Cinematical

Scenes We Love: Series 7: The Contenders

William Goss — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Thrillers, Scenes We Love

Well, leave it to the comedy duo of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to remind me of one of the better B-movie curios sitting on my shelf, a film that even combines their own site's merits of 'funny' and 'die' into one sharp satire that's already gone overlooked and underappreciated since its 2001 release (into a whopping ten theaters, it seems).

Series 7: The Contenders plays like a 90-minute marathon of a supposed TV show in which contestants are chosen at random and tasked with killing the competition. Everyday citizens have to take out other everyday citizens while the cameras are rolling, and the last man or woman standing wins, plain and simple.

It's funny in the ways it dead-on skewers the manipulations and absurdity of reality programming, and it's funny in more bleakly matter-of-fact ways as we grow slowly but surely engaged by the characters, just as the show itself would intend to. Besides, in what other movie would you see Paul Giamatti's mom from Sideways and the girl from the well in The Silence of the Lambs duke it out, with Will Arnett narrating throughout? Now that's something I would watch...

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Red-Band 'Jennifer's Body' Trailer Answers All Of Your Prayers

Elisabeth Rappe — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Fox Atomic, Trailers and Clips

You no longer have to wait until Bruno to catch a glimpse of Jennifer's Body a.k.a that Megan Fox horror movie where she might show her boobs! ShockTillYouDrop has a red-band trailer directly from the Body team of Karyn Kusama, Diablo Cody, and Jason Reitman. According to the filmmakers, this is the trailer that truly captures what the film is all about: "Fox is putting a trailer of Jennifer's Body in front of Bruno this Friday. Great, right? Only problem is it's not our trailer. It's kind of a straight horror preview and while we're sure it'll appeal to many of you, we wanted to make sure you guys got to see our cut ... Lets call it the "filmmaker's cut". We think it captures the comedy and scares of the horror films we grew up on - a kind of nostalgia for when horror films were fun. Can't wait to show you the whole film ... In the meantime, here's the red band trailer we wanted our fans to see."

And you know what? It's a pretty awesome trailer. I was neither here nor there about the film, but this looks like a hell of a lot of fun ...

Head to The Horror Squad for the red-banded fun

Gallery: Megan Fox

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Lori Petty's Directorial Debut to Hit Screens on July 17

Monika Bartyzel — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Distribution, Exhibition

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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Indie Roundup: Bombs, Immigrants, 'Daily' Stops

Peter Martin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Deals, Box Office, Distribution, Cinematical Indie

Indie Roundup reviews the past week of news from the independent film community and provides a peek at what's coming soon.

Opening. Two films opened yesterday which couldn't have less in common: Agnès Varda's essay film The Beaches of Agnès and Nia Vardalos' I Hate Valentine's Day. Tomorrow comes Anne Fontaine's comedy The Girl From Monaco.

Deals. Xavier Dolan's family drama I Killed My Mother, Kenneth Branagh's The Magic Flute, and Asghar Farhadi's drama About Elly have all been acquired by Here Films, the company formerly known as Regent Releasing. All three are headed for theaters next year. [indieWIRE]

Online Viewing. The 4th of July weekend inevitably brings thoughts of America as a land of immigrants, and that's the topic of Home, which debuts on Amazon VOD this week, featuring interviews with Mike Myers, Alfred Molina, and Liam Neeson. Also somewhat topical: if Michael Jackson had an impact on race in pop music, what about African-American musicians playing rock 'n' roll exclusively? Raymond Gayle's Electric Purgatory examines the issue (at iTunes). If you're looking for love, you have something in common with two women in the comedy/drama Arranged (also at iTunes.)

Box Office. Kathryn Bigelow's lacerating bomb squad thriller The Hurt Locker earned a per-screen average ($36,338) that bested even the giant robots, albeit on only four screens. Woody Allen's Whatever Works expanded to 35 screens and grossed $10,280 per outing. The combination of star Michelle Pfeiffer and director Stephen Frears could stir up only a tepid $5,338 per-screen at 76 locations for Cheri, which is less than the average for Duncan Jones' Moon in its third week on 21 screens. [Box Office Mojo.]

After the jump: David Hudson's The Daily takes a permanent (?) vacation, portending the end of the world as we know it.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: Bombs, Immigrants, 'Daily' Stops

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Guy Pearce Tells Katie Holmes 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'

Elisabeth Rappe — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Independent, Thrillers, Casting, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Miramax

Guy Pearce just doesn't do enough movies for my liking. It's not as though he's vanished, but he seems to maintain a fairly low profile every time he blows everyone away with a big, meaty part like L.A. Confidential or Memento. But he has a lot of great projects coming up (the most exciting of which has to be The Road), and he's added a very intriguing one to his slate: the remake of 1973's telepic Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pearce and Bailee Madison have joined Katie Holmes in Troy Nixey's remake. It's a fairly loose adaptation of the 1973 original, which was centered around a couple, Sally and Alex, who inherited an old mansion from Sally's grandmother. Sally accidentally uncovers a hellish portal that allows a bunch of demons to escape and wreck bloody havoc. Naturally, no one believes her, and is convinced she's having a nervous breakdown thanks to all that home repair. Because it was the 1970s, it didn't even end well for Sally who just wanted a new fireplace. For those tired of seeing "remake" tacked onto everything, and for fans of the original, you'll be happy to know that the new Dark isn't so much a remake as a story "inspired by" those demonic creatures of old.

Check out the rest of the story at The Horror Squad

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Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 6/30

Peter Martin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Documentary, Foreign Language, Gay & Lesbian, Independent, New on DVD, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie

"Slim pickings" is the best way to describe this week's releases. Isn't anyone planning to stay home and watch DVDs?

Two Lovers
Joaquin Phoenix can't decide between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. Directed by James Gray, this suffocating drama is dark, thoughtful, and "more true to real human existence than most of the dreck that comes out of Hollywood studios," wrote Kim Voynar. I wasn't quite as impressed by it as she was, but it's still my top pick in a slow week. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

12 Rounds
Wrestler John Cena stars in Renny Harlin's latest train wreck (as I described it in my review), a sober drama that resolutely refuses to embrace its loonier plot elements (fire engine smashing through New Orleans, an out-of-control street car). Aidan Gillen (The Wire) provides one of the few pleasures as an exceptionally-nasty master criminal. Also on Blu-ray. The "Extreme Cut" adds less than three minutes of footage. Skip it.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li
I was hoping against hope that this might provide some cheesy fun, but Nick Schager slammed that door shut: "Fighting sequences are dreadfully lethargic ... their choreography is of a dull, unimaginative sort." Not even Kristin Kreuk can save this one. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Also out: Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience.

After the jump: "Indies on DVD" provides several good rental choices, a landmark film by Spike Lee hits Blu-ray, and a long-dismissed effort by director Hal Ashby gets dusted off.

Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 6/30

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'Arrested Development' Documentary Coming to the Big Screen

Elisabeth Rappe — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Independent, RumorMonger, Fandom, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand

My mom and I have only just discovered the delights of Arrested Development on DVD. There's nothing more bittersweet than discovering a television show after its far too late to help its ratings, but at least we can still join the "Please, oh please make an Arrested Development movie" club.

When I was on the Jonah Hex set, Will Arnett said that it was actively in the works. "We're trying to get it done, trying to get all the pieces together to do it. It's something we're actively in the process of doing. There is no script yet, but I've been talking a lot to Mitch about it, and I think that the goal has been to start shooting by the end of the year. It's really just a matter of getting a script. I know that the studio is ready to go and everyone's kind of ready, but there's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of people in the cast, a lot of schedules and stuff, but we're in that process now of figuring it all out, actively." Of course, Michael Cera's made comments to the contrary, so put your faith where you will.

In the meantime, one group of fans have pooled their resources and put together an Arrested Development documentary. Their official website reports that they're currently going from town to town, interviewing fans in order to raise awareness about the show and its tragic fate.They've already gotten a trailer together featuring interviews with the cast and crew of the show. Maybe the quotes are new to you, maybe they're not, but they might help stave off the pangs of addiction. The trailer is embedded below the jump. Enjoy, and keep flying Bluth flag.

[via Film Junk]

Continue reading 'Arrested Development' Documentary Coming to the Big Screen

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Interview: 'Cheri' Director Stephen Frears

Jenni Miller — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Romance, New Releases, New in Theaters, Interviews, Miramax

Multiple Oscar nominee Stephen Frears is a tough nut to crack. Amiable but terse, his excellent multilayered films do the talking for him, from his first collaboration with Christopher Hampton and Michelle Pfeiffer on 1998's Dangerous Liaisons to 2007's The Queen. In his latest film, Cheri (read Cinematical's review here), Frears turns his lens onto the cloistered and often duplicitous world of wealthy courtesans. Frears' films often focus on subversive outsiders who must make their own "family," as it were, such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Grifters, and My Beautiful Laundrette. But Cheri's delicious spin on sex, love, and aging is typical of its source material from author Colette, whose books Cheri and The Last of Cheri present a world of upside-down relationships and self-sufficient, frankly sexual women.

Michelle Pfeiffer leads the cast as the stunning Lea de Lonval, a famous courtesan whose friend Madame Peloux, played with busty abandon by Kathy Bates, encourages Lea to have an affair with Peloux's louche son Cheri, the pale and effeminate Rupert Friend. Neglected as a child while his mother was dealing with her affairs, Cheri is hardly likeable or loveable, but somehow their affair becomes less about sex and more about the love both he and Lea have lacked in their lives. Peloux throws a wrench into the whole thing when she plans a wedding for Cheri to another courtesan's child, Edmee, played by newcomer Felicity Jones. What happens after that surprises them all.

Cheri opens June 26th in limited cities. Visit the official website for more information.

Cinematical: What's the difference between releasing a movie like Cheri during Oscar season as opposed to the summer blockbuster season? Is it more or less stressful?

Stephen Frears: The problem with competing for the Oscars is it's very tough, so in a way it's quite a relief being [released] at another time of the year. You're all right if you've got the one that gets everybody's attention, but fighting for attention is quite difficult. I've released films in that season that have been just overlooked.

Continue reading Interview: 'Cheri' Director Stephen Frears

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Ryan Reynolds Gets Buried Alive

Monika Bartyzel — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Casting, Scripts

He might grab paychecks for romantic fluff like Definitely, Maybe and The Proposal, but Ryan Reynolds is definitely doing what he can to keep things fresh too. He's got his Deadpool gig, was obsessed with The Nines, and got busy with vamp fighting in Blade: Trinity. But now he's getting buried alive, which should take him to a whole new realm of cinema.

Variety reports that he will star in a new film called Buried, which was written by Chris Sparling and will be directed by Rodrigo Cortes. The film will focus on "a civilian contractor who's kidnapped in Iraq and awakens buried in a coffin in the desert, armed only with a cell phone, a candle, and a knife." Are they sure this is Buried? It sounds quite MacGyver to me, and as you know, there is a big-screen to-do on the way.

Anyway, Reynolds has been pretty successful in his career thus far, and a whole heck of a lot of it is do to the actor's charisma. He's just so darned likable. But what happens when all that is ripped away and he's caught in a dark box? There could be some flashbacks or out-of-coffin scenes, but it sounds like we might just get an entire film set in the claustrophobic darkness -- the Variety piece also says he'll hold "the screen through most of the picture." I'm intrigued.

Production begins next month in Barcelona.

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Indie Roundup: 'Whatever Works,' 'Harmony and Me,' LAFF 'Stoning'

Peter Martin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Independent, New Releases, Box Office, Cinematical Indie, Trailers and Clips

Indie Roundup reviews the past week of news from the independent film community and provides a peek at what's coming soon.

Openings. This weekend will finally see the release of Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, an extraordinary, ticking time bomb of a movie. Michelle Pfeiffer returns to the screen in Stephen Frears' "scandalous romp" Cheri. The very timely Iranian tale The Stoning of Soraya M., which just played the Los Angeles Film Festival, should ignite further discussion. Afghan Star features four women who (literally) risk everything in a televised singing contest.

Box Office. Woody Allen's Whatever Works performed just fine, pulling in $29,574 per-screen at nine locations. The re-issue of 1947's Brighton Rock (a very good film starring Richard Attenborough as a small-time hood) drew $10,626 at one theater; Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow scared up $5,363 in business. Several films expanded: Duncan Jones' Moon to 21 theaters ($8,541 per screen), Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro to eight locations ($7,176 per screen), and Sam Mendes' Away We Go to 132 theaters ($6,600 per screen).

Deals. Our friends at indieWIRE provided details on the acquisition of Stanley Tucci's Blind Date (due in theaters late this summer or early fall) and West of Pluto, directed by Henry Bernadet and Myriam Verreault. Pluto screens tonight at the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF).

Trailer. Also screening at LAFF this week is Bob Byington's Harmony and Me, which revolves around a 20-something musician (Justin Rice) who still pines for his dearly departed girlfriend. The film has been showing up at festivals all over the place, and the trailer has a good, bouncy vibe.

After the jump: Watch the trailer for Harmony and Me! Plus, more on LAFF.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'Whatever Works,' 'Harmony and Me,' LAFF 'Stoning'

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An 'Antichrist' of a Video Game

Jenni Miller — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:32:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Independent, Fandom, Tech Stuff

What does Willem Dafoe's junk, a talking fox, and a dead child all have in common? Well, they're going to star in a video game adaptation of Lars von Trier's Antichrist courtesy of Morten Iversen, a developer with some serious credentials in the world of game geekery. Formerly of Io Interactive, Iversen now works at von Trier's Zentropa production company.

Russ Frushtick over at MTV Multiplayer tracked down Iversen to ask him what the hell is up with this project, so to speak, and here's what he had to say.

"Von Trier has been extremely fond of video games for ages, and has been an avid player of 'Alone in the Dark,'" explained Iverson. "He's been circulating the idea internally... that making games would be a good idea." He describes it as "a nightmarish version of 'Myst.'"

("Alone in the Dark"? Really? Come on, Lars!)

More on HorrorSquad!

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Kevin Spacey Attracts a Varied Foursome For 'Father of Invention'

Elisabeth Rappe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Gay & Lesbian, Independent, Casting, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand

Kevin Spacey never really went away, so I hesitate to say that he's making a comeback, so let's just say "Hey, it's nice to see Kevin Spacey out and about in the trades again." Then we can talk about Spacey's Father of Invention, and talk about the eclectic foursome he's lured in as costars. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Craig Robinson, Johnny Knoxville, Heather Graham, and Camilla Belle have all signed onto Spacey's independently produced, Trent Cooper-directed film.

The story centers on Robert Axle (Spacey), an inventor who has forgotten his humble roots after making billions, and become an egomanical jerk. In a Lex Luthor twist, one of his inventions has gone awry, maimed hundreds, and landed him in prison serving an eight-year sentence. Freed from his sentence, he goes about rebuilding his personal and professional life, but finds remaking his name and fortune easier than repairing his fractured family.
Rounding out the Axle family is Belle, who plays his daughter, employed as a social worker and reluctant to reconnect with her father. Graham plays her lesbian roommate (is there ever any other kind) who sleeps with Spacey, undoubtedly making the situation that much more prickly. Knoxville plays a store manager who gives the ex-con a job. Somewhere in the mix there's an ex-Mrs. Axle as Robinson plays her new husband, who now lives in the billionaire's house, eats his food, and drives his car, but is nice enough to help him get back on his feet.

There's a whiff of Arrested Development to the plotline, and Robinson makes just about everything funny, so let's all watch out for this one. Production begins this week in New Orleans, so it'll be here before you know it.

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Daniel Craig Dreams of His Next, Non-Bond Role

Elisabeth Rappe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Horror, Independent, Casting, Mystery & Suspense, RumorMonger, Newsstand, Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig may have his own limited edition popsicle, but he's having a tough time choosing his next film role. After branching away from Bond with Defiance (a lot less 007 than most people give it credit for) and Munich, his next effort at ducking typecasting might be Jim Sheridan's Dream House. Might.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Craig is in early talks to star in Sheridan's psychological thriller, which would steer him clear of "Whatever, all he plays are vigilantes" talk. House centers on a family man who moves the wife and kids to an idyllic small town, and obviously the perfect house of the film's title. But you know what happens when you move to those dreamy small towns and those perfect Victorian houses ... they're haunted! Our hapless hero finds himself contending with the former occupants of the house, who hang around thanks to being brutally murdered.

As Craig decides whether Sheridan and Dream House is a proper departure from 007 territory, he'll be appearing on Broadway in A Steady Rain and is rumored to be interested in Kevin MacDonald's Eagle of the Ninth. (Would he be replacing Channing Tatum?) Should any one of these ventures fail, perhaps Craig will sigh, shrug, and just play Steve McQueen already.

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Toronto Announces First 24 Films for 2009 Fest

Eric D. Snider — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Foreign Language, Independent, New Releases, Festival Reports, Toronto International Film Festival

Is the Toronto International Film Festival upon us already? I still have poutine stains on my shirt from last time! Yes, the 2009 fest is less than three months away, and TIFF has just announced the first batch of films that will play. All 24 will be making their North American premieres, so unless you've been to the festivals at Cannes, Venice, or Berlin, it's unlikely that you've seen any of them. Exciting!

In the "Masters" category are films by three directors who qualify for that distinction. Portugal's Manoel de Oliveira -- who is 100 years old (!) and has made 50 films, most of them in the last two decades -- has a new one called Eccentricities of a Blond-Haired Girl, about a man enchanted by a woman he sees from his window. Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad), the 87-year-old Frenchman who got a lifetime achievement at Cannes this year, has Les Herbes Folles (The Wild Grass), a romantic adventure that begins with a lost wallet. And Hirokazu Koreeda, a Japanese spring chicken at 48, will present Air Doll, about a sex doll that becomes a real person -- Lars and the Real Girl meets Pinocchio? Koreeda made the haunting Nobody Knows a few years ago, so I'm onboard for whatever this Air Doll thing is.

The other 21 films announced today are from filmmakers ranging from the old and venerable to the new and enthusiastic. They span, the globe, too, representing countries you expect to see at international film festivals (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) as well as some with much smaller film industries, including Kazakhstan, Colombia, Malaysia, and Uruguay. The complete list of films and their descriptions is in TIFF's press release, as is information about buying passes. The festival runs Sept. 10-19. We'll see you there, right?

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Watch This: 'World's Greatest Dad' Red Band Trailer

Jenni Miller — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Independent, Trailers and Clips

Oh, Robin Williams. You furry, awesomely funny freak. We've missed you! And Bobcat Goldthwait -- sorry, Bob Goldthwait -- yeah, some of us have missed you too. If you're ready to visit a very dark and funny place, check out this red band trailer for Goldthwait's new movie, World's Greatest Dad.

Williams stars as a failed writer slash poetry teacher who endures horrible haikus about menstruation, professional humiliation, and abject failure when it comes to publishing. He also has pretty much the worst kid in the world. Kyle looks at (and is aroused by) German sheiser porn. He takes pictures of his dad's girlfriend's underwear with his cellphone under the dinner table and sends it to his friends. He's generally horrendous and creepy. I'm so looking forward to seeing a movie that shows Robin Williams telling his teenage son, "If you don't act right at dinner, I'll stab you in the face."

So take a look at this very naughty trailer after the jump and read Scott Weinberg's review of the film from Sundance. Or you can check out Williams' upcoming Disney flick Old Dogs, co-starring John Travolta and directed by the dude who inflicted Wild Hogs (and soon its sequel!) on the world.

Continue reading Watch This: 'World's Greatest Dad' Red Band Trailer

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Indie Roundup: 'Food, Inc.,' Vietnam Doc, Dallas Without AFI

Peter Martin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Documentary, Independent, New Releases, Box Office, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie, AFI Dallas

Indie Roundup looks back at the past seven (or, sometimes, eight) days of news in the indie film community, along with a peak ahead to what's coming soon.

Opening. The highest-profile "indie" is Woody Allen's Whatever Works, wiith Tatia Rosenthal's stop-motion animation feature $9.99, Francois Velle's NYC drama The Narrows, Andy Abrahams Wilson's Lyme disease doc Under Our Skin, and Tommy Wirkola's Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow vying for attention on a limited number of screens. On the festival circuit, CineVegas drew to a close on Monday (Eric D. Snider covered it for us), the same night that Silverdocs opened in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Los Angeles Film Festival starts tonight and the New York Asian Film Festival kicks off tomorrow.

Box Office. Last weekend saw several strong openings, with Robert Kenner's doc Food, Inc. leading the way ($20,171 per-screen), followed by Duncan Jones' sci-fi drama Moon ($17,006 per screen), and Francis Coppola's family drama Tetro ($15,252). The doc Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love ($10,866) and Le combat dans l'ile ($10,217) also debuted nicely, while the expansion of Sam Mendes' Away We Go brought in good business ($12,463). Daryl Wein's very informative AIDS activist doc Sex Positive drew $3,408 at one theater.

Online Viewing. How about a doc about a doc? Keir Moreano's documentary As the Call So the Echo follows an American doctor who unexpectedly finds himself in Vetnam after he decides to donate unused medical equipment. The film is available for free streaming at Babelgum, courtesy of the good folks at Cinetic.

After the jump: How will ~~AFI Dallas~~ the Dallas International Film Festival fare without AFI?

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'Food, Inc.,' Vietnam Doc, Dallas Without AFI

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Snag This: Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution

Peter Martin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Documentary, Foreign Language, Independent, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie, Trailers and Clips

In the wake of the disputed Presidential election in Iran, film fans might find it interesting to take a look at Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution. Directed by Nader T. Homayoung, the documentary provides an overview of Iranian cinema, spending most of its time on milestones -- both positive and negative -- from the past 40 years. SnagFilms has made it available for free online viewing.

Starting in 1997, Iranian cinema became "an international phenomenon," as Jeffrey M. Anderson wrote in his wonderful, extensive primer for GreenCine, "a New Wave on par with the French movement of the 1950s and 60s, the German movement of the 60s and 70s and the Hong Kong movement of the 80s and 90s." But Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution makes it clear that the country's cinema was flourishing in the late 60s and 70s, producing a flock of vital, progressive pictures that received little attention outside the local territory. Tantalizing glimpses of these films are featured, suggesting that further exploration would indeed be worthwhile. That all came crashing down with the ascendance of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.

Khomeini's rule led to the idea of "Islamically-correct cinema," or as filmmakers interviewed in the documentary described them, "films about people in absolute poverty," preferably without any women. Some filmmakers found a way to express themselves artistically within the limitations imposed, eventually gaining international recognition, while nearly everyone was frustrated with censorship issues. The doc is very straightforward -- talking head interviews, archival footage, narration -- but the subject carries the day.

We've embedded the film after the jump for your viewing convenience. More information is available at the official site and at SnagFilms.

Continue reading Snag This: Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution

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CineVegas Review: Mercy

Eric D. Snider — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Independent, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews, Festival Reports, CineVegas

Stop me if you've heard this one before. A womanizing cad doesn't believe in true love, even though he makes his living writing novels about it. He sleeps with one beautiful woman after another, never getting attached, always pleased when the women leave before he wakes up in the morning. But his whole world is turned upside-down when, out of nowhere, he actually falls in love with one of them.

Yes, it's the ol' "education of a douchebag" story, going by the title Mercy this time around and starring Scott Caan, who also wrote the screenplay. (It's actually his third script; he directed the other two himself, and the first, Dallas 362, won the jury prize at CineVegas in 2003.) One is tempted to find autobiographical elements in Caan's swaggering character, especially since his real-life father, James Caan, plays his dad in the movie, but I don't know if that's accurate. But it might be the more charitable interpretation, since without a personal connection there's no reason to tell a story this generic.

It's at the release party for his third novel that Johnny Ryan (Scott Caan) meets Mercy (Wendy Glenn), a gorgeous, slender brunette who, unlike most heterosexual women (or so we're led to understand), is not instantly bowled over by Johnny's smooth cocky charm. Nor, it turns out, does she like his writing. This wouldn't normally bother Johnny -- he prefers women who can barely read anyway -- but in this case it's troubling because she's a New York Times book critic. Now with two reasons to pursue her (the usual one, and her negative opinion of his work), Johnny redoubles his efforts to get close to her.

Continue reading CineVegas Review: Mercy

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How "Indie" Will DF Indie Studios Be?

Peter Martin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Independent, Distribution, Cinematical Indie

With the economy hurting, what better time to start up a new film studio? DF Indie Studios officially announced itself to the world yesterday, though news broke first via our friends at indieWIRE the other night. The company "is uniting veteran producers with sales and distribution experts." DF Indie Studios says it will "fully finance as many as a dozen films per year, each at a budget of up to $10 million. Significantly, the movies will also have guaranteed U.S. theatrical distribution through the company."

Notable names such as veteran producer Ted Hope (Adventureland, In the Bedroom) and distribution ace Ira Deutchman are involved with the company, as well as Scott Free, the production company of Ridley Scott and his brother Tony Scott (The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3). Company executives told indieWIRE that "the first five films will go into production this fall and hit the festival circuit next year." They also expressed the rather incredible hope that they will create between 10,000 and 15,000 (!!!) film jobs over the next five years. DF Indie Studios is still raising money for their venture, and is about halfway to their $100 million goal, according to the Associated Press.

What type of films will the company be backing? The press release mentions "commercially viable" twice and says they are partnering with "established producers with successful box office track records." Film journalist / critic Anthony Kaufman points to the Variety story, "which reported the company's aims are to make films such as 'the Saw franchise, Juno, Good Night, and Good Luck and Little Miss Sunshine.'"

Continue reading How "Indie" Will DF Indie Studios Be?

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Asian Cinema Scene: 'Ong Bak 2' Prepares for US Invasion

Peter Martin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Foreign Language, Independent, Magnolia, Distribution, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie

There will be crunch this fall. "Crunch" as in furiously intense action from Thailand. "Crunch" as in Tony Jaa, madder than ever. "Crunch" as in Ong Bak 2, directed by and starring Jaa, now set to enliven the autumn theatrical release schedule. And if you can't wait until October 23, well, you can sit at home and watch the movie on September 25, according to Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal.

Magnolia Pictures acquired rights to the film for its genre label Magnet in February and it was showcased at South by Southwest the following month. As I wrote at the time, Ong Bak 2 "features numerous insanely awesome fight scenes. Jaa explodes in every direction, his arms and legs delivering lethal blows as he lays waste to a variety of opponents, employing all manner of martial arts, straight fighting skills, and amazing dexterity with a variety of bladed weapons." To be fair, the pace is sometimes lumbering, and narrative clarity is not a strong suit, but those fight scenes are something glorious to behold.

Wise Kwai points to the official U.S. web site, which is only a placeholder right now, and to Mark Pollard's comments at Kung Fu Cinema about Magnolia's plan to make the film available on cable VOD, Amazon, and Xbox Live one month before the theatrical release. That's in line with how Magnolia has marketed and released other recent releases, and, in view of the modest returns for the original Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior a few years ago, makes good business sense. Meanwhile, Ong Bak 3, which will hopefully clear up some of the loose threads from OB2, is scheduled for release in Thailand in December.

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