IndieRoundup Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Indie Roundup is your weekly guide to what's new and upcoming in the world of independent film. Pictured clockwise, from upper left: The Freebie, Winter in Wartime, Trucker, Saint John of Las Vegas.

Deals. Our own Eric D. Snider highlighted The 10 Sundance Films You Need to Watch For, which nicely sums up the buzz and the biggest distribution deals from the festival. Millions of dollars have been committed and the theatrical release schedule will be dotted with Sundance acquisitions for months to come. And the deals continue, as reported by our friends at indieWIRE.

Phase 4 Films won a bidding war for rights to writer/director Katie Aselton's The Freebie. Aselton stars with Dax Shepherd as a married couple whose relationship "is still full of love but lacking in lust," according to that dashing critic Eric D. Snider. He called it "an honest, unadorned relationship drama that suggests a new talent on the horizon." We await word of specific release plans.

Martin Koolhaven's Winter in Wartime has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. The drama follows a 13-year-old boy who becomes involved with the Dutch resistance after he helps a wounded British soldier near the end of World War II. Winter in Wartime was shortlisted, but ultimately not nominated, for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. As with The Freebie, specific release plans have not yet been announced.

Online / On Demand Viewing. Acclaimed drama Trucker, starring Michelle Monaghan, is now available on iTunes. Cinematical's Erik Davis wrote: "Monaghan finally delivered the sort of performance I've known was trapped somewhere inside her, hidden behind a variety of big, flashy Hollywood films."

After the jump: Saint John of Las Vegas reaps material rewards.

Welcome to Indie Roundup, your guide to what's new and upcoming in the world of independent film. Pictured above: Enter the Void, The Square, Ondine, The Last Station.

Deals. IFC Films grabbed U.S. rights to Gasper Noé's Enter the Void, according to indieWIRE. The film, Noé's first feature-length work since his Irreversible generated considerable controversy seven years ago, debuted at Cannes last year, where it was called both an "exceptional work" (Manohla Dargis, New York Times) and "an endurance test" (Eugene Hernandez, indieWIRE). Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta star as siblings, one a dying drug dealer and the other a nightclub singer. Enter the Void will have its U.S. premiere at Sundance.

The Square generated great word of mouth when it debuted at SXSW last year, and now it's been picked up by Apparition, indieWIRE reports. Our own William Goss wrote: "When something this tight and this taut and this relentlessly compelling arrives, it deserves attention all its own." Nash Edgerton directed the film noir; his terrific short film Spider will play before theatrical screenings of The Square, a great idea. (I saw Spider at the Marfa Film Festival in 2008, where it was an obvious audience hit.) Look for The Square and Spider to hit theaters on April 9.

Neil Jordan's Ondine has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures, according to Movieline. Colin Farrell stars as a fisherman who catches a mythical sea nymph (Alicia Bachleda) and a small Irish town is changed forever. A sex scene from the movie has been cut in order to secure a PG-13 rating, says The Wrap. Distribution plans have not yet been announced.

After the jump: making Lemonade, plus The Last Station scores.

Indie Roundup is your weekly guide to what's new and upcoming in the wonderful world of independent film. Pictured above, clockwise from upper left: Watercolors, Down Terrace, The Human Centipede (First Sequence), The Dungeon Masters.

Deals. Regent Releasing has acquired Watercolors, a drama directed by David Oliveras. Flashbacks reveal the troubled relationship between Danny (Tye Olson), a budding artist, and Carter (Kyle Clare), a high school swimming star. Years later, Danny is still dealing with the aftershocks. "Writer/director David Oliveras has created a powerful and erotic feature length debut," wrote Gregg Shapiro in Chicago Free Press. The film plays in New York and Los Angeles starting on January 22 as part of a three-film series, and starts January 29 in San Francisco. More information is available at the official site.

Our friends at indieWIRE report that Magnet Releasing has picked up Ben Wheatley's Down Terrace, described as a criminal 'genre bender.' Our own William Goss saw it at Fantastic Fest and wrote: "No effects, no names, no nothing but drama unfolding as it should, or rather, as it would. No, it may not fit the traditional bill for Fantastic Fest fare, but it sure is one fantastic film." Down Terrace will play at Slamdance later this month and at other festivals this spring, with a theatrical release anticipated this summer.

The distribution rights to another Fantastic Fest title, The Human Centipede (First Sequence) have been acquired by IFC Films. indieWIRE says it will be available via the IFC in Theaters platform. Check the Cinematical review by Todd Gilchrist, who saw it at Screamfest.

After the jump: On Demand viewing tips -- The Dungeon Masters are coming! -- and a sweet and crazy Indie Weekend Box Office report.

Indie Roundup is your weekly guide to what's new and upcoming in the independent film world. Pictured above, clockwise from upper left: Mine, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnussus, The White Ribbon.

Opening Theatrically / Online / On Demand. If the world goes to the dogs, who will feed and care for them? Geralyn Pezanoski's Mine considers what happened to the animals left behind in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The film, which won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at SXSW last year, "may churn your emotions," I wrote for another site. "Once the true essence of the story becomes apparent, it's difficult to turn away from the screen. The heart of the documentary lies in the conflict between pet lovers." The doc is warm-hearted, but doesn't shy away from portraying both sides of the sometimes-contentious conflicts that developed.

Mine opens theatrically in San Francisco on Friday, according to our friends at indieWIRE, the same day that the film will premiere on iTunes. Thereafter, distributor Film Movement will expand the release to New York and New Orleans, with a 20-city release to follow. The official site reveals that the filmmakers will be in attendance at the Roxie Theater for opening weekend, and also has more details on the release and the trailer.

Festival Scene. The Palm Springs International Film Festival kicked off last night in the desert resort town with a gala presentation of Michael Hoffman's The Last Station. The fest typically draws huge mobs of local film lovers who eagerly line up to see a huge selection of foreign and independent films; I attended once and had a grand time. Check the fest site for more information.

After the jump: Box Office Bonanza?

Indie Roundup is your weekly guide to what's new and upcoming in the independent film world. (Clockwise from upper left: Videocracy, The Greatest, Crazy Heart, Prodigal Sons,)

Deals. The past seven days have been busy, according to our friends at indieWIRE. Erik Gandini's documentary Videocracy will open in New York City on February 12, via its deal with Lorber Films, and will then roll out across the country. The film examines the media culture in Italy; Todd Brown at Twitch calls it "riveting viewing, at times bizarre, at other times horrifying, but always impossible to turn away from." NSFW trailer after the jump.

Theatrical rights to Shana Feste's The Greatest were picked up by Paladin, which plans a late March release followed by an early April expansion. Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon star as parents dealing with the tragic death of their teenage son; Carey Mulligan (An Education) gives a "sharp, honest" performance as the girlfriend left behind, according to Eric D. Snider, who felt the movie itself is "an uncomfortable misfire."

Kimberly Reed's prize-winning doc Prodigal Sons was acquired by First Run Features, which will release it in late February. Prodigal Sons "sees the filmmaker grappling with her insecurities as a trans person outside her comfort zone," wrote Ed Gonzalez in The Village Voice. "Reed's high school reunion forces her to reconnect with the community that knew her only as a basketball-playing jock, but her struggle doesn't end there."

George A. Romero's latest zombie flick, Survival of the Dead, landed a deal with Magnet Releasing, the genre releasing arm of Magnolia Pictures. Mike Bracken at our sister site Horror Squad has the details and a clip.

After the jump: Crazy numbers.

Clockwise from upper left: Splinterheads, Ghost World, An Education, House of the Devil.

Opening. Amiable and pleasant, Splinterheads revolves around a romance between Justin (Thomas Middleditch), an aimless small town dreamer, and Galaxy (Rachael Taylor), a gorgeous grifter who (literally) bumps into him at a gas station. She's more interested in separating him from his money than getting to know the lunkhead within, while he quickly decides that he's met the love of his life -- or, even better, a reason to leave his upstate New York world behind and start living for himself instead of his mother and grandfather.

Brent Sersen (Blackballed) is a better director than writer; the characters hold few surprises and the plot's trajectory threatens to die of old age before it reaches its pre-ordained conclusion. Still, he takes advantage of a visiting carnival and the grifter's obsession with geocaching, a variation on treasure hunting, to string together several lyrical interludes and enough laughs to deserve a recommendation. Dean Winters, Lea Thompson, and Christopher McDonald provide reliable support. Splinterheads opens in New York on Friday and expands to other cities the following week; check the official site for theaters and showtimes. Also opening in New York the same day: Collapse, Chris Smith's latest doc (more from last week and the exclusive poster debut).

On-Demand / Online Viewing. Terry Zwigoff's adaptation of Daniel Clowes' graphic novel Ghost World departs from the source material quite abruptly, but still remains faithful to the dark spirit of loneliness that haunts the characters. Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannson, and Steve Buscemi star. It's now available on FilmBuff, Cinetic's cable on-demand channel; check local listings to watch this essential indie at home.

After the jump: Who educated the devil?

Indie Roundup, your weekly dose of what's happening (slightly) outside the mainstream.

Deals. Via our friends at indieWIRE, we learn that Brian Baugh's faith-based To Save a Life will be released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in January 2010. The film follows an "all-American teen" boy dealing with the aftermath of a friend's death. Cross-cultural romantic drama Cairo Time, starring Patricia Clarkson, will hit theaters and on-demand home viewing systems sometime in the new year, courtesy of IFC Films. Bradley Rust Gray's The Exploding Girl will open in early 2010 through Oscilloscope Laboratories. Zoe Kazan stars as a young college woman dealing with conflicting romantic feelings while home in New York for spring break.

Online / On Demand Viewing. Two recommendations this week, both for titles that are newly available through Amazon's VOD service. Susan Seidelman's Smithereens is a quintessentially New York picture and a fiercely independent experience from a time when indies were few and far between. It's a blast of fresh air about Wren (Susan Berman), a rough-talking young woman, and her travails through the seedier side of life as she tries to make something of herself. It's essential viewing, especially if you've been disappointed by one too many slick faux-indies. Musician Richard Hell is great, too.

Much less essential, but no less vital viewing, is Arlene Nelson's Naked States, which trails along as Spencer Tunick engineers massive works of art composed by live, naked human flesh. Tunick is a fascinating photographer / hustler, and so are the people who decide to bare all for the sake of art.

Activity of a different kind, Chilean cleaning, and AFI Fest -- after the jump!

After a one-week break for bad behavior, Indie Roundup returns, refreshed and ready to sum up what's new and what's been happening in the independent film community.

Deals. Multiple deals have been made in the last two weeks, indieWIRE reports, notably involving higher-profile directors Catherine Breillat (Bluebeard, based on a classic fairy tale, will hit theaters next spring, courtesy of Strand Releasing) and Atom Egoyan (Chloe, starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried, due in the first half of 2010 through Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group). Of the latter, an erotic thriller, Monika Bartyzel wrote: "Chloe might not connect on a personal level, it does trap you into these lurid lives that flirt with every notion of bad behavior. I just wish they were characters I could love or hate, or simply feel for."

Director Chris Smith may be lower-profile, but fans of American Movie and The Yes Men (me! me!) will be glad to know that his latest work, Collapse, will hit theaters and VOD simultanteously next month. Kevin Kelly posted an exclusive poster and provided release dates, as well as a tidbit about the doc. Also coming to theaters and VOD next month is suspense thriller Uncertainty, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins; indieWIRE has more details on that one.

Online Viewing. As practically the only film critic in America who liked Couples Retreat, I feel honor bound to tell you that one of its stars, Faizon Love, had a much better showcase for his talents in Tao of the Golden Mask, which he wrote and directed. It streams exclusively on Babelgum this month. And Ti West's Trigger Man is finally available at iTunes Movie store.

The Maid cleans up -- after the jump!

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

Deals. Both Eugene Hernandez at indieWIRE and Anne Thompson at Thompson on Hollywood described the sale of Tom Ford's A Single Man as an electrifying event at the Toronto International Film Festival. Riding a wave of good buzz from the Venice festival, the debut feature from the famed fashion designer stars Colin Firth "at a turning moment in his life after the death of his longtime lover," Eugene wrote. "Despite a distinctly gay storyline, there was little doubt that this universal story of middle-aged lonliness and isolation in the 1960s would quickly find a home." Anne notes that it's "gorgeously designed ... it's an idealized L.A. shot like an Italian movie of the period, plus a stunning digitally-enhanced color palette." The Weinstein Company won the bidding war, as Monika Bartyzel noted this morning.

Festivals. Speaking of Toronto, be sure to check out all the great coverage from our team of writers on the scene to find out what's been hot -- and not so hot -- during the first half of the fest.

News. Not much news has been happening outside Toronto during the past week. In fact, in my usual rounds of news sites and search engines, I have found ... nothing much of interest! (Sorry if you made some news that you thought was notable and either I don't agree or don't know about it.) Come back next week, and I'm sure something interesting will have happened by then. In the meantime, did I mention our great coverage from Toronto?

How do you make crude oil sizzle? Find out in Indie Weekend Box Office -- after the jump!

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

Festivals. As one of our two resident Canadians, Monika B. fittingly wrote about the Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off tonight. If Telluride warmed things up for the fall film scene, Toronto aims to light the sucker on fire. The hardest part for indie fanatics is keeping up with all the offerings that will soon be on tap. Keep it right here at Cinematical for our coverage from Toronto, and watch this space every week to catch up on any major news items you might have missed. (And for those who keep asking, yes, The Brothers Bloom, pictured in the collage in the upper left, will be coming to DVD soon -- it's due on September 29, complete with an audio commentary by director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman plus deleted scenes.)

Deals. Acquisition news is spiraling out of control, so I suggest checking indieWIRE for the latest and greatest, where they have details on deals for Richard Linklater's latest, wild and funny music doc Nerdcore Rising, and much more.

Online / On-Demand Viewing. If you missed Linklater's baseball doc Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach when it played on ESPN, now's your chance to catch up -- it's just become available at the iTunes movie store. Don't hesitate to check it out if you're not a sports person; Jette Kernion says: "I'm not into baseball at all, but [the coach] is fascinating to watch at work." If you're a basketball nut and a doc lover, you might enjoy 3 Points, which follows Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady on a trip to Darfur; it's available at Hulu.

Immigration joys and sorrows at the Indie Weekend Box Office -- after the jump!