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We have been following the progress of Jieho Lee's The Air I Breathe for well over a year. It was one of our Top Picks from this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and earlier we posted reports from the World Premiere, pictures from the red carpet beforehand and Q&A afterward, video of the Q&A, answers to questions about the film, and an extensive review.
Back in May we reported the news that the film had been acquired for U.S. distribution by industry leader ThinkFilm. Then the waiting game began, and the rumors, and the speculation about when the film would see the light of day.
We are happy to report that The Air I Breathe now has an official release date. The film will hit theaters on January 25, 2008.
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We've been reporting on the progress of Sean Penn's Into the Wild for over a year. Having finally seen the film at the Toronto International Film Festival two weeks ago, we're excited that at least some of America is now able to partake of that same experience.
Into the Wild opened in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, September 21 and expanded to a number of additional cities today.
Distributor Paramount Vantage tells us that the film will be releasing wide to the top 35 markets by October 19. Check with your local theater to see if it's playing earlier in a theater near you.
Into the Wild is now playing in the following cities as of 9/28/07:
CAMBRIDGE, MA
WALTHAM, MA
BOSTON, MA
CHICAGO, IL
EVANSTON, IL
HIGHLAND PARK, IL
DALLAS, TX
PLANO, TX
ENCINO, CA
LOS ANGELES, CA
PASADENA, CA
IRVINE, CA
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
PHILADELPHIA , PA
VOORHEES, NJ
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
BERKELEY, CA
PLEASANT HILL, CA
SAN JOSE, CA
SAN RAFAEL, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
SEATTLE, WA
TORONTO, ON
BETHESDA, MD
WASHINGTON, DC
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We've been following the progress of George Gallo's Local Color since attending the World Premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. The film stars the legendary Armin Mueller-Stahl and Trevor Morgan.
I saw the film twice more after that: a screening in Nyack, New York, presented by the Rivertown Film Society in conjunction with an exhibition of writer/director George Gallo's paintings at the Hopper Arts Center gallery there and at the Sedona Film Festival earlier this year.
News about the film is sprinkled throughout this blog.
Now a brand new trailer is available. Check it out.
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While we've been busy wrapping up our Toronto Film Festival coverage (and getting ready for the next bunch) a number of the films we've been following have been gradually inching toward release. Since it seems like a convenient way to organize the news, here are updates about three films starring Michael Angarano which will hit theaters momentarily.
We've seen all three multiple times at previous festivals. Browse our blog archives for previous coverage.
Man in the Chair has been selected as the Centerpiece Film at the 30th edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival, October 4-14. Next up is the Phuket Film Festival in Thailand, October 21-27.
Film Entertainment Magazine has a terrific article on the film. It's essentially a "making of" piece, including an interview with writer/director Michael Schroeder.
Man in the Chair will open on December 7 in LA, NY, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco and has been rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements. Outsider Pictures is distributing.
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The Final Season has a brand new official site and trailer. There are also new HD theatrical trailers in three sizes, 480p, 720p, and 1080p, at Yahoo Movies.
The Final Season will open on October 12 in over 1,000 theaters and has been rated PG for language, thematic elements and some teen smoking. Yari Film Group is distributing.
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The release date for Black Irish has been pushed back one week to October 5. It will open in New York and Boston, expanding nationally through the fall. Black Irish is rated R. Anywhere Road is distributing.
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The Final Season 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.
Now Yari Film Group is giving away FREE passes to screenings of The Final Season.
You can sign up for any of the following screenings at the film's official site.
9/27 7 pm - AMC Alderwood - Lynnwood WA
9/27 7 pm - Hollywood Blvd Theatre - Woodridge, IL
9/27 7 pm - NA Showcase Randolph - Randolph, MA
9/27 7 pm - Regal Lloyd Mall - Portland, OR
9/27 7:30 pm - Landmark Bethesda - Bethesda, MD
9/27 7:30 pm - Regal Green Hills - Nashville, TN
9/27 7:30 pm - Regal MacArthur Center - Norfolk, VA
9/27 7:30 pm - Ritz 5 Theatre - Philadelphia, PA
9/27 7:30 pm - Virginia Center Stadium - Glen Allen, VA
9/29 10 am - Cinemark Legacy Plano - Dallas, TX
9/29 10 am - Regal Edwards Marq E Stadium 23 - Houston, TX
9/29 10 am - Regal Perimeter Pointe - Atlanta, GA
9/29 7 pm - AMC Westminster Promenade - Westminster, CO
10/1 7:30 pm - AMC Loews Waterfront Theatre - West Homestead, PA
10/2 7 pm - Cleveland Cinemas Solon - Solon, OH
10/3 7 pm - AMC Mission Valley 20 - San Diego, CA
10/3 7 pm - AMC Sunset Place - South Miami, FL
10/3 7 pm - Regal Waterford Lakes - Orlando, FL
10/8 7 pm - AMC 600 North Michigan Avenue - Chicago, IL
10/8 7 pm - AMC Loews White Marsh - Baltimore, MD
10/8 7 pm - AMC Oak Tree - Seattle, WA
10/8 7 pm - AMC Parkway Pointe - Atlanta, GA
10/8 7 pm - Malco Paradiso - Memphis, TN
10/8 7 pm - Regal Opry Mills - Nashville, TN
10/8 7 pm - Regal Tigard Cinemas - Tigard, OR
10/8 7:30 pm - AMC Caroline Pavilion - Charlotte, NC
10/9 7 pm - AMC Aventura Mall - Aventura, FL
10/9 7 pm - AMC Northpark - Dallas, TX
10/9 7 pm - AMC Veterans - Tampa, FL
10/9 7 pm - Arizona Mills - Tempe, AZ
10/9 7 pm - Brenden Palms - Las Vegas NV
10/9 7 pm - Regal Arbor - Austin, TX
10/9 7 pm - Regal Greenway Grand Palace - Houston, TX
10/9 7 pm - Regal Winter Park - Winter Park, FL
10/9 7 pm - Santikos Palladium - San Antonio, TX
10/9 7:30 pm - AMC Mazza Galleria - Washington DC
10/9 7:30 pm - Regal MacArthur Center - Norfolk, VA
10/9 7:30 pm - Regal Riverview - Philadelphia, PA
10/9 7:30 pm - Virginia Center Stadium 20 - Glen Allen, VA
10/10 6:30 pm - Gateway Megaplex - Salt Lake City, UT
10/10 6:30 pm - UA Colorado Center - Denver, CO
10/10 7 pm - AMC Boston Commons - Boston, MA
10/10 7 pm - Uptown Palladium - Birmingham, MI
10/10 7:30 pm - AMC Loews Metreon - San Francisco, CA
10/10 7:30 pm - Century Downtown Theatre - Sacramento, CA
10/10 7:30 pm - Cinearts at Santana Row - San Jose, CA
10/11 7 pm - Regal Crocker Park - Westlake, OH
==============================
You can sign up for any of the following screenings at WildAboutMovies.com.
Arlington, VA
Atlanta
Bellevue, WA
Brooklyn, OH
Chicago
Colorado Springs
Columbus
Dallas
Denver
Franklin, TN
Houston
King Of Prussia
Louisville
Miami
Minneapolis
Pittsburgh
Sacramento
San Antonio
San Jose
Sterling Heights, MI
Tigard, OR
Tucson
Washington, DC
================================
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)
World Premiere Q&A Video (pt. 3)
Posted by phileysmiley at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Here is an update on one of the most hotly debated and highly discussed topics on the Internet right now, the release strategy for Sean Penn's Into the Wild.
indieWIRE quotes Rob Schulze, Executive V.P., Distribution at Paramount Vantage:
I think the enthusiastic box-office reception points to a number of factors. There is great awareness for the Christopher McCandless story thanks to the success of Jon Krakauer's amazing novel. We have a great cast and Sean Penn brings the film additional prestige as its director. It's a crowded marketplace but 'Into the Wild' looks to be a film that resonates with audiences.
We're expanding the film to the top twelve markets Friday and will reach the top 35 markets by Oct. 19. Our release strategy is similar to other recent films that play between 300 and 1,000 screens. But I don't want to limit us by giving out a top print count at this time. There's no catchall release model for a film like 'Into the Wild.'
That's the latest! We'll keep posting theater listings and times here.
Posted by phileysmiley at 01:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
We've been reporting on the progress of Sean Penn's Into the Wild for over a year. Having finally seen the film at the Toronto International Film Festival two weeks ago, we're excited that at least some of America is now able to partake of that same experience.
Into the Wild opened in limited release on Friday, September 21 and is now playing in Los Angeles and New York (showtimes below).
Distributor Paramount Vantage tells us that the film will be releasing wide on October 19. Check with your local theater to see if it's playing earlier in a theater near you.
LOS ANGELES
Arclight:
10:35am, 12:40pm, 1:45pm, 4:00pm, 4:55pm, 7:10pm, 8:05pm, 10:20pm, 11:15pm
The Landmark:
11:00am, 12:20pm, 2:10pm, 3:45pm, 5:20pm, 7:00pm, 8:30pm, 10:20pm
NEW YORK
Lincoln Square:
11:40am, 2:00pm, 3:15pm, 5:30pm, 7:00pm, 9:15pm, 10:30pm
Sunshine:
10:30am, 11:30am, 1:25pm, 2:25pm, 4:20pm, 5:20pm, 7:20pm, 8:20pm, 10:20pm, 11:30pm
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On Tuesday, September 11, I attended the North American Premiere of Paranoid Park at the Toronto International Film Festival. The event took place at the Scotiabank Theatre.
A Q&A session followed the screening. Director Gus Van Sant was joined by star Gabe Nevins.
In this video, Van Sant explains why he casts real kids in his films.
The stage wasn't lit so I apologize for the quality.
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On Saturday, September 8, I attended the World Premiere of Juno at the Toronto International Film Festival. The event took place at the Ryerson Auditorium.
A Q&A session followed the screening. Cast members Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janney were present along with writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman.
Earlier we posted some pictures. In this video, Ellen Page is asked to compare herself to Juno.
Posted by phileysmiley at 10:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
On Monday, September 10, I attended the World Premiere of Normal at the Toronto International Film Festival. The event took place at the Scotiabank Theatre.
A Q&A session followed the screening. Cast members Kevin Zegers, Tara Frederick, Callum Keith Rennie, Carrie-Anne Moss and Allison Hossack were present along with director Carl Bessai.
Earlier we posted some pictures. In this video, Kevin Zegers takes the mike to talk about director Carl Bessai's improvisational shooting style.
(watch language)
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Sean Biggerstaff tells us that he is currently in London shooting Hippie Hippie Shake, co-starring Cillian Murphy, Sienna Miller, Max Minghella and Emma Booth.
According to Variety, the film is "based on "Hippie Hippie Shake: The Dreams, the Trips, the Trials, the Love-ins, the Screw Ups: The Sixties," a memoir by Richard Neville (to be played by Murphy). The film will use a famous obscenity trial involving the Australian satirical magazine Oz as a metaphor for a journey through the swinging '60s in London."
"The mag was transplanted to London, where Neville and his cohorts became the defendants in the longest obscenity trial in English legal history after a sexually explicit issue aroused the ire of the Obscene Publications Squad. The trial ended with the defendants sentenced to hard labor, but an appeal absolved them, with the provision that they stop publishing the magazine."
Sean is best known as Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter series as well as Ben Willis in Cashback, our #1 Top Pick from 2006.
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I attended the World Premiere of Bill at the Toronto International Film Festival. That fact alone is actually surprising to me, as my viewing habits tend to lean towards dramas, and this is anything but. In fact, festivals this year have been weighed down by heavy films that are about as dark as they come. Bill could not be more different, and what a refreshing change and much-needed uplift is this all-out, unabashed comedy. Co-directed by the husband-wife team of Bernie Goldmann and Melissa Wallack (who penned the script), Bill has all the elements required of the genre: characters to whom we can relate, a clever storyline, and laughs aplenty.
Aaron Eckhart (Any Given Sunday, Erin Brockovich, Thank You for Smoking) is Bill, smack dab in the middle of a life becoming all-too familiar. His job is falling apart (he begrudgingly works for his irascible father-in-law), his marriage is going to pieces, his body is going to pot, and, perhaps most horrifying, his hair is rejecting his head. Bill needs a change, fast, and is not-so-voluntarily signed up for a mentoring program at the local high school. He is teamed up with young Logan Lerman (The Butterfly Effect, Hoot, 3:10 to Yuma), who plays The Kid, literally (Lerman's character is never identified by name), and the two join together in battle to fight the demons at the heart of Bill's midlife crisis.
A magnificent ensemble cast including Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Jessica Alba, and Kristen Wiig (and far too many more to mention) are all up to the task of providing enough comedic fodder to fill several films. Discussing their characters in depth would be too revealing, and my policy is to allow the reader to find a synopsis elsewhere if desired. Ultimately the partnership between Bill and The Kid is what drives the story, and the chemistry between Eckhart and Lerman is central to the success of the film. And it works. The Kid is smart, streetwise, sexy (or so he thinks), and has the self-confidence of someone thrice his age. In short, he's everything Bill aspires to be. It's a role-reversal device that's at the heart of many classic comedies, and Wallack's brilliant writing makes it work.
Despite being an independent film (read: low budget) Bill has the look of a Hollywood movie. The design is bright and the sound and editing give it a crisp, bouncy feel. Best of all, the cinematography with Peter Lyons Collister at the helm is second to none. He's one of the best in the business, a classic comedy veteran, and it shows.
It's always hard to single anyone out in a fine ensemble cast but in both screenings I attended Lerman stole the show. He unquestionably got the biggest laughs and was the crowd favorite. I hesitate to call him a newcomer, as at the tender age of 15 he already has 10 movies and 16 television episodes under his belt, but he's one to watch for and has a bright career ahead of him. But this is Eckhart's film to make or break, and his sense of comedic timing and puppy-like ability to elicit just the right amount of empathy from the audience create those touching moments that leave the viewer wanting more. And so I attended the second screening as well, and enjoyed it even more. And that's the true test of a comedy. From this writer's perspective, Bill not only hits its mark but is also sure to be a winner for years to come.
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We've been following the progress of Marco Kreuzpaintner's Trade, starring Kevin Kline and newcomers Paulina Gaitan and Cesar Ramos, ever since its World Premiere earlier this year at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
As we wrote back then, Trade was written by Jose Rivera (who wrote The Motorcycle Diaries). It is based on a New York Times Magazine article. It was originally supposed to be directed by Roland Emmerich (who wrote, directed, and produced The Day After Tomorrow. But Emmerich had a conflict, so he ended up producing it along with Rosilyn Heller (who produced American Heart, a favorite of mine starring Jeff Bridges and Edward Furlong). In turn Marco Kreutzpaintner was hired to direct, a German filmmaker who had a connection to Emmerich through another producer.
We chose it as one of our Top Picks of 2007 and it finally hits theaters in limited release on September 28, but not before a groundbreaking premiere at the United Nations in New York.
The Hollywood Reporter has a terrific account of the long, hard journey of this film from its inception in 2003 to release today. Reporter Martin Grove has been covering the film for quite some time. It's been a tough sell. "One of the delegates of the United Nations was at Sundance and saw (the film) and had the feeling that it was exactly what they needed at a time when they are trying to get more laws passed against sex trafficking," Kreuzpaintner tells him. "Until two years ago, there was nothing like that existing at all (to make sex trafficking illegal). This is now changing a little bit. People are finally becoming aware that there is something like this going on and not only in the Far East but in our own backyard. So they are doing this fund raiser at the United Nations and I'm very happy to say that it is already sold out."
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The 2007 Toronto International Film Festival has come to an exciting conclusion and this reporter has returned home to take stock of our experience there. As we did last year, and as we do following every film festival (16 since the start of 2006), this wrapup will conclude with our list of Top Picks.
The lineup of films which we attended this year was very different than that of last year's festival, and, in fact, quite different from other festivals we've attended. I'm not sure if this is due to the fact that the festival's lineup of films was different or simply that our selections were. I suspect it's the latter. That said, a few notable changes from previous experiences include the following:
1) "What's up doc?" -- We traditionally see a number of documentaries at every festival. In fact, docs are often among the best, and take the place among our Top Picks on occasion. Last year, for example, The U.S. vs. John Lennon was actually the best film we saw, although our Top Picks last year were narrative features by choice. Similarly, we loved Billy the Kid at this year's SXSW Film Festival in March and did choose it as one of our three Top Picks.
Last year we saw a half dozen or so docs out of a total of over 30 films. This year we cut back on our schedule of 4-5 films a day, limiting our screenings to no more than three a day. We also stayed for just seven days vs. ten last year. The result was that we saw less then 20 films this year, and, for whatever reason, not one single documentary ended up on our list of screenings. So you won't find one among our Top Picks.
2) "No translation necessary" -- Similarly, close to half the films we saw last year were foreign films in the true sense of the word. That is, they were non-English speaking films with subtitles. This year we only saw three. And we were unimpressed, therefore, you won't see them on this year's Top Picks either. We did see films from Australia, France, and (ahem) Canada, but all were in English, so I won't call these "foreign" films.
3) "What's so funny?" -- Our schedule is traditionally heavy on heavy, that is, the films we see are usually somewhat dark. Indies tend to lean that way which, I suppose, is one reason why. In fact, we saw absolutely no comedies at all at this year's Sundance Film Festival as well as some of the smaller ones we attended. But Toronto turned out different. Not only did we see an unusually large percentage of comedies, but they make up three of our five Top Picks, including the #1 and #2 spots. This, for us, is a first. Even the dark films we saw elicited laughter at times -- but isn't that what real life is like? So most can be described as dramatic comedies, or comedic dramas, or whatever term you use. Sort of like partly cloudy vs. mostly sunny.
4) "Good news and bad news and good news" -- As readers of this blog know, our passion is independent film. We tend to avoid big Hollywood studio movies, as well as those which have already been picked up for distribution, in favor of indies that might fall by the wayside without some support. The reason can be found in last year's wrapup post. But a funny thing happened on the way back home. Almost all our favorites made deals, got picked up, and will be out in theaters soon. The good news is, well, you'll get to see them. Which makes my job, as an advocacy journalist, a bit easier. The bad news is, well, I miss out on some of the excitement of cheering for my favorites in hopes of them getting picked up. The good news is, it somewhat vindicates my choices. Four out of our five Top Picks have been picked up.
5) "Watch for shrinkage" -- This year we're only going to pick five films. It made sense to choose ten last year because we'd seen so many. But a more selective list of films attended dictates a more selective list of films chosen here. In addition, rather than select films in no particular order, we're going to dare to choose five films and rank them from #1-5. But being #5 doesn't mean the film is "worse" than #1. It just means that if you could only see one film, or two, or three, etc., this would be the order I would recommend.
So...with all that in mind...here is our list of Top Picks from the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival:
1) Juno
2) Bill
3) Normal
4) Atonement
5) Then She Found Me
Finally, a few notes:
All but Normal have now been picked up for distribution. The others were all purchased prior to or during the festival, and will be seen at a theater near you soon.
Over the past few days we posted pictures from the Q&As following our #1-3 Top Picks: Juno, Bill, and Normal.
The fact that our #1-4 Top Picks all have one word titles is coincidental. Or...is it??? I'll leave you to ponder that one...
See you at the next festival!
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I attended the World Premiere of Juno on Saturday night, September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Jason Reitman directed from a stunning Diablo Cody script. Earlier we posted a brief review of the experience.
Juno is a side-splitting, poignant comedy and we've chosen it as our #1 Top Pick from the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. Juno was the first runner-up for the Audience Award at the festival, beating out 352 other entries. And as we announced on Friday, Fox Searchlight has moved up the film's release date -- Juno hits theaters on December 14.
The brilliant enemble cast featuring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janney, all of whom joined Reitman and Cody onstage for the Q&A afterward. Also see our video.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
Director Jason Reitman with actors Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, writer Diablo Cody, and producers
Reitman, Page, Cera, Garner, Bateman, Janney, Simmons, and Thirlby
Reitman, Page, Cera, Garner, and Bateman
Janney, Simmons, Thirlby, and Cody (left)
Simmons and Thirlby (right)
Bateman, Janney and Simmons (left)
Janny and Simmons (right)
Garner, Bateman, Janney, and Simmons
Writer Diablo Cody (left), Director Jason Reitman (right)
Page, Cera, and Garner (left)
Page, Cera, Garner and Bateman (right)
Page, Cera, and Garner
Cera, Garner, and Bateman (left)
Page and Cera (right)
Page, Cera, and Garner
Page, Cera, and Garner
Jason Reitman (left), Ellen Page (center), Jennifer Garner (right)
Posted by phileysmiley at 11:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
It was announced today that Juno was the first runner-up for the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
It beat out 352 other films.
It was also my #1 Top Pick for this year's festival.
Posted by phileysmiley at 11:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
We don't normally post theater listings but there are a number of films which we've been following that are opening in the next few weeks and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Here are a few:
Fierce People expansion September 21:
Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley
Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA
Landmark's Century Centre Cinemas in Chicago
Landmark's Metro Cinemas in Seattle
Landmark's Embassy Cinemas in Waltham MA
and in additional locations in select markets
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Into the Wild opening September 21:
Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood
Rancho Niguel 8 in Laguna Niguel CA
Landmark's Sunshine Cinemas in New York City
Landmark 12 in West Los Angeles
and in additional locations in select markets
Expansion September 28:
Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino CA
Landmark's Embassy Cinemas in Waltham MA
and in additional locations in major markets
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The Jane Austen Book Club opening September 21:
Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley
Landmark's Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge MA
Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino CA
Landmark's Renaissance Place Cinemas in Highland Park IL
Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood
Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena
Landmark's Clay Theatre in San Francisco
Laemmle's Monica 4 in Santa Monica
and in additional locations in Los Angeles and New York City
Expansion September 28:
Landmark's Greenway Theatre in Houston
Angelika Film Center in Plano TX
and in additional locations on select markets
Expansion October 5:
Landmark's Dobie Theatre in Austin
Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino CA
Ranchi Niguel 8 in Laguna Niguel CA
Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena
Laemmle's Monica 4 in Santa Monica
Landmark's Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis
Landmark's Embassy Cinemas in Waltham MA
Westlake Village 8 in Westlake Village CA
and in additional locations in select markets
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Trade opening September 28:
Addison Cinemas in Addison IL
Downtown 14 and the High Ridge 8 in Albuquerque
Hoffman Center 22 in Alexandria VA
Atlantic Palace 10 in Alhambra CA
Parks 18 in Arlington TX
Shirlington 7 in Arlington VA
Tara 4 in Atlanta
Arbor Cineams at Great Hill in Austin
Avenutura Mall 24 in Aventura FL
Neshaminy 24 in Bensalem PA
Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley
Harvard Square 5 in Cambridge MA
Landmark's Century Centre Cinemas in Chicago
Cocowalk 16 in Coconut Grove
Showplace 16 in Coon Rapids MN
Corona Crossing 18 in Corona CA
Angelika Film Center and Landmark's Magnolia Theatre in Dallas
Deerfield Cinemas in Deerfield Beach FL
Flower Hill Cinemas in Del Mar CA
Landmark's Mayan Theatre in Denver
Landmark's Main Art Theatre in Detroit
Fontana 8 in Fontana CA
Las Olas 23 in Ft. Lauderdale
Rio Cinemas 18 in Gaithersburg MD
Grapevine 30 in Grapevine TX
Angelika Film Center, Landmark's Greenway Theatre, the Studio 30 and the Willbrook 24 in Houston TX
Showplace 16 in Inver Grove Heights MN
Westpark 8 in Irvine CA
Colonial 18 in Lawrenceville GA
Marketplace 6 and the Stadium 26 in Long Beach CA
Westgate Cinemas in Madison WI
Mesa Grande 24 in Mesa AZ
South Beach 18 in Miami
Landmark's Lagoon Cinemas in Minneapolis
Canyon Springs 7 Moreno Valley CA
Angelika Film Center, the Chelsea 9 Cinemas, the Empire 25 and the 64th & 2nd Cinemas in New York City
Norwalk 20 in Norwalk CA
Ontario Mills 30 in Ontario CA
Block 30 in Orange CA
Orland Park Cinemas in Orland Park IL
Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena
Ritz 5 in Philadelphia
Desert Ridge 18 in Phoenix
Angelika Film Center in Plano TX
Fox Tower 10 in Portland OR
Tower Theatre in Sacramento
Bijou at the Crossroads Cinemas in San Antonio
Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and the Palm Promenade 24 in San Diego
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinemas and the Kabuki 8 in San Francisco
Camera 12 in San Jose CA
DeVargas 6 in Santa Fe
Rialto Cinema in Santa Rosa CA
Shea 14 in Scottsdale AZ
Landmark's Varsity Theatre and the Uptown 3 in Seattle
South Gate 20 in South Gate CA
Sunset Place 24 in South Miami
Landmark's Plaza Frontenac Cinemas in St. Louis
Forum 30 in Sterling Heights MI
Dreier Theatre in Sunrise FL
Arizona Mills 24 in Tempe AZ
Landmark's E Street Cinemas in Washington DC
West Covina 18 in West Covina CA
Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood CA
Landmark 12 in West Los Angeles
Westminister Promenade 24 in Westminster CO
----------------------------------------------
Southland Tales opening November 9:
Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino CA
Angelika Film Center in New York City
Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena
Laemmle's Monica 4 in Santa Monica
and in additional locations in major markets
Posted by phileysmiley at 09:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
There is so much to post about Juno since attending the World Premiere last Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, director Jason Reitman, and writer Diablo Cody all took to the stage for the Q&A afterward. I took a lot of pics which I'll post as soon as I can.
Meanwhile, I was just about to announce that I have chosen Juno as my #1 Top Pick from this year's festival when word came that Fox Searchlight has moved up its release date to December 14.
Mark your calendars!
Posted by phileysmiley at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Well, no sooner had I announced that Bill is my #2 Top Pick from this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and posted pics I shot at the World Premiere, word comes that Bill has made big news with the biggest deal of the festival:
Just as the Toronto fest was reaching its close with few big-bucks buys, First Look Studios and GreeneStreet Films pacted on the heftiest sale of the event. First Look paid more than $3 million late Thursday for U.S. rights to GreeneStreet's comedy "Bill," starring Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba. A deal for Canadian rights is expected to close Friday evening.
See The Hollywood Reporter for the complete story.
Posted by phileysmiley at 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I attended the World Premiere of Bill on Sunday night, September 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Bernie Goldmann and Melissa Wallack directed from a Wallack script. The brilliant ensemble cast features Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Logan Lerman, Holmes Osbourne, Craig Bierko, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, and Todd Louiso.
Bill is a classic comedy, and we've chosen it as #2 on our list of Top Picks from the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.
Most of the cast attended the screening as well as the Q&A afterward.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge pictrures
Director Bernie Goldmann, Logan Lerman, Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Wigg, and Aaron Eckhart (left)
Lerman, Banks, Wiig, and Eckhart (right)
Logan, Banks, Wiig, and Eckhart (left)
Timothy Olyphant, Goldmann, Wiig, Lerman, Banks, and Eckhart (right)
Olyphant and Goldmann (left)
Olyphany, Goldmann, Lerman, Banks, Wiig, and Eckhart (right)
Goldmann and Eckhart (left)
Olyphant, Goldmann, Eckhart, Lerman, Banks, and Wiig (right)
Eckhart (left), Lerman and Banks (right)
Posted by phileysmiley at 06:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I attended the World Premiere of Normal on Monday night, September 10 at the Toronto International Film Festival. This Canadian entry from director and co-writer Carl Bessai boasts an ensemble cast headed by Kevin Zegers and Carrie-Anne Moss. Zegers, who grew up in Woodstock, Ontario, just outside Toronto, has no less than three films having World Premieres at this year's festival.
Normal was the darkest film we saw this year, and we've chosen it as #3 on our list of Top Picks from the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.
Bessai brought the cast up to introduce the film. They took to the stage afterward for a Q&A. Also see our video.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
Cast members Tara Frederick, Callum Keith Rennie, Kevin Zegers, Carrie-Anne Moss, Allison Hossack, and Tygh Runyan (left)
Frederick, Rennie, Zegers, Moss, and Hossack (right)
Frederick, Hossack, Director Carl Bessai, Zegers, Moss, and Runyan
Bessai, Zegers, Moss, and Runyan (left), Bessai, Zegers, and Moss (right)
Bessai, Zegers, and Moss
Rennie, Zegers, and Moss (left), Zegers and Moss (right)
Bessai, Zegers, Moss, and Runyan (left), Bessai, Zegers, and Moss (right)
Kevin Zegers
The poster
Posted by phileysmiley at 01:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Earlier we posted a list of several films we'd be seeing at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Many films were added to our schedule, and we posted some in advance of Saturday and Sunday. There were no additions for Monday but there were several films we added on Tuesday and today, and we've fallen a bit behind here without having posted them. So obviously we already seen the following films:
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Cochochi -- (Mexico/United Kingdom/Canada) Directed by Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán, starring Antonio Lerma Batista and Evaristo Lerma Batista. Produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal.
Atonement -- (United Kingdom) Directed by Joe Wright, starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave.
Corroboree -- (Australia) Directed by Ben Hackworth, starring Susan Lyons, Rebecca Frith, Conor O'Hanlon, Natasha Herbert, Margaret Mills, Ian Scott.
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We have added several films to the upcoming schedule as well, including the following titles which we'll be seeing tomorrow:
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Unfinished Sky -- (Australia) Directed by Peter Duncan, starring William McInnes, Monic Hendrickx, Milo, Bille Brown, Christopher Sommers, David Field.
The Babysitters -- Directed by David Ross, starring John Leguizamo, Katherine Waterston, Cynthia Nixon, Andy Comeau, Lauren Birkell.
Posted by phileysmiley at 11:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Readers of this blog know that when posting slows down, it means the action is heating up, and that has been the case here at the Toronto International Film Festival. Despite cutting back on my schedule -- last year I saw 4-5 films a day and this year I'm trying to limit it to three -- it's still a challenge to find time to report.
I've seen nine films at this point. I'll briefly report here on the experience of attending some of them -- highlights of the festival action, as it were. More in-depth reviews of the films themselves will come later, as well as video and pictures of the various Q&A sessions. Details about the directors and casts of all the following films can be found in previous posts, and links will take you to the festival site for synopses and more about each film.
On Saturday night I attended the gala screening of Juno at the Ryerson Auditorium. It was an amazing night. For starters, the film got a standing ovation. That's no small accomplishment at any film festival, especially this one. And it went on and on and on. In fact, I saw over 30 films here last year and I don't recall an audience response like this. What's even more amazing is that the films that do get standing ovations, rare as they are, tend to be dramas or documentaries. This is a comedy/drama and it just doesn't happen. It was incredible.
Juno has one of the most talented ensemble casts imaginable -- Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney -- and they hit it out of the park. It's hard to single anyone out but this is Ellen Page's film more than anyone, and she is just incredible. It seemed as if everyone associated with the film were there, and many took the stage for the Q&A afterward, including the entire cast. I took many shots of the Q&A and some video as well. I'll be posting them as soon as I can.
Sunday's highlight was the World Premiere of Bill at the Varsity Theatre. The movie was sold out. The entire cast was there, and it's a big one. I sat directly in front of Aaron Eckhart -- he plays "Bill" and is unquestionably the star of the film. Jessica Alba sat right behind him and Logan Lerman next behind. I chatted with them briefly before the film began and wished them luck.
The audience loved it. Since it was a comedy and everyone had funny lines, it's hard to single anyone out as the crowd pleaser, but besides lead Aaron Eckhart the favorite seemed to be Logan Lerman. He really had many of the funniest scenes and best lines in a movie where everyone got to share in the jokes. He also happiness to be one of the stars of the weekend's #1 film, 3:10 to Yuma. The confluence of these two events was a bit surreal. It was the first time I've ever walked up to an actor immediately following the World Premiere of one of his films and first congratulated him on another film.
Monday morning was the premiere of The Jane Austen Book Club. I was only able to make the 2nd screening (the first one was in conflict with Bill) and nobody associated with the film was there at all. I assume that's because they were all out late the night before. It's a shame that the festival scheduled the World Premiere on a Sunday night with the second screening at 9 AM the following morning because it almost guarantees that the filmmakers and cast won't make it, and that was the case here. So I did not get to see the cast and there was no Q&A.
As far as the film is concerned, I'll post a lot more about it when I can, but I have to tell you how surprised I was. I expected a "chick flick," as well as one where you'd have to have read Jane Austen in order to really appreciate it. Well, I am most definitely not a chick and I never read Jane Austen but I was pleasantly surprised. The film is very funny and touching and I loved it, as did the audience. It comes out on September 21 and I highly recommend it.
On Sunday night I attended the World Premiere of Normal. This is truly an amazing, haunting, poignant film. The entire cast & crew were there. They all went onstage to introduce the film and then did a Q&A at the end. I got some of it on video which I'll be uploading when I get the chance. I have plenty of pics too which I'll post as soon as I can.
Finally, I just returned from the second screening of Into the Wild at the Ryerson Auditorium. The first screening took place Sunday night at Roy Thompson Hall. Although the film was a "hot ticket" here at the festival, or at least was touted as such in the press, tickets were still available right up until the start of the screening and it was not sold out. Anybody who wanted to could have gotten in.
Nobody was there representing the film. Therefore, there was no introduction and no Q&A. I had not been able to attend the first screening on Sunday night but I was told today that there was no Q&A there either. Anyone who was there was pointed out to the audience but they basically did the red carpet, came in and saw the film, and left. There was a press conference and some photo ops but no interaction with the public as far as I know.
The audience was mostly silent during the screening. A few people walked out but not too many. The applause at the end was polite and short. I have no doubt it would have been a more vocal reaction had someone been there from the film, as it usually works that way, but in this case there was no ovation. It's a very difficult film to watch. It's extremely slow for quite a long time before the story begins to develop. And at almost 2 1/2 hours it is definitely long.
I have a couple of films later today and three more tomorrow, at least, plus some on Thursday before heading back home. I'll stop by and report at every chance I get. Now back to the cinema!
Posted by phileysmiley at 04:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
As we mentioned the other day, many of the films we we'll be seeing here at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festivals will be last-minute additions or films which we were not able to confirm until now. Here are a couple of additions to our list of confirmed films we posted earlier.
Links take you to the official site, where you can read as much or as little as you like about them. I don't like to post spoilers and I prefer to write about them afterward. I will be seeing these today.
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Bill -- Directed by Melisa Wallack and Bernie Goldmann, starring Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Logan Lerman, Holmes Osbourne, Craig Bierko, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Todd Louiso. (I posted about seeing this film earlier but that will be on Wednesday -- just confirmed I will also be seeing it tonight)
In Memory of Myself -- (Italy) Directed by Saverio Costanzo, starring Christo Jivkov, Filippo Timi, Marco Baliani, Andre Hennicke, Fausto Russo Alesi.
Posted by phileysmiley at 08:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I just got back from the gala screening of Jason Reitman's Juno at the Ryerson Auditorium here at the Toronto International Film Festival. I'll have more to say about the film when I get the chance -- I'm pressed for time right now -- but I just have to report on how amazing this night was.
For starters, the film got a standing ovation. That's no small accomplishment at any film festival, especially this one. And it went on and on and on. In fact, I saw over 30 films here last year and I don't recall an audience response like this. What's even more amazing is that the films that do get standing ovations, rare as they are, tend to be dramas or documentaries. This is a comedy/drama and it just doesn't happen. It was surprising.
Juno has one of the most talented ensemble casts imaginable -- Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney -- and they hit it out of the park. It's hard to single anyone out but this is Ellen Page's film more than anyone, and she is just breathtaking.
It seemed as if everyone associated with the film were there, and many took the stage for the Q&A afterward. The entire cast was there. I took a lot of shots of the Q&A and some video of the last question.
I'll be posting them as soon as I can. Here's one quick pic -- I need to upload more when I get the chance. I just couldn't resisting putting up at least one.
Click thumbnail to enlarge
Ellen Page and Michael Cera
Posted by phileysmiley at 10:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
As we mentioned the other day, many of the films we we'll be seeing here at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festivals will be last-minute additions or films which we were not able to confirm until now. Here are a couple of additions to our list of confirmed films we posted earlier.
Links take you to the official site, where you can read as much or as little as you like about them. I don't like to post spoilers and I prefer to write about them afterward. I will be seeing these today.
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Michael Clayton -- Directed by Tony Gilroy, starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack. Produced by Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack.
Juno -- Directed by Jason Reitman, starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney. Produced by John Malkovich.
Posted by phileysmiley at 08:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
It's been a long journey from the Spring of 2004 to tomorrow when theaters will finally see the arrival of Fierce People. We've been covering it for about a year since we saw it (and loved it) at the Woodstock Film Festival.
Today The New York Times has the most in-depth, thorough examination of the roller coaster ride of Fierce People that I've seen. It's a pretty well-done piece which makes good reading for anyone who follows independent film.
Meanwhile, there is a terrific interview with writer/director Griffin Dunne, as well as a behind-the-scenes video, at The Tribeca Film Festival official site. They have posted a lot of information on Fierce People, which premiered there in 2005.
And MoviesOnline has a lengthy interview with Diane Lane today.
The film hits theaters in NY and LA over the next couple of weeks.
Posted by phileysmiley at 02:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The 2007 Toronto International Film Festival officially kicks off tomorrow. As we reported a couple of days ago, the excitement level could not possible be amped up any more than it is.
Last year we saw over 30 films. While a number of them were chosen ahead of time, about 2/3 of those films were last minute additions or simply chosen from a list of available titles to fill gaps in our schedule. Yet a good deal of our Top Picks once the festival was over came from that group of unplanned surprises.
This year, as last, we have a list of confirmed films which for which we have high hopes. Here are a few of them, keeping in mind that there's a very good chance some of our Top Picks from this year's festival won't come from this group at all.
Links will take you to the film's details and synopsis at the official festival site, which say much more than I ever could not having seen these films. I'd rather write about them afterward than predict what I might see. A number of these we've written about extensively here on this blog over the past couple of years.
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Into the Wild -- Directed by Sean Penn, starring Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Hal Halbrook.
The Jane Austen Book Club -- Directed by Robin Swicord, starring Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Marc Blucas, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Zegers and Lynn Redgrave.
Then She Found Me -- Directed by Helen Hunt, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick.
Normal -- Directed by Carl Bessai, starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, Tygh Runyan, Camille Sullivan.
Bill -- Directed by Melisa Wallack & Bernie Goldmann, starring Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Logan Lerman, Holmes Osbourne, Craig Bierko, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Todd Louiso.
Paranoid Park -- Dirceted by Gus Van Sant, starring Gabe Nevins, Dan Liu, Jake Miller, Taylor Momsen, Lauren McKinney.
Silk -- Directed by François Girard, starring Michael Pitt, Keira Knightley, Alfred Molina, Koji Yakusho, Mark Rendell, Miki Nakatani.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, of course. I'm not sure if I'll see over 30 films again but it's a good start.
Posted by phileysmiley at 04:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fierce People, directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Diane Lane, Anton Yelchin, Kristen Stewart, and Donald Sutherland, was shot in the spring of 2004 and had its world premiere at Tribeca in 2005. I attended a screening of Fierce People at the 2006 Woodstock Film Festival and posted my review nearly a year ago.
After a number of delays (documented on this blog), the film will finally have a limited release beginning this Friday, September 7.
Here is where Fierce People will be playing:
New York 9/7
Regal Union Square NY
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
850 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
City Cinema 1, 2 and 3, NY
Cinema 1, 2, 3
1001 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10021
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Los Angeles 9/14
Mann Criterion Santa Monica
Mann Criterion
1313 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Laemmle Town Center, Encino
Encino Town Center
17200 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
Laemmle Playhouse Pasadena
Laemmle Playhouse
673 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
Posted by phileysmiley at 06:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Some film recommendations are a tough sell. Others are a bit easier. This one is a slam dunk. A new edition of Help! is coming out on DVD. 'Nuff said!
See below for details, direct from The Beatles themselves.
APPLE CORPS LTD PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THE DVD RELEASE OF THE BEATLES FILM 'HELP!', OCTOBER 29TH
Apple Corps Ltd have announced the eagerly anticipated DVD release of The Beatles' second feature film 'Help!' on October 29th (30th in the USA) which will be marketed and distributed by EMI Music.
Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band's debut feature film 'A Hard Days Night', 'Help!' made its theatrical debut in 1965.
The story follows The Beatles as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger.
As a result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist and the London police.
In addition to starring the Beatles, 'Help!' has a witty script, a great cast of British character actors and features 7 classic Beatles tracks, including:
*'Help!'
*'You're Going To Lose That Girl'
*'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'
*'Ticket To Ride'
*'I Need You'
*'The Night Before'
*'Another Girl' 
The DVD will be a 2-disc set. Disc 1 will feature the original film digitally restored with a newly created 5.1 soundtrack, while Disc 2 contains an hour of extra features, including:
*The Beatles in Help! -- 30 minute documentary about the making of the film with *Richard Lester, the cast and crew. Includes exclusive behind the scenes footage of *The Beatles on set.
*A Missing Scene -- Featuring Wendy Richard
*The Restoration of Help! -- An in depth look at the restoration process.
*Memories of Help! -- The cast and crew reminisce
*Theatrical Trailers -- 2 US trailers and 1 Spanish trailer.
*1965 US Radio Spots -- Hidden in disc menus.
*There will be 2 editions of the DVD -- a standard digipack and a deluxe boxed set that will contain a reproduction of Richard Lester's original annotated script, 8 lobby cards and a poster, plus a 60-page book with rarely seen photographs and production notes from the movie.
Both the deluxe book and the standard booklet feature an introduction by Richard Lester and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese.
You can watch the preview of Help!