Over at his CinemaTech blog, Scott Kirsner posts a video interview with Mark Stern, owner of Big Picture, the Seattle-based company that runs "21 and older" theaters that are more like private clubs or studio screening rooms than today's multiplexes.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/31/2007 11:37:00 PM Comments (1)

The great Michelangelo Antonioni, director of such films as L'Avventura, Red Desert, Blow-Up and The Passenger, died in Italy yesterday. He was 94.

The New York Times in its obituary quotes Jack Nicholson's remarks on the director when he presented him with a career Oscar:

'In the empty, silent spaces of the world, he has found metaphors that illuminate the silent places our hearts, and found in them, too, a strange and terrible beauty: austere, elegant, enigmatic, haunting."

As they did for Ingmar Bergman, another art-house titan who, stunningly, died just a few hours before Antonioni, The Guardian has set up a special section devoted to the director. From the site is Penelope Houston's obituary that includes this quote about his 1955 movie L'Amiche but could just as well apply to his body of work as a whole:

Already the elements of this fastidious craftsman's style were locked in place: the awareness of landscapes, usually melancholy, the sense of people drifting through time and space, but held always under the tightest control, the persistence of vision. "I need to follow my characters beyond the moments conventionally considered important," he said, "to show them even when everything appears to have been said".

GreenCine's coverage is here, and one piece the site has linked to is this Michael Atkinson appreciation of Nuri Bilge Ceylan -- proof of the continuing influence of Antonioni on younger filmmakers. Indeed, while Antonioni hailed from an earlier conception of art cinema -- his films virtually demand to be seen not on video but on a movie screen, where their deliberate pacing, attention to sound design and precise framing evolve into a hypnotic critique of the modern world -- the questions he asked in his films are more relevant than ever.

If I had to name a single favorite film, it would most likely be his The Passenger, in which Jack Nicholson plays a reporter who impulsively assumes the identity of a similarly featured dead man -- a gun runner -- and allows that man's appointment book to dictate his drift through North Africa and Europe. The film was re-released last year by Sony Pictures Classics, and I hadn't seen it in years. My memory of the film was solid, but when I screened it at 20 years old I was compelled by its thinking about the ways in which the Western media represents the third world. The theorist and filmmaker Peter Wollen had co-written the screenplay, and embedded within its story and Antonioni's compositions was an essay on the ideologies of the narratives we create for ourselves. When I watched it again, so many years later, these ideas were all still there, of course. But I hadn't remembered how purely beautiful, emotional, and finally devastating the film is, from its carefree moments of abandon with Maria Schneider in a convertible to Nicholson's concluding, crushing monologue in which, clearly consumed by depression, he recounts the story of a blind man who, after suddenly regaining his sight, becomes disenchanted with the world around him. At the end of this film, Antonioni staged perhaps his most famous shot in which the camera departs the film's deceased protagonist, melts through a wall and, like our world, lives on.

Although crippled by a stroke and rendered aphasic, Antonioni, who began his career as a reporter, continued to make films throughout his years, sometimes with the help of supporters like Wim Wenders. (Wenders' book My Time with Antonioni is a curious, at times quite sad, but ultimately illuminating portrait of the filmmaking process.) If, by any chance, you are unfamiliar with his work, please take some time to discover them, starting with the titles I listed above.

Labels: obituaries

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/31/2007 10:26:00 AM Comments (0)

It's difficult to adequately classify Them, the debut from French directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud which has been a recent sensation on the film festival circuit. It will probably be labeled a horror movie, but it is so much smarter, tighter and more intense than the vast majority of other genre offerings.

Moreau and Palud set out to tell the story of a young teacher and her boyfriend being terrorized by a person (or is it people?) in a large, isolated mansion just outside Bucharest with a minimum of frills. They dispense with the usual manipulative orchestral score found in every other chiller, and opt for simple visuals with no special effects rather than showy, CGI-laden cinematography. The film's dark, sometimes grainy look and handheld photography recall The Blair Witch Project, a parallel which is even more apt because of the film's claim that it is based on real-life events. From its attention-grabbing opening sequence onwards, Moreau and Palud stay in complete control of the action — and their audience's pulse rates — all the way to the film's perfectly-pitched climax.

On the strength of the raw talent they displayed in Them, the Gallic pair were signed up by Lionsgate to remake Danny and Oxide Pang's The Eye as a vehicle for Jessica Alba. If you want to see how Moreau and Palud will adapt to Hollywood filmmaking, you'll have to wait until February 2008, but in the meantime you should definitely try and catch Them. This Thursday, it has a special preview screening at the Lincoln Center, after which it opens in Portland, Oregon and then makes its way around the country (details can be found on the film's website)

# posted by Nick Dawson @ 7/30/2007 03:15:00 PM Comments (0)

One of the titans of 20th century cinema has passed away. Ingmar Bergman died at his home off the coast of Sweden at 89.

Here's the AP report.

A growing list of links at GreenCine offers many perspectives on and remembrances of the great director, including the following passage from Mervyn Rothstein's obituary in the New York Times:

Mr. Bergman dealt with pain and torment, desire and religion, evil and love; in Mr. Bergman’s films, “this world is a place where faith is tenuous; communication, elusive; and self-knowledge, illusory,” Michiko Kakutani wrote in The New York Times Magazine in a profile of the director. God is either silent or malevolent; men and women are creatures and prisoners of their desires.

For many filmgoers and critics, it was Mr. Bergman more than any other director who in the 1950s brought a new seriousness to film making.

“Bergman was the first to bring metaphysics — religion, death, existentialism — to the screen,” Bertrand Tavernier, the French film director, once said. “But the best of Bergman is the way he speaks of women, of the relationship between men and women. He’s like a miner digging in search of purity.”

He influenced many other film makers, including Woody Allen, who according to The Associated Press said in a tribute in 1988 that Mr. Bergman was “probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera.”

The Guardian has created a special Bergman section where you can find much information as well as, on Andrew Pulver's blog, this collection of clips from some of Bergman's greatest films, including The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Fanny and Alexander, and Cries and Whispers.

I've embedded below a clip from Persona, which Pulver introduces thusly:

This brooding mid-60s masterpiece is a key statement on identity and human dependency. An actress (Liv Ullmann) loses the power of speech; her nurse (Bibi Andersson) obsessively tries to help her recover; a strange kind of personality exchange takes place, as Bergman marshals a battery of cinematically self-conscious devices to underscore the fictional nature of what he is presenting. In many ways, Bergman at his most archetypal -- including those amazing intertwining head shots, that no one could get away with now.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/30/2007 11:12:00 AM Comments (1)

Here's some footage from comic-con for the much anticipated Blade Runner: Final Cut DVD. Read Scott's post below for all the DVD details. I just can't believe Harrison Ford agreed to be interviewed! You can also check out those new scenes he was filming with Joanna Cassidy as well. Fanboys hold tight for December 18th.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/29/2007 12:00:00 PM Comments (2)

There's a new issue of Sight and Sound up and now the BFI has posted selected pieces online. One is a great interview Amy Taubin did with Gus Van Sant about Van Sant's thoughts on -- and similarities to -- Andy Warhol.

While Taubin refers to Van Sant as "the most Warhol-like filmmaker around," Van Sant says his original inspirations were quite different than the work of the great conceptual and Pop artist.

When I started to try to make films, though, the scripts I wrote were John Cheever-esque stories about the place I came from - upper middle class, golf, country clubs. That's what fascinated me, but I never got to make any of them. Alice in Hollywood was my first film, and it was a reaction to living in Hollywood. It didn't do so well because it was a comedy and it wasn't very funny. So Mala Noche was like a regrouping and starting again. The setting and subject matter are something that might be in a Warhol movie but the technique was coming from Schlesinger or Bertolucci or Carol Reed. Midnight Cowboy, Last Tango in Paris and The Third Man were the three films I'd watch over and over again while I was constructing the story.

Later, there's this great passage, though, in which Van Sant thinks about the reasons which people compare him to Warhol:

One of the comparisons you could make between Warhol and me is that we had a similar manner. I never really met him, but some of his close friends call us alter egos. I think it's the way we hold ourselves and experience life - we're both timid and adventurous at the same time. Lance Loud said Andy always looked as if he'd been left in the lurch, and when I'm in a club that's how I look, even when I don't feel that way.

So certain similarities in the art come from that. One of my old boyfriends used to point out that everyone's personality becomes their style, and when you're in your 40s you begin to play with that. Like shyness becomes your style - it's your method of operation. So I don't think the similarities you see in the work are direct - like the influence specifically of his films on mine - but it's more that we had certain psychological similarities and they come out in the work as similarities in style. In my recent films I've been letting the camera roll forever, like he did in My Hustler. When I saw it originally I just thought it was a cheap way to make a movie, but later it felt good to do it: to shoot and not cut away, to keep watching.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/28/2007 12:25:00 PM Comments (0)

On the day of its opening the new Lindsay Lohan movie, I Know who Killed Me, has managed to score a big fat zero on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe as the critics who were denied permission by Tri-Star to pre-screen the movie for reviews catch up with it the score will edge up... but, for the moment, the pic seems to have scored the unattainable. In our long-tailed world of a million and one tastes, it would seem impossible to make a film that simply nobody likes. If you believe the tomato squad, however, it's been done.

As for me, well, after reading the reviews posted already, I really want to see this movie. I mean, would you take this review by Erik Childress to be a negative one?

Just imagine the worst possible idea for a Parent Trap sequel that manages to combine elements of Stigmata, Dune, The Empire Strikes Back, The Corsican Brothers and Blue Man Group. Yeah, this is a serious “Holy Shit!” kind of movie.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/27/2007 06:24:00 PM Comments (3)

Maybe companies have been doing this for a while, but I'd never seen it before until tonight. On the subway poster for the live-action Bratz movie, there's a tag at the bottom where a website URL might normally be. "NYSE:LGF" it says, handily giving the tween girl Bratz audience the stock market symbol for distributor Lion's Gate Films.

Other news from Lions Gate: the distributor has purchased a stake in indie distributor Roadside Attractions, which previously released its films through the IDP partnership.

Shares of Lions Gate moved up by almost a point today to close at 11.21.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/27/2007 12:28:00 AM Comments (1)

After years of fanboy speculation and internet chatter, Blade Runner: The Final Cut will debut theatrically in New York and L.A. on October 5 and on DVD from Warner Home VideoDecember 18. The slow-burning classic will receive three separate DVD editions: a two-disk Special Edition, a four-disk Collector's Edition, and a five-disk Ultimate Collectors Edition.

I first saw Blade Runner on its theatrical release many years ago. At the time I was underwhelmed. As a big Philip K. Dick fan, I didn't like the noir tone that replaced the schlubby melodrama and cosmic satire of Dick's novel. Over the years, however, the film has grown on me tremendously. Its production design and representation of a future Los Angeles have proved influential all across the film and visual arts. And, like all great films, I've found that its meanings have changed with me as I've grown older. When I first saw the film I was tricked into thinking its operative questions were the standard sci-fi ones. With regards to Rutger Hauer's replicant character, the film was asking, I thought, "Is he human? And, if so, what are the philosophical dimensions of that question?" Years later watching that final scene with Ford and Hauer in the rain, I realized, duh, it's not "Is he human." It's, "Are we human? And what are the philosophical implications of that."

For those who this fall want to ponder all of this (and just geek out in general), here, from the press release, are the details:

Disc One

RIDLEY SCOTT'S ALL-NEW "FINAL CUT" VERSION OF THE FILM

Restored and remastered with added & extended scenes, added lines, new and cleaner special effects and all new 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Also includes:

Commentary by Ridley Scott
Commentary by Executive Producer/ Co-Screenwriter Hampton Fancher and Co-Screenwriter David Peoples; Producer Michael Deely and production executive Katherine Haber
Commentaries by visual futurist Syd Mead; production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special photographic effects supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer


Disc Two

DOCUMENTARY DANGEROUS DAYS: MAKING BLADE RUNNER

A feature-length authoritative documentary revealing all the elements that shaped this hugely influential cinema landmark. Cast, crew, critics and colleagues give a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the film -- from its literary roots and inception through casting, production, visuals and special effects to its controversial legacy and place in Hollywood history.


BLADE RUNNER: COLLECTOR’S EDITION (4-DISC)

The Four-Disc Collector's Edition includes everything from the 2-Disc Special Edition plus three additional versions of the film, as well as an “Enhancement Archive” bonus disc of enhanced content that includes 90 minutes of deleted footage and rare or never-before-seen items in featurettes and galleries that cover the film's amazing history, production teams, special effects, impact on society, promotional trailers, TV spots, and much more.


Disc Three

1982 THEATRICAL VERSION

This is the version that introduced U.S. movie-going audiences to a revolutionary film with a new and excitingly provocative vision of the near-future. It contains Deckard/Harrison Ford’s character narration and has Deckard and Rachel’s (Sean Young) “happy ending” escape scene.


1982 INTERNATIONAL VERSION

Also used on U.S. home video, laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992. This version is not rated, and contains some extended action scenes in contrast to the Theatrical Version.


1992 DIRECTOR'S CUT

The Director's Cut omits Deckard's voiceover narration and removes the "happy ending" finale. It adds the famously-controversial "unicorn" sequence, a vision that Deckard has which suggests that he, too, may be a replicant.


Disc Four

BONUS DISC - “Enhancement Archive”

Featurette The Electric Dreamer: Remembering Philip K. Dick
Featurette Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel vs. The Film
Philip K. Dick: The Blade Runner Interviews (Audio)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Cover Gallery (Images)
The Art of Blade Runner (Image Galleries)
Featurette Signs of the Times: Graphic Design
Featurette Fashion Forward: Wardrobe & Styling
Screen Tests: Rachel & Pris
Featurette The Light That Burns: Remembering Jordan Cronenweth
Unit Photography Gallery
Deleted & Alternate Scenes
1982 Promotional Featurettes
Trailers & TV Spots
Featurette Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art
Marketing & Merchandise Gallery (Images)
Featurette Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
Featurette Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers


BLADE RUNNER: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION (5-DISC)

The 5-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition includes everything from the previously described

4-Disc Edition, plus the ultra-rare, near-legendary WORKPRINT version of the film, newly remastered. The Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be presented in a unique 5-disc digi-package with handle which is a stylish version of Rick Deckard's own briefcase, in addition each briefcase will be individually numbered and in limited supply. Included is a lenticular motion film clip from the original feature, miniature origami unicorn figurine, miniature replica spinner car, collector's photographs as well as a signed personal letter from Sir Ridley Scott.


Disc Five

WORKPRINT VERSION

This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending,” altered lines between Batty (Rutger Hauer) and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more.

Also includes:



• Commentary by Paul M. Sammon, author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner

• Featurette "All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut"

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/26/2007 12:05:00 AM Comments (3)

Picture New York, the group mobilizing to oppose the new regulations restricting the right of filmmakers, photographers, and amateur videomakers to shoot on the streets of New York, has launched their website. The site includes information about the proposed changes as well as details of an upcoming rally and other events staged to demonstrate the community's opposition to the rules.

They also have an online petition you can sign to register your own opposition. So far, the petition has drawn a great cross section of people, from documentarians to IA d.p.'s to people from the tourism industry.

The site also contains Juliana Luecking's video response to the proposal which I'm embedding below.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/25/2007 11:24:00 PM Comments (9)

I really can't wait to see this film...just can't.

Here's the trailer.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/24/2007 10:52:00 PM Comments (1)

Angry Filmmaker Kelley Baker, who has written and directed three full length features, is going on tour offering filmmaking workshops to raise money for his new book, Angry Filmmaker’s Survival Guide. The book provides new filmmakers with a practical, step-by-step guide to independent filmmaking while commenting on the state of the indie film world. Why is he angry? Because the world of independent film has become commercialized and mainstream; “the word ‘indie’ has become a marketing phrase,” according to Kelley.
Starting tomorrow, Kelly will be on tour in California and Texas offering the following workshops: Sound Design for Independent Features; Making the Personal Short Film; Making the Extremely Low Budget Feature; and Guerilla Marketing and Distribution. For scheduling information, blogs about the tour, or to make a donation, got to www.angryfilmmaker.com.

# posted by Michal Zebede @ 7/24/2007 02:33:00 PM Comments (3)

Check out the trailer for Wes Anderson's new flick here.

Looks very Wes Andersony.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/24/2007 12:50:00 PM Comments (1)

For those looking to do something later this week in New York, Emerging Pictures will be holding a special screening for their upcoming film Laura Smiles Thursday, July 26th @ 7:30 at Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick St.). To RSVP call 212-245-6767 or email distribution@emergingpictures.com.

Here's a brief synopsis:

The film tells the story of one woman's attempt to reinvent her life after a personal tragedy. It takes many years, but finally the dormant emotions that this tragedy has inspired find their way to the surface, causing Laura's life to spiral out of control. Violence, sex and other forms of self-destructive behavior become her method for dealing with these long repressed feelings. When all else fails, she runs to the only place that is safe -- the past.

The film stars Kip Pardue, Jonathan Silverman, Mark Derwin and Petra Wright as Laura and is directed by Jason Ruscio. It has gained much buzz on the regional fest circuit, playing at Tribeca, The Hamptons and winning Best Dramatic Feature at the Vail Film Festival along with an Emerging Filmmaker prize at the Denver Film Festival.

To learn more about the film and see the trailer go to the film's website.

# posted by Jason Guerrasio @ 7/24/2007 10:21:00 AM Comments (0)

If you're in New York tomorrow night come and check out an evening we are co-hosting with the IFC Center that's dedicated to one of the most vital film artists working in New York City today: Jem Cohen.

Here's what the press release says:

"An Evening with Jem Cohen" features the acclaimed filmmaker of Chain, Benjamin Smoke, and Lost Book Found in person to present the New York premiere of his new documentary BUILDING A BROKEN MOUSTRAP, a portrait of the Dutch band The Ex, which Cohen describes as "Concert film. City film. Protest film." With a stylistically unique but ultimately humanistic approach, Cohen has been documenting artists, musicians and urban culture for more than twenty years. His collaborations with Fugazi, Vic Chesnutt, Elliott Smith, Smoke, Cat Power and others are striking examples of his ability to translate music into a visual medium. The evening also includes some new and recent short films.

I first came across Jem's work in the late '80s when I saw his This is a History of New York. Since then I've admired the various strands of Jem's career, from his poetic street reportage to his collaborations with a series of great bands and musicians His work has spanned the heyday of music video and somehow he managed to keep his head during this era's enticements and obscenities to keep producing films of real value and values. Jem's done amazing filmmaking in the almost 20 years since that early short, This is a History of New York, but this quote from Steve Seid about that piece seems like a nice entry to quote as an introduction:

"The richness of Cohen's vision is found in his haunting imagery and the perception that the thriving city of New York is really the accumulation of humanity's failures, as well as its triumphs."

If you don't know Jem's work and would like to sample before viewing, Bilge Ebiri's pick of the evening in New York contains a short film. He posts on the magazine's site Little Flags, which Jem made in 2000.

From Ebiri:

From the World Trade Center towers looming in the background, to the errant bits of paper drifting through the air, to the spectators’ blustery apparel (matching “Fuck Saddam” T-shirts!), to the young woman sitting forlornly on the ground, seemingly overwhelmed, to the little American flags of the title that gradually become refuse, Cohen manages to say more about the desperate times we’re living in than pretty much any other film of recent vintage, narrative, documentary, or otherwise.

The show begins at 7:30 at the IFC Center, 3rd Street and 6th Avenue.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/23/2007 03:14:00 PM Comments (0)

Over at her Deadline Hollywood Daily, Nikki Finke has a short post about btewing complications in some of the state film tax incentive programs. As she reports, Texas has a requirement in its program that filmmakers can't portray "Texas or Texans in a negative fashion." She also mentions the North Carolina restrictions, which we've noted previously, that require films receiving credits to adhere to "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the citizens of North Carolina."

Finke concludes by writing that the MPAA is getting involved:

The MPAA is warning that not only do these programs violate the First Amendment, they could be challenged in federal court (where taxpayers could end up paying for court costs and attorneys fees).

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/22/2007 07:18:00 PM Comments (0)

Filmmaker Errol Morris is blogging for the The New York Times. His first piece, "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire," takes the form of an essay on the concept of truth and fiction as it pertains to photography.

Here's how he begins:

Pictures are supposed to be worth a thousand words. But a picture unaccompanied by words may not mean anything at all. Do pictures provide evidence? And if so, evidence of what? And, of course, the underlying question: do they tell the truth?

I have beliefs about the photographs I see. Often – when they appear in books or newspapers – there are captions below them, or they are embedded in explanatory text. And even where there are no explicit captions on the page, there are captions in my mind. What I think I’m looking at. What I think the photograph is about.

I have often wondered: would it be possible to look at a photograph shorn of all its context, caption-less, unconnected to current thought and ideas? It would be like stumbling on a collection of photographs in a curiosity shop – pictures of people and places that we do not recognize and know nothing about. I might imagine things about the people and places in the photographs but know nothing about them. Nothing.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/21/2007 10:52:00 AM Comments (1)

The New York Mayor's Office of Film and Television provides such great support for independent filmmakers that its weird to have to write a post slamming one of their new initiatives. If you haven't heard about their new proposed rules requiring insurance and permits for an expanded group of filmmakers, however, take note.

Ray Rivera wrote about the rules on June 29 in the New York Times:

Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks.

New rules being considered by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance.

The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment.

A PDF of the proposed changes can be downloaded here.

The New York Civil Liberties Union's responsed can be read here.

An excerpt:

"This requirement makes no sense, violates the First Amendment right to photograph in public places, and opens the door to selective and discriminatory enforcement," said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman.

"We see absolutely no reason why a family visiting Ground Zero or standing in line outside the Empire State Building for half an hour should be required to obtain a permit from New York City to snap casual photographs or to use a camcorder," said NYCLU Associate Legal Director Christopher Dunn, who submitted the NYCLU's comments.

As Anthony Kaufman has reported in his blog, a group of filmmakers including Jem Cohen, Astra Taylor, Beka Economopoulos, Brandon Jourdan, Laura Hanna, and Julie Talen are helping to organize a response. They will be participating in a "Rally for the First Amendment" scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on July 27 at Union Square in Manhattan. All are welcome.

Citizens have until August 3 to register their opinions on these proposed changes. To make a statement, click on this online response form.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/20/2007 11:44:00 PM Comments (0)

Bradley Beesley and Sarah Price's wonderful doc Summercamp! started a limited run at New York's IFC Center on Wednesday, after which it moves on to screenings around the country. The film is a touching portrait of the adventures and dramas of a two-week period at a kids' nature camp in Wisconsin, and features exclusive music by The Flaming Lips. Price will also be in attendance at many of the screenings (check the IFC Center website for more details), and you are strongly recommended to catch it while you can.

# posted by Nick Dawson @ 7/20/2007 06:51:00 PM Comments (1)

I was forwarded the below email written by Elena Paul, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, that I thought should be reposted here:

Dear VLA Friends and Members,

We're sending this to all VLA members because of the nationwide importance of this New York legislation. The New York State Assembly and Senate adjourned their regular sessions yesterday without taking action on the "Dead Celebrities" bill. This is good news. This legislation would give heirs of anyone who died after January 1, 1938, the right to sue for unauthorized use in "advertising" or "for the purpose of trade" the "name, portrait, voice, signature or picture" of their deceased forbearers. It clearly poses a significant threat to First Amendment rights and, as a consequence, would impose limitations on the rights of all artists.

As a representative of the arts community, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts opposes the adoption of any such new rights. Although there was no action on the bill, it appears likely that it will be reconsidered in a special session of the legislature expected this summer. It's not too late -- nor too early for the anticipated special session - - to register your opposition to the bill: please fax your letters to the legislators listed below. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (fax: 518-455- 2448); Senator Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn, Sponsor of Senate bill) (fax: 518-426-6910); Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (fax: 518-455-5459); Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn, Sponsor of Assembly bill) (fax 518-455-5752).

I was unaware of this bill but it's clear how restrictive and limiting this would be for filmmakers exploring issues of biography, history and satire in their work. Even without this bill, filmmakers face hurdles. Whenever you get Errors and Omissions Insurance on a film there's a vague question on the form you have to fill out that asks whether you have in your movie the depiction of any living or dead actual person and whether you've followed proper release procedures. If you have a photo of dead celebrity, of course you need to get a clearance from the owner of the photograph, but if the person is a public figure most often you don't go back to their heirs. The language quoted above seems broad and vague and would add yet another troublesome layer to our already ridiculously overdetermined clearance culture.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/20/2007 11:09:00 AM Comments (0)

If you haven't checked out the main page recently, please click over there and watch Jamie Stuart's new short, 12.5 Seconds Later It's goofy and charming and, to my mind, pretty much a miracle of no-crew production. Jamie shot and edited it himself and then, for the post, used new Final Cut Pro Studio software, including its new compositing program Motion. Jamie did the short at our request -- we offered him use of a promo Apple system and in return he wrote a print review based on his experiences actually using the software to make a film. Both Jamie and that system are pictured here as he waits for the shipping guys to show up and take it away.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/19/2007 08:07:00 PM Comments (1)

Although it's not technically an independent film Danny Boyle will unveil his sci-fi flick to North American audiences this weekend. No, the film is not a cinematic epiphany, however, if you're sick of your friends dragging you to Hollywood's noisy garbage this would be a good counter.

The film is exquisitely shot and scored (By Underworld no less) and the story boasts more intelligence and emotion then all the franchise films combined.

It seems to me that films like this generally get swept under the rug due to either the summer blockbuster rat-race or the awards season pretensions.

This film is not going to be a blockbuster and it's not going home with Oscar gold. But this is a well-crafted, innovative film that's deserving a look. So take your friends to see something different this weekend.

BTW: You can read an interview with Danny Boyle by a dashing young journalist here.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/19/2007 11:51:00 AM Comments (1)

IFP announced today that the 17th Annual Gotham Awards will be held on Tuesday, November 27th in New York and have moved the location to Steiner Studios. They also announced three of this year's Gotham Awards Tributes: actor Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Love in the Time of Cholera, Before Night Falls), filmmaker Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, Salaam Bombay!) and film industry veteran Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment.

IFP will also collaborate with some of New York’s leading cultural organizations for the first time to present retrospectives of the Tribute individuals in the two weeks prior to the Awards. A retrospective of Mira Nair’s work will take place at IFC Center November 14 – 20; a showcase of some of Javier Bardem’s early films will take place at BAM Rose Cinemas at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on November 24 – 26. In both instances, Nair and Bardem will be present for public Q&As. Returning for a second year to collaborate with IFP and its publication, Filmmaker magazine, is The Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) Film Department for the presentation of the five nominees for “The Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” Award. The screenings at MoMA will be held November 16 – 19.

The Gotham Awards will be promoted nationally via a partnership with The New York Times and locally via broadcast on NYC TV.

Nominees for competitive awards will be announced on Monday, October 22.

# posted by Jason Guerrasio @ 7/19/2007 11:25:00 AM Comments (0)

The Museum of Chinese in Americas (MoCA), with New York's premiere event promoters, Elements Nightlife, will be celebrating the launch of the MoCA's Chinatown Film Project this Saturday at Jade Terrace in NYC. Hosting the event are actors Sung Kang, of the upcoming Undoing and previously of 2 Fast 2 Furious and Roger Fan, of the upcoming Finishing the Game and previously of Annapolis. Special guests include Chris Chan Lee, director of Undoing and Phil Yu of AngryAsianMan.com. Proceeds from the event will benefit MoCA/Chinatown Film Project.

The Chinatown Film Project is a three-part film and interactive media program that celebrates the diverse roles Chinatown plays in urban realities and imaginations. The project, featuring 20 filmmakers creating original short films highlighting Chinatowns all over the globe, will empower filmmakers to uncover, rediscover, and create new ways of seeing their native Chinatowns through narrative, documentary, and experimental formats.

Designed by Maya Lin, the new 12,500 sq-ft MoCA, with a special exhibition gallery, interactive family heritage kiosks, research facilities, public programs space, and more, will provide a world-class setting to give lasting visibility to the Chinese American experience.

WHERE: Jade Terrace (top floor of China Club) 268 West 46th Street at 8th Avenue
WHEN: Saturday, July 21st, 10:00pm - closing
WHO: Ladies/Guys 21+
GUESTLIST: Ladies free before 11pm/$10 before midnight. Guys $10 before 11pm/$15 before midnight

RSVP to angela@sixnyc.com or eubin@sixnyc.com for reduced guestlist by July 19th at 5pm. Questions? Please call 212.619.4785 x 106.

To learn more go to the MoCA Web site.

# posted by Jason Guerrasio @ 7/18/2007 09:13:00 AM Comments (0)

Check out the main page to read some of the stories we have in our Summer issue, which hits stands this week. Some highlights include the 25 New Faces of Independent Film, a Q&A with Rescue Dawn's Werner Herzog, a pair of great docs, Charles Ferguson's No End In Sight and Jason Kohn's Manda Bala, and Jamie Stuart takes a look at Final Cut Studio 2. Also, check out the short he made with the help of FCS2, 12.5 Seconds Later....

Another added feature we've begun is our Load & Play section where the editors and writers of Filmmaker give there take on some of the latest DVD releases. New titles will be updated often on the website along with a page dedicated to dics in the magazine.

Enjoy!

# posted by Jason Guerrasio @ 7/17/2007 11:09:00 AM Comments (1)

In an effort to distinguish its site from the anything-goes mentality of YouTube, Sony Pictures is relaunching video-sharing site Grouper by renaming it Crackle, creating "themed channels" and adding a curatorial slant.

Says this story on MSNBC:

The website will offer a slate of themed channels for users to upload material. They include Wet Paint, an edgy animation channel, Shorts, highlighting short films, and High Wire, a stand-up comedy channel.

The best High Wire submissions can win a chance to perform at the well-known Improv comedy clubs, while Shorts uploaders could win a studio development deal and get the chance to pitch feature film ideas to Columbia Pictures executives.

Animation winners could see their work being theatrically released, making them eligible for Oscars.

Videos will be encoded and shown in higher than normal quality in widescreen format, with high-definition uploads also enabled.

"The evolution of online video will bring viewers more professionally produced material," says Sean Carey, senior executive vice-president, Sony Pictures.

"Crackle will provide this next wave of creative talent a forum that will give them the exposure and recognition they seek and deserve."

This article by Jacqui Cheng at Ars Electronica has more:

By what criteria will the Crackle team decide to connect Crackle's semi-professional video producers with industry contacts? "We reward the best video creators with Crackle funding, promotion, syndication and even greater exposure to our large media partners," Crackle cofounder Josh Felser said in a statement. Some of the rewards include cash prizes for winning contests in various channels of the site in addition to opportunities to pitch ideas directly to Sony Pictures and attend conferences. Other "prizes" for excelling in various Crackle channels include a Crackle Studios development deal, pitch opportunities with Columbia Pictures, pitch opportunities to IMPROV Comedy Lab, and flights to perform in different venues.

Why did Sony decide to rebrand Grouper as a talent-scouting web site? Felser told PaidContent's Staci Kramer that attempting to make money on a user-generated video site that's not named YouTube was too difficult. "We realized user-generated video is something everybody likes to watch, but it's not a great business," he said. "User-generated is dead to us. We are out of the user-generated video business."

Over at IT Business Edge, however, Ken Hardin questions the value of Sony's planned "fame partnerships" with content creators and imagines other models for viewer-submitted content by simply running the numbers:

Bloggers have long had the tools to monetize interest in their work via Google’s AdSense and similar programs. Leading bloggers have used this revenue channel to support pretty intensive resourcing — you know, like a business, except that they aren’t backed by large corporations. Or employed by them. Now, many of these blogs are involved in networks like Federated Media and giving traditional publishers fits.

How great would it be if a similar content channel developed that financially supported talented entertainers and filmmakers who are not wired into the corporate morass that gives us Transformers and License to Wed?

Not only could new talents get seen — and perhaps join the morass, if they so wish — such a market-driven outlet would also put pressure on traditional media to get more for its $200 million movie budgets. Go ahead and support video sharing, as long as an ad or other revenue generator accompanies it.

Here’s some plausible math for you: Assuming the rough equivalent of $10 in ad revenue per thousand page impressions (which is actually kind of low) and a 40 percent revenue share to the content creator, a weekly online sitcom that gets viewed 1 million times (here’s a video of a green laser pen that’s been viewed more than 1 million times since yesterday on YouTube, so it can happen) would generate $4,000 a week for the copyright holder. That’s not going to buy you a weekend house in Malibu, but it might well allow a talented group of people to keep plugging away in Des Moines.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/16/2007 10:59:00 PM Comments (1)

Applications for the annual IFP/Seattle Spotlight Awards are now being accepted until July 30, 2007. The Spotlight Award is given to one Northwest filmmaker based on a script and production plan. IFP/Seattle will provide the winner with full funding and services for the production of one short film. For details, visit the IFP/Seattle web site; e-mail questions to spotlight@ifpseattle.org.

# posted by Michal Zebede @ 7/16/2007 11:53:00 AM Comments (0)

Variety recently ran an article about how declining opinions of America's behavior worldwide are affecting international audience's attitudes towards American films. But perhaps international audiences are simply reacting to artfully crafted image campaigns promoting our competition. See, for example, the promo reel below that the E.U. Media program created to tout its accomplishments in the promotion of Euro films.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/12/2007 10:22:00 PM Comments (1)

Jamie Stuart emailed a question about the upcoming writer's strike, wondering whether it will provide opportunities for independents looking for both work and to expand the boundaries of network programming.

He wrote:

Since the last TV strike (or was it threatened strike?) brought about reality TV, what's the probability that the studios and networks will simply dive into the pool of cheap online talent to fill out their rosters?

I dunno... discuss.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/12/2007 04:28:00 PM Comments (3)

If you missed it, below is Michael Moore's outraged appearance on Wolf Blitzer's CNN show. After watching, check out Moore's web site for his rejoinder to the report by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Sicko that CNN preceded Moore's appearance with.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/12/2007 01:16:00 AM Comments (2)

BoingBoing documents an eccentric patent war in this post about two companies facing off over the right to rent inflatable dummies for movie crowd scenes.

It starts with this story on CNN by Elizabeth Wright:

You've seen them in Million-Dollar Baby, Be Cool, and Ocean's 13: stands crammed with spectators cheering for the hero. But in the movies, sometimes not even the extras are real. To cut costs, filmmakers dress up inflatable vinyl torsos to intersperse among real people in crowd scenes.

Now the two startups in the market are squaring off in court. Crowd in a Box (crowdinabox.com), which holds patents issued in 2004 and 2005 for the use of inflatable humanoid figures in background scenes, is suing Inflatable Crowd for patent violation.

Cory Doctorow's commentary at BoingBoing delves into the more serious ramifications of what initially reads like a silly case:

A company that patented the idea of using inflatable dummies for crowd-scenes in movies is suing another company that does the same thing. The defendant has a successful business, the plaintiff does not, so he is seeking to drive the successful competitor out of business.

It's such a misery that the US Patent and Trademark office continues to abdicate its responsibility to the American public, granting virtually every patent application filed before it. Using dummies for crowd scenes fails the "non-obvious" test that every patent is supposed to be subjected to, in spades.

Every entrepreneur I know is pressured to file "defensive patents" for the most basic, simple things, but no one can tell me how these are supposed to work. If the second guy also had a patent on inflatable dummies, he'd still have to bankrupt himself in court proving his patent was good and the other guy's was bad. The plaintiff doesn't care -- he's going out of business as it is, he can lose it in court or in the market. And once he goes under, his patents will be bought by patent trolls, companies that make nothing but lawsuits, and they will sue any successful inflatable dummy business for everything they have.

As a producer, I've used these dummies, although I seem to remember the ones we rented were called "flat people" and were cardboard. They show up on time, are well behaved, and you don't have to argue with them about whether the orange juice they are being served is of the same quality as that given the day players.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/11/2007 10:35:00 AM Comments (2)

Mary Pols has assembled some good directors who have offered some great quotes in her piece entitled "They're Women, Directors and Few." It's another piece on why there are so few working female directors in Hollywood, and Pols has brought together indies like Hilary Brougher and Nicole Holofcener with studio vets like Mimi Leder to discuss why. She also talks with Kasi Lemmons, whose Talk to Me (pictured) opens this week.

Here's a section in which Sherrybaby director Laurie Collyer talks about the differences in approach that men and women have:

But women in the film industry aren't held back only by external forces. Sometimes the roadblocks are far more subtle and internal, a real behavioral tendency that women don't even notice unless it's called to their attention.

Laurie Collyer, fresh off "Sherrybaby's" success, was deluged with scripts, many of them along the same vein as her movie, which featured a female protagonist who was compelling but also headstrong and bratty.

"Some of them make me laugh because they are not only female leads, they are unsympathetic females, like the volunteer amputee script," Collyer said. "That's actually a fetish! So it's been like a weird mirror being held up."

Recently she passed on a script she felt was good but had a few too many cliches in it. The producer asked to speak with her. "He said he had had a conversation with Sherry Lansing, who is obviously very powerful," Collyer said. "She told him women have so much integrity that they don't understand the process of working with the studio. If they send you a script you don't like, a woman director is much more likely to just pass. The guy is more likely to call and say, 'I like this about it and I don't like this, can we have this conversation?' Which generally turns into a working relationship.

"It never crossed my mind that it could be partly my fault that I don't have a job since 'Sherrybaby,'" Collyer said. "It was really good for me to hear. He wasn't bitchy about it; he was like, 'You need to learn something if you want to have a career. This is what the boys do.'"

The article speculates other reasons why there aren't more working women directors in Hollywood, including the difficulties of balancing the "attend every party" Hollywood mindset with motherhood and a perception that women direct soft "women's movies" with limited audience appeal.

For those who read this blog, why do you think there are so few working women directors? (The article sites stats saying that of the DGA's 8,500 directors, 13% are women.)

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/11/2007 01:54:00 AM Comments (5)

If you're looking for a thrill this weekend that doesn't involve standing in long lines and paying exorbitant ticket prices for a 3 minute ride, then head over to the Museum of the Moving Image for an experience you won't soon forget. MOMI is showcasing the best in horror throughout July and this Saturday they're adding an interesting twist. The multimedia project Head Trauma will screen complete with characters emerging from the audience and people's cell phones (yes, leave them on this time) will also play an integral role.

Here's more:

In this innovative and playfully unsettling interactive multimedia event, the story of a drifter who returns to his grandmother's abandoned house is brought to life in a collision of movies, music, gaming, and theatrics. Characters emerge from the audience, the DJ provides a live soundtrack, and your mobile phone becomes a cinematic gaming device. Followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.

Sound intriguing? Want more details?

Here ya go:

URBAN GAME-PLAY
Even before the audience enters the theater, they will be invited to
participate in the cinematic ARG (Alternate Reality Game). As audience members approach the screening venue, they will enter the game-play, as the film’s story and characters mix with the surrounding urban environment. There are hidden clues, ringing payphones, and characters from the film scattered throughout the area. Through text messaging, distribution of a cryptic comic book, and cell phone calls, the experience continues into the theater.

THEATRICAL MASHUP
At the center of the cinema ARG is a theatrical mashup of Head Trauma. In Head Trauma, a drifter who returns to his dead grandmother’s house is haunted by feelings of paranoia and troubling visions of a mysterious hooded figure. He comes to believe that someone or something is trying to kill him. For the screening the music track is removed and only the dialog and effects tracks remain. DJs and musicians perform a LIVE soundtrack as characters and props from film emerge from the audience. In addition viewers can use their mobile phones to interact with the movie as it plays.

THE MOVIE FOLLOWS YOU HOME
After the audience leaves the theater the movie will follow them home. Phone calls and text messages will lead audience members to a series of online hidden clues and sites that expand the story of the film. As the ARG unfolds online viewers can contribute and remix video, audio and stills thus becoming collaborators within the evolving story. One of the starting points for the online game is a Head Trauma www.eyespot.com page that allows players to upload, remix and share media that unlocks clues within the game.

Cinema has classically been a passive experience. The HEAD TRAUMA cinematic ARG creates an immersive story that allows audience members to interact with horror in a new way. It is experiential, viral and can easily be passed from one person to another. The story of HEAD TRAUMA and its characters travel across mediums and devices, along the way creating a horror 2.0 experience that combines technology with scares. It’s about creating a world that the audience can move through, one where a scare can come from anywhere. “I want to creep people out in new ways” says Lance Weiler.

WHO’S BEHIND THE EVENT
Lance Weiler is a critically acclaimed award-winning writer/director. His feature, The Last Broadcast, is currently distributed in over 20 countries. It has the honor of being the first all digital release of a motion picture and enjoyed runs on HBO and IFC. Weiler is recognized as a digital pioneer for the way he makes and distributes his work. He’s been featured in Time and Forbes and on television programs such as Entertainment Tonight and CNN. Wired Magazine called him one of twenty-five people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood.

Tickets are on sale for $18, less if you're a member.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/10/2007 04:31:00 PM Comments (0)

If you’re an aspiring producer, you’ve got a shot at benefiting from the grant by submitting your work. One of Film Independent’s programs, Producer Lab, is designed to train producers and help them develop strategies to get their current films made. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which creates scripts and films about science and technology, has given a two-year grant to Film Independent’s Producer Lab. The first grant recipient will receive a $25,000 development grant, admission to the 2007 Producer Lab, and year-round support from Film Independent. The submission deadline is August 28th, 2007. For details, check out the Film Independent site.

# posted by Michal Zebede @ 7/10/2007 11:17:00 AM Comments (1)

If you're in NYC today, come check out the first of three evenings Filmmaker is hosting with the IFC of new work and personal appearances by idiosyncratic documentary filmmakers. The first is tonight and we'll be screening the work of talking with Bradley Beesley.

Here's more info:

Filmmaker and IFC Center are pleased to announce the debut of “Dialogues on Film,” a new series of screenings and discussions with directors, moderated by Filmmaker’s Scott Macaulay; the series launches Monday, July 9 at 7:30pm with “An Evening with Bradley Beesley.” The program includes Beesley’s cult classic documentary OKIE NOODLING, along with footage from the work-in-progress sequel, OKIE NOODLING II. Scenes from the upcoming sci-fi epic CHRISTMAS ON MARS, starring The Flaming Lips, live Flaming Lips concert movie UFOS AT THE ZOO, and MONEY THE HARD WAY, an upcoming doc about prison rodeo, will also be included, as Beesley talks about his work with Filmmaker editor Scott Macaulay.

Named one of Filmmaker’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2002, Austin-based Bradley Beesley has surprised and delighted audiences over the years with his effervescent forays with The Flaming Lips, as well as such non-Lips projects as OKIE NOODLING, about the art of barehanded fishing in Oklahoma, and the new SUMMERCAMP!, co-directed with Sarah Price, which opens at IFC Center on July 18.

Beesley’s feature documentary work includes THE CREEK RUNS RED (2007), FEARLESS FREAKS (2005) and the soon-to-be released UFOS AT THE ZOO: THE FLAMING LIPS LIVE IN OKLAHOMA CITY (2007). The long-gestating sci-fi narrative feature collaboration with The Flaming Lips, CHRISTMAS ON MARS, co-starring Adam Goldberg, Elijah Wood and the band, is in post-production.

Upcoming “Dialogues on Film” participants include Jem Cohen on July 24 and DA Pennebaker on August 1.

“[With OKIE NOODLING,] Beesley constructs a documentary so unassuming and so familiar that despite voiceovers, animation, and other filmmaker's accouterments, the camera disappears and we find ourselves in the murky Oklahoma waters, holding our breath and wriggling our fingers in dark, deep holes, hoping a 45-pounder will bite. We get bit, all right, and boy, it's a beaut.” – Hollis Chacona, Austin Chronicle

Tickets for the event are FREE for IFC Center members/$11 General Admission.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/09/2007 11:46:00 AM Comments (0)

Dick Cheney can't get a break. First , as Slate reports it, "J. William Leonard, the National Archives' director of information security oversight, wrote David Addington, Vice President Richard Cheney's chief of staff, stating that Cheney was "willfully" violating Executive Order 12958" for not handing over papers from his office. Cheney first fought by claiming he was not part of the executive branch, before -- to use a favorite term of his -- flip-flopping to say he wasn't going to hand them over because he was a protected arm of the executive branch. Then The Washington Post ran the four-part expose "Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency" that shows him to be the man holding the strings -- among other things -- in the Bush White House. Now political progogandist Robert Greenwald has unlaunched a video on YouTube arguing for us to "Impeach Dick Cheney."

# posted by Peter Bowen @ 7/07/2007 11:02:00 AM Comments (2)

The Stylephile.com reports that David Lynch, who has repeated dismissed the commercial corporate culture, will be endorsing one product. He has signed on to direct the next commercial campaign for Gucci perfumes. While the announcement has led to much interest and praise, others see the obvious direction such a campaign could follow. As Fishbowl LA points out, the director might suggest "just a splash behind your ear."

# posted by Peter Bowen @ 7/06/2007 02:24:00 PM Comments (0)

Are you ready?

OK who's ready?


The street date for Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is set for November 6th. The details at Amazon include a 247 minute cut of the film complete with an NC-17 rating. No word yet on the special features but it looks like it's going to be a four-disc ordeal.

I knew there was a lot of material Quentin Tarantino didn't include in the film, but over four hours worth? (Actually upon further review both films do add up to that running time!) The real question is will the tea-house fight be restored to color or will it remain black and white? You can see the color version here.

# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/05/2007 10:45:00 AM Comments (4)

In the issue of Filmmaker we just put to bed, James Ponsoldt interviews Werner Herzog, whose Rescue Dawn opens today in theaters. It's the dramatically realized story of prisoner-of-war Dieter Dengler, whose story was previously told by Herzog in his doc, Little Dieter Learns to Fly.

Here's an excerpt:

Filmmaker: As Dengler died in early 2001, do you think that people might interpret “Rescue Dawn” as a commentary on America’s current geopolitical relationship with the rest of the world?

Herzog: That always will happen with a film because an audience sees it with its own background, which is the immediate, present time. And of course if you show the film in, let's say a correctional facility, if you show it to prisoners, they will understand it as a prison movie, as a prison break movie. American general audiences will always see it in context of warfare. Nowadays it is Iraq. Yes, that's fine and it's legitimate. It wasn't planned that way. But I'd like to point out one fact: we are showing the film for the first time on July 4th, Independence Day. There were some delays in releasing the film, so I'm glad that all of a sudden we’re out on Independence Day (laughs). Of course, there are lots of fireworks, lots of beer drinking [on the 4th of July], but in a way, it is a day of self-definition for America. [Americans] are looking back at their origins, and this is a film that shows somehow a man who is quintessentially American, an immigrant of course, but an immigrant who came with a big dream, and had everything I like in Americans. This kind of self-reliance and optimism, street wisdom, courage, loyalty. I think it's a good thing to see this film being released on July 4th, even though it might be suicidal to compete with the very, very big caliber films that are coming out on that day. It's the most contested weekend throughout the entire year, I guess.

Filmmaker: I read that initially you didn't want to film any scenes of Dieter Dengler being tortured, but that you finally changed your mind. Can you talk about that decision?

Herzog: That’s not really correct, because in the screenplay there are scenes described, and they look alright in writing. Once I filmed them, I had the feeling that no, it doesn't look right for me as a spectator. And I'm not speaking as a director now. As a spectator, I do not like to see violence against the defenseless. I do not want to see in graphic detail the rape of a woman, for example. I do not want to see someone being tortured. So I eliminated most of what was shot. Now the scenes we have in there are not really all that drastic, nor were the other scenes so drastic that we cut them out. The film was too long anyway. I had to shorten it down and it was a pleasure to cut out some scenes that didn’t feel right for me.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/04/2007 12:40:00 PM Comments (1)

Via BoingBoing, Josh Tyler at Cinema Blend reports on a fascinating phenomena that occurred in a metroplex in Dallas/Ft. Worth. After an afternoon screening of SiCKO, strangers started talking in the bathrooms and hallways, finally all meeting up in a larger group in the lobby.

"The conversation stopped instantly as all eyes in this group of 30 or 40 people were now on him. “If we just see this and do nothing about it,” he said, “then what’s the point? Something has to change.” There was silence, then the redneck’s wife started calling for email addresses. Suddenly everyone was scribbling down everyone else’s email, promising to get together and do something… though no one seemed to know quite what. It was as if I’d just stepped into the world’s most bizarre protest rally, except instead of hippies the group was comprised of men and women of every age, skin color, income, and walk of life coming together on something that had shaken them deeply, and to the core."

# posted by Peter Bowen @ 7/04/2007 11:20:00 AM Comments (2)

Over at his blog, tech writer Peter S. Magnusson posts a thorough critique of the iPhone, celebrating its hardware and design before ID'ing what he views as its current flaw: it's non-adoption of various web 2.0 platforms. He thinks Jobs made the iPod great because he's a music fan and knows what consumers want in a portable music device. He's not sure Jobs has his finger on the pulse of the current mobile user who is looking not just to download movies but also to chat, social network, etc.

An excerpt:

I was actually in the room when Steven Jobs first announced the iPhone at Macworld earlier this year. I was immediately struck by his emphasis of desktop/iPod-oriented features; using the telephone, using the calendar, todo lists, listening to music. That’s the stuff the 1990s generation did, and they do it on their desktops. The 21st century kids - and workers! - have other frameworks. They chat; they blog; they share their music playlists; they listen to internet radio; they play text RPG-like games on wikis; they argue on bulletin boards; they exchange pictures and phone/webcam videos; they watch youtube; they post video responses to youtube.

The new generation doesn’t use the phone. They don’t call somebody to discuss a document. They just change the wiki entry and they know any subscribers to changes will be notified. They chat. They update their emo trackers with mood and location like “wd market, nw” [walking down market, nice weather]; and so forth.

Yeah, they got youtube. But only because Google had bought them. And you can’t post to youtube from the iPhone. Even if you could post, you can’t actually make a video with the iPhone.

You can’t even leave a friggin comment on the youtube service.

So why was the iPod different? Very simple: Steve Jobs actually understands music and related technologies. He’s an artsy guy. He’s even known to have a real good musical ear. That’s why the iPod was awesome. Jobs actually understood the target customer.

Click on the link to read the entire article, including Magnusson's take on what he would have done differently if he designed the iPhone.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/03/2007 11:24:00 AM Comments (0)

The image was at once iconic and haunting: a lithe young woman half-dressed, twisting a string of pearls as she lounged suggestively on a wicker chair. It was the ad campaign that would make Emmanuelle a huge international cinema success, and a young model named Sylvia Kristel a household name. A star, even. She haunted our dreams, set in motion a million fantasies... then vanished.

Well, Ms. Kristel is back, and although it's not a starring role in a Brisseau film, I couldn't be more glad. This time round she's pushing herself as writer, not sex-object, and selling her brand-new memoir, Undressing Emmanuelle (Harper Collins UK).

It's restrained, thoughtful, and (dare I say), a cracking good read. There are just the right amount of juicy bits, of course, and some rather lovely photographs.

Two recent articles and interviews with the actress/writer can be found at The Independent and The Telegraph.

# posted by André Salas @ 7/02/2007 03:27:00 PM Comments (1)

If you happen to check this blog in the next, oh, half hour or so... tune in to WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show" where he'll be interviewing director Alison Maclean (Jesus's Son) and screenwriter Tiara Bennett about their short film The Choices We Make, which was produced for the Scenarios USA series.

The interview begins at 11:40 and lasts until noon.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/02/2007 11:15:00 AM Comments (0)

Ray Pride has commentary and an excellent round-up of links about Edward Yang, who died last week. He includes YouTube clips as well as comments from Larry Gross and a downloadable PDF of an essay about Yang referencing commentary by Frederic Jameson.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/02/2007 10:31:00 AM Comments (0)

In that unflagging periodical of the left, The Nation, Christopher Hayes considers Michael Moore's political demographic in light of his recent expose Sicko. Taking the long view, Hayes situates Moore's political agenda as an ongoing campaign to regain the American middle class once lost to Regan's imperial dream. And rightly so -- Regan was the one who led the fight two decades ago to demonize universal health care. It's interesting take on Moore, and one worth considering:

For years Moore has, like Ahab pursuing the whale, been hunting the elusive Reagan Democrat--the heartland-dwelling, beer-drinking, blue-collar guy (or gal) who bowls on the weekend, loves his country and is fighting to stay afloat in winner-take-all America. He may look on the left with contempt, but it's not because he doesn't intuitively share its views: He is a visceral collectivist and unionist and an enemy of corporations. He is ready, Moore believes, to come over to our side, if only we would talk to him.

# posted by Peter Bowen @ 7/02/2007 10:19:00 AM Comments (1)

Over at The Huffington Post, producer Sean Daniel (the Mummy, Dazed and Confused) looks at one legacy of John Landis's comedy Animal House: its misuse as a comparison point for current political disasters.

Here's how he begins, but click to the link above and read the whole piece:

It has happened again and it has to end. The use of the term "Animal House" to represent foul political behavior or historical events gone very badly has got to be stopped. This time the misuse is by the usually very wise Robert Borosage in his recent post on the Huffington Post entitled: "Mathews and Coulter: No Shame." His column states that having Ann Coulter on the Chris Mathews show Hardball lowered it to the level of Animal House.. Last year Maureen Dowd got it equally wrong in her column about the President's boorish behavior at a G8 summit entitled "Animal House Summit." The single most egregious misuse of the term was in James Schlesinger's report on the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison describing conditions there as "Animal House on the night shift" (I should add that he was equally off-base in citing the comedy Night Shift).

What really happened at Animal House? Delta Tau Chi or Delta House as its members called it was a place where everyone was welcome. People of all races and religions were embraced as was made clear when John Blutarsky welcomed freshmen Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman after they had been summarily dismissed from Omega House. They were invited in to a party and offered refreshment and friendship. At no time were they subjected to any of the practices that came to light at Abu Ghraib.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/01/2007 03:55:00 PM Comments (0)

2007 is the 25th anniversary of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and in Popular Mechanics special effects technician Adam Savage discusses why its FX are still better than much of what's on screens right now.

An excerpt:

You have to remember, Blade Runner was made years before digital effects became common. Today, CGI [computer-generated imagery] is becoming a mature art form, but even now there are times you just can't beat doing some effects like these "in camera." Most of these cityscapes are a combination of models and traditional matte paintings. For the aerial shots they used a set about 12 ft. wide, and those towers you see belching fire are about 12 in. high. They're made of etched brass and model parts and use thousands of tiny, grain-of-wheat light bulbs like you'd find in a dollhouse. They filmed some of the fireballs in the parking lot behind the studio, and for others they used stock footage from the 1970 Antonioni film, Zabriskie Point.

Speaking of Zabriskie Point, Ray Pride pens an appreciation and links to the closing scene on YouTube (the scene with those fireballs), which I've embedded below.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/01/2007 02:38:00 PM Comments (0)

Magician Marco Tempest, who has made a name for himself with his series of YouTube-posted cell phone illusions, bought an iPhone and within 30 minutes posted this video featuring some unexpected uses for the device:

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/01/2007 11:01:00 AM Comments (1)

Colon cancer has struck two luminaries of the film world on the same day. The other mustached movie critic Joel Siegel died on Friday from colon cancer in New York City. On the same day in Los Angeles, Taiwanese-American filmmaker Eward Yang passed away from the same illness. Born in Shanghai and raised in Taiwan, Yang moved to the US with his family for graduate school. After a stint working in microcomputers in Seattle, he decided to become a filmmaker. While Yang lived in the US, his films all took place in Taiwan. His last one, Yi-Yi, (2000) an intimate look at the year in the life of a middle class Taipei family won he Cannes film festival and is considered his masterpiece. A.O. Scott’s thoughts about the film perhaps fit the director as well:

As I watched the final credits of Yi Yi through bleary eyes, I struggled to identify the overpowering feeling that was making me tear up. Was it grief? Joy? Mirth? Yes, I decided, it was all of these. But mostly, it was gratitude.

# posted by Peter Bowen @ 7/01/2007 07:12:00 AM Comments (0)