Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Yoo-Hoo! Mrs. Goldberg's Hitting the Big Screenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Did you know that Lucille Ball was not the first woman of sitcom television land? In fact, there was another who not only came before the famous redhead, but who should also be counted as one of the pioneers behind the screen? No? I didn't either.

Enter Gertrude Berg, who is the focus of Aviva Kempner's new documentary Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, which is hitting theaters this week in New York City before heading to DC on the 17th and LA on the 24th. This isn't your heart-tugging, dramatic art doc, but rather a straight-forward account of someone we should know because, frankly, her success was impressive. (That picture to the right -- that's Berg with her scripts.)

Turns out that before I Love Lucy, there was a show radio show that hit television called The Goldbergs. It was Berg's own creation -- a brainchild she shopped around herself, wrote, and starred in from 1929 to 1954. (Writing daily episodes while also raising children and being an all-round wonderwoman, I might add.) Billboard called her the First Lady of Radio, she nabbed the first Best Actress Emmy, was the highest-paid guest star on TV ... the list goes on and on.

Yoo-Hoo plays out as a simple, informative film, one bolstered mostly by the context it creates. Berg's influence extended to everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsberg to Ed Asner and Norman Lear, and her success is bolstered by the fact that she was a self-made female professional of the '20s, who fought for her success through the rise of Hitler (she was Jewish), and even against the rabid insanity of McCarthyism.

In other words, a kickass woman and talent we should all be familiar with.

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]]>CinematicalGertrude BergGertrudeBergThe GoldbergsTheGoldbergsYoo-Hoo Mrs. GoldbergYoo-hooMrs.GoldbergMonika BartyzelThu, 09 Jul 2009 18:03:00 ESTDocuWeeks Lineup Announced for Oscar Hopefulshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/docuweeks-lineup-announced-for-oscar-hopefuls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/docuweeks-lineup-announced-for-oscar-hopefuls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/docuweeks-lineup-announced-for-oscar-hopefuls/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

To qualify for Academy Award consideration, a documentary must play in at least one theater in both Manhattan and Los Angeles for at least a week. That rule is to prevent people who made a documentary and showed it for free to a few people at the rec room of their apartment complex from hassling the Academy for attention. But it also means that some very worthy docs don't get the recognition they deserve because, as good as they may be, getting theatrical distribution for a documentary is hard.

Enter DocuWeeks, an event sponsored by the International Documentary Association that puts deserving films in theaters so they'll qualify for the Oscars and also so that, hey, whaddaya know, audiences can actually see them. The 13th annual lineup has just been announced, with 18 features and 10 shorts scheduled to play at L.A.'s ArcLight Hollywood and New York's IFC Center from July 31 to Aug. 20.

Past DocuWeeks have showcased 16 films that went on to earn Oscar nominations and seven that won Oscars, including last year's Taxi to the Dark Side. This year's program includes DIRT! The Movie (pictured), Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders, Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie, Sweet Crude, and Soundtrack for a Revolution. For complete details, check with the International Documentary Association.

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]]>Eric D. SniderTue, 07 Jul 2009 20:02:00 ESTMonty Python Turns 40 & Reunites This Fallhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/monty-python-turns-40-and-reunites-this-fall/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/monty-python-turns-40-and-reunites-this-fall/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/07/monty-python-turns-40-and-reunites-this-fall/#commentsFiled under: ,



Where has the time gone?

The Independent reports that Monty Python will celebrate their 40th anniversary this October. As part of the festivities, Royal Albert Hall will host a one-night-only performance on the 23rd of Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy). You may have heard of this -- it's Eric Idle and John Du Prez's wildly funny 1-hour oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian. But this one-night-only deal is even more irresistible than usual -- Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam will perform in it. Unfortunately, John Cleese can't make it, which is a damned shame.

Nevertheless, here I thought that I was lucky that Idle's first cousin is Toronto Symphony Conductor Peter Oundjian, which led the world premiere to happen right in the T-Dot.

As Idle describes the oratorio: "It ranges in reference from Handel, through a naughty Mozart duet, to the Festival of Nine Carols, Bob Dylan, and the classic finale 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.'" (How could Dylan and Python possibly come together? You can see Idle's spin after the jump.)

For those of us who won't be there, The Independent reports that a documentary called Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) is on the way, while Variety reports that there will be anniversary events in Hollywood and New York called "An Evening With Without Monty Python."

What's your favorite Monty moment?

Continue reading Monty Python Turns 40 & Reunites This Fall

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]]>CinematicalEric IdleEricIdleMichael PalinMichaelPalinMonty PythonMontyPythonNot the MessiahNotTheMessiahTerry GilliamTerry JonesTerryGilliamTerryJonesMonika BartyzelTue, 07 Jul 2009 18:02:00 ESTLori Petty's Directorial Debut to Hit Screens on July 17http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/04/lori-pettys-directorial-debut-to-hit-screens-on-july-17/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/04/lori-pettys-directorial-debut-to-hit-screens-on-july-17/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/04/lori-pettys-directorial-debut-to-hit-screens-on-july-17/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hearing about a mixture of Lori Petty and David Alan Grier immediately brings to mind the wonderful '90s, when Petty was the tough-as-nails Tank Girl in a post-apocalyptic water-hungry world and Grier was one of the big names of In Living Color. But now the two have teamed up, and it's not for some quirky bit of comedy, but rather a super-heavy drama that's finally going to hit the big screen.

Variety reports that Phase 4 Films has picked up the U.S. rights to The Poker House, which just so happens to be Petty's directorial debut from a script she wrote with Grier. The Living Color alum stars with Selma Blair and Jennifer Lawrence in the story which can, simply and vaguely, be described as "a portrait of life in a poor small town in Iowa in 1976," as Variety says. But a little more specifically, it's the story of a young basketball playing girl who has heavy troubles at home -- think prostitutes, pimps, and the struggles of desperation and poverty.

For IGN, Todd Gilchrist compared the film to the heaviness of Boys Don't Cry, Monster, and In the Bedroom, but stated: "Ultimately, The Poker House just isn't a very good film, regardless of where it came from, who made it or what it's trying to say." So why bother? One, it's looking to be one of those films you love or hate. Two, it's based on Petty's actual experiences, so it could give you a look into the mind of our Tank Girl.

The film hits theaters on July 17.

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]]>CinematicalDavid Alan GrierDavidAlanGrierLori PettyLoriPettyThe Poker HouseThePokerHouseMonika BartyzelSat, 04 Jul 2009 15:02:00 ESTWho Put THIS Trailer in Front of THIS Movie?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/#commentsFiled under: ,

Something funny happened at our local press screening for The Hurt Locker this week, and not in the film itself, which is decidedly not funny. The trailer attached to the film was for Sorority Row (pictured), a dumb-looking I Know What You Did Last Summer knock-off in which college students are harassed by a person they thought they'd killed. It was incongruous to see a cheesy horror flick advertised in front of The Hurt Locker, a complex action drama that many critics consider one of the year's best films. It was like screening There Will Be Blood with a trailer for Land of the Lost in front of it.

The reason for it, of course, is that The Hurt Locker and Sorority Row both have the same distributor, Summit Entertainment. When you go to the movies, some of the trailers are just whatever's in rotation, but one or two are usually from the same studio as the film you're watching, sent out with prints of that film with explicit instructions that they be attached. Big distributors (Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, etc.) usually have plenty of upcoming products and can choose trailers that target the same general demographic as the movie they're paired with. But Summit is small -- all they had to choose from was Sorority Row and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. (A Sorority Row trailer in front of New Moon -- now that would make sense.)

So I understand why this particular trailer came with this movie. But it was still a funny juxtaposition. I can't imagine anyone wanting to see both Sorority Row AND The Hurt Locker. Has anyone else ever noticed this phenomenon? If you've seen The Hurt Locker in theaters, was this trailer in front of it, or was it just for the critics' benefit? What other strange combinations of trailers and features have you noticed?

After the jump, the Sorority Row trailer, so you'll know what I'm talking about.

Continue reading Who Put THIS Trailer in Front of THIS Movie?

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]]>sorority rowSororityRowsummit entertainmentSummitEntertainmentthe hurt lockerTheHurtLockerEric D. SniderThu, 02 Jul 2009 19:32:00 ESTDiscuss: When Spider-Man and Hollywood Hit The Stagehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/discuss-when-spider-man-and-hollywood-hit-the-stage/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/discuss-when-spider-man-and-hollywood-hit-the-stage/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/discuss-when-spider-man-and-hollywood-hit-the-stage/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We're one cast member away from seeing how Spider-Man fares in a true live-action world. Last December, we learned that Evan Rachel Wood would play Mary Jane in Julie Taymor's Broadway web fest. Now Playbill is reiterating this, plus they're adding another wonderful name to the mix: Alan Cumming. He is once again flitting around the world of geek fare by signing on to play Norman Osborn, known in other circles as the Green Goblin. (But no German accent this time.)

Now titled Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, the musical is supposed to be kicking off rehearsals this month. Yet while we now have the leading lady and villain, there's still no word on who will play Peter Parker. Taymor was trying to get Jim Sturgess for the part and have a whole Across the Universe reunion, but they're still not releasing whether it's him or someone else.

But Wood and Cumming are just two of the many actors who have made their way to the theatrical stage. Right now, in New York alone, Anne Hathaway is performing Twelfth Night in the Park, Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, and David Strathairn are currently Waiting for Godot, and Allison Janey is working 9 to 5 -- just to name a few. On the other side of the country, Chris Pine and Chris Noth are getting presidential in LA with Farragut North.





Continue reading Discuss: When Spider-Man and Hollywood Hit The Stage

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]]>Alan CummingAlanCummingbig stars on BroadwayBigStarsOnBroadwayCinematicalfeaturedJulie TaymorJulieTaymorSpider-Man Turn Off the DarkSpider-Man: The MusicalSpider-man:TheMusicalSpider-manTurnOffTheDarkMonika BartyzelMon, 29 Jun 2009 12:32:00 ESTWatch This: Pixar's Luxo Jr. Makes His Live-Action Debuthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/watch-this-pixars-luxo-jr-makes-his-live-action-debut/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/watch-this-pixars-luxo-jr-makes-his-live-action-debut/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/watch-this-pixars-luxo-jr-makes-his-live-action-debut/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Disney buffs are no doubt aware of the theme park's "Living Character Initiative," where guests of Walt Disney World (and the surrounding parks, like Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot Center) are treated to a live-action experience with some of the more memorable Disney/Pixar animated characters. I believe the initiative began a couple years ago with the Muppet Mobile Lab, and it continues now with the character Remy from Ratatouille (who hangs around French restaurants at Epcot Center) and the newest edition -- Luxo Jr. (aka the hopping Pixar desk lamp), who visitors to Disney's Hollywood Studios can now see hanging out over at Pixar Place.

We posted videos of both Luxo Jr. and Remy after the jump, as well as the inflatable Up house stationed over at Downtown Disney. And now if you'll excuse me, Wall-E is about to start on cable and the thing looks absolutely smashing in HD. Enjoy your Sunday!

Continue reading Watch This: Pixar's Luxo Jr. Makes His Live-Action Debut

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]]>disneys living character initiativeDisneysLivingCharacterInitiativeluxo jr.LuxoJr.pixarratatouilleremyupwall-eErik DavisSun, 28 Jun 2009 13:05:00 EST'Watchmen' Directors Cut to Hit Theaters for One Weekend in Julyhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/watchmen-directors-cut-to-hit-theaters-for-one-weekend-in-july/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/watchmen-directors-cut-to-hit-theaters-for-one-weekend-in-july/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/watchmen-directors-cut-to-hit-theaters-for-one-weekend-in-july/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're a Watchmen fan, you surely know that the slick Director's Cut will be hitting shelves on July 21 in all of its beautiful, retro-crime fighting wonder. I'm already trying to decide if I can finally budget for a Blu-ray player because let's face it -- this is the sort of film that's meant for the highest definition possible.

But for some lucky folks, July won't only mean Watchmen on the small screen. While talking to Collider, Zack Snyder revealed that the film will indeed be re-released in theaters -- but only in selected cities, for one weekend (the weekend before Comic-Con), and one theater. The lucky locales: Los Angeles and New York (of course), plus Dallas and Minneapolis.

Considering the fact that the movie wasn't exactly a box office smash, I get not having a huge re-release. But come on! FOUR screens?? Talk about teasing the rest of the masses, who will have to deal with the 27 minutes of extra violence and sexiness on our modest, small screens. At the very least, it could've been some sort of pre-sale traveling tour. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would love to see the Director's Cut on the big screen without impromptu travel. How about you?

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]]>CinematicalWatchmenZack SnyderZackSnyderMonika BartyzelWed, 24 Jun 2009 18:02:00 ESTHelp Gen Art! Watch Movies! Have Fun!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/help-gen-art-watch-movies-have-fun/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/help-gen-art-watch-movies-have-fun/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/help-gen-art-watch-movies-have-fun/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



As some of you may already know, I've been a big supporter of Gen Art for a long time now. Aside from being heavily involved in their annual film festival in New York City (this year I was a programmer), I'm real close friends with the folks who work there and feel their footprint on the indie film community is invaluable. Gen Art, in case you're not aware, is a company (based in New York) that helps promote emerging talent in film, music and fashion all year round. Not only do they host a very cool film festival in NYC in the spring, but they also host a mini-fest in Chicago ... and part one of this post is dedicated to that.

Beginning tonight with the very cute and quirky 500 Days of Summer, the Gen Art Chicago Film Festival will continue through to June 27 and feature other buzzed-about festival films like Mercy, Patriotville and Shrink. Other than opening night, which will set you back $25 for the movie and after party (open bar!), the other three nights will run you a fairly inexpensive $20 for a short, feature and after party w/ open bar. So if you're in Chicago, please head down to the festival and support these small films, as well as Gen Art. You can find out more information on the festival right here.

In addition to the festival, Gen Art is hosting a benefit in New York City tomorrow to help raise money to keep the company afloat while they navigate their way through some tough economic waters. I know -- yet another company hit hard by the recession. But understand that companies like Gen Art -- who make their living and invest everything they have in supporting emerging talent -- don't really exist anymore. And so they need our help.

Continue reading Help Gen Art! Watch Movies! Have Fun!

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]]>500 days of summer500DaysOfSummercinematicalfeaturedgen artgen art chicago festivalGenArtGenArtChicagoFestivalmercypatriotvilleshrinkErik DavisTue, 23 Jun 2009 16:32:00 ESTCheck Out These Images of Tim Burton's 'Wonderland'!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/check-out-these-images-of-tim-burtons-wonderland/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/check-out-these-images-of-tim-burtons-wonderland/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/check-out-these-images-of-tim-burtons-wonderland/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This week we've got more to look forward to than just Public Enemies. According to USAToday, a collection of concept art and publicity images for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will start wallpapering movie theaters. And they're a lot better than the blurry Hatter pic and first concept pieces!

Luckily, we won't have to die of impatience to see them, because the site included all the images -- a bunch of huge concept pictures that you can drag your mouse around to explore (like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum), our first official peek at Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, plus our beloved royalty: Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen and Anne Hathaway's White Queen. The leaked Hatter pic doesn't do the full-color version justice, with Depp rocking a killer clown look, and Hathaway looks excellent. But Bonham Carter really takes the cake (and coolest bobblehead ever prize) with her digitally swelled noggin and heart-pursed lips. (Check it out in the gallery below.)

Gallery: Alice in Wonderland



In this incarnation, Alice is a 17-year-old girl who flees a snooty party when she learns that she's about to be proposed to. She follows a white rabbit down a hole, and re-enters Wonderland. It's been ten years since that first visit, and she doesn't remember a thing.

Alice in Wonderland is scheduled to hit screens on March 5, 2010. Excited yet?

UPDATE: Movies.ie discovered the first image of Matt Lucas as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Check it out in the gallery above and in larger form over at Movies.ie. [via Slashfilm]

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]]>Alice in WonderlandAliceInWonderlandAnne HathawayAnneHathawayCinematicalfeaturedHelena Bonham CarterHelenaBonhamCarterJohnny DeppJohnnyDeppTim BurtonTimBurtonMonika BartyzelMon, 22 Jun 2009 10:02:00 ESTDrive-Ins Go Guerrillahttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/10/drive-ins-go-guerrilla/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/10/drive-ins-go-guerrilla/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/10/drive-ins-go-guerrilla/#commentsFiled under: ,

Drive-Ins Go Guerrilla (MobMov)I'm happy to say that I'm old enough to have seen a bunch of movies at drive-in theaters during my Southern Californian youth. (I've got plenty of stories that really don't fit here, but some day ...) Even though the number of drive-ins has dwindled steadily over the years, several hundred still survive -- one of my favorite bloggers, Dennis Cozzalio, wrote up a wonderful account of a recent celebration he hosted at a drive-in screening of Drag Me to Hell -- and the spirit of drive-ins is thriving, as enterprising fans take it upon themselves to show movies outdoors in unexpected venues.

The "guerrilla drive-ins," as headlined by the Associated Press, are different than the officially-sanctioned outdoor screenings that Cinematical Dawn Taylor wrote about last month. The AP story revolves around John Young, creator of the West Chester Guerrilla Drive-In, "part of a loosely knit network of celluloid renegades resurrecting the drive-in for a new age." Young shows movies from 16mm films "from a 1970s school projector mounted on the sidecar of his 1977 BMW motorcycle" at "locations suited for the theme: Meatballs at a canoe rental center, Caddy shack on a golf course." (Of course, the king of themed screenings remains the Alamo Draft house's Rolling Roadshow.) Reportedly, guerrilla drive-ins or "Memphis" are popping up around the country, though they typically favor DVDs and LCD projectors.

To truly experience a drive-in, you need the option of watching the movie from your car, and the Mormon site lists "hundreds of chapters around the globe." Creator Bryan Kennedy explains how to locate and power a projector and DVD player from inside your own car, transmit the sound through an FM transmitter. Then all you have to do is find a dark wall and invite some friends. That's guerrilla!

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]]>drive-indrive-in theaterdrive-insDrive-inTheaterfeaturedguerrilla drive-inGuerrillaDrive-inPeter MartinWed, 10 Jun 2009 11:02:00 EST'Betty Blue: The Director's Cut' Gears Up for Special Screenings Nationwidehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/08/betty-blue-the-directors-cut-gears-up-for-special-screenings/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/08/betty-blue-the-directors-cut-gears-up-for-special-screenings/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/08/betty-blue-the-directors-cut-gears-up-for-special-screenings/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Summer isn't only the time for bombs and blockbusters. Sometimes it's the time for sexy, romp-filled French classics like Jean-Jacques Beneix's 1986 film Betty Blue. Starting this Friday, the film will hit selected screens in a special, newly-struck 35mm Director's Cut print. We're not talking about a little scene here or there, but an hour of footage never released in the US.

The film focuses on the manic love between an imbalanced Betty and an aspiring novelist named Zorg. She's obsessively supportive of his writing, but quite temperamental about much else -- burning down their home, attacking his boss -- the usual imbalanced mania. The film was nominated for a slew of awards including Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, and has collected a sea of fans, although Roger Ebert certainly isn't one of them. Maybe if he'd seen this version... Cinema Libre, who's presenting the feature, promises that this footage more fully realizes and depicts central characters Zorg and Betty while also giving "more screen time to the secondary characters who add a sense of celebration and wild abandon with plenty of extremely funny moments along the way."

Continue reading 'Betty Blue: The Director's Cut' Gears Up for Special Screenings Nationwide

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]]>Betty BlueBettyBlueCinematicalJean-Jacques BeneixJean-jacquesBeneixMonika BartyzelMon, 08 Jun 2009 19:32:00 ESTWanna Know When to Go to the Bathroom During Movies?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/28/wanna-know-when-to-go-to-the-bathroom-during-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/28/wanna-know-when-to-go-to-the-bathroom-during-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/28/wanna-know-when-to-go-to-the-bathroom-during-movies/#commentsFiled under: ,

I once heard a rumor that the reason a particular screening room in a major U.S. city had installed a theater-linked sound system in its bathroom was so that a particular major film critic with a notoriously small bladder would be able to hear what he was missing during his frequent trips to the restroom. It probably isn't true that they did it just for him, but it is a good idea, and it spotlights an important subject: What if you gotta pee during a movie??! If you've never seen it before, you won't know when the best time to go is.

Now there is a website called RunPee that seeks to eliminate (tee-hee) this problem by providing suggestions on when you should go during a particular movie. Theoretically, if you're about to go watch, say, Terminator Salvation, and you know you'll probably have to tinkle during it because you have a history of this sort of thing (you know who you are), you can check RunPee beforehand to see if other users have recommended a good time to go. And they have: For Terminator Salvation, you are advised to do your business approximately 50 minutes into the film, "when Marcus finds the pilot who ejected and helps cut her down." Below that is a description (scrambled, until you click a button) of what happens during the next three minutes, so you'll know what non-essential action you missed.

Continue reading Wanna Know When to Go to the Bathroom During Movies?

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]]>Eric D. SniderThu, 28 May 2009 09:02:00 ESTFirst Reviews for Ledger's 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/22/first-reviews-for-ledgers-the-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/22/first-reviews-for-ledgers-the-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/22/first-reviews-for-ledgers-the-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Terry Gilliam's latest fantastical adventure, titled The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, screened at the Cannes Film Festival a little while ago, and the first reviews are out. The film, which is obviously drawing more press because it features Heath Ledger's final performance, is, like most of Gilliam's films, a little on the weird side (read the full synopsis after the jump). When Ledger passed away without finishing his work on the movie, it appeared as if the Gilliam curse had struck again -- leaving him little choice but to either scrap the entire film or hire a new lead actor and re-shoot all his scenes. Thankfully Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law came to the rescue, and they somehow found a way to have these three gents finish Ledger's remaining scenes by playing alternate-dimension versions of the same character. So what's the final outcome?

"... the film's convoluted curlicues are tiring, insisting too loudly on how "imaginative" everything is. And when it descends into the real world - Lucy out of the sky without diamonds, as it were - the film can frankly be a bit ho-hum, with some very broad acting from the bit-part crowd players. Gilliam's previous movie Tideland showed he still has teeth, and he bares them occasionally here. The dark side reveals itself, time and again, in the ruined, unsentimental locations in London. But this movie, though perfectly amiable, could be for fans only." -- Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

"Synthesizing elements from several of his previous pictures, including "Time Bandits," "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" and "The Fisher King," the often overreaching director addresses a mad hatter of a story with the expected visual panache and what is, for him, considerable discipline. With Ledger onscreen more than might have been expected, the film possesses strong curiosity value bolstered by generally lively action and excellent visual effects, making for good commercial prospects in most markets." Todd McCarthy, Variety

More quotes, a scene featuring Ledger and the synopsis after the jump ...

Continue reading First Reviews for Ledger's 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus'

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]]>cinematicalcolin farrellColinFarrellheath ledgerHeathLedgerjohnny deppJohnnyDeppterry gilliamTerryGilliamthe imaginarium of dr. parnassus reviewTheImaginariumOfDr.ParnassusReviewErik DavisFri, 22 May 2009 17:10:00 ESTIMAX Tries 'Avatar,' Jedi Mind Trick to Cover Up Size Issueshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/imax-tries-avatar-jedi-mind-trick-to-cover-up-size-issues/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/imax-tries-avatar-jedi-mind-trick-to-cover-up-size-issues/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/imax-tries-avatar-jedi-mind-trick-to-cover-up-size-issues/#commentsFiled under: ,

IMAX screen comparison (LFE Examiner)

"These are not the screens you want," IMAX is, in effect, claiming, trying a Jedi mind trick to downplay recent consumer anger over the smaller, unadvertised size of their new-fangled digital screens, for which they charge a premium of up to $5.00 per ticket. Yesterday, they tried to "wow the media," says The Hollywood Reporter, " while also performing a bit of damage-control."

IMAX claims that it's an "old issue" because the average size of an IMAX screen has been "just slightly bigger" than conventional screens for six years. Really? They also claim that they have a "nice problem: having to choose among films offered for release." Yet the New York Times reports that the company "has not lined up any other Hollywood movies for its ultra-big screen theaters" [emphasis added] after James Cameron's Avatar opens on December 18, leaving the schedule clear until Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland on March 5. (The article mentions size three times, so they haven't gotten the company message.) The company intimates that it wants to be able to "satisfy demand."

IMAX is a public corporation, and their first obligation is to their shareholders. But, clearly, they are so preoccupied with profit that they are ignoring the legitimate concerns of the moviegoing public. (Check out the comments when we originally posted about this.) If IMAX is so convinced that their smaller digital screens provide an "immersive experience," why not disclose it? Why not promote it? "IMAX: Size Doesn't Matter!" or "IMAX: Small is Powerful!" Instead, they claim that interest will be so high that it will take three months for everyone to pay more money to see Avatar on a smaller screen that's only "slightly bigger" than other screens (that charge less) in the same multiplex. Here's another slogan: "IMAX: Taking Your Money and Running."

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]]>avatarIMAXimax 3dImax3djames cameronJamesCameronPeter MartinWed, 20 May 2009 15:02:00 ESTDispatches from Hot Docs: Thelonious Jazz to Pet Tigershttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/15/dispatches-from-hot-docs-thelonious-jazz-to-pet-tigers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/15/dispatches-from-hot-docs-thelonious-jazz-to-pet-tigers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/15/dispatches-from-hot-docs-thelonious-jazz-to-pet-tigers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



When you get half-way through a festival and find yourself liking every film, you begin to wonder if you're not being critical enough. Were they all really that good? Did excitement cloud the picky nature of judgment? It can happen. How many times do we go see a movie with a crowd who loves it, then watch it on our own and hate it? As much as we can gripe and moan about the foibles of Hollywood, it's not entirely difficult to get swept up in excitement. (Or, for that matter, distaste.)

Inevitably, a film will pop up into the mix and you'll realize: no, you're not being too kind. Some are bad, and some fail. Hitting the half-way mark at HotDocs, I got the balancing slap of failed promise, some more worthy picks, and only one true stinker. Read on for docs about the one-and-only Thelonious Monk, living in the public eye, and more.

Continue reading Dispatches from Hot Docs: Thelonious Jazz to Pet Tigers

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]]>About a Face: The Story of Gwendellin BradshawAboutAFace:TheStoryOfGwendellinBradshawBloody Mondays Strawberry PiesBloodyMondaysStrawberryPiesCinematicalfeaturedHot DocsHotDocsProm Night in MississippiPromNightInMississippiThe Jazz BaronessThe Tiger Next DoorTheJazzBaronessTheTigerNextDoorWe Live in PublicWeLiveInPublicMonika BartyzelFri, 15 May 2009 20:02:00 EST35 Pianos Are Only Instruments in New 'Coraline' Musicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/14/35-pianos-are-only-instruments-in-new-coraline-musical/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/14/35-pianos-are-only-instruments-in-new-coraline-musical/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/14/35-pianos-are-only-instruments-in-new-coraline-musical/#commentsFiled under: ,

'Coraline' the Musical (Photo by Hamish Robertson)Yes, yes, I know, the "book to film to musical to TV show to web series to comic book" multimedia exploitation explosion feels a bit played out nowadays. Still, a good story is a good story, and I'm always interested when an artist in one medium dreams up a novel way to adopt a creative work from a different medium. Such is the case with Stephen Merritt and his plans for a musical version of Coraline, detailed at Vanity Fair.

Neil Gaiman created Coraline, with illustrations by Dave McKean, as a book for young readers, though it left at least one adult (our own Eugene Novikov) looking at it with "amazement bordering on disbelief." Henry Selick directed the marvelous film version, also titled Coraline, which our reviewer Jette Kernion called "gorgeously fantastic, in all senses of the word." (I loved it too.) The stage version features music and lyrics by Merritt, and 35 pianos "are the only instruments used," Vanity Fair says. Why pianos? "The piano is a symbol of domesticity and middle-class life," Merritt told VF. "The prepared piano is a symbol of the avant-garde attack on that domesticity, and the toy piano is a symbol of childhood." Musician Phyllis Chen dashes around the stage to play all 35 pianos.

Previews for Coraline began at the MCC Theater in New York last week, with the official opening set for June 1. If you can't make it to New York, a graphic novel version of the story, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell, will go on sale on June 24.

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]]>cinematicalcoralinecoraline musicalCoralineMusicalneil gaimanNeilGaimanPeter MartinThu, 14 May 2009 15:15:00 ESTDispatches from HotDocs: From Pre-Teen Filmmakers to Orgasm Medshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/13/dispatches-from-hotdocs-from-pre-teen-filmmakers-to-orgasm-meds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/13/dispatches-from-hotdocs-from-pre-teen-filmmakers-to-orgasm-meds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/13/dispatches-from-hotdocs-from-pre-teen-filmmakers-to-orgasm-meds/#commentsFiled under: , , ,




Film festivals are an interesting organism. On the one hand, they bring together big-buzz films and match them with lesser-known fare from all corners of the Earth, offering a rather eclectic and irresistible mixture. On the other hand, it's often hard to traverse the selections and always pick decent fare. Most often, great picks are intermingled with a number of eye-rolling doozies, and no matter what you do to try and avoid them, they inevitably pop up. But Hot Docs is different. For the last three years, I've been overindulging in documentaries, and like I touched on in my recent rant, I've liked almost every film I've seen.

It's a pretty rare phenomenon, and it says a lot about the quality offered in North America's largest documentary film festival. And it's not just me. This year, the Hot Docs audience increased by 42% over last year, reaching an estimated 122,000 people. Does this mark a change in attitudes towards documentaries? I can only hope...

In this dispatch, you can read about pre-teen filmmakers, a love story about brothels and quadriplegia, the Borat aftermath, Korean stuntmen, art criticism merged with murder, and the female orgasm. How's that for variety?

Continue reading Dispatches from HotDocs: From Pre-Teen Filmmakers to Orgasm Meds

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]]>A Good ManAction BoysActionBoysAGoodManCarmen Meets BoratCarmenMeetsBoratCinematicalHot DocsHotDocsOrgasm Inc.OrgasmInc.Rembrandts JAccuseRembrandtsJaccuseZombie Girl: The MovieMonika BartyzelWed, 13 May 2009 20:32:00 ESTIs IMAX Digital Ripping You Off with Smaller Screens?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/12/is-imax-digital-ripping-you-off-with-smaller-screens/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/12/is-imax-digital-ripping-you-off-with-smaller-screens/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/12/is-imax-digital-ripping-you-off-with-smaller-screens/#commentsFiled under: ,


Is IMAX still IMAX if it's not on a giant-sized, skyscraper-like screen? Last fall, the company introduced its new digital projection system, "intended to be retrofitted into 35mm multiplex auditoriums," reported LF Examiner. The screens are "less than one-third the area of the average film-based IMAX screen." The company maintains that it's not just the size of the screen that matters, it's their "revolutionary projection system, a powerful digital audio system and customized theatre geometry" that make up "The IMAX Experience." Operators of existing IMAX film-based theaters were reportedly not happy with the company's decision.

The issue was resurrected today by Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily, who linked to a LF Examiner article from last October in which editor / publisher James Hyder provided a detailed analysis and a screen size comparison (see above). He concluded: "I object when anyone claims that two patently different things are the same. Where I come from that's known as 'lying.'"

The first time I walked into a giant IMAX theater at a museum years ago, it was freakin' impressive. More recently, I've been dazzled by the immersive experience of The Dark Knight in IMAX, and I'm hoping to see Star Trek again, this time in IMAX, before its limited two-week engagement ends. Many theater owners have made substantial investments to improve the moviegoing experience, and I'm willing to (selectively) pay more, as long as I know what to expect. If IMAX is charging a premium (up to $5.00) for "The IMAX Experience," shouldn't they differentiate between "the classic IMAX (film-based) experience" and "the newer, smaller IMAX (digitall) experience"? Have you bought tickets for an IMAX screening and then felt ripped off when you realized the screen was smaller than expected?

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]]>IMAXthe imax experiencetheater experiencetheater screensTheaterExperienceTheaterScreensTheImaxExperiencePeter MartinTue, 12 May 2009 15:02:00 ESTSummer, the Season of Free Outdoor Movieshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/05/summer-the-season-of-free-outdoor-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/05/summer-the-season-of-free-outdoor-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/05/summer-the-season-of-free-outdoor-movies/#commentsFiled under: ,

The city where I live, Portland, Oregon, is known for being rainy. Like, ten months out of the year. So when July and August arrive the town goes a little crazy.

It's as if no one's ever seen sun before. The citizens madly scurry about like hyperkinetic beavers, painting their houses, filling potholes, constructing new buildings, and generally creating noise and congestion everywhere. Not a weekend goes by without some major thoroughfare being shut down for a parade, a walk to benefit a popular disease, a "fun run" (two words that just don't go together in my mind), a street fair, or a multicultural hoe-down featuring local blues bands and patchouli-scented hippies on bicycles.

In other words, summer here sucks.

There's one shining exception, though: Summer means free movies. It's become quite the vogue, in Portland and elsewhere, to project films out-of-doors, and each year my city is awash in free open-air screenings. Theater attendance may be down, but it would seem that people still love to watch a free movie with their butt crammed into a lawn chair.

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular nights for outdoor flicks. This can lead to scheduling conflicts, especially if you have a fetish for family-friendly fare. Last year, for example, Bee Movie was shown at Holly Farm Park on the same night that The Goonies -- a perennial local favorite, because it was shot here in Oregon -- was playing downtown in Pioneer Courthouse Square, with the suburbs offering (oh dear lord, no) Daddy Day Camp. If you're scouting out free flicks to take in with your kids, the best way to choose one is to simply figure out what's closest to your house. Unless it's Daddy Day Camp, in which case you'd have more fun staying home, locked in your dark basement, smacking yourself in the head with a rock.

Other nights, the choices are a little tougher. The Wizard of Oz or Shane? Hairspray or The Princess Bride? Dirty Dancing or Enchanted?

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]]>Dawn TaylorTue, 05 May 2009 21:33:00 EST