gunther merkwurdigeliebe

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"There is no independent film, it doesn't exist, that's a myth," says Gunther Merkwurdigeliebe, in "In Spring" by Jamie Stuart. "Independent film exists in the home movie that you made of your last vacations on the beach in Hawaii...everything else is not independent, it does not not exist. We are dependent on finances and production and distribution systems and on the media, whatever. There is no such thing as independent movie."



bob & carol & "baghead"

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Catching a first glimpse of the "Baghead" one-sheet today immediately reminded me of the key art for Paul Mazursky's 1969 film, "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice."

One friend already quipped to me, "None of my friends would go see this." I argued that, to me, movie posters are meant to pique curiosity. And on that level, this one works.

What do you think?



what's up with "water"?

Circulating among insiders involved with Sundance '08 grand jury prize winner, "Trouble The Water," is an anectdote that the film remains without distribution amidst buyers essentially telling the filmmakers that the doc may be "too black." "Why aren't more white people in the film?," an exec apparently asked back in Park City. I've heard similar versions of this story from a few different people connected to the movie.

But, those involved with the film have hesitated to say much more about the film's distribution prospects. After Sunday's New Directors/New Films screening, filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal told me that they are hoping for a late summer release of their film, while another insider specified that an August opening is to be expected. Cinetic is selling the doc.

While Variety dismissed the film as "a minor doc" back in Park City, Manohla Dargis praised it as "one of the best American documentaries in recent memory" in the New York Times last week. Here's hoping the "too black" or "not white enough" labels are exaggerated and the timely, often heartbreaking and infuriating new film gets a quality release.



in nyc | love songs

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At Bar Boulud today for lunch, two of the French men behind "Love Songs" (Les Chansons d'Amour). Director Christophe Honore (right) and actor Louis Garrel (left). I wrote about the terrific film at its Cannes premiere last year, where journalists noted that it evoked the tradition of the Nouvelle Vague...
[iphone photo by eugene hernandez]



first look, "where the wild things are"?

Touting the, "exclusive first ever clip from the highly anticipated film 'Where the Wild Things Are'," a publicist for BuzzNet this afternoon tipped me off to this clip from the Spike Jonze/Dave Eggers film.



there will be blood | the ending

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It probably goes without saying given the title of this post, but if you haven't seen "There Will Be Blood," please stop reading, and just go see it. While I don't have the time to weigh in on this rigth now, I just wanted to share some links and background...

"I'm finished."

Talking about that brief line of dialogue that concludes the film, Daniel Day Lewis recently emphasized that the moment contains, "The most vibrant line Paul had put before me." Talking about the end of the film at a 92 St. Y Q & A with Paul Thomas Anderson and Annette Insdorf, the duo acknowledged that Plainview resembles a gorilla or a monkey in that final shot and DDL said of his character's final words:

"That's the reason I made the film. That's the moment I was striving for, for years."

A day earlier, at the end of an interview I told P.T. Anderson that I found myself laughing during the ending of "Blood" and he was hardly surprised, saying he too found it humorous.

No matter that I don't have more time to discuss the ending right now because the film and its ending have been examined by many bloggers, including Andrew (Filmbrain) at Like Anna Karina's Sweater, Karina at Spout and Stu at The Reeler, among others. Filmbrain will be part of a Brooklyn gathering tomorrow to watch and discuss the film.



wonderful

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"Its A Wonderful Life": Frank Capra, 1946
Currently running at IFC Center. Image courtesy Photofest.



maysles

I'm a a huge fan of Albert and David Maysles, and I'm a sucker for first person documentary work, especially when it is rooted in a genuine curiosity and employs a DIY approach on the part of the filmmaker. But, the subject has to be someone I want to know more about. Is their story compelling? I've seem some great examples in the films of Ross McElwee, Robb Moss, Doug Block, Alan Berliner... and terrific recent work such as "Tarnation," "A Walk Into the Sea," "Moving Midway," and "Fear of Flying." Some are more impressionistic or essay based, while others use a more immediate, raw style.

I was glad to seee Brian Brooks take a closer look at Celia Maysles' "Wild Blue Yonder" today, from IDFA. Its a compelling new personal doc that will lure viwers drawn by the Mayses family name but, as I noticed from numerous conversations about the film at IDFA over the weekend, it will probably also divide audiences. Is Celia too whiny? Too opportunistic? Is her mom manipulating the situation? Is Albert Maysles too dismissive of his niece? Should he have been so open with her on camera in the first place?

By making this movie, Celia Maysles is opening her family up to scrutiny and in agreeing to participate on camera, Albert Maysles is as well. Listening to Celia in Amsterdam the other day, and then watching the film on the plane home, I accept her genuine curiosity and passion to learn more about her own father. Meanwhile, talking with Albert Maysles yesterday afternoon, I was reminded that as with any family history, things can get very complicated and are not always black and white.

Experiencing a real family's intimate stories on a screen can be therapeutic for an audience, but also make viewers uncomfortable. This film walks a fine line, but I think it works.



in perspective: "southland," "no country," and american cinema

Still my favorite working film critic, Manohla Dargis offers today:

American cinema is in the grip of a kind of moribund academicism, which helps explain why a fastidiously polished film like “No Country for Old Men” can receive such gushing praise from critics. “Southland Tales” isn’t as smooth and tightly tuned as “No Country,” a film I admire with few reservations. Even so, I would rather watch a young filmmaker like Mr. Kelly reach beyond the obvious, push past his and the audience’s comfort zones, than follow the example of the Coens and elegantly art-direct yet one more murder for your viewing pleasure and mine. Certainly “Southland Tales” has more ideas, visual and intellectual, in a single scene than most American independent films have in their entirety, though that perhaps goes without saying.



sneak peek | "reilly" extra

Opening on Friday here in L.A. and next week in NYC, "Life Of Reilly" takes a closer look at the late Charles Nelson Reilly, through his one-man show. The filmmakers are wisely offering an inside peek at Reilly and the making of their film through a series of webisodes launching on the film's website. Being friends with some of those involved in the doc -- including Adrian Selkowitz (featured in episode one), -- I'm curious to follow how they pulled it all together after shooting began three years ago...



amy taubin v. mumblecore

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A tireless champion of low-budget indie films and filmmakers over the years, Amy Taubin delivers a surprisingly harsh critique of the so-called mumblecore movement (dissing Joe Swanberg and also offering a passing swipe at SXSW's Matt Dentler) in the latest edition of Film Comment. She starts it, "Adieu, mumblecore, the indie movement that never was more than a flurry of festival hype and blogosphere branding"...

At GreenCine, David Hudson offers a defense, appropriately asking, "The 'mumblecore' backlash was always a given, but who knew it'd be so damn personalized?" While Dentler counters, on his blog, "If a collection of films is so insignificant and unimportant... why dedicate so much of your space to it?"

A supporter of the spirit & substance of the films/filmmakers gathered under the mumblecore umbrella, I'll acknowledge that Taubin raises the right questions. She represents some commonly held criticisms. But by piling on so personally, she undermines her points.

Pictured: Mumblecore folks on stage at SXSW earlier this year.



youtube leak: blanchett and riley

The same YouTube user who posted that early clip of Cate Blanchett from "I'm Not There" four months ago is back... now with a clip (above) that features Sam Riley performing as Ian Curtis in "Control" mashed up with footage of Curtis himself from the actual live performance with Joy Division.

Interestingly, both movies are being released by The Weinstein Company and both actors -- Blanchett and Riley -- are the recipients of Oscar buzz for their roles in the new TWC films...



early word | "sweeney todd"

Over at Hollywood Elsewhere, Jeff Wells surveys reactions to a very recent "Sweeney Todd" research screening...

...it played, for most viewers, as a very satisfying musical horror film. Not a gothic London period tragedy but a classic horror flick in the vein of Phantom of the Opera, says one observer. Oh, and it occasionally morphs into an out-and-out blood bath.



trailer | "i'm not there"

The trailer for Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There."

I still haven't seen a better movie this year... It opens in 50 markets nationwide (including on 2 screens at Film Forum in NYC) on Wednesday, November 21st.



in nyc | the best docs?

Currently generating a bit of talk over at indieWIRE is today's article reporting the 25 Best Documentaries. I haven't had a moment to breathe to ponder my own Top 25, but I will try to do so on my flight to California tonight. Anyway, check it out...



in nyc | international cinema

I'm rather hesitant to link to a friend's personal social network blog, so instead I'll just quote from it. After praising Carlos Reygadas and writing that the New York Film Festival "is having one of it's greatest years in recent memory," here's film distributor Ryan Werner (IFC, Palm, Wellspring, Shooting Gallery...) on world cinema:

It's been a remarkable year for international cinema and it just keeps getting better. It's ironic that foreign films are having such a crisis now because they've never been better. If you are reading this, please make it a point to go see a film with subtitles this week, you won't be sorry.



mumblecore or dumbledore

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As a result of this weekend's NY Times article by Dennis Lim, no doubt a lot of people now know the word mumblecore. Based on an ongoing informal survey, its a term that people either hate or have never heard before... I do wonder if the upcoming IFC series would even exist without the word, which challenged critics, programmars, journalists and distributors to come to terms with it. But now, will audiences take the bait? Hard to say... Anyway, I typed the m-word into Google this morning, see above...



high school weekend

hsduosSTILLS.jpgSo, it was a big back-to-school weekend for new movies debuting in theaters and on TV... back to high-school, to be specific. The hilarious "Superbad" (pictured, left) was the top film in theaters, making some $31 million in its debut, while the syrupy and surprisingly compelling "High School Musical 2" (pictured, right) was seen by probably four times more people in its Friday night Disney Channel debut. The NY Times reports that the tweener title, directed by Kenny Ortega, drew some 17 million viewers making it not only the most watched program in cable history, but the top TV program on any channel this week. Dave Poland summed up "Superbad" well in a recent blog post. I saw the movie last night and liked it a lot, even if i cringed at some of its painfully realistic moments. "Superbad" is as funny, but smarter than "American Pie" and even more resonant with an older crowd, while the Pie movies seemed aimed at current teens. As for HSM2, I am flabbergasted by its popularity and find the two films minorly entertaining. Even more striking production values and choreography in HSM2 result in surprisingly spectacular musical sequences and a fresh-faced, multi-culti, "let's put on a show" spirit that evokes Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in a Busby Berkeley movie. "Babes on Broadway," anyone? Of particular note is the thinly veiled subtext that Basil Tsiokos considers in a recent blog post.



dancing in their seats

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Walking home from the uptown Apple Store this evening on W. 54th St., I found myself in front of the Zeigfeld at about 8:25 p.m. Noticing the bright "Hairspray" marquee (and thinking about all the good buzz I'd been hearing about the movie), I told myself that if the film was starting in the next 2 minutes, I'd walk in to watch it. Whatdya know there was an 8:30 showing... close enough. I bought a ticket for what was billed as a "sing-a-long" showing (the print included subtitles over all the musical numbers).

So, "Hairspray" exceeded my expectations. Its an infectiously fun Summer movie. How can anyone walk out of the film without a smile on. The first hour whizzes by, moving swiftly from song to song. Overall, it drags in parts, especially in the second half, but all the leads (Blonsky, Travolta, Pfeiffer, Lateefah, Efron, Kelley, Marsden and Walken), really shine. By the time Edna Turnblad had her climactic number, I was laughing out loud uncontrollably and three of the 35 or so people sitting in the empty rows in front of me were on dancing in the seats.

In his NY Times review, A.O. Scott summed up the film quite well: "There are, to be sure, less thrilling moments and stretches in which the pacing falters. But the overall mood of “Hairspray” is so joyful, so full of unforced enthusiasm, that only the most ferocious cynic could resist it. It imagines a world where no one is an outsider and no one is a square, and invites everyone in. How can you refuse?"

Next up this week, I hope: "Ratatouille"...



everybody loves hannah

In Joe Swanberg's "Hannah Takes The Stairs," Greta Gerwig stars as a young woman who falls for a trio of men one summer, including "The Puffy Chair"'s Mark Duplass, actor Kent Osborne, and filmmaker Andrew Bujalski ("Mutual Appreciation," "Funny Ha Ha")...with just two weeks to go until the film opens at IFC Center in New York City, IFC First Take has posted the film's trailer on YouTube. There's no doubt that this is one of the most exciting and accomplished narrative indie films to hit theaters this year, so far.

In the words of IFC, "Alternately heartbreaking and hilarious, and featuring stunning naturalistic performances, 'Hannah Takes The Stairs" is a delicate look at friendship, ambition, and the pursuit of happiness that heralds the return of a truly independent form of American moviemaking."

indieWIRE will be taking a closer look at the film (and a few other so-called "mumblecore" movies) at an Apple Store, Soho event in NYC on August 23rd at 7 p.m. Check out an exclusive scene from the film posted on Monday at indieWIRE.com (also via YouTube).



update: generation diy


Am really looking forward to this series of screenings coming to IFC Center later this month (hey, its August!)... Here's a promo for the series, dubbed "The New Talkies: Generation DIY," which is set to kick-off on August 22nd with the debut of "Hannah Takes The Stairs" (one of the coolest indies of the year so far). And while I won't scoop the upcoming indieWIRE announcement, we'll be presenting a special Apple Store event the next day that is connected to the DIY series... stay tuned for more details!

UPDATE: This clip was removed by the folks who posted it... so we'll just have to wait patiently for another promo video.



"no end in sight": doc deja-vu

The other day a friend tipped me off to film distributor Eamonn Bowles' comments about his company's new Iraq doc, "No End in Sight," which indieWIRE's Brian Brooks reported on during the film's debut at Sundance back in January. "There is no doubt as far as movies go, there really is an Iraq fatigue," Bowles told The New York Times this week. "It really is palpable."

Those words kept ringing in my head as I finally sat down to watch Charles Ferguson's "No End in Sight" on Friday night. Indeed, as I watched this movie it began to feel more and more familiar. Now, as a frequent festival traveler, doc aficionado and news junkie, I've watched a lot of big and small screen stories about the people, history, politics and soldiers involved with the war, in addition to reading a few books on the subject. Yet, I began to wonder why this movie was not as original and insightful as I had been told.

It wasn't until 1 hour and 20 minutes in that I suddently realized that I watched the powerful "No End in Sight" at Sundance -- on the final day of the festival -- after it won its award. It was the last film I saw at the festival this year, but true to Bowles' point, my Iraq fatigue is palpable (and mind-bending).



in nyc | "el cantante"

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Despite a lack of the aforementioned...tonight's premiere party for "El Cantante" at Cipriani 42nd St. felt like a concert scene from the new movie. The bash was capped by an energetic set of songs by the film's star, Marc Anthony and iPhone came through for this action shot... More to come on indieWIRE.com.
[photo by eugene hernandez]



harry potter, the documentary

Just in time for the release of the new Harry Potter book comes news of the website for "We Are Wizards," a new feature doc (in post-production) directed by Hamptons International Film Festival programmer Josh Koury... It is described as the story of "the influential figures leading the creative subculture surrounding the popular Harry Potter book series. The film follows a set of individuals ranging from web journalists, authors, artists, filmmakers and musicians, as they enhance and expand the Harry Potter story, often in unexpected ways." A fan of Josh's 2002 feature, "Standing By Yourself," I am curious to see this new film...



independents days

Great news (via indieWIRE)... A series of Mumblecore films are coming to the IFC Center next month, including the theatrical debuts of Joe Swanberg's "Hannah Takes The Stairs" and Aaron Katz's "Quiet City."

Whether or not its an actual filmmaking movement and whether or not the young group of filmmakers labeled as Mumblecore embrace the name, the loosely connected network of indie directors -- bound by the U.S. festival circuit -- is certainly something to celebrate and watch on the big screen. Filmmaker Magazine explored Mumblecore in a recent issue and Joe Swanberg chatted with indieWIRE in the video clip above and we wrote about him and his film at SXSW.



update: pierson and moore

Enjoying a boost of attention (and comments from indieWIRE readers) today is John Pierson's open letter to Michael Moore. The film opened nationally on nearly 450 screens with about $4.5 million at the box office. Thats a decent number, but below industry predictions...

UPDATE: For those keeping track, I just learned that "Sicko" will expand from 441 to 626 theaters tomorrow (Tuesday) and the film will be on 700 screens this Friday (July, 6th).



crumley: touting "monsters"

susan_arinSM.jpgHEADLINE: The entire 71 minute feature version of "Four Eyed Monsters" is available for free online.

BACKGROUND: I first wrote about "Four Eyed Monsters" about 2 years ago on this blog after showing the film to my indie film class at The New School. And at indieWIRE, we've tracked the film and its filmmakers (Arin Crumley and Susan Buice) considerably along the way (Aug '05 | Oct '05 | Jan '06 | Aug '06 | Dec '06.

The latest installment in Arin and Susan's DIY distribution journey finds the film available for free YouTube via the support of Spout.com (as of Saturday morning it has already logged more than 30,000 views). Arin offered some background on their plans in a recent email to me and I'm sure he won't mind if it quote extensively from it below...

» Continue reading "crumley: touting "monsters""


idle chatter: haynes' "i'm not there" not in cannes

The absence of Todd Haynes "I'm Not There from the Cannes Film Festival lineup was the big surprise early this morning as I surveyed the fest's official selection. Being so anxious to see the movie, I shuddered to think that it could have been rejected by Cannes. Well, as it turns out that's not the case.

I emailed someone very close to the movie today and was told that the film is simply not finished and wasn't even shown to Cannes festival brass. Instead, its a safe bet that "I'm Not There" will be on the fall festival circuit...



grindhouse (update)

Am I the only one not dying to see these movies this weekend?

UPDATE: Apparently I wasn't the only one not interested. "Grindhouse" made about $11.6 million this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.



mumble, mumble

mumblechartSM.jpgAt IFC Center recently, with none other than "Hannah Takes The Stairs" star Greta Gerwig standing just a few feet away, a couple of New York film folks were talking about the whole mumblecore movement (which I've since realized is often spelled mumblecorps). The guys I was chatting with saw that group of filmmakers as somehow being rivalrous with a group of filmmakers all linked through David Gordon Green... I broached the subject with some film folks a week later at a New Directors/New Films dinner and was told that in fact the opposite was the case. Both "camps" are clearly connected in various ways.

Later, back at the IFC Center, mumblecorps was a hot topic once again with another group brainstorming ways to further support and bolster the loose association of American indie directors who are creating distinct low-budget work. Some interesting ideas emerged...

In the meantime, Aaron Hillis maps out the connections with an excellent chart on his blog. And, we finally posted a clip from a recent interview with SXSW's Matt Dentler about mumblecorps and "Hannah Takes The Stairs." More on the movement and "Hannah" are available in a recent indieWIRE Dispatch from SXSW and a video interview with Joe Swanberg.

P.S. No one seems to really like the mumble name, but they also don't like the alternatives ("Slackavetes," "Bedhead Cinema" etc).



bringing back disney?

steamwillSM.jpgTomorrow's Sunday Times profile of new Walt Disney Company animation chief creative officer John Lasseter was probably supposed to be a lengthy look at a new Oscar-winner. However, Lasseter's rather disappointing "Cars" came up short at the Academy Awards the other night, losing to George Miller's slightly better "Happy Feet" (which I finally saw last night), a singing and dancing penguin story that tries to recapture the charm of "The March of the Penguins." The Warner Bros. movie falls short with a vague, uncompelling story, despite a clever use of classic pop hits.

Over at Disney, Lasseter would seem to have his work cut out for him as he tries to recapture the success that former Disney CEO Michael Eisner saw when he had Jeffrey Katzenberg shepherding the animation division with such films as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and The Beast," and "The Lion King" back in the early 90s. New Disney CEO Bob Iger wisely acquired Pixar and installed Toy Story creator Lasseter atop the animation division. Can he build on the success of "b>Cars" and come up with a crop of films that are tighter (and with bit more heart and soul)? As detailed in the New York Times article, next up is this month's “Meet the Robinsons” and 2007's “Ratatouille," as well as next year's “Wall-E," not to mention the upcoming “American Dog" and “Toy Story 3." Hopes are high.

Photo copyright Disney Enterprises Inc.



the next oscar season already underway?

oscarSTAT07sm.jpgOh, you've got to be kidding me... while, I haven't seen David Fincher's "Zodiac" (and I really want to), I can't quite handle the idea that its time to start thinking about Oscar contenders for next year...

But, Screen International decides to go there, saying that the film is, "the first legitimate contender for next year's honours," adding that, "an awards-season re-release seems almost certain" and saying, "With sustained critical support and proper positioning, awards attention for Fincher, the film and its screenplay, amongst other notices, is not inconceivable, and certainly not undeserved..."



ten top ten lists

Just published today at indieWIRE.com, ten Top 10 lists, with a round-up of "best of" rosters from the indieWIRE editors and our frequent contributors...



dreamgirls

beyoncedreamSM.jpgIt was only a few minutes after the credits ended following tonight's New York screening of "Dreamgirls" that someone asked me whether the film will be nominated for best picture. For those few of us watching the Oscar race this early, the movie has been a high-profile contender (just look at the Movie City News Gurus o' Gold list which has it in the top spot of likely best picture nominees). But that was before anyone had seen the film. The discussion over its best picture prospects will begin in earnest tomorrow.

Bill Condon's "Dreamgirls" is a bright, toe-tapping, entertaining big screen musical. A lot of fun, its light on story but full of heart (with lots of music). Its family friendly and seems well-suited to its upcoming holiday release. But, is it a best picture contender? Perhaps, as an alternative to the heavier fall films out there. Whatever the case, it sure was a lot of fun. However, will its prospects whither under over analysis and high expectations? No matter, Paramount is already pushing it hard (with "for your consideration" ads even running this week on indieWIRE).

Paramount insiders told me after the Lincoln Square screening tonight that this first showing was for select press only (although I did spot some industry insiders in the audience)...anyway if the movie was truly screened tonight just for typically reserved press types, then the film is in great shape, since people in the audience were applauding after many of the numbers and at the end, women next to me were in tears, exclaiming "Wow! Wow!"

I'll have to ponder it a bit more to decide where it will rank on my Guru's o' Gold best picture prognostication list next week...



babel

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Am including this image (by Brian Brooks) because I really enjoyed the chance to talk a bit about "Babel" last night with two of its co-stars, Gael Garcia Bernal and Rinko Kikuchi (at a Q & A following a special SAG screening).

"Babel," which I first saw in Cannes back in May (and watched again last night), is stirring polar opposite opinions among critics and viewers. I am among its fans and feel its one of the best movies of the year. Comprised of four interwoven storylines, the film includes an intricate combination of stirring scenes set on three continents, ultimately creating a jarring look at language and communication within disparate interpersonal relationships. I found the cumulative effect quite emotional. Quotes from the Q & A are available in indieWIRE's New This Week column.



nyff: lynch, dern and "inland empire"

Saw "Inland Empire," David Lynch's latest, yesterday at a New York Film Festival press conference (the indieWIRE: Video clip includes press conference highlghts). Its three hours long...broadly generalizing, hour one is intriguing (and confusing), hour two somewhat inexplicable, and then hour three sort of ties things together in an intersting way. The movie, which Lynch vaguely explained is "technically" without U.S. distribution, started off as a sort of digital video experiment. In the iW clip above, Lynch and Dern (joined by Justin Theroux) discuss working in digital video, how the project began, and the surreal quality of Lynch's work. Their remarks may explain the movie a bit, but not really...

[In her latest NY Times fest dispatch, Manhola Dargis calls the film a "must-see" of the festival," praising it as "a spellbinding companion piece to