ron mann Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Indie Marketing Move of the Day: Movies on USB
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », DIY/Filmmaking », Movie Marketing »
Remember the Flaming Lips-soundtracked documentary that Peter shared the trailer for back in February? About the mushroom hunters Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans? Well, the Canadian doc is about to get some unique love.To promote his new documentary Know Your Mushrooms, the CBC reports that Ron Mann is releasing the film on a customized USB stick -- one shaped like a cute, tooth-filled shroom (seen to the right). I'd love to see DVD storage folks come up with a shelving unit for this.
Following a British company that released Ghostbusters on a 2GB flash drive with digital rights management, the Toronto-based filmmaker is taking a more share-friendly approach. Basically, people buy these USB keys for $59.99 -- which, I might add, are said to be almost sold out -- and are then encouraged to upload and share the film. Mann says: "We did this as a fun project. It wasn't a commercial venture." Nevertheless, it's a smart idea -- warm people to the film, and then how can they resist the charm of shroomy movie keys?
But best of all, he doesn't plan to stop there. Remember the 1999 cult film Grass? He's gearing up to re-distribute that flick on a USB key shaped like a joint. The possibilities are endless!
Scenes We Love: Poetry in Motion
Filed under: Documentary », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
I know, I know. I've written about documentaries a lot lately. But I promise -- this is the last one, at least for a little while. There's a film I watched during Hot Docs that I never mentioned, mainly because it was part of a retrospective and is a good twenty-seven years old -- Ron Mann's Poetry in Motion.
The film follows a large collection of North American poets performing their work in the early '80s, including: Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Amiri Baraka, John Cage, Michael Ondaatje, Anne Waldman, Jim Carroll, The Four Horsemen, and Tom Waits. The performances range from poetry set to music and given a rhythm, to sound poetry, to classic recitation. On their own, the pieces are an intensely interesting look at how performance can change poetry, as well as what the creative world was like almost 30 years ago. But they're also brought together by a collection of clips where a slightly drunk Charles Bukowski discusses poetry and creativity.
And thanks to the wonderful power of YouTube, I can share two of my favorite moments in the film. First is Bukowski at his blunt best, ravaging the idea of poetry. Second (after the jump), through the perfect light of the setting sun, Tom Waits performs "Smuggler's Waltz/Bronx Lullaby." But many of the performances are great, so if you love a little performed poetry, check it out.
Warning: This first clip is Charles Bukowski, so of course, that means NSFW.
SXSW Preview: 'Mushrooms,' 'Goodbye Solo,' 'Died Young'
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », SXSW », Cinematical Indie », Trailers and Clips », Posters »
We have new trailers for your viewing pleasure, all for films set to play at SXSW next month in Austin, Texas.
Know Your Mushrooms. Documentarian Ron Mann previously made Go Further, Grass, and Comic Book Confidential; now he turns his probing gaze to "a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi." Featuring a "neo-psychedelic soundtrack" by the Flaming Lips, animation, and archival footage, the doc promises a "longer, stronger trip," but don't worry: its running time is only 73 minutes. In that spirit, the teaser trailer, embedded above, is only 45 seconds long.
Goodbye Solo. 'A cab driver picks up a routine fare, only to find his life turned upside down when the man he picks up asks him to take him to a remote mountaintop location, where he plans to jump to his death.' When it played at Toronto, Kim Voynar described it as "a thoughtful, compelling film," which sounds like what we've come to expect from director Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, Chop Shop). Goodbye Solo has been playing the festival circuit since last fall; the trailer and four clips are available at the official site. [Via /Film]
Died Young, Stayed Pretty. Offering "a candid look at the underground poster culture in North America," Died Young, Stayed Pretty asks searching questions: How does an octopus get 'played out'? Are rock posters really the 'purest form of art that our culture has'? Eileen Yaghoobian spent four years making her first feature-length doc, which will have its US Premiere at the fest. You can buy all six of the film's posters at the official site.
I've posted one of them after the jump, where you'll also find the NSFW trailer.
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