PaulSchrader Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Could you see Paul Scrader in Bollywood? See, this is much more than merely Hollywood delighting in all things Bollywood. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Paul Schrader, the pen behind Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, is heading to Mumbai to helm a Bollywood action flick called Extreme City.

What's convinced him to head overseas? He says: "I've been getting indie movies made for 20 years. But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place -- in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It's cold out there." So in this non-barren Bollywood, what will he direct? It's the story of an American man who goes to India to aid in the resolution of a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, and gets stuck in a gangster plot. Schrader admits that there will be a mix of dialogue and musical numbers, but it's "not a Masala movie."

I wonder... Will this continue to be a trend? If indie filmmakers can't get love here, will they take it elsewhere? And if they do, imagine the headaches the Oscar committee will get with an influx of overseas projects with mixed dialog by Americans!

Last year was great for American independent cinema; this year, not so much. The lineup for the 35th annual Telluride Film Festival has been announced, and only two U.S. filmmakers made the cut -- Paul Schrader (Adam Resurrected) and Tim Disney (American Violet). In addition, David Fincher will be there to screen his cut of Zodiac and to accept the festival's Silver Medallion.

According to Michael Jones at Variety's festival blog, the scarcity of U.S. films is simply the result of not very many homegrown films being submitted. Some likely candidates, like Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler and the Coens' Burn After Reading, chose to focus on other festivals. Other contenders, like Revolutionary Road, Milk, and W., aren't done yet. The writers' strike and the big studios' ongoing financial problems with their art house divisions also contributed to the dearth of American product.

It looks like a fantastic foreign lineup, though, with 22 films from 14 different countries. You can see the full list here (and there might be some late additions), but some of the highlights include: Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky (U.K.), Philippe Claudel's I've Loved You So Long (France), Kim Ji-Woon's The Good, the Bad and the Weird (South Korea), and Ari Folman's animated Waltz with Bashir (Israel).

The Telluride fest takes place over Labor Day Weekend every year in the small mountain town in southwestern Colorado. To maintain its reputation as a down-to-earth, unglamorous, it's-all-about-the-movies festival, the organizers don't announce the lineup until the last minute, thus avoiding most of the hype and celebrity-gawking that plagues Sundance. Cinematical's Kim Voynar is there, so watch for her coverage over the weekend.

This week is overflowing with potentially interesting indie DVD releases. What Would Jesus Buy?, an entertaining documentary directed by Rob VanAlkemade and produced by Morgan Spurlock, asks a very serious question in comedic form. As I wrote in my review, the film follows Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping Choir on a trek across America as they deliver an anti-shopping, anti-materialism, pro-Christmas message, bolstered by the trappings of fundamentalist religion. The DVD from Arts Alliance America includes deleted scenes, an 8-minute public access show featuring Reverend Billy, the Choir and Morgan Spurlock, and printable lyrics of the Choir's customized Christmas carols.

Theodore Braun's doc Darfur Now "is solely about the power and the conviction" of six people who have made a difference in Sudan, according to our own Christopher Campbell. "If there's one flaw with the film, it's that it almost conclusively portrays the Darfur problem as no longer a problem." One of the film's producers is Don Cheadle, who also appears along with George Clooney. The DVD from Warner Independent includes additional scenes and an introduction and commentary with Braun.

Woody Allen may not be thought of nowadays as an "indie" auteur, but, really, how many directors enjoy his creative freedom? I admire his untiring work ethic, but many of his recent films feel half-chewed, and Cassandra's Dream is no exception.

Like most folks who enjoy the art of screenwriting, I'm a pretty big Paul Schrader fan. So when I heard that the writer / director's latest film would be playing at the Toronto Film Festival, I drew a big, red circle around the title. "You know what it's about, don't you?" a friend of mine asked me, to which I responded "Kinda. Woody Harrelson plays a gay D.C. socialite who covers up a murder and lives to regret it, or something like that." OK, good point: Doesn't exactly sound like my cup of tea, plot-wise -- but hey, it's Paul Schrader.

I just figure after Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and the highly-underrated Light Sleeper, Mr. Schrader has earned the benefit of the doubt. And yes, that's taking into account his last few screenplays. But it turns out my friend was right: The Walker is about a gay rich guy who lives off his family's money and acts as a friend / companion / alibi to many of Washington D.C.'s most important housewives. Carter Page plays canasta with swanky gals played by Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily Tomlin and Lauren Bacall -- and they all seem to love their amusingly non-threatening companion. But when one of the ladies' lovers ends up dead, Carter starts lying to the police to protect his "friends" and quickly discovers his true place in the beltway hierarchy.

Screen legend Lauren Bacall has never been one to keep her opinions to herself. At a press conference in Berlin for her new film, The Walker with Woody Harrelson, about a high-class male escort, Bacall spoke about the negative impact that television has had on the movie business. Bacall was quoted as saying, "I think there are still people who really want to do good work. Unfortunately, in television, sometimes they want to do good work but a lot of the time they're doing terrible work - and I think that has affected moviemaking badly." Bacall never quite explained what that effect was, and as much as I hate to argue with a screen icon, personally I would disagree.

TV shows like 24, LOST, and The Sopranos have definitely raised the bar on what to expect from a television show. In some cases, critics think that TV might even surpass Hollywood fare. Whether Bacall is debating what makes a legend or standing up to the House of Un-American Activities, she isn't afraid to speak her mind. When you've managed to survive for over sixty years in the movie business, you have probably earned the right to. What do you think -- is the proliferation of bad television hurting the movies?

Having penned films adaptations like Raging Bull and Mosquito Coast, it wouldn't be a jump to assume that writer and director Paul Schrader would have his hand in the adaptation of Israeli writer Yoram Kaniuk's Adam Ressurected. However, he hasn't picked up the pen this time around. Instead, he is settling into the director's chair to head the adaptation, which was written by new screenwriter Noah Stollman. His great track record bodes well for this interesting story, and the cast is making it all the better.

Adam Ressurected centers on Adam Stein, a man who was once a leading clown in Europe. During World War II, Adam is captured and taken to a death camp, where he survives by taking on the job of entertaining victims as they are sent to the ovens. After the war, he travels to Israel and enters an asylum for Holocaust survivors. Adam will be played by Jeff Goldblum, which will be a nice change of pace for the actor who has had recent delightfully quirky roles, but none very challenging. Now, Variety reports that Willem Dafoe has signed on as Goldblum's co-star. His role has not been released yet, but it would be interesting if he takes on the role of Adam's asylum friend -- a man who thinks he is a dog.

While no further word on the cast has been released, there is a big discussion amongst Helen Slater fans on imdb. You might remember her as Supergirl, the legendary Billie Jean, or more recently in a number of stints on television. Maybe the filmmakers will visit the message board and make some fans' dreams come true before the movie begins filming next Spring.

I'm sure many cineastes had the same reaction to this week's box office list: cinema is now officially dead. The day Jackass: Number Two -- isn't it clever how the title is a reference to fecal matter? -- becomes the most popular film in America is the day each of us ought to give up and become plumbers. I'm talking all film critics, as well as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, David Cronenberg, Steven Spielberg, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wong Kar-wai, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Charlie Kaufman, etc. Throw in the towel, guys. It's over. It doesn't matter anymore. I'll meet you at the bar, and I'm buying the first round.

It gets worse: At the same time, the esteemed film critic/screenwriter/film director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, etc.) has published a brand-new film canon in the most recent issue of Film Comment, and the news is not good. Schrader started out writing a book, but realized that film will no longer have a place in the 21st century and gave up after 20 or so pages. He does list his 60 great films for inclusion in the canon but (with the exception of Wong's In the Mood for Love) they're all products of the 20th century.

Yes, film art is gone. All you have to do is perform stupid stunts, point a video camera in that general direction, and you've got a classic.

Despite the often inflated sticker prices, I'm a huge fan of the "DVD box set." My very special "no touching" DVD shelf contains the Alien Quadrilogy, the Star Wars Trilogy, the Godfather Trilogy, Indiana Jones, Matrix, etc., etc. There's just something about getting the whole darn series in one slick box that makes for a happy movie geek. And with November's mega-cool Superman set on the horizon, it looks like a may need to invest in a new shelf.

But here comes word on an upcoming box set that, frankly, I can live without. Streeting October 10th is WB's Exorcist Movie Collection, and here's what's included:

• The original cut of William Friedkin's The Exorcist, a true classic in every sense of the word
• The extended "Version You've Never Seen" (which is a lie because I have seen it)
• John Boorman's frankly horrible Exorcist 2: The Heretic
• William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist 3, which has its fair share of supporters (one of whom is not me)
• Renny Harlin's Exorcist: The Beginning, which kinda stinks
• Paul Schrader's Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist, which (no kidding) might be the worst movie title I've ever seen

DavisDVD informs us of the impending release, but there's very little info on the actual platters -- most likely because this is not a newly-produced box set, but instead a slipcase filled with the exact same product you'll find at your local DVD shoppe. But hey, it looks like this set will cost only about 30-some bucks, so if you've got a taste for the Satanic sequels, I suppose it's a pretty good deal.

As any movie geek with his salt can tell you, Jerry Lewis once made a film called The Day the Clown Cried, in which the legendary funnyman played a circus clown who is forced to lead prisoners to their death in a Nazi concentration camp. The movie was (mostly) finished, but never released. I assume the actual celluloid reels can be found within the deepest vault of Jerry's mansion. (For a lot more backstory, all of which is truly fascinating, click here.)

Anyway, I gave you all that movienerd history to act as a counterpoint to the following news: One of my very favorite filmmakers (Paul Schrader) and one of my very favorite actors (Jeff Goldblum) are apparently planning to make their own movie about ... a circus clown who was forced to lead prisoners to their death in a Nazi concentration camp. Based on the novel by Yoram Kaniuk, Adam Resurrected doesn't seem to have any discernible connection to the infamous Jerry Lewis movie -- aside from the actual plot, that is.

(Special thanks to Portland's finest film critic (Shawn Levy) for the news tip. And that's not faint praise; Portland is stuffed with great film critics.)

It appears that Paul Schrader is more into American Gigolo now than most of us were 25 years ago, because he's once again mining that territory for a film. And to the dismay of maybe only me, Richard Gere (Every time I look him up on the IMDb, I giggle anew when I remember that his middle name is "Tiffany." I'm a bad person.) will not be involved. The new film, which beings shooting this week in the UK, is entitled The Walker, and centers on the writer/director's "vision of what his American Gigolo protagonist would have become when he hit 50." This time the character, to be played by the frighteningly-close-to-50 Woody Harrelson, is an "escort of society ladies" in DC, whose gifts are, in Schrader's words, "more social than sexual. He's this society walker who has his lady friends, and a boyfriend on the side." A boyfriend, eh? And the plot thickens...

Among Harrelson's clients will be the still-stunning Lauren Bacall; other cast members include Ned Beatty, Lily Tomlin, and English Patient pals Willem Dafoe and Kristen Scott Thomas.