The Playlist

James Franco Says 'My Own Private River' Probably Won't Be Released On DVD, But He Did Seek Joaquin Phoenix's Approval

By Simon Abrams
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February 20, 2012 1:00 PM
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5 Comments

Features

Last night, actor-cum-director James Franco nervously introduced "My Own Private River" to a full house at the Film Society at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. The 9pm screening of Franco's film, a companion piece composed of never-before-seen outtakes from Gus Van Sant's milestone drama "My Own Private Idaho" starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as young, gay street hustlers, was part of the Film Society's annual "Film Comment Selects" program. "Film Comment Selects" highlights films curated by the writers of Film Comment Magazine, a periodical produced by Lincoln Center and edited by Gavin Smith.

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Gus Van Sant/Matt Damon's 'Promised Land' Goes To Focus & Participant; 'Rust And Bone' With Marion Cotillard Lands At Sony Pictures Classics

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 1, 2012 7:11 PM
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1 Comment

News

Sundance may be over and the European Film Market may just be a short way off, but that doesn't mean the dealmaking takes a break. Two very high profile films have landed new homes this afternoon.

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Universal Pick Up Gus Van Sant/Matt Damon Drama; 'The Invasion' Scribe David Kajganich To Rewrite Ben Affleck's 'The Stand'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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January 19, 2012 9:01 AM
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4 Comments

News

No matter what they do, the fates of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will always be tied together. Having arrived as hot new things at the same time thanks to writing and starring in "Good Will Hunting" together, and cemented as a partnership thanks to joint appearances in various Kevin Smith films, it's easy to forget that the duo haven't worked together since Damon cameoed in the ill-fated "Jersey Girl." The pair are planning to reunite down the line -- with a film about legendary Boston gangster Whitey Bulger and "The Trade" a movie about wife swapping ball players in the works -- but with those efforts seemingly still a way off, they've got their own concerns.

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Gus Van Sant Steps In To Helm Matt Damon’s Former Directorial Debut

By Edward Davis
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January 6, 2012 10:14 AM
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5 Comments

News

Sleeping on a story to see where it develops will get you burned. Case in point: yesterday’s story on Matt Damon walking away from his untitled directorial debut, which had been co-written by the Academy Award-winning writer (“Good Will Hunting”) and his pal John Krasinski, whom he hit it off with while filming “The Adjustment Bureau” in which Damon co-starred with Krasinski's wife, Emily Blunt (Krasinski is also set to appear in the upcoming film).

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Taylor Lautner To Produce & Star In Gus Van Sant's Next Film

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 2, 2011 2:18 AM
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20 Comments

While this might seem totally out of nowhere, there were clues bubbling up that the unlikely duo of Taylor Lautner and Gus Van Sant would be working together. There was a very minor controversy recently when in an interview with Australia's GQ magazine, Lautner related that he had a dinner meeting with Van Sant and "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, prompting the publication to bizarrely ask if either of them hit on him. Obviously, not exactly the brightest thing to say, and the matter made the blog rounds and then went away, but it looks like that dinner date has borne some very real cinematic results.

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Watch: Clip From James Franco's 'My Own Private River' With Outtakes From 'My Own Private Idaho'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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September 22, 2011 7:56 AM
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0 Comments

Mia Wasikowska Reveals Gus Van Sant Cut A Silent Version Of 'Restless'While we may not always understand every artistic endeavour taken on by James Franco -- like his attempt at a music career -- but we have to say this one does interest us.

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Gus Van Sant Talks Ben & Matt's Unfinished Post-'Good Will Hunting' Project, 'Restless' & More

By Gabe Toro
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September 16, 2011 8:51 AM
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0 Comments

Eclectic Filmmaker Talks James Franco, 'My Private Idaho,' Dennis Hopper & His New Coming-Of-Age RomanceThe title of Gus Van Sant’s latest picture, “Restless” might as well describe the director himself. Genre-hopping, making movies for both the Hollywood system and himself, and long a fixture on the indie film scene, he’s undoubtedly one of the most significant American filmmakers working today. His lastest is a far cry from his more experimental entries like "Gerry," "Last Days" or even the "Psycho" remake, tackling the story of two teens in love even as one of them suffers from terminal cancer. It's yet another new direction for Van Sant and one that will likely land him new fans while giving longtime followers of the director something else to discuss and consider as part of his eclectic filmography.

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Gus Van Sant Says He's Still Working Out How To Make 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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September 16, 2011 1:32 AM
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3 Comments

But 'Restless' Helmer Was Never Going To Direct Artist Drama 'The Golden Suicides'Gus Van Sant is not an easily predictable director. His films are always instantly identifiable, but can vary between experimental, difficult pictures like "Gerry" and "Last Days," to more nakedly commercial fare like "Finding Forrester," and, occasionally, as in "To Die For" and "Milk," a sweet spot in between. His latest, "Restless," is another left turn, a quirky teen romance from a first time screenwriter, Jason Lew, that stars Henry Hopper, son of Dennis, and "Alice in Wonderland" lead Mia Wasikowska.

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Review: Gus Van Sant's 'Restless' A Sappy Misfire From A Director Capable Of So Much More

By Drew Taylor
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September 14, 2011 8:30 AM
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3 Comments

Gus Van Sant has long been fascinated by young people – the way they interact with each other, the way they move, the way they emote, and, most importantly, the way they die (or at the very least face their mortality head-on – you could even lump his interesting, if aimless, "Psycho" remake in there). But he's never dared to make a movie as self-indulgent, pointless, mushy, and boring as "Restless," one that borrows heavily from movies much better than it ("Harold & Maude," "Love Story," "An American Werewolf in London," countless French New Wave flicks), and fails to leave even the slightest impression, beyond the thought of never, ever, ever wanting to see it again.

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Cameron Crowe & Gus Van Sant Both Passed On Brian Epstein Biopic 'The Fifth Beatle'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 8, 2011 9:01 AM
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0 Comments

Stage Musical & Graphic Novel Also In The WorksWait, this is a story about who isn't a directing a movie? And while that's a bit of reversal on the who's-joining-what-project news, when it's two names like this it's hard to ignore and its pretty damn interesting.

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