Multiple takes were shot for certain scenes with different levels of humor. They'd shoot a particularly dark scene, and then Green would say, "let's do a funny version." In the editing room, they made the decisions about which takes to use. He didn't want the film to be so totally dark and depressing that the characters would lose their humanity. He felt that moments of humor would make the sadness that much more real. The tragic elements of the film are more jarring because there are lighthearted moments. He's been criticized for it -- some say there should have been less, some say more -- but that is what art is about.
Many Q&As last 15 minutes or so. This one went on for 45 minutes and would have continued if not for the fact that they had to clear the house for another film. Both Green and Thirlby stayed for quite awhile, though, chatting with audience members in the lobby, signing autographs, and taking pictures.
Olivia was such a sweetheart. We picked up the conversation where we'd left off at Sundance, and I introduced her to my mom and got some pictures. My mom met David as well, and I was thrilled to have the chance to take him aside for an extended conversation. More on that in a moment.
My reaction to the film? Well, my previous writing says it all. I feel so strongly about Snow Angels that it's hard for me to say any more. I was really more interested in my mom's reaction, since she is a veteran moviegoer and would tell it like it is. As soon as the credits rolled, she leaned over to me and said, "that was a very very good film." That's high praise coming from my mom, and it put a tear in my eye. She kept thanking me for talking her into going.
Now for the scoop, as it were, and you guys are the first to hear this. Previously, the only talk of a release date was officially "2008" and not much more. The prevailing feeling was that the film would likely open towards the end of December in a very limited (NY & LA) run to qualify for the Oscars, and then it would open wider in January. Last night I was able to get some more specific information. Nothing has been officially announced yet and it isn't set in stone, but they are looking at a Spring 2008 release. That would put it about a year from now, more or less. I see it as good news because it's more specific than anything we've heard before.
There is a second screening tonight and there may be additional screenings elsewhere between now and release -- we'll just have to wait and see.
Here are some of my previous posts about Snow Angels:
Posted by phileysmiley at 05:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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