NewOrleans Tagged Articles at Cinematical
New Orleanians: Does the 'Sherlock Holmes' Font Look Familiar?
Filed under: Posters »
Okay, maybe I'm crazy. Some people have suggested that, throughout my life. But I had a very strange moment earlier today, looking at the character posters for the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie as I left a theater. Maybe you've seen these posters -- I've cropped one in the image on the right. Before my inner Robert Downey Jr. fan could coo "oooh" at the image of the actor, my inner New Orleanian spoke up and said, "Holmes? As in D.H. Holmes?"If you grew up in the New Orleans area and are a certain age, you may understand. D.H. Holmes was a popular department store when I was young -- in fact, it was a small chain that had stores in a number of Southern cities. The most famous D.H. Holmes was on Canal Street, where Ignatius Reilly waited under the Holmes clock in the novel A Confederacy of Dunces. Dillard's bought the department-store chain awhile ago, and the store on Canal is now a swanky hotel (they kept the clock, though).
Snag This: Music Rising
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », Music & Musicals », Home Entertainment », Cinematical Indie », Trailers and Clips »
"The roots of our music, our culture, had suddenly been wiped out.." When the levees broke in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans was devastated. Among the multitude of victims was the "cultural gumbo" of the city's vital music scene, built up over many decades. The city is "the crucible of music," says U2's The Edge. "Without New Orleans, there'd be no rock 'n' roll."
Music Rising, now available for free online viewing courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms, documents the efforts of musicians to help their fellow artists to continue playing and performing -- and to encourage musicians who had been forced to leave the city to come home. The film begins on a somber note, as the devastation is recapped. One musician sadly surveys the ruins of his home before leaving town, declaring that he will never return; he is emblematic of the many departed musicians. Record Producer Bob Ezrin, whose quoted words open this article, toured the city and admitted he could not quite process the extent of the damage that had been done. Along with The Edge and Henry Juszkiewicz, Ezrin was one of the creators of Music Rising, a campaign whose first phase was intended to replace musical instruments lost in the flood.
The documentary, directed by Canadian filmmaker Don Young, provides an overview of that first phase. It ends in September 2006, with many questions left unanswered. The campaign continued, but, tragically, the future of New Orleans remains cloudy. More information about the film is available at the official Music Rising campaign site and at SnagFilms.
Watch Music Rising after the jump!
SXSW Review: Mine
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », SXSW », Theatrical Reviews »
Get out a whole box of Kleenex, one of the jumbo packs, before you see Mine. Movies about post-Katrina problems can be sad enough, but this documentary is about pets, too. You know you're not going to get through this movie dry-eyed unless you have no heart whatsoever. You may even find yourself headed for an animal shelter afterwards, if you're not careful. Director Geralyn Pezanoski skillfully tells an emotional story that rarely resorts to the obvious, or to "good guys vs. bad guys."
Mine focuses on Katrina evacuees who were separated from their pets (involuntarily in one case), and who are trying to find and reunite with the animals. The movie opens with Malvin, a man in his eighties, reminiscing about his dog Bandit while carrying the dog's leash, which he found in his yard after the floods. I immediately suspected this story wouldn't end happily at all. The movie then shows us post-Katrina animal rescue. Shelters and many hotels didn't accept pets, so many evacuees had to leave the animals behind. They assumed it would only be for a few days, but the impact of the disaster was such that people couldn't return to their homes for weeks.
In the meantime, animal rescue teams were able to find and round up many of the stranded pets. Some pets were taken to animal shelters in other states, some of which offered the pets not for fostering but for adoption. Heartbreaking situations resulted, and Mine focuses on a few of them. For example, Victor's dog Max was sent to Florida and adopted by Tiffany, who bonded with her new pet immediately. But Victor missed Max. How could this be resolved?
Disney's 'Princess and the Frog' Gets a Teaser
Filed under: Animation », Disney », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
I'm as big a fan of Pixar movies as anyone, but I honestly miss the old-fashioned 2-D style animation from Walt Disney. I think there's definitely room for both hand-drawn and computer animated films, because as brilliant as movies like Toy Story, Ratatouille and Wall-E may be, they're a completely separate kind of filmmaking from the traditional Disney films. They shouldn't be compared to nor should they replace the kind of beloved fairy tale classics we've enjoyed from the Mouse House for 70 years. So, before commenting on the new teaser trailer for The Princess and the Frog (available here if the YouTube version is removed), let me just say, welcome back, 2-D!
OK, so what do I think? Well, upon seeing the New Orleans setting, my first response was unfortunately one of fear: what if Disney one-ups its Hunchback of Notre Dame pole-dance debacle with a scene involving Mardi Gras beads? Well, obviously Disney knows better than to be so blatantly naughty, though I wouldn't doubt that animators will find some way to slip in a hint of Big Easy-style debauchery.
Brad Pitt Goes Green
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand », Brad Pitt »
Ok, imagine for a moment that you're superstar actor and recent father Brad Pitt. You've starred in some of the best and most successful films of the last ten years, you're married to one of the hottest women in the world and, let's face it, you're regarded in most circles as pretty darn handsome. You've got all this going for you and it all adds up to a pretty great life, right? So, with all that great stuff in your life, what do you do next? Well, if you are Brad Pitt and you're concerned about the environment, the Katrina disaster in New Orleans and you want to do something really good for people who need it, you do what Yahoo reports the actor and philanthropist is doing right now. According to the article, construction began today on homes in New Orleans devastated 9th ward that will eventually provide residences for about a half-dozen single-families, 18 apartments, a community center, play area and a park for the neighborhood to enjoy.
Also according to the article, this project will be made using recycled components and other "green" technologies including energy-saving materials such as metal roofing and recycled textiles. Pitt, who's contributed $200,000 to the project so far, including money to underwrite the contest to pick the design for the structures as well as a cash award for the winners. Said Pitt about the project's importance: "I'm crying out for one of our leaders to really make this a priority," he said. Good for you Mr. Pitt I say.
Spike Lee Wins Journalism Award for New Orleans Doc
Filed under: Documentary », Awards », Home Entertainment », HBO Films »
Many critics consider When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts to be the best documentary of 2006, but it wasn't eligible for the Academy Award because it was released on HBO rather than in theaters. Fortunately the film and its director, Spike Lee, are getting recognition from other places, such as the George Polk Awards, which honors the best in journalism from the previous year. Lee and producer Sam Pollard were named as winners of a television documentary prize, which they'll receive at the annual awards luncheon April 12. As far as I can tell, a Polk Award for film or television documentary is rarely given -- the previous one was handed out in 1994 (though Fred Wiseman did win a career award in 2005 for his contributions to film journalism) -- so this is a very special honor. It is also probably a great convenience to Lee since Long Island University, which gives out the awards, is literally around the corner from the filmmaker's 40 Acres and a Mule production offices in Brooklyn (too bad the luncheon will be in Manhattan instead of on campus). Read Ryan's review of When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, and check out the doc, still airing on HBO and available on DVD.
Presley Parks It In the Microwave
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Newsstand »
Fresh off his stint on the venerable soap General Hospital, and appearances in films such as End Game with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Home of the Brave opposite super-hot Jessica Biel and my man Samuel L. Jackson, young up-and-comer Brian Presley is poised to land a new role -- starring with Robert De Niro and rapper 50 Cent in the thriller Microwave Park (which our own Erik wrote about before) -- at least according to a recent Production Weekly article.The film, directed by Tim Hunter and scripted by Eugine Hess, centers on a cop (played by De Niro) who thinks his partner died during Hurricane Katrina. Later, he discovers this is false information and that his partner, a cop accused of corruption, was actually murdered. After he finds this out, De Niro's character decides to investigate the case even though his bosses are not very happy about it. To further complicate things, he's assigned a new partner (played by 50 Cent) and as the two begin to investigate, and decide if they can really trust each other, they soon find themselves neck-deep in a conspiracy that involves police corruption and even more murders.
As much as this sounds like a pretty interesting story, I just have to wonder about 50 Cent's acting ability. Sure, there are rappers who've successfully made the transition -- Will Smith, Ice Cube, Mos Def and Ludacris being prime examples -- but that doesn't mean every rapper needs to start an acting career. Unfortunately, after seeing 50 Cent's work in Get Rich or Die Tryin' I have to say that I don't hold out much hope -- after all, in that film, he had trouble playing himself. But hey, maybe he'll surprise us all. It could happen. Besides, whatever happens with 50 Cent, I'm sure it won't take away from the stellar work Brian Presley will do in the film -- and that De Niro isn't so bad either. Production on Microwave Park (or whatever it ends up being called) is set to begin on January 15th in New Orleans and Shreveport, LA.
Welcome to Cut Throat City
Filed under: Drama », Independent », Casting », Newsstand », Cinematical Indie »
There's certainly no "We need time to heal!" thinking going on when it comes to Hurricane Katrina. Both When the Levees Broke, Spike Lee's documentary about the storm and its aftermath, and Wong Kar-Wai's rumored fictional project (which may or may not be shot in New York and may or may not star Adrien Brody) popped up in the news just a few months after the hurricane hit. And today, we have two more: Jette reported this morning about Walking on Dead Fish, and also in the works is an indie picture called Cut Throat City. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie "is a heist story that begins in the grimy, decimated Lower Ninth Ward and then hits the road" -- plus, it's got "social relevance." Woo hoo! The film will mark the cinematic debut of music video director Aaron Courseault; New Orleans rappers Baby and Lil Wayne are expected to star.Depending on the acting skills of its central duo (I though Baby had been in at least one movie before, but he doesn't seem to be listed in the IMDb), this actually might have some potential. It seems to me that a little indie picture is probably the best way to look at post-Katrina New Orleans -- this is a situation where low-budget might be a blessing rather than a curse, because it could lend the movie a convincing sort of grittiness.
Mardi Gras in N.O. still draws celebs
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy »
Despite the damage from Hurricane Katrina last year,
New Orleanians are gearing up for Mardi Gras, perhaps with more enthusiasm than ever. If anyone needs a good party
right now, it's the people on the Gulf Coast. Parades have already started; the larger, more elaborate New Orleans
parades will roll next weekend through Tuesday, Feb. 28, which is Fat Tuesday. Many big parades have traditionally featured celebrities as special marshals, waving atop a float and throwing a few beads. This year is no exception. Jim Belushi and Dan Ackroyd will ride in Endymion next Saturday night and will perform at the ball afterwards. Michael Keaton will ride in Bacchus on Sunday and Steven Seagal will ride on Monday night in Orpheus, the parade founded by Harry Connick, Jr. While you might not consider this year's celebrities to be A-list, they get big points for supporting the city. My own initial reaction was "Seagal? Why on earth?" until I found out he is a spokesman for Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit that is focusing a lot of energy in fixing up New Orleans. Now I think he's a fine choice.
And if that isn't enough celebrity action for Mardi Gras attendees, Britney Spears also plans to be in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday "with a special surprise." I don't even want to guess.
Vintage Image of the Day: Farewell, Coliseum
Filed under: Vintage Image of the Day »
As if New Orleans hadn't lost enough landmarks and historical buildings in the last year, the 91-year-old Coliseum Theater building burned down last Friday night. According to Cinema Treasures, the building hadn't been in use as a theater since 1976. Pre-Katrina, the building had been converted to house photography and video production companies. It also was used as a location in the movie Interview with a Vampire: it's the theater where Louis watches Tequila Sunrise. In its glory days, it was a neighborhood theater in the Coliseum Square part of town (located on Coliseum St. where it turns into Camp, if you know the area).
The above photo was taken in 2004 and quite frankly, makes the theater look more stunning and less shabby than it appeared in color. The Coliseum took a beating in the hurricane and lost its lovely facade. The building was undergoing extensive renovation before it caught fire last week, when it finally collapsed. It wasn't the landmark that the big Joy Downtown theater was (and is, although it's closed too) and wasn't a theater I have any personal memories about, but it's sad to see a once-charming neighborhood theater eradicated entirely.
[story via Stomp Tokyo; photo by mark m]
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