A Steady Diet of Film

2006-10-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

We've moved!

Edward Norton, you were supposed to bring sexy back!

2006-09-10T01:28:00.000-07:00

Speaking of new releases, The Illusionist is not worth seeing even for masturbation fodder.

The story is pointless, the characters are silly and if we're somehow supposed to believe that Edward Norton (37) and Jessica Biel (24) are childhood sweethearts than the post-production team really should have abra-cadabra'd the lines off his face.

Also and WOW, is that ending even supposed to be a twist? The "discovery" scene is lifted straight from The Usual Suspects except it feels like it's a half hour long and puts Paul Giamatti's police inspector in the uncomfortable position of being functionally retarded.

New releases by lady-filmmakers

2006-09-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some new release blurbs occasional contributor Cathy DLC recently wrote:

FRIENDS WITH MONEY is another interesting film by Nicole Holofcener. Holofcener's films often get disregarded as "chick flicks" because of their mostly all-women casts and storylines centered around women's lives; this is unfair because Holofcener's films are for everyone. Rarely do I see cinematic portraits of people done in a way that is both unflatteringly realistic and yet completely respectful to the complexities of people's lifestyles and emotions. FRIENDS WITH MONEY is a film I regret not seeing on the big screen when it first came out as I would have liked to have told my friends to go out and see it so we could discuss it afterwards. (Now on DVD.)

The first time I tried to see LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, it was sold out. Luckily, I arrived early during my second attempt to see the heartwarming and surprisingly superb film. I expected the film was just going to be another quirky buzzworthy-but-forgetful indie film, but fortunately I was very wrong. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE was a million times better than I expected. I actually laughed and cried repeatedly. It is rare that I see a new film in the theater that warrants such emotions from people, but the friend who I saw the film with was crying too and the amazing thing is they were tears of joy. I can't think of many films that get that kind of reaction these days. Definitely the surprise feel good film of the summer.

THE QUIET by Jamie Babbit might have started a new genre, the Riot Grrrl Film Noir. I expected the film to be an exploitational B-movie-esque romp through its very serious themes of incest, drug abuse, and physical disability with no odes to its predecessor, Babbit's wonderful BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER, but the movie was surprisingly adept at playing out its own schemes. Babbit did excellent casting with the Hal Hartley team of Martin Donovan and Edie Falco as the misguided parents to their daughters played by Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle who's characters change their on-screen personalities at the drop of a hat, as if Babbit's directing is so effortless she is just flipping a switch. I would lump this film with cult classics TIMES SQUARE and DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN since both those films are about girls who normally wouldn't find refuge in one another but due to circumstances beyond their control, find escape through one another. Be forewarned, THE QUIET is a lot darker than the films I have just named, but maybe that is just a sign of the times.

And on that note: Heidi Ewing's and Rachel Grady's film The Boys of Baraka will be airing this Tuesday as part of the PBS series POV. The film-makers are interviewed here.

Aisha Tyler fangirl love

2006-09-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

While Roger Ebert recovers from emergency surgery (hella love, Ebert!) Richard Roeper has been joined by a range of guest reviewers including Jay Leno, Kevin Smith (who without a hint of humor plugged An Evening With Kevin Smith for the DVD Picks segment), John Ridley and Toni Senecal.

This week's guest is the luminous Aisha Tyler known best for her role on Friends and Ghost Whisperer but earned a cement block in my heart back when she was hosting the dating reality game show the 5th Wheel. It was announced at the top of the show that she's prepping for her directorial debut (no listing yet on imdb). And why all this love for this random B-Lister? Because on this week's ep she calls the CMT movie stupid, plugs Sunday Bloody Sunday, Old Boy and Chunking Express as her DVD picks and compels Roeper to admit that Neil LaBute's new film Wicker Man "re-draws the lines of misogyny".

Ebert & Roeper is podcasted here.

From the Adventures of Peter and Peter

2006-08-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

While Peter Guber and Peter Bart go on summer vacation AMC is airing greatest moments of Sunday Morning Shootout. This morning's "Icons" episode included interviews with Peter Jackson, Peter Bogdanovich, Sydney Pollack and Francis Ford Coppola.

We here at SDoF are ever so grateful that even after FFC spent a good 20 minutes berating the Hollywood system for everything that is wrong with American film-making and called the studio set "a bunch of accountants" the editors still included Guber's effusive "You're my HERO!" send off as they closed down the segment. To which FFC demurely responded: "thanks."

See also: Sofia mini ad.

there are no Snakes on a Plane puns left to make

2006-08-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, like many of you (or least, everyone in SF) I went to a late night screening of Snakes on a Plane this week (in case you've been wondering "why does anyone care about these damn snakes or how they got on that plane?!" Neva Chonin is here to help).

In the ensuing coverage I was a little surprised no one addressed a very gross scene towards the end when a black passenger is called upon to fly the plane after both pilots have been killed or incapacitated. He radios down to the flight control tower for landing instructions interjected with a lot "we's about to fly this plane, dawg" jargon that seems to be assigned to any black character who's suddenly had some monumental responsibility thrust upon them. Which was pretty jarring since all the absurdity of the story and its characters are otherwise played straight. I was reminded of the, uhm, awful Soul Plane.

The NY Observer's Choire Sicha has a much more positive view of the racial make up of SoaP's body count (she also perfectly sums up the joy many of us share about critics being forced to watch movies with the hoi polloi when studios abstain from industry screenings).

I enjoyed Snakes on a Plane a lot, it was a ton of fun and it would probably hold up seeing it again without a crowd of drunk people. But it's obvious that when Ronny Yu (Bride with White Hair) left due to "creative differences" with Samuel L. Jackson attached that new director David Ellis (Final Destination 2) ceded a lot of creative control to his bona fide movie star. If only because the director's imdb profile lists professional surfing as one of his past professions and the surfer character in SoaP is one of the least convincing aspects of the story (yes, moreso than the underlying concept of the film).

Snakes on a Plane is already tired, time for some teensploitation

2006-08-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Having recently revisited the wonderful suburban expose Fear (starring Oscar winning Reese Witherspoon) I'm fairly certain The Quiet the story of a deaf orphan overhearing her newly adopted sister's plans to murder her molesting father (starring Elisha Cuthbert of 24 and Camilla Belle of the Ballad of Jack and Rose) will be my new summer favorite.

See also: FFC's review, Greencine's interview with director Jamie Babbitt.

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 7

2006-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 6

2006-08-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Lindsay, let's get loaded!

2006-07-30T01:02:00.000-07:00

Lohan gets publicly called out by an especially catty producer from her new film Georgia Rule. We here at SDoF tend to think, "don't you people read tabloids before you ask tweeked out starlets to be in your films?" Lohan acqueisces but her mom, Dina Lohan, continues her own shame spiral.

On that note, check out this awesome stop-motion animated baking demonstration (55mb, Quicktime)

The end is nye

2006-07-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

SDoF has been getting an inappropriate giggle from the new advertising campaign for Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Of course, we can laugh because it's never hotter than 75 degrees in San Francisco, they must be thinking of San Jose.

Film Critic decides the 50 Greatest Endings of All Time. #47 is a SDoF favorite All That Jazz, watch the final scene here.

Slate launches new Spoiler Specials podcast where their movie reviewer Dana Stevens discusses films -- specifically the endings. We're holding off on listening to the Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest podcast, we would hate to ruin anything!

Son of a Nazi and all-around douchebag, Mel Gibson is arrested for DUI, spews anti-semitic epithets at arresting officers and apologizes the next day. Meanwhile Danny Glover continues his zen.

Iconic black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's is being auctioned off for charity. Proceeds will go to a group that provides aid to impoverished children in India.

Scarlett Johansson will also be helping India's children (well, the ones that can sew anyway). She will be designing a collection of apparel and footwear for Reebook called "Scarlett ‘Hearts’ Rbk" for their Spring 2007 line. This year Johansson stars in Woody Allen's Scoop, Brian De Palma's Black Dahlia, Christopher Nolan's The Prestige and the movie adapatation of the chick-lit mega hit the Nanny Diaries.

Comic Con and other fan delights

2006-07-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

At least Hollywood's source material for remakes it getting slightly less treaded. Sequel to Danny Boyle's zombie thriller (hee) 28 Days Later announced at San Diego Comic Con, working title: 28 Weeks Later. Slay me!

Other ComicCon dish: Angelina Jolie may appear in Sin City 2. Fourth installments of both the Mission Impossible and Spiderman franchises are more or less confirmed. And actor turned director David Arquette let's his freak flag fly.

But we're most excited for the epic-in-the-making ping pong saga Balls of Fury (starring Christopher Walken, duh). Poster revealed:

Elisha "complicated and elusive?" Cuthbert signed to American re-make of Korean rom-com My Sassy Girl with original screenwriter Jae-young Kwak at the helm.

Beyonce fans petition for a re-shoot of her video Deja Vu. We here at Steady Diet don't blame them! See the making-of featurette of Beyonce's forthcoming Dream Girls.

Beverly Hills 90210 S1 to be released Nov. 7th.

2006-07-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

I actually salivated a little when I read this:

Although the pilot episodes came to DVD two years ago, fans have been clamoring for season sets of this landmark primetime soap opera! Shannen Doherty (Charmed), Jason Priestley (Tru Calling), Luke Perry (Windfall), Gabrielle Carteris (Palmetto Pointe), Tori Spelling (So NoTORIous), Ian Ziering (upcoming Biker Mice From Mars), Brian Austin Green (Freddie), Jennie Garth (What I Like About You), James Eckhouse (upcoming 2006 film Half-Life), Carol Potter, Douglas Emerson and Joe E. Tata star in the initial season of the series, where the action mainly takes place at West Beverly Hills High School with new kids Brandon and Brenda Walsh moving into the upscale neighborhood, and making lots of new friends.

You would think with that zip code, there would be a ton of guest stars in the first season of this show. But really there weren't. But you will be able to spot upcoming Friends star Matthew Perry, singer Debbie Gibson, and even '80s Playboy playmate Julie McCullough among these 22 episodes.

Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete 1st Season will be a 6-DVD set that runs 17 hours and 48 minutes. Please stand by for extras (if any) and box art! Melrose Place - The Complete 1st Season has been announced for the same release date of November 7th, and we've heard that the long-awaited Twin Peaks - Season 2 will hit US shores a couple of weeks after that. Stay tuned!

Source: TVShowsonDVD.com

I like how they couldn't be bothered to reach into the vaults to list what the parent figure-actors have been up to since 90210 (meanwhile digging up Palmetto Pointe and Biker Mice from Mars for Carteris and Zeiring respectively).

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 5

2006-07-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 4

2006-07-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 3

2006-07-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

Valley of the Dolls world class dvd treatment

2006-06-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

My sources tell me that someone very pretty wrote this:

Just in time for Pride Week comes the cure for heterosexuality! The camp classic Valley of the Dolls is ostensibly the story of three young women who leave their small town lives to come to New York City in the late 60s, seeking fame and fortune (and hair). Dolls breezes through topics like abortion, mental illness, drug addiction, the cruelty of fame, and pornography while bathing in every intoxicating moment of Travilla gowns, garish wigs, 60s modernist set pieces and the kind of acting that can only be expected when you combine an abusive director, supreme egos and dialogue like "They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope. Now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me."
The bonus disc of this fun new edition contains extensive footage of the premiere at the Venice Film Festival (aboard a 60 foot yacht) that ended with author Jackie Susann leaping off the boat, screaming "they've ruined my book!" One woman's trash is another generation's treasure. The extensive featurettes, trivia games, karaoke videos, and commentaries illustrate the film's truly lasting cultural impact.
One particular gem is the commentary track wherein lead actress Barbara Parkins repeatedly asserts how much better the film would have been had Martin Scorsese directed (there's one for the fanfic writers) and gossip columnist Ted Casablanca shares observations like "you do 'WASP suffering in mink' better than Bette Davis, Barbara". Oh and, did I mention it's a musical?

Oh to the lost possibilities...

Check it: Amazon

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 2

2006-06-05T01:15:00.000-07:00

My low-rent excitement for Marie Antoinette, installment 1

2006-06-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about Sofia Coppola and Marie Antoinette, and you're probably not wrong, but any film that can be described as "a costume drama set in the OC" has already got me giddy. And so I invite you to join SDoF to our new on-going exhibit entitled: My Low-Rent Excitement for Marie Antoinette. Concept completely lifted from Trent at Pink is the New Blog (thanks, girl).

From an overlooked Mike Nichols masterpiece

2006-05-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

"What I used to be able to pass off as just another bad summer could now potentially turn into a bad life"

2006-03-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

A passing comment that barely caught SDoF's attention has set various message boards all a'twitter. Rumor has it the Noah Baumbach insta-classic Kicking and Screaming (starring Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Olivia d'Abo and our personal favorite: Chris Eigeman) will be getting the Criterion treatment later this year!

See also: Will Ferrel's Kicking and Screaming fanpage.

Stains, Clooney, poetry

2006-02-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains will be showing as part of the Punk GrrrL (sic) Triple Feature at the Castro Theatre next month.

This is the last print in existence from Paramount of this subversive and utterly devastating look at personal revolutions and selling-out to the mainstream and may be the final theatrical screening. Miss this… and cry.

Go here to see a documentary (co-directed by Sarah Jacobson and Sam Green, no less) about the long and storied history of this forgotten gem.

Trudell the film about Native American poet John Trudell showed at Sundance last year is starting its theater exhibition run this month in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. The documentary, directed by Heather Rae (an Evergreen State College alum!) traces the activist/poet's life (including the occupation of Alcatraz Island in the late 60's) set to his own spoken word performances. Trudell was reportedly courted by Ted Turner and D.A. Pennebaker for the rights to his life story but chose Rae because her 'youth' would enable her to make a more relevant film.

Yet another reason why I love George Clooney (aka professional dreamboat): he won't cross picketlines.

Workers went on strike when the hotel's management refused to recognize an August 2004 vote to join the union. When Lowdown sought comment from the hotel, an executive demanded: "Why do you care? Who told you this? Yes it's true, they're not filming here. They changed their schedule, so what? I don't want to talk to you," and then hung up.

WWAGD? (What Would Alan Greenspan Do?)

2006-02-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of film press quick to declare the Clooney/Cuban/Soderbergh new model of distribution a failure based on the first week of Bubble's performance. But these writers are just too accepting of the doomsday scenarios being perpetuated by the studio system.

$70,644 on 32 screens (and those are Landmark screens, which are only present in niche markets as it is) is actually a pretty good opening week for a film with no A-list actors (considered the driving force in indie film financing these days) and a marketing campaign that consisted of a trailer being shown in some theaters and Soderbergh making an appearance in Ohio. It's no Ocean's 12 but if Bubble only cost $1.2M to make it's not hard to see that films made and distributed in this model are way less of a risk investment than the indies getting made for upwards of $10M that have to play the festival crapshoot game and more often than not wind up sitting on shelves for years (or ever).

The film industry, even moreso than the music industry (and isn't that a wading pool that is getting smaller by the day), has been too defensive and afraid to embrace new techologies and even when they have (with AMC's deal to do a digital wide release of indie film Evergreen) they tend to half-ass it (in Evergreen's case, completely flake out). It's an understandable fear because to these old guys the mediums and formats probably seem super-alien (uhh, Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD, anyone? Anyone at all?) or fly by night (see: Disney's DivX disaster) but the current system hemmorages money, produces almost nothing but crap and is rapidly losing the interest of American film-goers. As the saying goes, innovate or die.

Moira Shearer, 1926 - 2006

2006-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Famous British ballerina and actress Moira Shearer passed away Monday at age 80. From the Bloomberg obituary:

Choreographers from Frederick Ashton to Robert Helpmann clamored to make ballets for her. Shearer originated the principal roles in Ashton's ``Symphonic Variations'' and his full-length, evening-long 1948 ``Cinderella,'' revived last season on both sides of the Atlantic, for his centennial.

``The Red Shoes'' was seen by Shearer as a complication in her life as it coincided with an injury to Fonteyn and a consequently heavier work schedule for the company's other lead dancers. She always said she was ``pestered'' into the production by the filmmakers and was worried that it would adversely affect her Sadler's Wells career.

Shearer's coloring alone made her stand out; her dancing was more modern and less lyrical than the other principal dancers of the time, and she was criticized for ``flashiness.'' She was better suited to the new ballets, which showed off her technique, her lightness and her intelligence.

See also: Ballerina Gallery and Wikipedia

a kind of gay Crash moment

2006-02-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

The LA Times report that when Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Ladder 49, your mom) flipped his SUV on a windy road last week he was rescued by none other than German film-maker Werner Herzog.

According to police, the accident occurred about 3 p.m. when Phoenix's brakes gave out. The actor said he was forced to swerve into the mountainside to avoid hitting another car, and the driver's side air bag deployed.

Phoenix said he was thrown into the passenger seat when his vehicle rolled onto its roof. In the aftermath, the actor said he felt "a bit confused."

"I remember this knocking on the passenger window," said Phoenix. "There was this German voice saying, 'Just relax.' There's the air bag, I can't see and I'm saying, 'I'm fine. I am relaxed.'

"Finally, I rolled down the window and this head pops inside. And he said, 'No, you're not.' And suddenly I said to myself, 'That's Werner Herzog!' There's something so calming and beautiful about Werner Herzog's voice. I felt completely fine and safe. I climbed out."

Herzog, 63, the temperamental auteur responsible for such strange but fascinating films as Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre, the Wrath of God — who won best documentary for 2005's Grizzly Man at the Directors Guild Awards on Jan. 28 — has a home near the accident scene.

Oscar anger begins

2006-02-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

John Anderson at the New York Times is quite unhappy with the Oscar nominations for Best Documentary. He tries to shed some light on the nomination process and how it tends to conflict with how documentaries (domestic and foreign) are financed and seen.

We here at Steady Diet are pleased as punch to see that two first-timers are nominated for Best Director. And that Sophie Scholl: Final Days was recognized in the Foreign Film category.

The inventor of video art died.

2006-01-31T21:12:00.000-08:00

Nam June Paik, 73, Dies; Pioneer of Video Art Whose Work Broke Cultural Barriers

By ROBERTA SMITH
Published: January 31, 2006

Nam June Paik, an avant-garde composer, performer and artist widely considered the inventor of video art, died Sunday at his winter home in Miami Beach. He was 73 and also lived in Manhattan.

Mr. Paik suffered a stroke in 1996 and had been in declining health for some time, said his nephew, Ken Paik Hakuta, who manages his uncle's studio in New York.

Mr. Paik's career spanned half a century, three continents and several art mediums, ranging through music, theater and found-object art. He once built his own robot. But his chief means of expression was television, which he approached with a winning combination of visionary wildness, technological savvy and high entertainment values. His work could be kitschy, visually dazzling and profound, sometimes all at once, and was often irresistibly funny and high-spirited.

At his best, Mr. Paik exaggerated and subverted accepted notions about both the culture and the technology of television while immersing viewers in its visual beauty and exposing something deeply irrational at its center. He presciently coined the term "electronic superhighway" in 1974, grasping the essence of global communications and seeing the possibilities of technologies that were barely born. He usually did this while managing to be both palatable and subversive. In recent years, Mr. Paik's enormous American flags, made from dozens of sleek monitors whose synchronized patterns mixed everything from pinups to apple pie at high, almost subliminal velocity, could be found in museums and corporate lobbies.

Mr. Paik was affiliated in the 1960's with the anti-art movement Fluxus, and also deserves to be seen as an aesthetic innovator on a par with the choreographer Merce Cunningham and the composer John Cage. Yet in many ways he was simply the most Pop of the Pop artists. His work borrowed directly from the culture at large, reworked its most pervasive medium and gave back something that was both familiar and otherworldly.

He was a shy yet fearless man who combined manic productivity and incessant tinkering with Zen-like equanimity. A lifelong Buddhist, Mr. Paik never smoked or drank and also never drove a car. He always seemed amused by himself and his surroundings, which could be overwhelming: a writer once compared his New York studio to a television repair shop three months behind schedule.

Mr. Paik is survived by his wife, the video artist Shigeko Kubota.

Mr. Paik got to television by way of avant-garde music. He was born in 1932 in Seoul, Korea, into a wealthy manufacturing family. Growing up, he studied classical piano and musical composition and was drawn to 20th-century music; he once said it took him three years to find an Arnold Schoenberg record in Korea. In 1949, with the Korean War threatening, the family fled to Hong Kong, and then settled in Tokyo. Mr. Paik attended the University of Tokyo, earning a degree in aesthetics and the history of music in 1956 with a thesis on Schoenberg's work.

He then studied music at the University of Munich and the Academy of Music in Freiburg and threw himself into the avant-garde music scene swirling around Cologne. He also met John Cage, whose emphasis on chance and randomness dovetailed with Mr. Paik's sensibility.

Over the next few years, Mr. Paik arrived at an early version of performance art, combining cryptic musical elements — usually spliced audiotapes of music, screams, radio news and sound effects — with startling events. In an unusually Oedipal act during a 1960 performance in Cologne, Mr. Paik jumped from the stage and cut off Cage's necktie, an event that prompted George Maciunas, a founder of Fluxus, to invite Mr. Paik to join the movement. At the 1962 Fluxus International Festival for Very New Music in Wiesbaden, Germany, Mr. Paik performed "Zen for Head," which involved dipping his head, hair and hands in a mixture of ink and tomato juice and dragging them over a scroll-like sheet of paper to create a dark, jagged streak.

In 1963, seeking a visual equivalent for electronic music and inspired by Cage's performances on prepared pianos, Mr. Paik bought 13 used television sets in Cologne and reworked them until their screens jumped with strong optical patterns. In 1963, he exhibited the first art known to involve television sets at the Galerie Parnass in Wuppertal, Germany.

In 1965 he made his New York debut at the New School for Social Research: Charlotte Moorman, a cellist who became his longtime collaborator, played his "Cello Sonata No. 1 for Adults Only," performing bared to the waist. A similar work performed in 1967 at the Filmmakers Cinematheque in Manhattan resulted in the brief arrest of Ms. Moorman and Mr. Paik. Mr. Paik retaliated with his iconic "TV Bra for Living Sculpture," two tiny television screens that covered Ms. Moorman's breasts.

Mr. Paik bought one of the first portable video cameras on the market, in 1965, and the same year he exhibited the first installation involving a video recorder, at the Galeria Bonino in New York. Although he continued to perform, his interests shifted increasingly to the sculptural, technological and environmental possibilities of video.

In 1969, Mr. Paik started showing pieces using multiple monitors. He created bulky wood robotlike figures using old monitors and retrofitted consoles, and constructed archways, spirals and towers, including one 60-feet tall that used 1,003 monitors. By the 1980's he was working with lasers, mixing colors and forms in space, without the silvery cathode-ray screen.

For his 2000 retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, Mr. Paik arranged monitors faceup on the rotunda's floor, creating a pondlike effect of light and images. Overhead, one of the artist's most opulent laser pieces cascaded from the dome in lightninglike zigzags — an apt metaphor for a career that never stopped surging forward.

2006 Sundance winners announced!

2006-01-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

Sundance 2006 has wrapped and here are a few delicious bits: For the first time in the Festival’s history, both the Grand Jury Prizes and Audience Awards for Documentary and Dramatic Competitions were presented to the same two films (meh) and our the very dear to SDoF's heart, Iraq in Fragments won an unprecedented three awards. Congratulations, James Longley!

Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award: Documentary: GOD GREW TIRED OF US directed by Christopher Quinn.
Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award: Dramatic: QUINCEAÑERA, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer.

World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary: IN THE PIT (Mexico), written and directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo.
World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic: 13 TZAMETI (France), written and directed by Géla Babluani.
World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary: DE NADIE (Mexico)
World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic: NO. 2 (New Zealand), written and directed by Toa Fraser.

Documentary Directing Award: James Longley, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
Dramatic Directing Award: Dito Montiel, A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS

Excellence in Cinematography Award Documentary: James Longley for IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
Excellence in Cinematography Award Dramatic: Tom Richmond for RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR

New award this year:
Excellence in Editing Documentary: Billy McMillin, Fiona Otway and James Longley, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: Hilary Brougher STEPHANIE DALEY

Documentary Special Jury Prize: AMERICAN BLACKOUT, directed by Ian Inaba and TV JUNKIE, directed by Michael Cain and Matt Radecki.

Dramatic Special Jury Prizes for Best Ensemble Performance: A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, directed by Dito Montiel and starring Robert Downey, Jr., Shia La Boeuf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest and Channing Tatum.
The Independent Vision: IN BETWEEN DAYS directed by So Yong Kim and written by So Yong Kim and Bradley Rust Gray.

World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prizes: INTO GREAT SILENCE, written and directed by Philip Groening and DEAR PYONGYANG, written and directed by Yonghi Yan.
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize: EVE & THE FIRE HORSE, written and directed by Julia Kwan.

Shorts Jury presented the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking: BUGCRUSH, directed by
Carter Smith and to THE WRAITH OF COBBLE HILL, directed by Adam Parrish King.

Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking: THE NATURAL ROUTE (Spain), directed by Alex Pastor.

Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking: BEFORE DAWN (Hungary), directed by Bálint Kenyeres; PREACHER WITH AN UNKNOWN GOD, directed by Rob Van Alkemade; and UNDRESSING MY MOTHER (Ireland), directed by Ken Wardrop.

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award: Patrice Toy, THE SPRING RITUAL from
Europe; Fernando Eimbcke, LAKE TAHOE from Latin America; Cruz Angeles, DON’T LET ME DROWN from the United States; and Kanji Nakajima, THE CLONE RETURNS TO THE HOMELAND from Japan.

Alfred P. Sloan Prize: THE HOUSE OF SAND, directed by Andrucha Waddington and written by Elena Soarez.

The 2006 Documentary Competition Jurors: Joe Bini, Zana Briski, Andrew Jarecki, Alexander Payne and Heather Rae.
The 2006 Dramatic Competition Jurors: Miguel Arteta, Terrence Howard, Alan Rudolph, Nancy Schreiber, and Audrey Wells.
The 2006 Sundance/NHK Jurors: Wim Wenders, Hector Babenco, Anthony Drazan, Marcos Bernstein, Fiona Mitchell, Joan Tewksberry, Toshio Endo, Yoshio Kakeo, and Shunichi Nagasaki.
The 2006 World Cinema Documentary Competition Jurors: Kate Amend, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Rachel Perkins.
The 2006 World Cinema Dramatic Competition Jurors: Irene Bignardi, Lu Chuan and Thomas Vinterberg.
The 2006 Shorts Jurors: Georgia Lee, Sydney Neter and John Vanco.
The 2006 Alfred P. Sloan Selection Committee: John Underkoffler, Greg Harrison, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Dr. Martha Farah and Dr. Antonio Damasio.

See also: indiewire's A Look Back: Sundance Film Festival Jury and Audience Winners 1985 - present

Alyson Hannigan in fat suit

2006-01-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

Alyson "I'll shake those Buffy nerds yet" Hannigan dons a fatsuit for the heinously unfunny-looking Date Movie. Let me to be the first to say, "fuck.you.bitch".

Related reading: Alex Jackson reports on Thin at Sundance. Guaranteed to be the angriest review of a documentary on anorexia you've ever read. Sounds like someone couldn't score Paris Hilton's phone number.

Documentary filmmakers who would rather be masturbating

2006-01-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

A roundup on some our favorite filmmakers who really, really, really love themselves.

Alan Berliner, who popularized the movie-about-people-with-the-same-name-as-me concept with The Sweetest Sound, now has a doc about his lifelong "battle" with insomnia called Wide Awake.

Wide Awake is not a treatise on the scientific underpinnings of insomnia, it is about one subject: Berliner. A neurotic, hyperactive New Yorker in his late 40s, Berliner admits that he worries about almost everything and is incapable of shutting his mind off to sleep. So he stays up until the wee hours clipping newspaper articles, editing his movies and meticulously organizing shelves of color-coded boxes full of things like found family albums and every photograph that has ever been taken of him.

Ross McElwee has a 5-disc dvd collection out and is currently a professor of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University.

Q: You refer to "the filmmaker." Do you separate yourself from the Ross persona in the film?
McElwee: It depends on who I'm talking to. I don't know, sometimes in interviews it's a little bit easier for me to do that because although that is Ross up there on the screen, it's not entirely me. And it's a little bit easier for me to talk about the filmmaker character protagonist as he exists in these autobiographical films that I make. But if you were talking to me as a filmmaker and about my career, for instance, or my family, it's a different... I don't talk about myself in the third person. [laughter] I'm not that deranged! When I go to pick up my dry cleaning I definitely talk in the first person singular.

Michael Moore is currently working on two films: Sicko an examination of America's healthcare system and a sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11 set to release in 2007. The Guardian reports on some of Public Relations precautions already being put into place.

At least six of America's largest pharmaceutical firms have issued internal notices to their workforces warning them to be on the lookout for "a scruffy guy in a baseball cap" who asks too many questions.
...
[PR Rep Rachel] Bloom said Moore had been spotted at all six of her business centres nationwide. "Michael Moore is becoming an urban legend."

Danny Schechter, director of Weapons of Mass Deception, is currently serving as the Executive Editor of Media Channel and spends a lot of time downloading music.

Morgan Spurlock is currently producing/directing his second feature-documentary The Republican War on Science. He's also working on a pilot for the Comedy Central network and the second season of 30 Days will contine on Bravo later this year. He also does a bit of blogging:

It's Sunday morning and I awoke this morning with my entire groin area black and blue and in massive pain.

Jesus Christ v. Beyone Knowles -- the Frisco showdown

2006-01-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

Reason #234873 why I love living in San Francisco, last night when I saw Matchpoint (tremendous, check out Walter Chaw's review) no one said a word when I hissed at the preview for Mel Gibson's astoundingly awful looking Apocalypto (in fact, a few people joined in) and half the theater broke into cheers for the Dream Girls teaser. My kind of town indeed.

"Imagine never seeing an Antonioni movie on the big screen"

2006-01-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

This Sunday the New York Times asks "Is Foreign Film the New Endangered Species?" examining the impact the explosion of "mini-major" productions, the boom in popularity for documentaries and the shorter theater to dvd window has on foreign films.

Increased selectivity has left dozens of smaller movies in the dust. For this year's Academy Awards, for example, a record 91 countries submitted entries to the foreign-language category; only seven have American distribution, the lowest number in years. By comparison, more than 20 entries for the 2003 awards were distributed here. ...
Foreign movies are generally regarded as more dependent on reviews and publicity than domestic ones, and Mark Urman, head of theatrical releasing for the art-house distributor ThinkFilm, blames the lack of media attention on dwindling audience interest. "Nobody's writing about them, because nobody cares, and nobody cares because they don't penetrate the culture," he said. "It's a vicious cycle."

Since Film Light is apparently part of the problem and not the solution, this week I saw the incredibly moving documentary (leaning more towards the 'advocacy film' genre) After Innocence. Directed by Jessica Sanders (and rumored to be on the short list for a Best Documentary Oscar nomination) the film follows a handful of men who have been exonerated with DNA evidence by the Innocence Project. In one of the most compelling moments we meet a woman who has befriended the man she identified as her rapist who was exonerated (her real rapist who bore a striking resemblance to the exoneree was caught and convicted).

After Innocence (winner of the Sundance 2005 Special Jury Prize) examines how fragile our justice system is and poses real challeges to the way Americans think of crime, convicts, and rehabilitation. I don't mean to be glib, but it's truly a changing-film.

This week I also attended the Media that Matters film festival which is a traveling (and online) collection of short films chosen by their jury from a submission pool of thousands. The films range in form, stock and content, but each piece has an incredibly incisive eye and distinct voice. We were on the tail-end of the tour but you can still watch all the films on their website. We recommend: Battleground Minnesota and the Luckiest Nut in the World.

Jake Gyllenhaal's new screensaver

2006-01-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

Marie Antoinette trailer (starring K. Dunst, directed by S. Coppola, you know this!) is up at imdb.com, and holy crap is it PUNK!

Release date is October 13th and the official site here.

And no one had to barf half their bodyweight away!

2006-01-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

The film adaptation of the Devil Wears Prada has certainly gained some traction since the last time Film Light googled it, and oh what delightful developments! Set to release June 30th Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Giselle Bundchen, and Stanley Tucci star. Photos can be found here, here, and here (and obviously I need to read Media Bistro more often, Radar folded? Tragic.)

the Golden Globes came and went, and boy did they smell

2006-01-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

so here's the wrap up from the Golden Globe awards (which have a track record 80% accuracy in predicting the Oscars). If you were anything like Film Light playing the "take a shot everytime the camera cuts to a celebrity looking bored" you were probably pretty hammered by the time they got through the Supporting Actor categories.

FILM

Drama: Brokeback Mountain

Musical or Comedy: Walk the Line

Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Actor, Drama: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Actress, Drama: Felicity Huffman, Transamerica

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Joaquin Phoenix, Walk The Line

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Reese Witherspoon, Walk The Line

Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener

Supporting Actor: George Clooney, Syriana

Screenplay: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana; Brokeback Mountain

Foreign Language: Paradise Now

Original Score: Memoirs of a Geisha, John Williams

Original Song: "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," Brokeback Mountain

TELEVISION

Series, Drama: Lost

Series, Musical or Comedy: Desperate Housewives

Miniseries or movie: Empire Falls, HBO

Actress, Drama: Geena Davis, Commander in Chief

Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, House

Actor, Series, Musical or Comedy: Steve Carell, The Office

Actress, Series, Musical or Comedy: Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Newman, Empire Falls

Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: S. Epatha Merkerson, Lackawanna Blues

Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Elvis

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Anthony Hopkins

Highlights included: Steve Carrell's wife, S Epatha's "I'm 50!!" acceptance speech, Steve Carrell's mom, Brokeback Mountain scribe Larry McMurtry thanking his typewriter for keeping him from "the cold embrace of the computer", George Clooney thanking Jack Abramhoff "for no reason really", Jack Abramoff's father responding that he wants to spank George Clooney (furthering Film Light's belief that conservative Republicans are just self-loathing homosexuals), Hugh Laurie thanking House's script supervisor, Mary Louise Parker winning a Golden Globe while somewhere faraway in a dank alley Billy Crudup nurses a meth addiction.

Poland says hi

2006-01-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

continuing the epic battle of Greencine vs. Netflix...

2006-01-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

James Rocchi resigns as Netflix's inhouse reviewer. Read him wax apologetic on the Sundance film festival which has apparently been 'kicking him in the spine'.

Rocchi seems like an okay enough reviewer, but he'll never be a match to Greencine's lethal reviewing/blogging duo David Hudson & Craig Phillips.

from Poland with love:

We never tire of those Jareckis.

2006-01-19T00:09:00.000-08:00

The Sundance Film Festival began today! You can follow the action here, here or even here. But not really so much here. I'm pulling for Chiwetel Ejiofor who stars in the much-buzzed about film Kinky Boots, because I like to believe Joss Whedon's is the touch of gold. All evidence to the contrary.

And did everyone see Eugene Jarecki on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart? His documentary Why We Fight won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2005 and is now available on dvd. He was interviewed recently at indiewire.

Whacky movie title of the day!

2006-01-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

"Gay romance is easier to sell to the academy than a complex study of an Israeli assassin."

2006-01-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

and the award for source least likely to be cited on Film Light goes to: Drudge Report!

"where's my gift basket, sucka!"

STUDIO EXECS PREFER 'BROKEBACK' OVER 'MUNICH'; SPIELBERG SAID DISPLEASED

As the first wave of Oscar voting closes, a sibling rivalry between films at UNIVERSAL has turned sour.

The enthusiastic backing of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN by UNIVERSAL chief Stacey Snider has come at the expense of MUNICH, a top source involved with the Steven Spielberg drama tells the DRUDGE REPORT.

"Stacey and her team believe BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is their winner this year," claims a well-placed insider. "The movie has been spoiled, spoiled and spoiled again, with endless promotion and support. MUNICH, on the other hand, has been horribly neglected. Steven has been thrown in the backseat. It has been painful."

Tensions flared further with news that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN passed MUNICH at the boxoffice in total receipts!

BROKEBACK has been far more profitable, costing only $14 million to make, while pulling in $34 million so far in domestic sales. While MUNICH cost $70 million, with a $33 million return.

Yeah well, Walter Chaw hated both your asses.

Film Light asks: What about Serenity's Oscar contention, UNIVERSAL??! Huh!

I leave you with this thought...

Shelly Winters, you shall be missed

2006-01-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Oscar winner Shelley Winters Dies at age 85.

Shelley Winters, who once described her life as a "rocky road out of the Brooklyn ghetto to one New York apartment, two Oscars, three California houses, four hit plays, five Impressionist paintings, six mink coats and 99 films," died yesterday. She was 83, although some sources say she was 85. ...

Tough-talking and oozing sex appeal, Ms. Winters was blowzy, vulgar and often pathetically vulnerable in her early films. In movie after movie, she played working-class women who were violently discarded by men who had used them.

When her gullible waitress couldn't lead the hymn-singing preacher to a cache of stolen money in The Night of the Hunter (1955), he slit her throat.

As a rich man's poor mistress in The Great Gatsby (1949), she was casually run over by her lover's wife.

In Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962), James Mason married her to get close to her young daughter; when she finds this out she blindly runs in front of a car and is killed.

Even when she became the dominating force in many of her later movies, Ms. Winters often played vulnerable monsters. As Ma Barker in the 1970 cult classic Bloody Mama - in which she is first seen giving her four grown sons their Saturday-night baths - she was murderously maternal while brandishing a tommy gun.

Shrieking, shrewish, slutty or silly, Ms. Winters always seemed larger than life on screen. The critic Pauline Kael called her lovelorn culture-vulture Charlotte Haze in Lolita a "triumphant caricature, so overdone it recalls Blake's 'You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough.' "

2006-01-13T00:20:00.000-08:00

FilmLight is almost one year old! If we were a real child we'd probably be slightly jaundiced though still deeply loved by our family & friends. We would promise to do better, but we also don't want to lie.

Tonight I attended the opening of the Berlin & Beyond film festival at the beautiful Castro Theatre (next week: the Roller Disco triple feature!) to see Sophie Scholl: Final Days.

Final Days is a beautifully wrought film closely following four days in 1945 when three memebers of the White Roses, an anti-Hitler student movement in Munich, were caught distributing leaflets criticizing the Nazi party's control of Germany as well as Hitler's military strategies. After a 5 minute trial they were promptly executed (by guillotine!) The story has been pieced together by newly released Nazi documentation and letters written by Sophie Scholl's cellmates and is Germany's official Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Film.

And Ingmar Bergman's Virgin Spring is at long last available on dvd (Criterion Collection no less, snap). Maybe those of you with stronger stomaches can see it and tell me all about it.

behold Erin's mad Photoshop skills!

2005-11-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

Serenity, the little sci-fi series/film that could, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. The fans, who never miss an opportunity to be excited, are passing around a petition urging Universal Studios to change the artwork. And it would appear writer/director Joss Whedon agrees.

I don't personally find the artwork bad at all, with the single exception that I don't think the woman in the top left at any point appears in the film. Is that supposed to be River? You judge.

And for those of you saying, "Erin, who gives a flying fig!" I suggest you compare this, to the US and Australian film posters. And taste the difference!

2005-11-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

Netflix settles "throttling" class action suit, free candy for everyone! Not really, but people with active memberships during the peak-throttle dates are eligible for one (1) month of upgraded service. Beware! After the one month they will just start charging you for the upgrade. Bitches!

2005-11-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal premieres at AFI film festival next week. The doc allegedly unearths new evidence showing that Arkansas officials and the Canadian Red Cross knowingly infected tens of thousands of Canadian and European citizens with AIDs.

The film reveals how for more than two decades, the Arkansas prison system profited from selling blood plasma from inmates infected with viral hepatitis and AIDS. Thousands of unwitting victims who received transfusions of a product called "Factor 8" made from this blood died as a result.

Duda interviews victims in Canada who contracted the diseases, state prison officials, former employees, high-ranking Arkansas politicians, and inmate donors.

"In the early days of AIDS, we at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) were surprised that the hemophiliac community was infected so rapidly," said Dr. Donald Francis, former head of the AID Laboratory for the CDC. "This shocking documentary tells why."

According to a forthcoming documentary by the BBC the White Stripes make up 7% of John Peel's favorite songs. Come to think of it, I think I too played that Hello Operator/Jolene 7" until a hole was worn right through it.

I'm sensing a theme in today's posts

2005-10-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

Theater owners around the country find a new ally in... Wal-Mart?

2005-10-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

The SF Chronicle recently published an estimation of how many and where suicides have taken place on the Golden Gate bridge since its creation in 1937. Article also mentions Jenni Olson's documentary Joy of Life.

2005-10-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

Robert Greenwald's new film has Wal-Mart very scared:

"We've got a lot of things planned," said Bob McAdam, vice president of corporate affairs. "Anything is possible."

Five days before the movie's scheduled premiere in New York on Tuesday, Wal-Mart released a 10-page press release criticizing it as "propaganda video." The missive dusted off three pages of negative reviews of Greenwald's nonpolitical films, including a 25-year-old Newsweek thumbs-down for the Newton-John dud "Xanadu," which said, "Robert Greenwald, the director, should look into another line of work."

"When you look at who is funding this (campaign), it's no great surprise," McAdam said. "That coalition (of labor unions and environmentalists) has worked together in the past."

M. Night Shyamalan predicts the end of moviehouses, and lovingly lays blame on Steven Soderbergh and cryptically threatens to quit directing all together if Hollywood Reporter "has their way". Yanno M., we've heard this promise bfore from Vincent Gallo. And yet Brown Bunny continues.

There goes the sequel to Jackass

2005-10-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

The NY Times reports that finally, a market research firm has found a way to tell the Hollywood studio system what the rest of us have known for years. Crappy movies + higher ticket prices = NO ONE CARES. And because all the world loves a chart:

In keeping with that story, Jessica Alba defends Fantastic Four (who cares?) and hedges on an American re-make of the Korean super-Rom Com, My Sassy Girl. via MovieBlog

If you haven't by now, run don't walk to see the Shining trailer reworked as a delicate coming of age/family comedy. via indieWIRE

You should see this movie.

2005-10-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

From Salon.com:

"The 3 Rooms of Melancholia": Insert cliché about children and war here -- then abandon

Pirjo Honkasalo's devastating war documentary "The 3 Rooms of Melancholia" is one of those films you have to allow yourself to surrender to, bit by bit, without worrying too much where it's taking you or why. Most of what goes under the name of documentary film these days, as I constantly complain, is just second-rate TV journalism. Finnish filmmaker Honkasalo is an entirely different animal, an artist with a piercing eye, tremendous patience and a rigorous formal technique.
This isn't what you'd call an undemanding film (check out that title!), and I don't think I absorbed it all in one viewing by any means. But "The 3 Rooms of Melancholia" is a prodigious, almost spiritual experience, a luminous, challenging art movie out of the Tarkovsky school that happens to be about a real war and its effects on real children. It was also a daring cinematic enterprise; while the Western media had trouble getting any independent footage from Chechnya, this Finnish art-film director took a film crew there and captured the breathtaking devastation. The audience for this kind of thing is necessarily pretty small, but if anything I've just said sounds intriguing, put this on your must-see list.

Honkasalo, who's best known for the feature "Fire-Eater" and the documentaries making up her "Trilogy of the Sacred and Satanic," is a festival fave who has never made the least impression on the marketplace. But at some future date when historians look back at the grim (and poorly understood) story of the Chechen rebellion and/or civil war, they'll find two telling works of art. One is Andrei Konchalovsky's ignored masterpiece "House of Fools," and this is the other.

Honkasalo starts a long way from Chechnya, on the fortress island of Kronstadt outside St. Petersburg. Site of an important anti-Bolshevik uprising in 1921, Kronstadt now hosts an elite military academy founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The boys here are mostly orphans or kids from profoundly damaged families, and as we absorb the details of their routinized lives, Honkasalo silently enforces the point that the long tentacles of the terrible Chechen conflict have touched almost every one of them. There's almost no narration and less judgment; as cheerless as it is, Kronstadt is better than the streets for most of these boys. What lies ahead for them, as Russia's officer corps of the future, is a troublesome question.

The remaining two "rooms" of the film take us to Grozny, the all but flattened capital of Chechnya, and then to nearby Ingushetia, where many Chechen refugees live. Honkasalo follows a Chechen woman named Hadizhat as she tries to rescue abandoned, abused and starving children in Grozny -- some don't even know where they came from, or who and where their parents are -- and takes them across the border to an unofficial Islamic orphanage.

Watching a group of three kids age 5 and under say goodbye, probably forever, to their desperately ill mother in a bombed-out building might not be your idea of a good time at the movies. In fact, it might be the most painful scene I've ever seen in a film. But Honkasalo isn't twisting our heartstrings to no purpose; she's challenging us to confront such an awful moment and face its consequences, and also to ask why it had to happen and whether -- whoever and wherever we are in the world -- we might have done anything to stop it. The answers to such questions are never comfortable, but the profundity and humanity of "3 Rooms of Melancholia" provide their own kind of hope.

"The 3 Rooms of Melancholia" opens July 27 at Film Forum in New York. Other engagements, and a DVD release, may follow.

Cathy's note: I watched a bootleg version of this the other day. SEE IT! xo

We are not dead.

2005-10-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you unsure, this blog is run by a few people. Three of us just started grad school, one of us is out of the country working on their film and the other is a busy busy bee. We all love film, two of us our getting our MFA's in Filmmaking right now and one of us works for a very cool film-related company.

ANYWAY, I tell you this so you don't think we at FilmLight have abandoned you OR EACH OTHER.

Here's the dish from my neck of the woods (Southern but-not-L.A. California):

1. Mike Mills is my crushworthy director of the month. THUMBSUCKER is not only better than I expected, but actually a pretty good film. There is a lot of love in that film. Here's the URL to Mike's blog!
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thumbsucker/blog/

2. I saw Miranda July's film ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW multiple times and in different states even. Apparently July wrote a film that her boyfriend directed. Here's what Film Threat has to say about Miguel Arteta's (Chuck and Buck) new short film:

ARE YOU THE FAVORITE PERSON OF ANYBODY?
by Jeremy Mathews
(2005-01-31)

2004, Un-rated, 4 Minutes,

Are You the Favorite Person of Anbody? is a clever four minutes of odd fun directed by Miguel Arteta and written by Miranda July, who wrote and directed one of the best features at Sundance 2005, “Me and You and Everyone We Know.” In addition to her talent for long titles, July has a gift for semi-surreal but compelling events. In the black-and-white HD movie, John C. Reilly plays a man standing on a neighborhood street, asking people the titular survey. July, regular Arteta collaborator Mike White and Chuy ChÃvez play the interviewees, who all offer different answers and receive different responses (Would you like an orange?).

3. Did anyone catch those dazzling performances in Gregg Araki's MYSTERIOUS SKIN? The kid from Third Rock from the Sun! Bill Sage as a pedophile! Brilliant.

4. I keep trying to figure out why I still haven't seen Lucrecia Martel's THE HOLY GIRL/La Nina Santa. It's gotten a second wind via promotion campaign now that it's DVD on dvd. It was the first film I've ever seen a trailer for its DVD release at a movie theater. So much better than those Stella Artois ads.

More later!

xo

2005-09-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

E-Sinchew has a fascinating article about various Asian nations' government authorities embracing "the DVD Phenomenon" because it gives people a sense of economic well-being and distracts them from rioting in the streets!

I attended sneek peaks of The Baxter and Serenity this week.

Baxter (not to be confused with the terrifying French film about a murderous Spuds Mackenzie) is the story of the guy at the end of The Graduate who got dumped with sort of an early 90's indie bent. It covers a lot of the same themes of The 40 Year Old Virgin but is a little too self-conscious to achieve the insta-classic status that 40 YoV has in my heart. Though it's worth noting the still-gorgeous Paul Rudd makes an appearance in both and Micheal Ian Black spends most of his screentime in bikini briefs.

My impression of the Toronto Film Festival coverage thus far...

2005-09-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

mehhhhhhhhhhhh..............

.........zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Wah!

See also:
FFC's TIFF coverage
indieWIRE's TIFF coverage

"The Fleas of Ggwangalyange" coming to a theater near you!

2005-09-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Mira Nair opens film lab in East Africa. The first lab will host 10 screenwriters selected from122 applicants.

I'm not that complicated

2005-08-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Gwyneth Paltrow takes a turn at directing

She contended that the industry is much more female-friendly. Women aren't directing films in large numbers, she said, because it's an all-encompassing job that is not often compatible with the complexity of women's lives.

hrm..

2005-08-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sterling & Clark Art Institute celebrate "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50" Including: Lukas Moodyssoon, Michael Winterbottom, Alfonso Cuaron

John Peel's honorary induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame will include a one-hour documentary called Keeping It Peel: Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat no word yet on a dvd release.

Rotten Tomatoes has the exclusive Doom trailer.

I can't help but take some satisfaction in the shock running through the circles of Sundance devotees in response to general disinterest in Hustle & Flow.

Tit for tat, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the tepid reception 9 Songs is receiving.

Jessica Yu wins amateur fencing title and tomorrow her documentary about Henry Darger, In the Realms of the Unreal, will air as part of PBS's film series POV.

Gina Torres discusses the upcoming Serenity film (directed by master of all things cultishly hip, Joss Whedon) with BlackFilm.

GOSSIP!: Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola caught in a compromising position.

Meanwhile Dark Horizons takes a closer look at Coppola's new film Marie-Antoinette. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Marianne Faithful who recently responded to death rumors.

oh, snap

2005-07-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

The most satisfying thing I've read all week comes, not surprisingly, from Walter Chaw:

Anymore, the Sundance imprint is a promise that a movie is going to be self-satisfied, laborious, and incompetent in that special way that independent films have become since getting co-opted by big money and directors looking to make a résumé instead of a film. You can call this shit "alternative," but alternative to what? Hustle & Flow is the same kind of underdog bullroar that mainstream producers who never met a pre-chewed master plot they haven't massaged introduce into the pool at every turn.

Read the full review here.

See some of the best new docs without leaving your couch!

2005-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

The PBS series POV (aka my recent favorite source for documentaries) has been nominated for three Emmys for the Lost Boys of Sudan and Every Mother's Son (both co-directed by ladies).

Next month they will be showing Jessica Yu's In the Realms of the Unreal as well as the Film Light favorite WATTSTAX.

Just another punk doc

2005-07-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Susan Dynner is directing a documentary called Punk's Not Dead which will reportedly "cover the punk scene from its inception in 1976 to the present... [A] release in 2006 which will also represent the 30th anniversary of the genre."

I'm disappointed with the decision to primarily address if 'punk can survive the mall?' when if you're going to take such a white-bread tact the answer is already quite clear.

xox

Also see:
Afropunk
Bending the Equator
Punk Rock in the Holy Land
Rock n Roll Camp for Girls
Rock n Roll Mamas
Atom & His Package

No Oscars for stuntwork

2005-06-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Academy Won't Give Stunt Coordinator Oscar

On behalf of everyone here at Film Light, I call bullshit on this decision. Stuntwork requires artistry, technical aptitude and the creativity to make 'movie magic' (in the most traditional sense) happen with limited resources. In the coming months while we're all enamoured with the explosions and fight scenes that typify summer blockbuster fare let's take a pause to appreciate the people who put their blood, sweat and tears (tough guys cry too) into making some of the best movies ever made come alive.

See also: The Greatest Action Movies Ever Made*
Double Dare documentary about stuntwomen

*as a fan of action movies I have some objections to the list, but until I make the definitive list, this one will have to do

Teens, queens and MONARCHY.

2005-06-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Production has begun on "Marie Antoinette" Movie...

Kirsten Dunst, who previously appeared in Coppola's drama "The Virgin Suicides," portrays the young Austrian princess, who, as a teenager, becomes Queen of France. Jason Schwartzman portrays her indifferent husband Louis XVI.
Other members of the ensemble, portraying various members of the elitist court of Versailles include Rip Torn (in the role of King Louis XV), Judy Davis (as the Comtesse de Noailles), Steve Coogan (as Mercy), Asia Argento (playing the Comtesse du Barry), Marianne Faithful (Maria-Teresa), Aurore Clement (Duchesse de Chartres), Molly Shannon (Aunt Victoire) and Shirley Henderson (Aunt Sophie).

Did I mention, I'M SO CONFUSED!

From the Guardian Unlimited:

The film has been described as a "stylised" version of the story of Marie Antoinette, who was blamed for many of the excesses of the monarchy by the protagonists of the French revolution and finally sent to the guillotine in 1793.

Le sigh.

P.S. Go here to see some so-far-away-they're-comical photos from the set.

Touch Your Penis If You're Surprised There's No Women on this List!

2005-06-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

Esquire announces Top 40 Greatest Film Directors of All Time

1 Steven Spielberg
2 Alfred Hitchcock
3 Martin Scorsese
4 Stanley Kubrick
5 Sir Ridley Scott
6 Akira Kurosawa
7 Peter Jackson
8 Quentin Tarantino
9 Orson Welles
10 Woody Allen
11 Clint Eastwood
12 Sir David Lean
13 The Coen Brothers
14 James Cameron
15 Francis Ford Coppola
16 Oliver Stone
17 Sergio Leone
18 John Ford
19 Billy Wilder
20 Sam Peckinpah
21 Howard Hawks
22 Robert Zemeckis
23 Michael Mann
24 David Lynch
25 Spike Lee
26 François Truffaut
27 Brian De Palma
28 Tony Scott
29 Fritz Lang
30 Tim Burton
31 George Lucas
32 Anthony Minghella
33 Ron Howard
34 Sam Raimi
35 Charlie Chaplin
36 Ingmar Bergman
37 M Night Shyamalan
38 Peter Weir
39 Terry Gilliam
40 Robert Altman

See also: Yawn.

"She's my daughter, my sister! My daughter! My sister!"

2005-06-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

Does it seem weird to you that Faye Dunaway is not a huge(r?) gay icon?

Source.

New York Times says 'Kodak, Don't Take My Kodachrome'

2005-05-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today the New York Times published a piece about how hard many film artists are taking Kodak's decision to discontinue THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER-8 FILM STOCK.

Kodachrome was the film of choice for avant-garde filmmakers like Kenneth Anger
and Jonas Mekas, who were renowned in the film world though largely unknown outside it. A much larger population has most likely seen the film's fine-grain quality
and lurid pigments in the form of old home movies. Indeed, the most famous image
caught on Kodachrome film was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,
caught by Abraham Zapruder, a Dallas dressmaker who happened to be wielding an
8-millimeter camera that day.

People keep failing to mention that there is a place in the United States (the beloved Dwayne's in Parsons, Kansad) that SPECIALIZES in processing the film stock. Their prices are reasonable, their turnaround is amazing and they can overnight your film. This whole sending your Kodachrome to Switzerland thing is a MYTH, a myth I tell you. Why Snopes hasn't gotten on this I do not know.

Here's Dwayne's annoucement:

Kodachrome Super 8 Film Discontinued
On May 9th Kodak announced the
discontinuance of Kodachrome Super 8 Film.
We will continue offering
processing for all types of Kodachrome film INCLUDING Super 8 film. As long as
Kodachrome film remains available in 35mm and 16mm formats, we intend to offer
processing for ALL formatsof Kodachrome film.
We will also offer processing
for the new Kodak 64TSuper 8 film, when it becomes available.

Dwayne's, The Only Processor of Kodachrome Motion Picture Film in the
United States.

I love you, Kodachrome and I love you Dwayne's!

No Honey in Haneke

2005-05-31T05:45:00.000-07:00

Not everyone can handle the unflinching cinema of Michael Haneke, but this year Cannes awarded him the 'Prix de la mise en scène' (Best Director). If you are not yet familiar with one of the top FIVE most important contemporary film-makers then get on it!

"I would like to be recognized for making in La Pianiste an obscenity, but not a pornographic film. In my definition, anything that could be termed obscene departs from the bourgeois norm. Whether concerned with sexuality or violence or another taboo issue, anything that breaks with the norm is obscene. Insofar as truth is always obscene, I hope that all of my films have at least an element of obscenity."

Read more of the interview...

okay Denver, don't say I never gave you anything!

2005-05-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

FFC's Walter Chaw will be discussing a FilmLight favorite, Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up, at the Denver Public Library this Tuesday. It's part of an on-going series for the lucky citizens of Denver!

See also: Film Freak Central

Tribute to Ozon ends soon!

2005-05-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

The Museum of the Moving Image's tribute to French director Francois Ozon ends June 5, 2005.

One of French cinema's brightest talents, Ozon integrates slapstick comedy, black humor, fairy tales, tabloid-style melodrama, stylized violence and keenly observed adult drama into his work. -Indiewire

See also: Francois Ozon official site
8 Femmes on stage in Japan!

I love Claire Denis.

2005-05-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

I don't understand the word “edgy”. I forgot what it means.

(from an interview at www.sensesofcinema.com with Denis on her new film L’Intrus.

One half of Merchant and Ivory is dead.

2005-05-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

"It is with great sadness that Merchant Ivory Productions announces that
... our company founder and beloved producer for more than 44 years has passed
away after a brief illness," his office said in a statement.
Go here for the rest of the article.

Kodak gives the kiss of death to the medium of choice for many indie filmmakers.

2005-05-16T05:15:00.000-07:00

As part of the portfolio revamp, Kodak will discontinue sales of its S8 KODACHROME 40 Movie Film. Final sales of KODACHROME Super 8 will be based on product availability over the coming months. Sales of KODACHROME 16 mm films will continue, unaffected by this announcement.

The decision to discontinue KODACHROME in Super 8 was driven entirely by marketplace dynamics.
"Because the 'home movie' market has shifted to digital, sales of KODACHROME Super 8 film have declined significantly," according to Mayson. "In tandem with that decline, the availability of processing for KODACHROME Super 8 cartridges has diminished. In other words, fewer and fewer labs worldwide have the machines and the chemistry necessary to process this film emulsion in the Super 8 format."

Me, you, and everyone we know has a blog

2005-05-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Artist/filmmaker Miranda July, who's first feature film ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW is the love child of just about every film festival this year from Sundance to Cannes and every indie fest in between has been keeping a very interactive blog on her film's website, detailing her film festival experiences almost daily as it happens. It's definitely worth checking out.

Another famous-ish film person who's blog I recently noticed was indie actor/personality, Wiley Wiggins who some of you might remember as that cute boy from Dazed and Confused. Turns out Wiley is also a visual artist, musician, critic, and blogger among other things.

If anyone else knows of any good blogs by people FilmLight probably writes about, please let us know.

And speaking of Miranda, she's on the cover of this month's Filmmaker magazine. This makes two female filmmakers on the cover of Filmmaker two issues in a row. (Last issue had Rebecca Miller of The Ballad of Jack and Rose fame featured.) Here's hoping the next issue makes three...

Roc Docs

2005-05-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last week I rented DIG!, the documentary by Ondi Timoner about the almost decade-long rivalry between the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. As someone who is a fan of neither bands, I was ready to pop that 2nd Bonus DVD by the time I was done watching the first DVD of the film. It's truly one of the best rock 'n roll documentaries I've ever seen. DIG! shows the audience through 7 years worth of footage, how some artists keep not succeeding due to their own self-destructive habits and how some lesser talented artists succeed because they're simply at the right place at the right time and are better at marketing themselves. Sound familiar?

Speaking of rock docs, I feel like I've been waiting forever to see Edgeplay: A film about the Runaways. After a festival run last year, it's now available for purchase online. Woo hoo.

Also, I'm not sure how many of you are aware that filmmaker Allison Anders and her daughter, musician Tiffany Anders have a film and music festival dedicated to rock 'n roll movies. Their fest is called Don't Knock The Rock and their call for entries ends on May 15th, so hurry up and submit even if all you have is some footage of a cool garage rock band no one's ever heard of--showcasing that kind of stuff seems to be in keeping with the spirit of the fest which happens in August.

Cinema is over: an interview with Godard

2005-05-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

When he arrived, the customs officer asked him: "Mr Godard: what are you coming here for? Business or pleasure?" Godard indicated the former. The officer asked what business he was in. "Unsuccessful movies," Godard replied.

Henry Fool the sequel?

2005-04-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

According to this interview with actor James Urbaniak, filmmaker Hal Hartley may be shooting a sequel to his much loved HENRY FOOL this coming fall in Berlin! When the actor was asked about upcoming projects, he responded:

Well I've done a few films with Hal Hartley and he's doing a sequel to Henry Fool, which is this movie
we've done a few years ago. It looks like we're probably going to shoot that in
the fall in Berlin.

Perhaps the sequel can lay to rest whether Henry was running away or to the plane. (Although, this is revealed in the screenplay.)

We can only hope here at FilmLight.

Why on earth would Martin Scorsese be in North Carolina?

2005-04-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Scorsese Says Films Rooted in Realism

A lovely article about Full Frame Documentary film festival in Durahm, NC last weekend, and a bit about Scorsese himself. But when I got to this:

Scorsese said he plans to make another documentary — a film about Bob Dylan that explores the question of whether folk music can be electrified and commercialized.

In two weeks, he will begin production on his next feature movie, "The Departed," starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a Boston police officer who infiltrates Irish-American gangs.

"This is the first present-day film I've made in 20 years," Scorsese said.

I had to say, what about Bringing Out the Dead, made only 16 years ago! This must be what fangirl shame feels like.

The International Film Festival is coming! The International Film

2005-04-07T12:20:00.001-07:00

I'm already daydreaming and doodling on my program for the San Francisco International Film Festival 2005. This year's special events are good and special (Brad Bird delivers the State of Cinema address, Todd Solondz discusses screenwriting and getting unlikeable films produced, Adam Curtis gets an award), though nothing comes close to beating last year's An
Evening with Milos Forman, but really... what could? Hair on the big screen plus chatting it up with Milos Forman and Treat Williams, I get a little misty just thinking about it.

And then there's the films! My to do list includes: Francois Ozon's 5x2, Costa-Gavras' The
Ax, Cinévardaphoto, Miranda July's Me
and You and Everyone We Know, Alison Murray's Mouth
to Mouth, Marilyn Agrelo 's Mad Hot Ballroom, Adam Curtis's Power of Nightmares, Raymond Depardon 's Profiles of Farmers, and Erin McEnery's Search for the Captain.

I'm told I should be interested in Lúcia Murat's Almost Brothers, Sundance favorite Murderball, and the Alloy Orchestra performing a new score to Hitchcock's Blackmail.

I have a passing interest in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (isn't this already in a theatrical release?), Wernor Herzog's White
Diamond and Chronicas because I saw John Leguizamo plugging it on the Daily Show and he seemed very sweet and earnest about it.

I'll be staying far away from the Clare Denis's The Intruder and Takashi Miike's Izo, because I am sqeamish!

And finally, I am just glad November got a distributor, though I think I will wait until it gets a regular theatrical release.

-30-

2005-04-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in updates, Film Light has spent the last month watching three season's worth of Alias. And as soon as the xbox game arrives I can't promise the same thing won't happen again.

After reading Salon's The Other Peterson Trial I have to say I am eagerly awaiting The Staircase to be released on dvd. Does anyone actually have the Sundance channel?

Also, I am generally a pretty big sucker for the big-budget horror-cheese, but I am bracing for a great deal of disappointment in the soon to be released Amityville Horror. The book was corny but effective and if film-makers stopped trying to sex it up it would be brilliant.

Unsolicited Confession: I put Shark Tale on my Netflix queue only because I'm so charmed by Christina Aguilera's rendition of "Car Wash". How bad could it be if ~~Robert DeNiro~~ Martin Scorsese is in it?

Wine and Film, these are a few of my favorite things...

2005-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the lovely but unattainable Sonoma Valley Film Festival where over the course of 5 days dozens of indie, foreign, documentary, and student films were screened. Film Light favorites included:

Mondovino - Jonathan Nossiter's new documentary about wine-making in a geo-political context. Nossiter was recently iviewed by FilmMaker magazine.

Four-eyed Monster - a bizarre, low-budget comedy about online dating in a post-post-modern, meta-relationship NYC.

Tennis, Anyone? - Hyphenate extradanaire Donal Logue wrote, directed, and starred in this film about B-list actors trying to get back into the spotlight via celebrity charity tennis circuit.

On the Outs - three stories about young girls who each wind up in a youth detention center in New Jersey.

Return to Sender - a prison love story starring Tim Daly and Lifetime-for-Women-favorite Connie Nielson. Delicious.

Z Channel: a Magnificent Obsession - Xan Cassavetes' short doc about a local cable station in Los Angeles in the late 70's that was the first (and possibly the last) to show unedited films by Bertolucci, Leone, Peckinpah, etc. inspiring a generation of young LA film-makers. Interviews include: Robert Altman, Jacqueline Bisset, Alexander Payne, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Verhoeven, James Woods.

Beauty Academy of Kabul - documentary about aspiring hairdressers in Afghanistan. Part of indiewire's Undiscovered Gems series

Special tribute paid to Saul Zaentz, James Woods, Joe Pantoliano, Aidan Quinn, Jon Favreau.

M.F.A is the new M.B.A.

2005-03-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

Finally! I have an article to show those people who question me about whether film school is practical or not. The gist of it is that most people in film schools want to use their learning to innovate in multimedia and not just make movies for the multiplex. Of course, the article doesn't take into account the fact that film programs can be vastly different from one another. But I'm not going to tell that to my parents when I email them this article and go, "See! I don't have to condemn myself to a lifetime of poverty!"

the Oscars sucked, let's move on.

2005-03-02T23:19:00.000-08:00

Glide magazine interviews Jacob Estes, director of Mean Creek, one of my favorite films of 2004.

For those of us who don't leave the house

2005-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

March 2: Broadcast premiere of Sisters of ‘77 on PBSAt 10 PM, Independent Lens on PBS with broadcast Sisters of ‘77, an amazing one-hour documentary that goes back to the historic National Women’s Conference held in Houston in November of 1977. Featuring such luminaries as Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Eleanor Smeal, Gloria Steinem, Ann Richards and more, SISTERS OF ‘77 shows us what was, what worked and what went wrong in the women’s movement during that important year.

Firefly and the Failures

2005-02-21T01:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had the nearly physical pleasure of seeing Joss Whedon and the cast of Firefly/Serenity speak at Wonder Con 2005 here in San Francisco. They showed a completed scene from the new film (out this Fall) and did some Q&A for an hour. The director and cast were adorable and charming and the clip was everything a fan girl dreams of. For those of you somehow managed to miss this brilliant television show that lasted about three minutes on Fox a couple of years ago allow me to reinact a conversation I've been having ever since: Firefly is a sci-fi western and... no really! It's good!

It was was cancelled for all the things that make it wonderful, a show with 9 main characters who are each delightful and dysfunctional and within each episode a sincere attempt to say something about the human condition. My stomach gets tied in knots each time I watch the show (dvd's of the 15 complete episodes are now available). More about the film at Zap2It, the official movie website, and WonderCon redux. And because we've got nothing but love: the theme song to Firefly.

And as part of the "California Independent Film Festival" (a festival entirely run and sponsored by the distribution company of the films shown, but okay) I recently saw The Failures. The only draw for me was that Baby Chrissie from Growing Pains was in it playing a nursemaid to her loser boyfriend. It's not even funny how bad the promo materials were:

Aromantic comedy about two messed-up, self-centered teenagers, each with their own hang-ups. The film stars "Chad Lindberg"(The Fast & The Furious), who plays William, a chronically-depressed, alcoholic, high school drop-out, wanna-be children's book writer, who wants to kill himself, but can't find the courage to go through it and actress "Ashley Johnson"(Growing Pains TV series) who plays Lilly an angry heavy-metal listening, all black wearing hellion who wants to help William. [Quotations not added for emphasis!]

So as you can imagine, I was one of only five people at the screening (two of which were involved with the production in some capacity I suspect). It's a damn shame because the film was well-made and managed to find some interesting things to say about teen suicide (a subject that is at best boring and at worst extremely loathesome). I saw it with a clinical psychologist who also was surprised by its wholesome goodness and intelligence. Apparently it screened at Cannes in the market screening and won some awards at Telluride, Austin, and of course, Best Picture at the imaginary Film festival run by marketers who cannot write enticing copy for their projects! Baby Chrissie, you're still golden to me.

SXSW 2005 films

2005-02-16T04:22:00.000-08:00

Forty World and U.S. Premieres Unveiled in SXSW Line up

Narrative Feature Competition

Cavite Dir: Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana; Cast: Ian
Gamazon, Dominique Gonzalez.

An American citizen visiting his home country arrives at the
Philippines Airport and receives a phone call letting him know that
his mother and sister have been kidnapped and will be killed if he
doesn't comply with the caller's demands.

Childstar"Dir: Don McKellar; Cast: Don McKellar, Jennifer
Jason Leigh, Mark Rendall, Kristin Adams, Brendan Fehr, Dave Foley.

A spoiled and conflicted 12-year-old American TV star runs away
from the set of his latest film production, only to be pursued by his
reluctant limo driver.

Hooligans Dir: Lexi Alexander; Cast: Elijah Wood, Charlie
Hunnam, Claire Forlani.

An expelled Harvard student moves to London and finds himself
embraced and disturbed by the dominant violence of English soccer
culture.

Max & Grace Dir: Michael Parness; Cast: David
Krumholtz, Natasha Lyonne, Tim Blake Nelson, Lorraine Bracco, David
Paymer.

A suicidal comedy about two young lovers who get married and
escape from a mental institution in order to live.

Mutual Appreciation Dir: Andrew Bujalski; Cast: Justin
Rice, Rachel Clift, Andrew Bujalski, Seung-Min Lee.

Alan is a musician who leaves a busted-up band for New York, and a
new musical voyage. He tries to stay focused and fends off all manner
of distractions, including the attraction to his good friend's
girlfriend.

Shooting Livien Dir: Rebecca Cook; Cast: Jason Behr, Sarah
Wynter, Dominic Monaghan, Joshua Leonard, Ally Sheedy.

A dark psychological drama that explores the inner psyche of John
Livien, a disillusioned New York musician who deals with a childhood
trauma by claiming an alter ego.

Southern Belles Dir: Paul S. Myers and Brennan Shroff;
Cast: Anna Faris, Laura Breckenridge, Justin Chambers, Fred Weller,
Judah Friedlander.

Best friends Bell and Belle try to get out of their trailer park
lives and into the "big city" of Atlanta. Matters become complicated
when Bell falls for a police officer and Belle struggles to keep a
job.

Waterborne Dir: Ben Rekhi; Cast: Christopher Masterson,
Jake Muxworthy, Ajay Naidu, Magiena Tovah, Shabana Azmi, Jon Gries.

Three sets of L.A. residents unexpectedly throw their lives and
destinies together after a terrorist attack against the city's water
supply.

Documentary Feature Competition

A Life Without Pain Dir: Melody Gilbert.

An exploration of three families, each suffering with children
that can feel no pain.

The Boys of Baraka Dir: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.

Twenty 12-year-old boys from the roughest ghettos of inner-city
Baltimore left home for Kenya, East Africa to attend the 7th and 8th
grade at the Baraka School, an experimental boarding academy.

The Comedians of Comedy Dir: Michael Blieden.

Life on the road as four stand-up comics struggle to bring
cutting-edge comedy to venues across America.

Cowboy Del Amor Dir: Michele Ohayon.

Professional Cupid and former cowboy Ivan Thompson finds Mexican
wives for disillusioned American men. Claiming love has no borders,
the men are in for a few surprises.

Our Brand is Crisis Dir: Rachel Boynton.

The verite story of the rise and fall of the last President of
Bolivia, focusing on his James Carville-led American political
consultants as they work to get him elected.

Pucker Up Dir: Kate Davis and David Heilbroner.

A wild crew of passionate whistlers - including a turkey hauler,
an investment banker and a Dutch social worker - keep this lost art
alive as they descend on Louisburg, NC for the 31st annual Whistling
Competition.

Stagedoor Dir: Alexandra Shiva.

250 kids, ages 8 to 18, put on 12 shows in three weeks at
Stagedoor Manor, a theater camp in the Catskills where they come to
bask in the glow of their personal spotlight - or escape from it.

Strange Fruit Dir: Regis Trigano.

In May of 2003, a young African-American man was found hanging in
a tree in the rural Florida town of Belle Glade. While the family
claimed their son was lynched, the police ruled the suspicious death
a suicide.

Emerging Visions

cl.one Dir: Jason Tomaric; Cast: Jeff St. Clair, Gary
Skiba, James Kisicki, Bill Caco.

Mourning the death of his daughter, a chancellor of the future
must find the one person whose genetic structure can bring life to
thousands of dormant human clones.

Four Eyed Monsters Dir: Nira Nasus; Cast: Nira Nasus.

"I want a relationship but I don't want a relationship." "I want
someone but I don't want a struggle." "I want to be okay if I'm
alone." "I want to not have to want." "I'm looking for someone who is
looking for the same."

Highway Courtesans Dir: Mystelle Brabbee

What happens when an independent-minded young girl is born into a
centuries-old tradition of prostitution? Against the rich backdrop of
rural India, this documentary follows Guddi Chauhan from the age of
17 through 23 as she struggles against tradition.

Kissing On The Mouth Dir: Joe Swanberg; Cast: Kate
Winterich, Joe Swanberg, Kevin Pittman, Kris Williams.

Ellen is sleeping with her ex-boyfriend while trying to ignore the
fact that he's looking for more than just sex. Her roommate, Patrick,
isn't helping matters with his secretive and jealous behavior.

Mirage Dir: Svetozar Ristovski; Cast: Marko Kovacevic.

Amidst Macedonia's tumultuous transition, a boy escapes into his
world of hopes and dreams. Circumstances worsen and the boy takes
matters into his own hands.

Occupation: Dreamland Dir: Garrett Scott and Ian Olds.

A documentary profile of a unit in the US Army's 82nd Airborne
Division while deployed in Falluja, Iraq in early 2004. During
daylight patrols, home raids and downtime in their bungalows, the
soldiers reveal conflicted and complex feelings about their duty and
purpose.

The Puffy Chair Dir: Jay Duplass; Cast: Mark Duplass,
Kathryn Aselton, Rhett Wilkins.

One man, his girlfriend, and his eccentric brother embark on a
comical road trip to deliver one giant purple puffy chair.

Straight Line Dir: Sean Ackerman; Cast: Sean Ackerman,
Shannon Shultz, Monika Franzen, Sam Baker.

When Sophie leaves Bobby to follow her dream of going to Panama,
Bobby decides to follow her in his old Buick, driving from Montana to
Panama. Along the way, the search for Sophie becomes a search to find
himself and come to terms with his mother's death.

Spotlight

A Hole in My Heart Dir: Lukas Moodysson; Cast: Björn
Almroth, Sanna Bråding, Horsten Flinc, Goran Marjanovic.

In a run-down apartment, a teenager watches his father and friend
shoot an amateur porn film as they explore issues of morality,
reality TV, and friendship.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose Dir: Rebecca Miller; Cast:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Jena
Malone, Beau Bridges.

Jack has sheltered his teenage daughter Rose from the influences
of the outside world, but now his fatal illness and Rose's emerging
womanhood pose troubling questions about the days ahead.

Code 33 Dir: Michael Galinsky, Suki Hawley, David
Beilinson, Zachary Werner.

Cameras follow two detectives as they lead a manhunt to find
Miami's notorious serial rapist.

Culture Clash in America Dir: Emilio Estevez.

A performance film from the live tour of acting troupe Culture
Clash. Through various characters and monologues, the trio explores
American culture and stereotypes.

The Dreams of Sparrows Dir: Hayder Mousa Daffar.

A team of Iraqi filmmakers document a perspective of their
country, after the capture of Saddam Hussein and before the
reconstruction.

Drop Dead Sexy Dir: Michael Philip; Cast: Crispin Glover,
Jason Lee, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Melissa Keller, Xander Berkeley.

When their money scam goes awry, a group of would-be thieves turn
to kidnapping in an attempt to blackmail their target.

Dust to Glory Dir: Dana Brown.

Every fall since 1967 a hearty and eclectic band of adventurers
have gathered in Ensenada, Mexico in Baja California for one of the
roughest, toughest and most exhilarating rides ever concocted.

The Edukators Dir: Hans Weingartner; Cast: Daniel
Brühl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg.

Three activists hatch a kidnapping plot after they encounter a
businessman in his home.

Emmanuel's Gift Dir: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern.

Of the 20 million people in Ghana, two million are disabled. This
is the story of one disabled man whose mission - and purpose - is to
change all that forever.

Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room Dir: Alex Gibney.

This is the inside story of one of history's greatest business
scandals, in which top executives of America's 7th largest company
walked away with over one billion dollars while investors and
employees lost everything.

The Grace Lee Project Dir: Grace Lee.

A humorous documentary essay that contrasts the world of
stereotypes with the real-life experiences of several women named
Grace Lee, a very common Asian American name.

The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things Dir: Asia Argento;
Cast: TK

A young boy is pulled from his foster home and finds himself on
the road with his teenage mother as they encounter disturbing
characters.

High School Record Dir: Ben Wolfinsohn; Cast: Jenna
Thornhill, Dean Allen Spunt, Bobby Sandoval, Jennifer Clavin.

Like most high school students, these four ride a continual wave
of embarrassment: crappy after-school jobs, attempted sex in the
science room, tinfoil shorts, guitar-strumming hippie teachers, and
brushes with the law.

Kontroll Dir: Nimrod Antal; Cast: Sándor
Badár, Eszter Balla, Sándor Csányi, Lajos
Kovács.

A humorous and suspenseful tale of rival ticket inspectors in
Hungary's underground transit system.

Kung Fu Hustle Dir: Stephen Chow; Cast: TK

1940s China is transformed into a world of action-packed hysteria
as gangsters use superhuman strength to battle over their turf.

The Last Mogul Dir: Barry Avrich.

A biography of the fascinating life of legendary Hollywood player
Lew Wasserman as he built an empire still thriving today.

Layer Cake Dir: Matthew Vaughn; Cast: Daniel Craig, Colm
Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller.

A successful cocaine dealer planning an early retirement is lured
back into business by a love interest and an international drug ring.

The Life and Times of Guy Terrifico Dir: Michael Mabbott;
Cast: TK

A faux documentary about the rise and fall of fictional
country/western singer Guy Terrifico, featuring some legendary
real-life balladeers.

Lila Says Dir: Ziad Doueiri; Cast: Vahina Giocante,
Mohammed Khouas, Karim Ben Haddou, Lotfi Chakri.

The sexual awakening of two teenagers in France is only heightened
by the forward advances of a girl named Lila.

Mana: Beyond Belief Dir: Peter Friedman and Roger Manley.

What do the American flag, a cherry blossom tree, a frozen tuna,
and a Rembrandt painting have in common? They are all "power
objects."

Murderball Dir: Harry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro.

Murderball, now called "quad rugby," is a highly competitive,
physically violent game played in armored wheelchairs worthy of Mad
Max. Following the quadriplegic players, this is a film that will
shatter every stereotype you have ever had about what it is to be
handicapped.

Old Boy Dir: Chan-wook Park; Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo
Ji-tae, Gang Hye-jung.

A man is mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years before
his release. Once out in the real world, he enacts his revenge on
those who seek to punish him.

Palindromes Dir: Todd Solondz; Cast: Ellen Barkin,
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard Masur.

Aviva is an awkward young girl, navigating through a bizarre set
of characters and a disturbing trail of events.

Promedio Rojo Dir: Nicolas Lopez.

Roberto is a freak addicted to comics. He uses them to escape his
sad reality. He finds that love, besides being blind, is also hard of
hearing.

Reel Paradise Dir: Steve James.

A portrait of the Pierson family, as they leave their film
industry lives in New York to run a remote movie theater in Fiji.

Saint Ralph Dir: Michael McGowan; Cast: Campbell Scott,
Jennifer Tilly, Adam Butcher.

The beautifully bittersweet story of a boy who has the temerity to
believe he can make a miracle happen.

Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic Dir: Liam Lynch.

The controversial and acclaimed comedian riffs on everything from
religion, sex, 9/11, and more.

The Self-Made Man Dir: Susan Stern.

77-year-old Bob Stern finds out he's seriously ill - possibly
terminal, and decides to take his own life. His family tries to stop
him. But first, they set up a video camera.

Seoul Train Dir: Jim Butterworth, Aaron Lubarsky, Lisa
Sleeth.

With its riveting footage of a secretive underground railroad,
this gripping documentary exposes the life and death of North Koreans
as they try to escape their homeland and China.

Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party Dir: Robert Brinkmann.

Normally out of the limelight, character actor Stephen Tobolowsky
is front and center in a performance at his birthday party recounting
stories of his experiences behind the scenes of Hollywood movies.

Tell Them Who You Are Dir: Mark Wexler.

The son of acclaimed cinematographer Haskell Wexler confronts his
complex father by turning the camera on him.

The Thing About My Folks Dir: Raymond DeFelitta; Cast:
Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Perkins.

The story of a father and son who, over the course of several
stressful yet meaningful days, rediscover their love for each other
while coping with a family crisis.

The Wendell Baker Story Dir: Luke and Andrew Wilson; Cast:
Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Eva Mendes, Eddie Griffin.

Wendell Baker is a good-natured ex-con who tries to win back his
ex-girlfriend while fighting corruption at a retirement community.

24 Beats Per Second

All We Are Saying Dir: Rosanna Arquette.

A compilation of thousands of hours of footage from in-depth
personal interviews with the greatest icons in musical history.

Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt Dir:
Margaret Brown.

The bittersweet, tragic and destructive life of one of the most
respected songwriters in the history of country music.

Derailroaded Dir: Josh Rubin.

The daily life and chaotic history of an unlikely rock 'n' roll
icon, suffering from a rare form of self-sabotage.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston Dir: Jeff Feuerzeig.

An intimate portrait of the incredibly strange but true life of
underground songwriter, illustrator, and cult hero Daniel Johnston.

The Fearless Freaks Dir: Bradley Beesley.

From college radio staples to international rock stars, here's the
story of how some Oklahoma boys called The Flaming Lips changed the
face of indie rock.

Press On Dir: Gillian Grisman.

An entertaining look at how one church and an obscure instrument
turned Robert Randolph & the Family Band into celebrities.

Rock School Dir: Don Argott.

Everyone at some point in their life dreams of being a rock star -
to feel the roar of the crowd, the adoration of the fans, and the
trials of life on the road. One can only imagine fulfilling this
fantasy as a kid.

Scratch: All the Way Live Dir: Doug Pray.

From the creators of the doumentary film, "Scratch," comes an
explosive live concert film which documents the Los Angeles stop of
the Scratch Tour.

You're Gonna Miss Me Dir: Keven McAlester.

The story of rock legend Roky Erickson: A manic singer who was
Janis Joplin's primary influence, fronting a band called the 13th
Floor Elevators, considered by many to be the creators of
psychedelic music.

Lone Star States

Automatic Dir: Jonathan Walls; Cast: Jamie Anne Brown,
Jennifer Ferguson, Brandy Howard, Sean O'Bryan.

Six people at different stages of life and love, driven by various
motives, desires and emotions such as half-sisters and brothers,
dreams; shattered and unshattered, and second chances.

Deadroom Dir: Yen Tan, James M. Johnston, Nick Prendergast,
David Lowery.

In this tragic tale, a man helps a young woman remember her past.
A husband and wife confront each other about their infidelities. A
journalist interviews a famous author about the mysteries hidden in
his novel. A girl visits her former colleague to tell him how much
she's always loved him.

The Education of Shelby Knox Dir: Marion Lipschutz, Rose
Rosenblatt.

This documentary follows a high school student as she battles the
line between her conservative community and her liberal beliefs in
Lubbock, Texas.

Fall to Grace Dir: Mari Marchbanks; Cast: Kira Pozehl,
Jessica Roque, Gabriel Luna, Bhagirit Crow.

This intricate narrative subtly plots its way through the lives of
three teens and their families, showing the connections that turn
disparate households into a neighborhood.

La Sierra Dir: Scott Dalton.

An intimate, unflinching portrait of three lives defined by
violence, and a community wracked by conflict. Over the course of a
year, in a Columbian barrio where thousands are killed each year,
these lives each undergo profound changes ranging from victory, to
death, to hope.

Light from the East Dir: Amy Grappell.

In August, 1991 a troupe of young American actors travel to
Ukraine to participate in one of the first cultural exchange theatre
projects in Soviet history.

Troop 1500 Dir: Ellen Spiro.

The story of a unique girl scout troop whose mothers are in prison
in Gatesville, Texas.

Discoveries From Down Under

Giving it All Away Dir: Paul Davidson.

The remarkable story of philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie and his
father JR. A beautifully crafted film telling a story of wealth,
achievement, generosity and caring about others.

Josh Jarman Dir: Pip Mushin.

Josh Jarman is a struggling playwright desperate to make it big.
One day, out of the blue, Josh's luck changes.

Somersault Dir: Cate Shortland; Cast: Abbie Cornish, Sam
Worthington, Lynette Curran, Erik Thomson.

New experiences help a young girl learn the differences between
sex and love.

Thunderstruck Dir: Darren Ashton.

Five boys, all devoted AC/DC fans, make a pact to bury their best
friend next to the grave of Bon Scott.

'Round Midnight

The Aristocrats Dir: Paul Provenza.

Dozens of famous comedians tell different variations of the same,
legendary joke in filthy and graphic detail.

Dead Birds Dir: Alex Turner; Cast: Henry Thomas, Isaiah
Washington, Patrick Fugit, Nicki Lynn Aycox.

After robbing a bank, a group of Confederate soldiers seek refuge
in an abandoned plantation haunted by supernatural forces.

Reeker Dir: David Payne; Cast: Eric Mabius, Scott Whyte,
Tina Illman, Derek Richardson, Devon Gummersall.

When a lonely highway is inexplicably closed, five students
sharing a ride to a desert rave find themselves trapped at a recently
deserted travel oasis. Led by a blind grad student with heightened
senses, they must survive the night and confront what appears to be
a terrifying abyss between the living and the dead.

The Roost Dir: Ti West.

Four friends on their way to a wedding find themselves marooned on
a mysterious farm. Creatures of the night awaken and the undead rise,
as a night of relentless horror begins.

Unleashed Dir: Louis Leterrier; Cast: Jet Li, Morgan
Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon.

Danny, is raised by a gangster to be a violent killing machine.
When he has a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner, he
experiences true kindness and compassion for the first time - and
breaks from the underworld to go live with the piano tuner and his
family.

et tu, Danny Elfman?

2005-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Berlin Film Fest is causing quite a stir this year with films about Palestinian suicide bombers, African genocides, and dead French presidents. But the lamest headline award goes to The Final Days: Berlin cheers anti-Nazi film.

We here at Film Light advise you to instead of watching Search for the Pearl a reality tv show featuring more talentless posers to rent
Festival Express, out recently on dvd.

The 500 millioneth award to be called "a harbinger to the Oscar": A Very Long Engagement wins The American Society of Cinematographers Award.

Investors for Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry sue
director for lack of profits...? A 2.5 hour documentary NOT BEING COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL?! It's like I don't even know what to believe in anymore!

The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, says brothers Marc Abrams and Russell Abrams were misled to think Butler and producers were trying to make a commercially successful film.

Instead, the Abrams brothers allege in their lawsuit, "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry" was intended primarily to
influence the 2004 presidential election in favor of the Democratic Massachusetts senator.

Russell Crowe/Nicole Kidman vehicle scrapped due to script sucking. Huh? Did these two just get around to seeing Gladiator and the Stepford Wives remake?

Closeted gay man sets self on fire as homage to Fight Club.

Former NY Times movie critic, Elvis Mitchell gets sweet studio job.

Husband and wife team Daniel Day Lewis and Rebecca Milleer promote their new film, Ballad of Jack and Rose.

My birthday is this week and all I want is a LOHAN BARBIE!

Breaking News: Scientologists are Still Crazy. Thank you.

"I intend to make Scientology as accessible to as many people as I can. And that is my goal," [To do this] it is my "duty to clear the planet." By "clearing" she means to rid the world of "body thetans"; (aliens who Scientologists believe inhabit the earth from a nuclear explosion 75 million years ago) ... "the more successful I became, the more suppression I bumped into; especially in the entertainment industry, which really is home to rabid suppression." --Jenna Elfman

Oscar-Bo Boscar

2005-02-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

If you can Outguess Rogert Ebert's Oscar picks you can win a trip to Mexico. Even though I am feeling extra cocky in my picks this year I will not be doing any bodyshots off Roeper (no matter how much he begs).

Bored with Oscar hoo-hah and live in your Mom's basement? Then check out Toys in Babeland's 2005 Porn Awards.

Intense Hal Hartley article/interview from New York Metro

2005-02-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hartley explains that the future consumer dystopia of The Girl From Monday was inspired by—and shot in—the advertising-addled world outside his window. “The evil empire’s headquarters in the movie,” he says, pointing to an unfinished office building on the far shore of the Hudson, “is right there.”

Indiewire reports that Goldwyn and Sony partner for new Baumbach film.

2005-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

"Noah has created a remarkable picture," said Samuel Goldwyn Jr. in a statement. "One that is tender, funny and ultimately moving. We're elated to be working with Noah on this film and we know it has something in it that will touch everyone who sees it."

!

Bruce LaBruce

2005-02-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that as soon as I am not working for the man (i.e. on the clock), I will post something about the new Bruce LaBruce film. If there's one thing I don't want my co-workers seeing on my computer screen it's um the art of Bruce LaBruce.

More on the RASPBERRY RIECH asap.

xo

2005 BAFTA winners

2005-02-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

BAFTA winners:

Actor in a Supporting Role Clive Owen (Closer)

Actress in a Supporting Role Cate Blanchett (The Aviator)

Production Design Dante Ferretti (The Aviator)

The Carl Foreman Award Amma Asante (Director/Writer for A Way of Life)

The Orange Film of the Year Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Angela Allen

Special Visual Effects The Day After Tomorrow (Karen E Goulekas, Neil Corbould, Greg Strause & Remo Balcells)

Film Not in the English Language The Motorcycle Diaries (Michael Nozik, Edgard Tenembaum, Karen Tenkhoff & Walter Salles)

The Alexander Korda Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year My Summer of Love (Tanya Seghatchian, Christopher Collins & Pawel Pawlikowski)

The Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music The Motorcycle Diaries (Gustavo Santaolalla)

Screenplay - Original Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Charlie Kaufman)

Screenplay - Adapted Sideways (Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor)

The David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction Mike Leigh (Vera Drake)

Actor in a Leading Role Jamie Foxx (Ray)

Actress in a Leading Role Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake)

Best Film The Aviator (Michael Mann, Sandy Climan, Graham King & Charles Evans Jnr)

BAFTA Fellowship John Barry

Costume Design Vera Drake (Jacqueline Durran)

Make-Up & Hair The Aviator (Morag Ross, Kathryn Blondell & Sian Grigg)

Cinematography Collateral (Dion Beebe & Paul Cameron)

Short Film The Banker (Kelly Broad & Hattie Dalton)

Short Animation Birthday Boy (Andrew Gregory & Sejong Park)

Sound Ray (Steve Cantamessa, Scott Millan, Greg Orloff & Bob Beemer)

Editing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Valdís Óskarsdóttir)

Moments after this photo was taken Mischa Barton threw several pieces of furniture into a swimming pool. "AWRRRR!"

How I spent my Sunday hangover

2005-02-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

Saw the great Tripping with Caveh this weekend as part of the SF Independent Film Fest wherein folk singer Will Oldham and local film-maker Caveh Zahedi take hallucinogenic mushrooms and goof around Richard Linklater's expansive Austin ranch for a day. Rumor has it the short film was shot as a test pilot for an IFC series by the same name that would involve profesional personality Zahedi tripping with all sorts of celebrities. First on my wishlist: John Kerry, Paris Hilton, and Madeline Albright. FilmMaker Slog interviews Zahedi here.

I was also quite lucky to catch a sneak peek of Bardot a Go Go, our very own Pink Frankenstein's documentary about 60's French Pop music where he interviews some of the main players of that scene (Antoine, Jean-Marie Périer) and seemingly got access to France's entire television archive including one hilarious interview where Francoise Hardy's sweater is interrogated and heartily inspected by a dead ringer for Donna Reed.

And was also vaguely frightened by the frenzy crowd lining up outside for Devil and Daniel Johnston.

(a slight exaggeration)

Are you there, Clarissa? It's me, Erin...

2005-02-14T02:55:00.000-08:00

The Guardian reports that the Oscars this year will be an exercise of I'm Okay, You're Okay... but with less of that fucking obnoxious soapboxing.

A "wardrobe malfunction" during a half-time performance by Janet Jackson led to the singer's breast "popping out" of her costume during last year's Superbowl performance; worried by the precedent, and by the traditions of actors making quasi-political statements as part of their acceptance speeches, ABC made the Academy agree to a seven-second delay in its "live" broadcast. A new deal giving ABC rights to broadcast the event until 2014 did not stipulate the delay, though the broadcaster remains free to use one if it wishes.

Is it just me or is the "wardrobe malfunction" becoming the new "...then the terrorists win!!" in terms of excusing stupid, self-aggrandizing behavior? Michael Powell resigned, you jerk-asses. Political speech (though grating) is no longer a federal offense! I know just what these suckers need...

Nickelodeon launches 'Rewind Collection' with 1st Season of Clarissa Explains it All

Anyone who doesn't remember her pre-Bridezilla please get thee to a video store and witness Melissa Joan Hart channeling the 'tween girl version of Larry David in stylin' early 90's couture.

Add to the HELL YEAH file:

2005-02-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

Agnes Varda has a new film at Rotterdam Film Fest!

The trilogy Cinévardaphoto is an intriguing ode to Varda's first love: photography. In three short films, made in forty years, she investigates the still image. Not in the form of a monologue, but repeatedly in dialogue with the viewer and his experience.

My new favorite movie: Gay Boyfriend (thanks, Amy)

And in case you were wondering who America's favorite counter-cultural nutrionist Dr. Mercola is predicting for the Oscar winner, it's Supersize Me (duh)! But had he been a part of the voting academy this season he also writes in this week's newsletter that he would write in the title Sweet Misery. Of course you would, Mercola!

Constantine: Weighing the Good and Evil

2005-02-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure if I was going to see Constantine when it comes out: on one hand, I like comic book geekiness, complete with demons and dragons and all that fanboy stuff. But on the other hand, there's Keanu. (He's like the devil's pact of actors: so nice to look at, sometimes so painful to see act!) But the amazing Tilda Swinton plays the archangel Gabriel, and that ups the cred of the film tenscore in my opinion. (The woman worked closely with avant-garde great Derek Jarman, for God's sake!) And in this great NYTimes interview she talks about the potential for the film to be a "radical political film." At a time when politicians are throwing around terms like "good" and "evil," I'm naturally curious if there's some sort of subversive comment on power. And who doesn't want to know if Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, aka Mr. Gwen Stefani, can actually act?

Bardot A Gogo lives!

2005-02-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Come see Film Light's own Pink Frankenstein preview his documentary, Bardot A Gogo: the History of 60's French Music as part of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival's shorts series Tripping with Strangers at the Roxie Cinema next Sunday.

SAG Awards

2005-02-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

You might not have noticed the SAG awards last night over the deafening laughter of Paris Hilton hosting SNL (well, Ithought she was great!) so here is the full list of winners. Please ignore all brouhaha about the SAG winners always taking the Oscars. My money is on Don Cheadle.

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Jamie Foxx / RAY - Ray Charles Universal Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Hilary Swank / MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Maggie Warner
Bros.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Morgan Freeman / MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Scrap Warner
Bros.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett / THE AVIATOR - Katharine Hepburn Miramax
Films

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
SIDEWAYS Fox Searchlight Pictures
Thomas Haden Church - Jack
Paul Giamatti - Miles
Virginia Madsen - Maya
Sandra Oh - Stephanie

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Geoffrey Rush / THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS - Peter
Sellers HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Glenn Close / THE LION IN WINTER - Eleanor Of Aquitaine
Showtime

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Jerry Orbach / LAW & ORDER - Detective Lennie Briscoe
NBC

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Garner / ALIAS - Sydney Bristow ABC

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Shalhoub / MONK - Adrian Monk USA

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Teri Hatcher / DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - Susan Mayer ABC

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION CBS
Gary Dourdan - Warrick Brown
George Eads - Nick Stokes
Jorja Fox - Sara Sidle
Paul Guilfoyle - Jim Brass
Robert David Hall - Dr. Robbins
Marg Helgenberger - Catherine Willows
William Petersen - Gil Grissom
Eric Szmanda - Greg Sanders

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC
Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer
Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Carlos Solis
Marcia Cross - Bree Van De Kamp
Steven Culp - Rex Van De Kamp
James Denton - Mike Delfino
Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer
Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo
Cody Kasch - Zach Young
Eva Longoria - Gabrielle Solis
Jesse Metcalfe - John the Gardener
Mark Moses - Paul Young
Nicollette Sheridan - Edie Britt
Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young

Screen Actors Guild Awards 41st Annual Life Achievement Award
James Garner

A few things to wind down from the the Superbowl with...

2005-02-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed screens as part of POV's tribute to Black History month.

This documentary recaptures the times and spirit of a watershed event in American politics, when Shirley Chisholm, an African-American woman, dared to take an equal place on the presidential dais. The New York Democratic congresswoman's bid engendered strong and sometimes bigoted opposition, setting off currents that affect American politics and social perceptions to this day.

Check your local listings: PBS // Official site.

The Winter 2005 edition of FilmMaker magazine profiles Maya Churi and discusses her newest work, Forest Grove an interactive animation for web and film. Hope you got Flash, sucka.

2005-02-05T01:08:00.001-08:00

NY Times weighs who the Oscar would go to for Best Product Placement

Sure, You Can Watch the Oscars, but Can You See All the Nominated Movies? Attemps to address one of the many conflicts that arise when it takes a giant media machine to excite film audiences.

"It's a money-driven situation," said Marian Koltai-Levine, executive vice president for marketing at Fine
Line. "We're able to distribute the pictures where we can get box office."

But the inability of moviegoers beyond both coasts to see this year's nominated films has been a thorny issue for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, sponsor of the Academy Awards, and never more so than this year.

Ratings for another awards program, the Golden Globes, dropped nearly 40 percent in January, even though the show was heavily promoted by NBC, and its red-carpet arrivals were also covered by two cable networks. The Hollywood Reporter, an industry trade publication, attributed the drop to the absence from theaters of a spate of low-profile films.

Robin Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penelope Cruz, Zhang Ziyi and Halle Berry all tapped to present at Oscars.

The Australian Daily Telegraph accuses Cate Blanchett of being on a "charm offensive". Oh, snap!

ReadABet.com advises you on how to bet on this year's ceremonies.

Or if you prefer, Gothamist has put together a simple Oscar Drinking Game.

In non-Oscar news..

2005-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Veteran actor and activist Ossie Davis dies at age 87

Films today are ' crap ', Dustin Hoffman complains... from his press junket for Meet the Fockers.

Hollywood Reporter reports on the new James Bond film:

The 21st James Bond film has a title: Casino Royale , which also was the title of Ian Fleming 's first
James Bond novel, published in 1953. The novel was adapted into a 1954 television show and Columbia Pictures' 1967 spy spoof Casino Royale , which starred Peter Sellers ,Woody Allen and David Niven . But because it was the only Bond novel not sold to Cubby Broccoli's Eon Productions., it never became the basis for one of Eon's long-running Bond adventures. In 1999, MGM acquired the title and rights in a settlement with Sony. Martin Campbell , who directed the Bond film GoldenEye , is on board to direct. No decision has been made yet regarding casting for the role of James Bond.

What did the five fingers say to the face? SLAP!

2005-02-04T02:56:00.000-08:00

Popbitch reports: Dave Chappelle is linking up with director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine, Human Nature, and many awesome music videos) for a project described as sketch comedy set to music performances, inspired by Richard Pryor's 1973 documentary Wattstax. Dave Chappelle speaks to Fresh Air.

This Week in American History..

2005-02-03T02:43:00.000-08:00

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this week marks the 27 year anniversary of Roman Polanski fleeing the country after being accused of drugging and raping an underage girl. Less glossy.

Also, Happy Groundhogs Day!