picturehouse Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Earlier today, Peter wrote up a piece on movie mogul Harvey Weinstein explaining how The Weinstein Company created their division Third Rail as a dumping ground for movies they feel have only "ancillary value." Harvey and his younger brother and business partner, Bob, have been under a bit of an attack since ditching Disney/Miramax for their own shingle back in 2005, with a lot of sharks swimming the waters surrounding them, just waiting for enough money to bleed through the Weinstein's fingers.

An article over at the Sunday Telegraph by Tom Teodorczuk goes into some fairly good detail about the troubles facing the beleagured brothers. You can read the full piece yourself to see his analysis; suffice it to say that the Weinsteins have yet to bring that old Miramax magic to their independent shingle, probably for a variety of reasons, not the least of which include the troubles facing the indie film world generally. As Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeff Wells, quoted in the piece, notes, "The Weinsteins have suffered from the same pressures affecting the indie film sector that everyone else faces. There is a glut of product owing to hedge fund firms now investing in films."

Man, this news truly bums me out. Variety reports that Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures are shutting down. It's not like this is shocking news; ever since New Line folded, it was all pretty much a given that both Picturehouse and Warner Independent would either close or merge in some way -- but it still stings for those who, like me, were big fans. In a statement, Warner Bros. president and COO Alan Horn claims this move won't stop the studio from taking more chances on young, indie voices. He says, "After much painstaking analysis, this was a difficult decision to make, but it reflects the reality of a changing marketplace and our need to prudently run our businesses with increased efficiencies. We're confident that the spirit of independent filmmaking and the opportunity to find and give a voice to new talent will continue to have a presence at Warner Bros."

On a personal note, Cinematical has worked with folks from both Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures, and have always found them to be wonderful people who truly care about spreading these little indie films as far and wide as they can. Here's hoping that love, that heart and that passion will not disappear. We wish all those involved good luck in their future endeavors.

Near the end of last week, Defamer spread the rumor that Picturehouse, once the indie arm of New Line Cinema and currently dangling from the edge of the hulking entity known as Warner Bros., has its days numbered. Now that New Line is history and Warners, like many studios, has faced increasing cutbacks, it may give short shrift to the shingles responsible for handling artier fare. Along with Picturehouse, this also includes Warner Independent Pictures, whose recent release slate includes David Gordon Green's magnificent Snow Angels.

Defamer suggested that Picturehouse president Bob Berney might wind up at WIP or head up a new, currently anonymous company. On Friday, Variety's Anne Thompson put it in more coherent terms: It appears quite likely that WIP and Picturehouse will merge together as a single company, with current WIP president Polly Cohen working alongside Berney. Whatever happens, let's just hope that the final result still leaves room for the sharp selection of independent and foreign titles that Picturehouse has handled since its birth three years ago. Defamer points out that Marion Cotillard's unexpected Oscar win for La Vie en Rose matters less than the flop of Run, Fatboy, Run, while the John Simpson-directed horror film Amusement might get dumped on DVD. It was just last year, however, that the company helped edgy fare like The Orphanage and Rocket Science get the sort of release most studios would never try. Let's hope that bravery lives on, somewhere.

Cinematical is absolutely stoked after receiving this exclusive one-sheet for Juan Antonio Bayona's The Orphanage (click on the image above for a larger version). Produced (in a very hands-on manner) by the excellent Guillermo del Toro, The Orphanage may, in fact, go down as the spookiest film of the year. Our own resident horror guru Scott Weinberg survived a screening in Toronto earlier this year, and had this to say: "The Orphanage is entirely captivating from start to finish. And if those Spanish movie-makers have a few more 'creepy orphanage' stories to tell, well, I'm definitely not sick of the sub-genre just yet. And whatever Mr. Bayona offers up next, you can bet I'll be first in line to check it out." But he's not the only one; just this week alone, I've had a good five people tell me this film is a gem -- the kind that will have you leaping out of your seat more than once ... if you know what I mean.

The film revolves around a charming married couple, Laura and Carlos, who along with their adopted son Simon decide to purchase and renovate the old orphanage where Laura was raised. Problems arise when Simon makes a few new friends who, well, aren't real. The poster itself is real cool; it's hard to tell from the online version, but the in-theater posters are lenticular, which means those ghoulish-looking kids will disappear and re-appear based on the way you look at the image. Folks, very rarely do we bring out the big guns, but let it be known that The Orphanage is getting the official Cinematical Stamp of Approval. And for those who do not know what that means, it's just another way of saying you're guaranteed to love being spooked-out by this film. Look for The Orphanage to arrive in theaters this December 28.

Although it sounds like the name of a middle-America carnival show, held twice a day (three times on Saturday!) over at your most favorite dude ranch, there's actually a movie called Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show. Back when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (to lukewarm reviews), The Weinstein Co. claimed to have picked up the world rights to the pic (for roughly $3 million), but then remained tight-lipped on any further progress. Now, months later, Variety reports that Picturehouse and New Line have acquired the world rights (with no explanation as to why or how it's no longer with the Weinsteins), and are prepared to release the film in theaters early next year.

I know, by this point you're just dying for more information on Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show (ugh, I feel dirty just writing that). Well, I can tell you this much: Vaughn rounded up four up-and-coming comics, took them on a 30-city, 30-day, 30-show tour ... and filmed the entire thing. No, I don't believe Vaughn was ever a stand-up comic. Thus, I have no idea what inspired him to make this film. For those who regularly watch HBO, you'll remember that comedian Dane Cook did something similar recently, creating the show (and tour) Tourgasm, in which he toured the country with up-and-coming comics. Parts of it were cute, but whenever you get a group of stand-up comedians together on a tour bus (and they're all being filmed), you can't help but cringe as they speak to one another with this shtick-like dialogue -- as if every other sentence is a punch line to a joke you never asked for in the first place. Oh well, I guess Vince Vaughn in a cowboy hat will bring in at least $8 million; what do you think?

My interest in indie filmmaking tends to gravitate to filmmakers themselves, and although I'm often interested in how they find distribution for their films, and alternative methods of distribution, I don't always pay attention to the big companies involved in the indie distribution scene. For example, I knew only a little about Picturehouse, the distribution company for indies that was founded in 2005 as a partnership between HBO and New Line, because I've seen several of the films they've released: A Prairie Home Companion, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, and most recently Pan's Labyrinth. I didn't know that one of the top female execs in Hollywood was at Picturehouse: Marian Koltai-Levine, the company's executive vice-president of marketing.

My interest was captured when Joanna Langfield interviewed Koltai-Levine for the Alliance of Women Film Journalists website. It's a fascinating discussion about a range of topics: advantages versus potential perils of women-only lists and groups; the challenges of marketing the types of films favored by Picturehouse, including the disappointing returns on Fur; and when awards such as Oscars truly make a difference in a film's financial success. Koltai-Levine also provides us with a peek at Picturehouse's 2007 slate, like El Cantante (shown above). The interview's style is informal and easy to read, and provides insight into the world of film distribution and marketing, as well as working as a female executive in Hollywood. It's a pleasant reminder that filmmakers aren't the only ones to watch closely on the indie scene.

Half Nelson came and went through theatres quietly. If it weren't for living three blocks away from an independent movie house I would have never noticed it myself. Ryan Fleck's independent was filmmaking gold -- truly great filmmaking. The story is about a schoolteacher, young and inspiring who lives a double life as a crack addict once he leaves campus at night. Why did more than half the world not see, let alone not hear, about this film? Independent budgets simply do not have the kind of funding necessary to publicize their films.

It's sad but true. Most incredible independent features are never heard of before they hit DVD; where many have the chance at a more uplifting financial turn around. So, if the production doesn't have the money to publicize, if there aren't big names that will naturally draw people to the film (i.e. Babel, Notes on a Scandal or Venus) what do they do to get people to see their films? Miraculously a huge part of drawing an audience to Indies is word of mouth. I'm a firm believer that if the work is good that it will be seen. The work will be recognized, sooner or later, all based onon interested parties viewing the film.

IndieWire interviewed president of Picturehouse Bob Berney about generating success on independent projects. In his interview, Berney said something worth quoting again and again. "If films are good, audiences can expand almost without a ceiling." He's absolutely right and what a great picture to create, a film rising against absolutely no barriers. That film can and will trump any blockbuster film if it is -- good. Berney stated to IndieWire that good reviews also contribute to the success of indie films. Word of mouth, to me, is far more powerful. It's reviews that I often times let go in one ear and out the other -- I don't like people making decisions for me.

Independent films have generally had a good run in 2006. With awards season and a little patience, the Indies of 2006 may do even better ... we just have to keep talking about them.

When Robert Altman died Monday night he left behind a good deal of pre-production work on what was to be his next film, a fictionalized remake of the 1997 documentary Hands on a Hard Body. Scheduled to begin shooting next year, the new film has a screenplay, co-written by Stephen Harrigan, and a distributor, Picturehouse, but now is without a director.

Those familiar with the story presented in Hands on a Hard Body -- twenty-four contestants try to win a new truck in a contest that has each attempting to be the last to remain holding onto said vehicle -- should be in agreement that it would have been perfectly dramatized by Altman. And possibly by nobody else. Picturehouse head Bob Berney is now debating whether to go ahead with the production with a new director at the helm or to let the project die with the late, great filmmaker, knowing that it just won't be as good without him.

The first idea that comes to mind for the substitution option is to have Paul Thomas Anderson take over. He is nearing completion on his latest, the oil-tycoon-family drama, There Will Be Blood, so he may be able to fit this into his schedule, and also he recently worked alongside Altman on A Prairie Home Companion, so he is likely the most qualified to continue the project relatively close to Altman's vision. A second choice, and less appealing one, would be to have Richard Linklater have a shot, since he seems to have no new film in the works, he has done a fair job of handling the multiple-character, multiple-storyline style, he just adapted a non-fiction book as a fictional narrative, and he should feel at home working with the Texas-set film. A final idea would be to have S.R. Bindler, who directed the original doc and has since moved into shooting fiction films, redo his own film.

As much as you ladies out there would love this post to talk about how Robert Altman has one helluva sexy body for a man in his 80s, I simply cannot and will not go there. (Seriously, even I have limits.) However, I will talk about a new film in which he plans to direct. Yes, even though Paul Thomas Anderson reportedly sat alongside Altman on the set of A Prairie Home Companion just in case the old man were to, um, die -- the dude is still eager to continue working. How's that for dedication!

Altman is close to signing another deal with Picturehouse (the distributor behind Companion) for a film inspired by S.R. Bindler's 1997 documentary Hands on a Hard Body. The doc revolved around an endurance test in Texas where a group of people competed for a brand new Nissan Hardbody truck. Apparently, the last person left with their hand on the truck got to drive home in the bad boy. (It's okay, you're not the only one who thinks this is an odd project for Altman to take on.) The legendary director has already started talking to folks like Billy Bob Thornton and Hilary Swank with hopes they'll star in the pic, which Altman compares to the 1969 Sydney Pollack flick They Shoot Horses, Don't They. Altman is partnering with writer Stephen Harrigan on the script and hopes to begin production as early as January.

Calling it the "most sought-after film of the Toronto International Film Festival," the Hollywood Reporter tells us Picturehouse has snatched up all North American rights to El Cantante (aka that JLo-Marc Anthony flick). Completing the deal at 5:30am this morning (which means everyone was either drunk or just woke up way too early) and paying just under $6 million, Picturehouse beat out a slew of other distributors including Miramax, Focus Features and The Weinstein Co.

Pic, which stars the real-life husband and wife duo (who also play husband and wife in the film), tells the true story of Hector Lovoe, a man who began the salsa movement back in 1975 and subsequently brought the sexy dance to the United States. Currently, Picturehouse plans to release the film next summer on roughly 500-700 screens, before going wide with it. Word on the street says Lopez is outstanding in the pic and may even deserve an Oscar or a Golden Globe for her performance. I'm not sure I would go that far, but it does up my interest in the film.