The crystal ball has been dusted off, let's see if this thing will work and predict the predictable 2005 Oscar Awards.

Crystal Ball predictions...

Best Picture: The Aviator (Marty Scorsese)

Actor: Jamie Foxx (Ray)

Actress: Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby)

Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby)

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett (The Aviator)

Song: (the ball just turned black and died)

If the decision were left up to me, given the same nominees, the 2005 Oscar winners would be...

Best Picture: Sideways

Actor: Paul Giamatti (Sideways) oh wait, he wan't nominated...so, Jamie Foxx

Actress: Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace)

Supporting Actor: It's a tie between Thomas Haden (Sideways) and Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby)

Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen (Sideways)

Song: (I plea the Fifth)

The movie tells the story of people who try and trust one another before they are capable of trusting themselves. Even though deception is not becoming, the four people in this story seem to find it just as attractive as they are.

Loved the writing of Patrick Marber.

The dialogue was so well written, it made me realize how few movies have such eloquent dialogue spoken by really intelligent characters. As for the directing, Mike Nichols did a wonderful job with a script that was clearly made for the stage.

Starring:
Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen

Directed by:
Mike Nichols

From 1990 until about 1996, I was obsessed with Shark Week. Shark Week was (or maybe still is) a television program that aired annually, every night for one week straight, always taking place during the second week of August. Every night, the program focused on a different type of shark and while the cameramen were swimming with the sharks, the narrator told us every little detail we could ever know about that specific type of shark.

During the commercials I would wonder about these people with cameras hanging around the sharks; how long had it taken for them to get the footage of the shark? Were there ever any tragedies when swimming amongst the sharks? How do they know where to look for the sharks?

After seeing The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou on Sunday, I now know all the answers from an Anderson/ Baumbach perspective. Thanks Wes! Thanks Noah!

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Oscar officials have refused to revive a dormant category for musicals at the Academy Awards, leaving some filmmakers singing the blues after a campaign to restore the genre to its old Hollywood prominence.

Officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives out the movie industry's top honors, decided on Tuesday there were not enough movies in the musical category to meet Academy Award standards.

The decision was made even though there were enough -- five, in all -- to make the category eligible for revival. Filmmaker Dan Mirvish, who spearheaded the effort, claimed the Academy was biased against independent films.

"I can't tell you the number of times I talked to Academy staff over the months who said, 'If you are eligible, it doesn't matter how big the film is. It doesn't matter how good the film is. If it's eligible, it's eligible," Mirvish told Reuters.

In "Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst,'' filmmaker Robert Stone has assembled archival footage that re-creates the timeline of crimes of the Symbionese Liberation Army, as well as the political energy of the early 1970s which instigated extraordinary two-year crime spree.

Being one of the most sensational and bizarre crime stories, the SLA set forth in 1973 to overthrow of the U.S. government, brilliantly manipulating the mass media to advance their message.

Hearst, heiress to one of America's great media empires, was kidnapped by the relatively unknown group the Symbionese Liberation Army, and transformed into a domestic terrorist-goddess.

Reminding me of last year's Oscar-nominated documentary "The Weather Underground,'' this film captures more of the political ferment and delivers amazing archival footage using the media to combine a romantic "Bonnie and Clyde" & political terrorism scenario.

Director: Robert Stone
TRT: 1 hour and 29 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures - Watch trailer: www.ifilm.com

Last night was the closing night of the Margaret Meade Film Festival in NYC.

The Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival is the longest-running showcase for international documentaries in the United States.

The Festival was founded by the American Museum of Natural History in 1977, in honor of pioneering anthropologist Margaret Mead, as she was one of the first anthropologists to recognize the significance of film for fieldwork.

Luck was on my side last night when I chose to see a movie called Oscar.

Oscar is a documentary that has 30 stories interweaving along side the one person being documented...Oscar. Even though there are many stories, the movie is very strong and stays true to Oscar.

Oscar lives in Buenos Aires and is an extremely talented artist. He is married with three children and drives a taxi for a living.

While driving the taxi he listens to talk radio, the NPR of Buenos Aires, and you see how sensitive he is because he is profoundly affected by what is being said regarding the economy, unemployment, politics, etc....

While listening to the radio he is visually bombarded by billboard advertisements, like many cities, Buenos Aires is a large showcase for corporations to exhibit their products. Many people ignore them, but Oscar is more sensitive and is affected by the masses of advertisements which he says are like a "contagious disease, you can't escape them, they get into your mind and your brain whether you want them or not, you have no choice."

Oscar decides to go ahead and use these billboards as his canvas. He takes the ads which are there and uses them to tell a story. Similar to Keith Haring, who most call a "pop icon" but I always considered him a political artist. He, too, used public spaces around NYC to draw more attention to drug problems, A.I.D.S., homosexuality & other important issues.

Oscar takes it further by planning each billboard meticulously. He has an apartment full of billboard-sized faces, animals, pizzas and money and with the posters, he changes the billboard's messages by making them politically oriented.

Professors and students admire him and through the course of the film he was asked to give lectures about his work.

It was a great movie and Oscar, the person, is extremely sympathetic who you just want to keep watching...even after the movie is over.

Directed by Sergio Morkin
Year: 2004
TRT: 61 min
Format: Video
Country: Argentina
Screening: U.S. Premiere

The Margaret Meade Film Festival will have more screenings of the films which they screened this past weekend next Saturday, November 20th and next Sunday, November 21st.

The screenings are located at the Museum of Natural History on 79th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

Here is their schedule for next weekend.

http://www.amnh.org/programs/mead/mead04/calendar.html

I was fortunate to catch the feature film “12” at the SwissAm Film Festival in NYC.

Director Larry Bridges has had a very successful career directing commercials and believed that many talented actors were earning a living through advertising but were capable of much more.

So Bridges launched an improvisational workshop and what grew out of that workshop was the feature "12," so named because the venture had been a dozen years in the making.

Putting a modern twist on Greek mythology, "12" sees Zeus sending his two children to an island off the coast of Los Angeles after they request new human lives -- but the children must repeatedly perform Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

Charting Los Angeles' travails or Greek Mythology...through floods, fires, riots and shifting politics, Bridges was able to catch the actual footage from these events and work them in "12".

Bridges then reinvented the drive-in experience, guerrilla-style and "12" was a traveling roadshow, projected open-air on large walls in LA.

As for the SwissAm Film Festival, tonight they have Special Experimental Night at the Anthology Film Archives at 7:30pm.

Tomorrow evening is the SwissAm closing night party.

More information on www.swissinstitute.net

Just finished watching El Bola the feature debut from Achero Manas.

It's a beautifully shot film and it takes an extremely intuitive approach to child abuse. A child may be abused, only without admittance or proof, most people would not act on it. It breaches the subject in a subtle manner similar to the common folk, which is not taking notice until a child is hospitalized or killed. People usually wait for children to cry for help even if there is a question of a abuse. This film allows one to understand how difficult it is to acknowledge that abuse may be taking place in a neighbor's or friend's home.

In the case of El Bola; even after the child missed school for a week, even after his close friend admitted to his own non-violent parents and even after his friends discussed it amongst themselves...still nobody wanted to believe that their friend, a young boy, could be living with this daily tragic ritual.

The boy's friends didn't second guess the action of his own father and the adults had a difficult time believing that it was that bad.

I really admired the way in which Manas approached the subject and think it was a very accurate portrayal of how many approach the subject of child abuse, and that is by denying it.

Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Running Time: 88 mins
Year: 2002
Distributor: Film Movement
Director: Achero Manas (feature debut)

BROTHER TO BROTHER, a beautiful film that was finished last year and went to Sundance, Berlin and various other festivals this year is coming to the theater!!!!!

starting in New York City
Friday, November 5th at Cinema Village
22 E. 12th St betw. 5th Av and University Pl
Showtimes will be at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:40pm

The trailer, future playdates and other information is up at www.brothertobrotherthemovie.com

Brother To Brother

Winner-2004 Sundance Film Festival-Special Jury Prize
Winner Showtime Vanguard Award
Winner- Gordon Parks Screenwriting Award
Winner-Audience, Grand Jury and Best Actor Award Outfest

SYNOPSIS:

BROTHER TO BROTHER is a feature length narrative drama which follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young Black gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies within the Harlem Renaissance.

On Thursday, I was able to see The Woodsman which was presented by the Tribeca Theater Festival. It's a series which screens films which were adapted from the theater.

The Woodsman, the play by Steven Fechter, had a successful four-week run in 2000. At the time, Nicole Kaassell was a student attending film school and had gone to see the play because they were giving out free tickets to students.

She loved the play and contacted Steven Fechter about adapting his play into a movie.

Both Steven and Nicole were on hand at the screening and said they worked together on the adaptation. They agreed that the most important part of writing the screenplay was revising it. They gave the script to almost everyone they knew and then revised it after receiving comments.

When they finished the screenplay they submitted it to the 2001 Slamdance Screenplay Competition and won.

After winning the Slamdance Screenplay Competition, Lee Daniels Entertainment (Monster's Ball) decided to go ahead and produce the film. Lee Daniels, also at the screening, knew Nicole through Monster's Ball.

Lee Daniels was looking for funds and sent a script to an investor who happened to be vacationing at the same place and at the same time as Kevin Bacon. The investor was not sure if he wanted to invest, so he gave the script to Kevin Bacon and asked him for advice on whether he should invest or not.

Kevin Bacon read the script and contacted Lee Daniels saying he wanted the lead and wanted his wife Kyra Sedgwick to have the female lead. Nicole had always pictured Kyra for the role, so it wasn't a difficult call.

Damon Dash, hip-hop mogul, requested to co-produce the film and the crew then brought on actors Benjamin Bratt, Mos Def, Eve and David Alan Grier.

Mos Def has a smaller role, but he was shinning. When he's in front of the camera, he's absolutely captivating and a breath of fresh air.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2004 and is being distributed by NewMarket Films who will release the film in theaters in December 2004.

Be on the look out for Steven Fechter who is continuing to write plays and the very pregnant Nicole Kaassell, who has signed on to direct a new Michael Douglas film.

1. British Movies – Tuesdays at 8pm at the Telephone Bar & Grill
2. Brunch Matinee Sundays at 3pm at Pianos (B Movie & Foreign)
3. EyeWash Wednesdays at 9pm at Remote Lounge
4. InfusionCinema – every other Thursday at Open Air Lounge
5. Monday Night Shorts at 7:30pm at Freight Film Salon
6. Monthly Director Series: New York-Tokyo every first Thursday at Tribeca Grand
7. New Film Series on Sundays at 7pm at Barbes
8. NewFilmmakers on Wednesdays at 7pm at the Anthology Film Archives
9. Pioneer Late Show on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight at the Pioneer Theater
10. The Screeners Club Movie Series every first Wednesday at Remote Lounge
11. Short Film Slam on Sundays at 5pm at the Pioneer Theater

The film series which are listed above take place in NYC, only because I’m more familiar with the events in NY.

There are film series which take place in every city. Some of the best places to check for the film series closest to you are local colleges and universities. Also you can contact your local film festival, and you'll find that either they have a film series or they will know of at least one.

Some of the best film series are run by film festivals; Toronto, SXSW, Hamptons, Tribeca, IFP, New Directors, etc...

Film series are events which you have to look for, unlike film festivals, most film series do not advertise and they depend on word-of-mouth.

A film series is a great place to meet people who also share a love for the art of independent cinema.

A film series is a special event, it's like a book club, it's a place for people to gather, relax, watch films and meet others who share the interest in independent cinema.

I believe there should be more film series, there is an audience and it's a wonderful privilege to be a part of.

Running a film series and/ or a film festival is very rewarding, the most rewarding part for me is seeing the audience walk away with something more then they did when they first sat down.

Details are what I love about programming films, you'll find that the longer you are running a film series, the easier everything becomes. It's difficult to start, but stay with it because things will get easier.

The most vital aspect of programming is making sure you see the film first, or if you don't see it, then have a trusting group or committee see the film (that is unless it's an open program). You want what is best for your audience, and if they are making an effort to attend your series, it's important to respect their time and their trust.

Another important aspect of having a film series is finding a niche and sticking to it. Whether you show docs, shorts, gay & lesbian, experimental, premieres, etc...

For example, the Reel Roundtable's niche lies within the guests. We take pride in our guests and try our best to introduce them to our audience. Our guests make a difference in the independent film community and so do the films which they showcase.

We try to introduce the Roundtable community to different areas of the industry and let them meet the people who we know and respect. There are many people working in the independent film industry and only few of them have recognition for their endless hours of hard work.

Another important part is location; where is your audience, which location is beneficial to them, is your series a bar-oriented film series or a theater-oriented film series?

Also, who is your audience? Is it public? Membership? Limited? Open?

How often does the film series occur? This is an important detail to work out with your location. Most theaters prefer to have a film series run for one week straight. It makes sense because it is easier for theaters to block out a week of programming and it's easier to advertise in blocks of time.

A once-a-month film series tend to take place in bars, restaurants and/ or screening rooms. Some theaters will participate in once-a-month series, but only if it's not on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

To have a weekly film series in a theater is difficult, because you're asking the theater to take a risk. If they are screening a film which is selling out every night then they may lose money.

At the end of the day, a film series is a wonderful thing to run and to program. It allows you to be creative, show films to a niche audience that they will enjoy. It's a community within a community.

Monday night, the IFP/ New York presented a screening of The Machinist for the opening of the IFP Market. The Machinist is Brad Anderson's latest film starring Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film debuted in Sundance and will be released next month. It was nice to see that Brad has not strayed from his passion of independent films. The pace remains subtle and steady, as in his other films (Happy Accidents, Next Stop Wonderland, Session 9). Although the film's influences are not so subtle, especially the cinematography and lighting.

Bale's performance was striking, but I'd love to give him some advice "Bale, you are a really good actor and I don't think you need to lose 63 lbs in order to convince audiences or morph into your role...that's why they have special effects. Do you realize how much 63 lbs is?"

Alright, I'm a little behind on the movie scene, but I was able to catch Garden State last week.

Definitely an impressive film. Terrific soundtrack (which I now have), great writing, flawless acting...but the ending, the ending was..oh so focus group.

The well-crafted story reflects a lost soul in a so-called disillusioned world and after peeling-away at layers, the truth and hope is found.

The actors did an excellent job with their characters, so hopefully Braff will proceed as a writer and a director.

If it weren't for the ending, I would have absolutely 100% loved it. Unfortunately, the ending reminded me of Roger Doger's ending...good film, bad ending. I prefer if characters don't come full circle, only because they are supposed to be portraying real people.

Either way, I highly recommend the film. It was strong, funny and smart..what more can you ask for?

Film: Garden State
Directed by: Zach Braff
Written by: Zach Braff
Starring: Zach Braff and Natalie Portman

On Tuesday evening, we hosted a "Political Party" for filmmakers to submit their political films. The doors were open to everyone and fortunately we had a wonderful turn out.

A variety of political organizations were in attendance, most of which brought submissions.

The evening was extremely successful with a great crowd and a total of eighteen film submissions. There was also a handful of people who were in attendance because they were interested in attending the upcoming screenings.

We received submissions from organizations such as The Better Citizenship Bureau, Billionaires for Bush, OHMS Media, Green Party Office Committee, Resist, Vomitorium 2004, NYC Indy media Center and more.

The Reel Roundtable's weekly film series takes place every Monday night beginning on September 27th and running through April 25th. During the last week in August we'll be announcing the schedule for our Fall season.

The political films are scheduled to screen on Monday, October 25th & Monday, November 1st. By the middle of next week, we'll post the line-up of political films as well as some photos from Tuesday's event.

Speaking of political films....here is another hilarious short.

Will Ferrell's hysterical - http://whitehousewest.com/

Directed by Danny Leiner from "Dude, Where's My Car?", Leiner brings another over-the-top comedy to theaters.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is a new generation Cheech and Chong stoner flick with multicultural Bill and Ted type-characters.

It not just another teen stoner film because of its' outrageous ethnic parodies and spoofs on racist cops. It's a combination of the marijuana monologues, various stereotypes and anti-political correctness.

As the first scene ends, it's fairly obvious that the mind-altering road trip is going to be an obstacle course, but the course is evenly paced without any comic down time, which is always impressive.

The casting was near revolutionary. It was so refreshing to watch an Indian-American and a Korean-American carry a character-driven film and play comic slacker-stoners successfully.

John Cho and Kal Penn are relatively new and have a nice career ahead of them. They had great chemistry, full of comic energy, natural silliness and did so without upstaging one another.

TRT: 88 mins
Distributed by New Line

Directed by Danny Leiner
Produced by Greg Shapiro
Written by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Jonathan Hurwitz
Cinematographer: Bruce Douglas Johnson

Starring:
Harold Lee - John Cho
Kumar Patel - Kal Penn
Maria - Paula Garces
Neil Patrick Harris - Neil Patrick Harris
Goldstein - David Krumholtz
Rosenberg - Eddie Kaye Thomas
Freakshow - Christopher Meloni

I'm thrilled because one of my favorite films from the Toronto Film Festival is opening at the Cinema Village in New York on Friday.

The selection of films in Toronto's program Midnight Madness is a personal favorite. Not only is it an incredible selection, but unfortunately the majority of these spectacular works will not make it to the theaters in North America.

Gozu is a Japanese film from director Takashi Miike, who has made 60 independent movies for theater, television and video since 1991.

Miike is extremely talented and a legend, even comparable to Tarantino. If you know and like Miike's films Ichi the Killer and/or Audition, I recommend Gozu. Actually, I recommend Gozu even if you have never heard of Miike or his films.

His films do not exactly have a specific plot, but they are definitely memorable...similar to Tarantino's work. His films are like little twisted skits using deadpan humor, a tongue-in-cheek mindset and have excellent shockers. He utilizes film and visuals to the fullest extent. Basically if he can pull it off without being serious, he will.

Gozu appeals to an underground audience. It's all part of Miike.

Gozu is not a classic, it's a Miike film. Gozu is not bad, it's a Miike film. Simply, it's the latest from Miike and that's enough reason to see it.

The Corporation is wonderful and an extremely important film due to the education which comes with the viewing.

It's a powerful, provocative, inspiring and successfully takes on the challenge to teach a complex subject with humor and humility, while enabling the human element.

Touching on the human desire for wealth and power, the film showcases corporate customs which have led us almost blindly to neglect, distort and abandon our social values, on both a universal and personal level.

After watching the film last week, I felt a strong sense of awareness which previously had been sporadic thoughts. Also the pure understanding that we, as society, have been supporting largely out of convenience while ignoring the consequences. This film brings a strong level of responsibility from the perspective of self "cause and effect".

This film is worth far more than just a few hours of educational entertainment. Regardless of where you are coming from, this is the kind of movie that everyone should go and experience.

Starring: Noam Chomsky, Milton Friedman, Michael Moore, Mikela J Mikael
Directed by: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott
Produced by: Mark Achbar, Bart Simpson
Distributor:   Zeitgeist
TRT: 2 hours and 25 minutes

"...a really, really cheap knockoff of Gladiator."

"...departs so radically from what most of us accept as the basics...that the movie qualifies as a whole new myth."

"...strips most of the magic and fantasy out of the tale."

"Luckily there is an element of broad, brawny camp that prevents King Arthur from being a complete drag."

"...too long and too full of itself to offer more than a few fleeting moments of entertainment."

The "critics" didn't like the film, but quite honestly...I did, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I liked King Arthur and it feels good to say "I liked King Arthur."

Was it the best movie I've ever seen? No

Did I find it entertaining? Yes

I am not a big fan of war movies when people haphazardly kill each other and characters are soaked in blood simply because they can be.

King Arthur takes the audience a step further, a step beyond watching characters slaughtering each other; the film gives the knights an opinion, a relationship as well as highlighting their fears. The knights fought side by side for over 15 years, which in turn made them closer to each other than to their families.

For example, one of the knights was married and had a handful of children, but he didn't know their names because he was never home. He referred to them as #1, #2, #3, #4. With his fellow knights, they knew each other so well, they were able to finish each other's sentences.

My favorite aspect of the film is how personally relevant it is to the current crises overseas. In the movie, the knights did not want to fight because they knew the "government" didn't care whether they were dead or alive. They were only fighting because it was an obligation, and at the same time they were looking forward to the end of their term. They were talking about their future, about settling down and moving on. Their conversations seemed common for all soldiers, and I have no doubt that the U.S. troops overseas are exchanging the same dialogue.

I recommend King Arthur.

Directored by Antoine Fuqua
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by David Franzoni

Starring:
Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Hugh Dancy, Ioan Gruffudd, Stellan Skarsgard, Ray Winstone, Valeria Cavalli, Charlie Creed-Miles   Joel Edgerton, Pat Kinevane, Ivano Marescotti, Mads Mikkelsen, Til Schweiger Ken Stott, Sean Gilder, Ray Stevenson

I was strolling by the Lowes in my neighborhood on Wednesday night and I noticed that Fahrenheit 9/11 was playing all through the night, every hour on the hour, so I dropped in for the 1am screening which ended up selling out.

This was perfect because I had not bought tickets yet and a majority of my friends had mentioned they had tickets for the weekend, fortunately I was able to see the actual film before I knew the entire movie from hearsay.

I was at the end of the line which looked like an exaggerated boa constrictor, winding around the escalators on the third floor of the theater. The audience's age was probably 75% 21yrs-26yrs, 20% 27yrs-37yrs and 5% other age groups.

The main reason why there was such an overwhelming amount of students, for those of you who are not familiar with NYC, the theater sits in the middle of New York University's newly expanded campus, come to think about it...the entire city sits in the middle of the newly expanded campus.

The audience was very inspiring and even though I had my book in hand, I simply couldn't bring myself to open it because of the surrounding excitement and positive energy. My 1am screening-guilt was short lived and their energy was quickly absorbed.

The Lowes is not used to snake lines similar to those at the Angelika, the master of snake lines, and they let the tail end into the theater first which worked out well for me...I had my choice of seats amongst a sold-out house.

Inside the theater was like a party; people were passing around and sharing assorted snacks and sodas, everyone was talking to one another, meeting new people and sharing their love.

I kept wondering if the very idea of Moore's honest movement for a liberal and democratic country had made this audience so harmonious? But then I thought, maybe all of these people already know each other? Though they seemed to be strangers when we were waiting outside? Well, maybe they are all really high? They are eating a lot of candy? But they do seem very coherent and I don't smell anything. Either way, the excited audience was a breath of fresh air.

Well, I really loved the film....as did the carefree students, the audience gave a lengthy and harmonious ovation. Moore did such a tremendous job, his film is extremely sobering and at the same time very comical. The star/villain GWB, is out-right hysterical and scarier than ever.

I recommend Fahrenheit 9/11... two thumbs up, four stars and five apples!

Hats off Mike! You have my vote!

_____________________

- full list
- docs (soo many)
- not-docs
- coming soon
____________________
__________

* full list *
__________

The Corporation
Fahrenheit 9/11
Super Size Me
The Hunting of the President
Bukowski: Born into This
The Story of the Weeping Camel
Control Room
Shrek 2
Young Adam
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

__________

* docs *
__________

"The Corporation" (release date June 30th) by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, Joel Bakan
One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, the corporation is today’s dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first to defy history.
http://www.thecorporation.com
http://www.thecorporation.tv/trailer/

"Fahrenheit 9/11" (release date June 25th) by Michael Moore
Michael Moore's latest documentary traces why the U.S. has become a target for hatred and terrorism. It will also depict alleged dealings between two generations of the Bush and bin Laden clans that led to George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden becoming mortal enemies.
http://www.fahrenheit911.com
http://www.f911tix.com
http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/fahrenheit_911/f911_large.html

"Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock documents his month of eating nothing but McDonald's food. He has to try everything on the menu at least once, and he must super-size his order if asked.
http://www.supersizeme.com

"The Hunting of the President" by Gene Lyons, Joe Conason
In interviews, Hillary Clinton once warned of the "vast right wing conspiracy" out to destroy Bill Clinton's presidency. This documentary tracks the anti-Clinton financiers, right-wing pundits, lawyers, and the one independent counsel who allegedly constituted this conspiracy.
http://www.thehuntingofthepresident.com

"Bukowski: Born into This" by John Dullaghan
This documentary looks at the life of poet and author Charles Bukowski (1920-1994), whose bibliography includes "Notes of a Dirty Old Man", "Love is a Dog from Hell", as well as the screenplay for Barfly. Bukowski earned a cult following attracted to his graphic and brutal stories of a life (often his own) lived amidst alcoholism, poverty and violence.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/BukowskiBornIntoThis-1131878/

"The Story of the Weeping Camel" by Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni
Springtime in the Gobi Desert, South Mongolia. A family of nomadic shepherds assists the births of their camel herd. One of the camels has an excruciatingly difficult delivery but, with help from the family, out comes a rare white colt. Despite the efforts of the shepherds, the mother rejects the newborn, refusing it her milk and her motherly love.
http://www.kamelfilm.de

"Control Room" by Jehane Noujaim
A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.
http://www.controlroommovie.com/site/01.html

__________

* not docs *
__________

"Shrek 2" by Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon, Kelly Asbury
Shrek and Fiona pay a post-honeymoon visit to her parents in a distant kingdom named Far Far Away. But the new in-laws are expecting to meet a handsome prince, so they're in for a surprise when Fiona introduces them to a giant green ogre and his wise-cracking donkey pal.
http://animation.dreamworksfansite.com/shrek2/

"Young Adam" by David Mackenzie
The corpse of a young woman is found floating in a canal by a drifter working on a barge traveling between Glasgow and Edinburgh. His relationship with the dead woman gradually unfolds as claustrophobic tensions develop between him and the couple with whom he shares the cramped barge.
http://www.hanwayfilms.com/h_films/youngadam_films/young_adam_films.html

"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring" by Kim Ki-Duk
Nobody escapes the changes in the seasons which give rhythm to our existence, from birth to death. Two monks who share their hermitage, surrounded by mountains, do not escape this either. Every moment of their lives is experienced with an intensity which leads them towards greater spirituality, and a terrible tragedy. Observed by the elder, the younger monk experiences the seasons.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/spring/

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by Alfonso Cuaron
Starting during the summer before Harry's third year at Hogwarts, this is the adventure that happens when he has to go on the run after an incident where he was unable to control his anger... getting on a bus, he hears about Sirius Black, a renegade wizard who was a Prisoner at Azkaban. What Harry doesn't suspect is that Black escaped to look for... him.
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/main/homepage/intro.html

"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" by Rawson Marshall Thurber
A small local gym is threatened with extinction by a gleaming sports and fitness palace unless a group of social rejects can rise to victory in the ultimate dodgeball competition.
http://www.dodgeballmovie.com

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* coming soon *
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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Riding Giants
Maria Full of Grace
Donnie Darko: Director's Cut

1. less is more

2. don't be a director, be the writer

3. tell it like a story, leave out words such as cut to, interior, exterior, fade

4. the same actor can play any ethnicity, any race and any age - the more roles the actors are given, the more enthusiastic they will be

5. full rehearsals for readings are not always necessary, I find that explaining the character's background, upbringing and mood is much more important

6. always feed the actors, take care of them like they are taking care of you

7. have endless amounts of water for actors

8. feed actors with vegetables, fruits, snacks...nothing too heavy because you don't want them hitting a wall in the middle of your reading

9. always provide the audience with programs, and try including pictures and contact numbers of the actors -- they are providing a service, so it's only right to service them as well

10. casting directors and agents should always be acknowledged and thanked, their services and telephone calls take more time than anyone can imagine

11. if you're confident with the characters which you have developed, it's your job to trust the actors to bring them to life

12. allow the audience the freedom to envision the colors and specific details of imagery

13. understand that with readings, there are expenses; programs, food, water, copies of scripts, location...but hearing your work read aloud in front of an audience is priceless

14. with readings comes a lot of trust and you should trust the experience of actors, casting directors and the audience...you can always benefit from the experience of others

15. stage directions is so important, make sure you cast someone who's voice will compliment your script -- if you have a talented actor-friend who is normally upbeat, it may hurt a a script that is dramatic

16. invite as many people as possible, the larger the audience the more reaction you'll receive and you may be surprised to see at what points they laugh, gasp, etc..

17. invite development companies, agents, managers, investors, friends etc...

18. try to cut the script down, a perfect length for a reading is 100-110 pages at the most

19. try to keep your scripts timely, for example; if you finished the script a few years ago and you have a scene with a walkman, replace walkman with iPod

20. tape record the reading, this will allow you to focus on the reading instead of watching the audience and how they react

Today was my last day of casting kids (I think) and it has been quite an experience. I was watching the boys read today and they were so damn cute I couldn't stand it.

When they finished with the audition, I was tempted to ask "why don't you hang out for a little while, we can go get a hot dog at Crif Dogs, a sundae and go to the park?" But obviously it was time to leave, so instead I tried being creative and not end the audition with the cliché line, "we'll be in touch" but I couldn't come with up anything...my mind drew a blank.

One of the boys was hilarious, he was 10 years old and walked in reading the musical Sweeney Todd. Tom (the writer) asked if he wanted to shoot some hoops, he replied "no, I don't like sports" and continued to read his book. After a few minutes the two started conversing and the boy began describing the play which he's currently writing, "Phantom of the Auditorium". He explained how it's a take-off of "Phantom of the Menace" and then asked Tom about writing in general and said how he was having difficulty sitting down everyday to write his play.

The boy was 10 years old!

He was also an incredible actor. Tom asked if he wanted to look at his part before reading, he replied "no, thank you" and went back to Sweeney Todd. When it was time for him to read, he nailed the part, without any preparation or knowledge of his character, he simply nailed it and it was amazing.

I was in awe because it seemed as though he knew the part better than I and I've read the whole screenplay, not to mention, I've never read or seen Sweeney Todd.

This kid is the theatrical version of the character Doogie Howser.

I participated in my first 'kid casting' session today, and it wasn't even close to what I had expected. First, all of the the boys attended and were on time and second, the mothers were really nice, not pushy and not your typical "stage moms".

On the way to the theater I was visualizing a group of kids similar to those who participated in my school plays.

Once again, dead wrong...but I'm used to it.

The boys were shy, timid, insecure, so adorable, talented and charming, but not over-the-top charming. Also, they were all so different from each other; there was the athletic-looking/ easy going kid, the skateboarder kid, the young'un, the eager-to please kid, the well-spoken kid, etc...

What I found to be most amusing, was the whole issue of puberty. Although the kids were born within 24 months of each other...relatively speaking, there was such a fine line between the post-pubescent and the pre-pubescent. The post-pubescent boys were all 5'1 with a very distinct voice and the pre-pubescent kids were 4'6 at the tallest and had very young voices...not to mention; their posture, walk, stance, conversation, interest and confidence were entirely different.

The changes that come with puberty are common sense, only without having parenthood or education on my resume the only opportunities to witness this phenomenon up close was the puberty episode on the The Brady Bunch and when I was their age, but at that age boys were either really gross or really cute, depending on whether I was pre-p or post-p.

Taking on the task of casting kids is not an easy one to do.

We're currently preparing for two screenplay readings; the first is on Monday June 7th, the second reading is on Monday June 14th and it has a KID ACTOR!

It's the first time I've ever worked with a kid, aside from babysitting when I was 13.

Kerry Lea, who works with kid actors is extremely nice, incredibly talented and has offered to assist with the 'kid casting'...most casting directors don't work with the young'uns.

We're scheduled to meet with the kids this week, only Kerry had her 'kid acting' classes today, therefore I stepped in to help find "the one" and Kerry sent the list of kid's names, mother's names, telephone numbers and descriptions.

I was feeling a little uneasy due to the pretense of kid actors, stage moms and seeing how kids develop in the spotlight.

I put my conscious aside, began calling mothers of prepubescent boys ranging from 10-12 years old and found that I was incapable of completing a sentence. Not only was my conscious present, but it was center stage and shinning so bright it was blinding.

Here is what I said:

"Kerry Lea recommended I call regarding a reading on June 14th. We're planning on meeting with boys this Wednesday at 3:30pm. (this is when it became a little awkward) It's a casual meeting between the boys and the writer, Tom Noonan. (and this is when I became really nervous, which transformed into a nervous laughter, and I began apologizing to the mothers and explaining how this was more difficult than I expected)

If capable, I'd continue "We're interested in meeting with "Jacob" to see how his chemistry is with the adult actors before moving on to the next level."

I was prepared for the mothers to hang up, but to my surprise they were really understanding. Here I was calling mom's from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, and although the conversation was uncomfortable and amateur, the result was 100% successful. Each of the mothers I spoke with will be attending with their kids this Wednesday.

We'll see what happens when the kids come around?

Without knowing or hearing anything about Van Helsing (because I live in an indie bubble), I decided to live on the edge and see the movie... I'm just crazy like that.

What a fun movie! The opening scene sounded as though it was a conversation between a filmmaker and a studio...

the scientist (aka filmmaker): "It's my project, I made it and I deserve to keep creative control.

Dracula (aka studio): Well, I own it now. Ha ha. I am going to take your project and make millions. Ha ha

Okay, that wasn't exactly the dialogue, it's an exaggeration because my memory has failed me. But throughout the scene, I kept picturing Michael Moore (the scientist), Harvey Weinstein (Igor) and Disney (Dracula).

FYI: I became bored with the whole Michael Moore/ Disney story and stopped paying attention to the industry's version of Page Six. So, if you do see Van Helsing, I am actually referring to the part when Moore's story first broke.

Back to Van Helsing, the movie creatively combines all the scariest aspects of the the most classic horror films and turns them into a witty, smart and over the top film. Off the top of my head, there were either characters from or references to Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Haunting, The Birds, Night of the Living Dead, Jason, Alien, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Psycho, The Exorcist, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Blob and Dracula's Daughter.

Pretty incredible, eh?

Then there were the non-horror stories and non-horror films which also played a role in Van Helsing; Romeo and Juliet, Tarzan, Superman, Spiderman, Pulp Fiction, Star Wars, King Kong, Apocalypse Now, Mummy, Wizard Of Oz and James Bond...to name a few.

The animation was great, the images and scenery were quite impressive and it is filled with non-stop action.

I felt as though the movie was tribute to all of our favorite classic horror films. How often do we get to see Dracula and Frankenstein hanging out on the silver screen? It was fun to see a new movie with these old familiar faces.

The cast was great... including, "the" Hugh Jackman... in the beginning of the film he is completely covered...head to toe, as the movie unravels so does his clothing, piece by piece. First he takes the cloth off his face, then he puts his cowboy hat on Kate Beckinsale's head and by the end of the film, he was wearing Tarzan's little outfit, just a piece of cloth. If he were on a stage, it would have been a two hour Chippendale show. So, that was an additional bonus.

As for Kate Beckinsale, I think she and Janet Jackson have the same costume designer. The only difference between the two outfits was that Beckinsale's top stayed on.

Van Helsing was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, if I had any suggestions for Sommers I would recommend cutting 20 minutes out and lowering the sound a bit. The music was great, but because it was so loud, it seemed to drown itself out... if that makes any sense.

After a long day of The Roundtable and endless meetings; my friend Dawn and I went to see Kill Bill Vol 2. I never saw the first Kill Bill, but I really enjoyed the second one. I thought Daryl Hannah and Uma Thurman were superb. It's not often that I'll leave a movie theater feeling like an empowered, audacious and ass-kickin woman. Usually I leave feeling either overly-sensitive, vulnerable, cheap, giddy or moved. Contrary to expectations, I personally enjoy Quentin Tarantino's portrayal of women, much more so than Nora Ephron's. Anyway, his writing, canny sense of humor and rich soundtrack intensified and electrified yet another Tarrantino project.

On my way home, I bumped into Jack Turner from United Artists on the street and kudos to him...he was so relaxed and stress-free. Hats off to Jack...it's the night following UA's big premiere/ extravaganza at Tribeca, still 4 days to go of this fest and only 6 until Cannes.

Last night, The Reel Roundtable finished the season screening Bukowski: Born Into This. The reception was buzzing...or should I say, the audience was buzzing from the Reingold beer being poured by Roundtable volunteers. Magnolia Pictures proved themselves once again, with another smart release. The film is full of interviews from Bukowski, his friends, his wife, his daughter, and some celebs (Bono, Sean Penn, Tom Waits). The story is told extremely well, and the film is not just for Bukowski fans, because it tells the story of a person, his life, his inspirations, his determination, his hard work, his insecurities and his shortcomings. The film allows you to understand and feel for this person and the person just happens to be the one and only, brilliant poet, Charles Bukowski.

A symposium with John McCarron from Magnolia Pictures, followed the film and he explained the production of the film and the need to have releases of every still photo used in the film, amongst many other things.

The momentum continued across the street to Patio (2nd Avenue, betwn 1st and 2nd Streets). We set up a microphone and Jon Solomon & Andrew McGraime brought a variety of Bukowski books. The audience was drinking and reading Bukowski poems at the mic through the night. Eventually everyone who was there read, and most said it was their first time reading in public, including myself.

I recommend this film! It's NY release is on June 4th at the Cinema Village. It's also being released in other cities this month, so definitely check it out.

1st Day at the DGA:

Program A at 5:30pm-
Headed uptown to 57th Street, where the energy was bursting. The program began with the short Extreme Mom by Joyce Draganosky. A charming drama about a mom who is taking care of both her daughter and her mother. Her mother has Alzheimer's and is now at the same level, mentally, as her daughter. It's filled with humor, integrity and develops with grace.

Program B at 8:00pm -
I enjoyed each of the films in both programs, although two films come to mind as being the most original. The emphasis on these films was the storytelling and the ability to breathe. The first is a quirky comedy American Exquisite by Keith Goldberg. Keith's film is about a girl trying to find her father, only the story is told by different people around the country, each starting where the last one ended. The stories were then scripted into one story, cast and the storytellers are included throughout the actual film. The result has a lot of twists and turns depending on who is telling the story.

The second film was Swan Dive by Kathleen L. Murray. Swan Dive has stunning performances and was beautifully shot. The film relies on facial expressions, body language, capturing sudden moments of realization and appreciation of one's true self. The story is about a young girl spending the day at a community pool in Oklahoma, she sits alone observing the characters around her, always glancing back at the high dive which she ultimately desires.

I bumped into Ira Deutchman from Emerging Pictures, and his wife Beth. Fortunately, the 8pm screening had a full house.

My friend Van and I went to see the film THIS SO-CALLED DISASTER at the Film Forum last night. After all of the positive reviews this week I couldn't wait to see it. The film was better than I expected. Its title notwithstanding, THIS SO-CALLED DISASTER is anything but. The documentary gives the audience an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse of top actors making their way through the thier material; sometimes under pressure and sometimes with ease. At the same time, the film offers a survey of the career of Shepard, including stories about his his relationship with his father, whom the play is based on.

It's also extremely worthwhile for audiences and future generations to see the work of a genius and the importance of theatre.

I recommend it!