I got this trailer for The Good Heart (by Dagur Kári) featuring Brian Cox, Paul Dano and Isild Le Besco. The film follows a homeless boy (Lucas) who meets a grouchy bar-owner (Jacques) whose unhealthy lifestyle has resulted in five heart attacks. Jacques takes Lucas under his wing with the intention of having him continuing his legacy. Everything is going according to plan until a drunken stewardess (April) enters the picture.
Look for The Good Heart in select theaters April 30th.
I got this trailer for the documentary No One Knows About Persian Cats. This is the fifth feature by award winning director Bahman Ghobadi (A Time For Drunken Horses, Turtles Can Fly).
The film is an indictment of cultural repression in Iran’s underground music scene and a celebration of an entire generation of Iranians striving towards personal and creative freedom. The film was shot in secret and features performances by real underground bands. the film follows a pair of young musicians, recently released from prison, on a mission to take their rock band to Europe.
Look for No One Knows About Persian Cats in select theaters April 16th.
I got this trailer for the documentary The Heart is a Drum Machine out on DVD today (March 9th via Lightyear Entertainment)
The film features: Wayne Coyne, Jason Schwartzman, Elijah Wood, Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, Britt Daniel of Spoon, Juliette Lewis, John Frusciante, Maynard James Keenan, and more, all answering the question "What is Music?" Looks like an entertaining film for all kinds of music lovers.
Premiering this weekend at SXSW in Austin, TX, writer/director/star Paul Gordon's The Happy Poet is, "an all-organic, mostly vegetarian comedy about Bill, a struggling poet who pours his heart, soul, and last few dollars into starting a healthy food stand. Motivated by help from a rag-tag group of supporters and a budding romance with a poetry-loving customer"
I recently got this trailer from one of my recent favorite directors Christophe Honoré (Love Songs, Dans Paris)! La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person) is the story of a sixteen-year old girl who changes high school mid-year, following the death of her mother. She quickly finds herself the talk of the town and caught up in a love triangle.
I read that the soundtrack is full of Nick Drake songs, and at one point (in true Christophe Honoré fashion) a character bursts into song on screen.
La Belle Personne stars: Louis Garrel, Léa Seydoux, and Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet. The film is currently out on DVD.
This film is about the relationship between two brothers, a father trying to connect with his sons and the young woman who gets between the three of them. Lee Toland Krieger is up for a Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.
This film follows a brother and sister through the first year of their parents' separation. This one is up for the John Cassavetes Award (presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $500,000 by Film Independent) at the Spirit Awards, which are taking place this weekend.
Ajami is the religiously mixed community of Muslims and Christians in Tel Aviv. The film follows five stories about everyday life in Ajami. This one is up for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and it looks like a strong contender.
Sneak-Peek Theatrical Screenings of the Canadian Tour Film Kick-Off This Week at AMC Theaters and other locations across the country!
In the summer of 2007, The White Stripes embarked on a cross-country Canadian tour to accomplish their goal of performing in every province and territory across the expansive northern nation. Beginning Friday, February 26th in Seattle and Toronto, the Emmett Malloy-directed documentary film, The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights will be making its way across North America for a series of special screenings – allowing fans a peek into their touring lives before its official DVD release on March 16th.
Additionally on March 16th, audiences across the country will have the opportunity to host their own screenings of The White Stripes Under the Great White Northern Lights. Fans have the chance to “Be a Part of the Tour” by purchasing a special screening kit and turning a favorite room, a local hangout, or any other location of their choice into their own premiere event. For more information on being part of the event.
AMC Theaters is holding special midnight screenings of the film on Wednesday, March 11 at the following locations:
WASHINGTON DC – Hoffman 22
DETROIT – Forum 30
PHILADELPHIA – Neshaminy 24
CHICAGO – River East 21
MINNEAPOLIS – Rosedale 14
LOS ANGELES – Block 30
SAN DIEGO - Mission Valley 20
SEATTLE – Pacific Place 11
BOSTON – Boston Common 19
NEW JERSEY – Palisades 21
NEW YORK CITY – Empire 25
ATLANTA – Barrett 24
I just got this clip for this film that came out overseas a few years back, but is now finally getting a US release date.
The Warlords story focuses on General Pang Qingyun (Jet Li) who survives a battle which wiped out his whole battalian and three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval.
It is based on "The Assassination of Ma" a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi. The film stars: Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Jet Li.
I got a trailer for this 13min. short film from David McDermott and Peter McGough.
“Shot in the latter’s anachronous 1932 Manhattan apartment, replete with art deco furniture, the 13-minute romp portrays newcomer (British model) Agyness Deyn as a victimized starlet consumed by passion and greed. Exacting revenge upon her abusive lover (Law and Order’s Linus Roache).
I got this trailer in my inbox for this drama that tells the story of the racial tension surrounding a 1970 lynching in the south. The film is an autobiographical work, written as a book by Timothy B. Tyson while he was a professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Blood Done Sign My Name is in select theaters now.
I got this trailer for this film (from the producers of The Triplets of Belleville) that was submitted for the Best Animated Film Oscar nominees. Tough competition with Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, and Up in contention, but this one looks pretty good too.
The Secret of Kells is an interesting hand-drawn film about a ninth-century boy who rebels against his guardian’s orders and helps to illuminate a famous Irish manuscript. The film has already been released internationally and has received very enthusiastic reviews.
Look for The Secret of Kells in select theaters March 6th.
When You're A Stranger, which director Tom DiCillo says is part documentary and part narrative, screened at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2009. However, it took on a new life after Johnny Depp agreed last spring to narrate the piece. The film was produced by Wolf Films/Strange Pictures, in association with Rhino Entertainment, which has the Doors’ musical catalog and will release the soundtrack on March 30th.
When You’re Strange will release in limited theaters April 9th.
I got this trailer in my inbox for a film about a young epileptic woman named Ivy (Zoe Kazan) who is on summer break from college, struggling to balance her feelings for her boyfriend while her friend Al crashes with her for the season.
No official release date yet, but when we know more so will you.
I got this interesting teaser trailer for Earthling in my inbox.
Plot synopsis: After a mysterious atmospheric occurrence aboard the international space station causes a tragic event, a small group of people wake up to realize that their entire lives have been a lie. They are in fact aliens disguised as humans. Now they have to make a choice: Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home.
I recently received a trailer for this comedy about a family that begins to discover that the more time they spend together the more their secrets and lies begin to surface. Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, and Alan Arkin.
Look for City Island in select theaters March 19th.
I recently received a trailer for this indie dramedy in which two sisters, Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore), return home to deal with their ailing father Joe (Rip Torn), only to face some surprising situations.
Look for Happy Tears in select theaters Feb. 19th.
{Criterion Collection Sale for Out-of-Print Classics}
Criterion Collection has just announced that they are about to lose the rights to 23 titles from StudioCanal at the end of March. "The titles are going to Lionsgate, and we don't know when they may be rereleased. As ever, we will continue to try to relicense the films so that they can rejoin the collection sometime in the future".
The titles: Jean Luc Godard's Alphaville, Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy, Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le corbeau, Coup de torchon, Diary of a Country Priest, The Fallen Idol, Forbidden Games, Gervaise, Grand Illusion, Le jour se leve, Last Holiday, Mayerling, The Orphic Trilogy, Peeping Tom, Pierrot le fou, Port of Shadows, Quai des Orfevres, The Small Back Room, The Tales of Hoffmann, Trafic, Le trou, Variety Lights, and The White Sheik.
Until they're out of stock, each of these films will be an additional $5 off. That means you can get a Jean Luc Godard (soon to out-of-print) classic for only $13.96!
Boy is the new film from New Zealand comedian/filmmaker Taika Waititi, better known as Taika Cohen (director of Eagle vs Shark and episodes of Flight of the Conchords). I heard this film got a warm reception when it premiered at the Sundance Film Fest.
The story begins when a father returns after many years away and 11-year-old Boy (James Rolleston) and his little brother Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu) must reconcile reality with a fantasy dad they created in their minds.
Just received a trailer for the latest film from Bong Joon-ho (The Host). The story revolves around a single mom to 27-year-old who is naïve and dependent on his mother. Walking home alone one night down a nearly empty city street, he encounters a young girl who he follows for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and he is accused of her murder. Thanks to an inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force, Do-joon’s case is quickly closed, but his mother refuses to let this be the end of the story and sets out to find the girl’s killer and prove her son’s innocence.
The Spike Jonze thirty minute short feature film titled I'm Here is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The short stars Andrew Garfield as a library assistant who goes through an ordinary life in LA until a chance meeting opens his eyes to the power of creativity and love.
No word yet on the official release date for this robot love story, but it looks great.
In this thriller Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) is a widower living in a misty Irish seaside town who is struggling to adjust to his new role as the sole caretaker of his two children. Still reeling from the death of his wife, he has been plagued by terrifying apparitions. When he meets Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), she tries to help Michael with the mystery of his nightmarish visions. However, she must contend with a jealous one-time lover (Aidan Quinn) as things get violent.
The Eclipse will premiere on VOD, Amazon and XBOX Live February 26th, 2010 and opens in theatres March 26th.
Just got this teaser for Rodrigo Cortes' Buried (making its world premiere at Sundance this Saturday).
The plot synopsis goes a little something like this:
A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
There seems to be alot of buzz surrounding the film, mainly because everyone is curious if Ryan Reynolds can actually pull off acting in a coffin the entire movie.
Are you, like me, unable to make it to Park City for this year's Sundance Film Festival? Well wipe those tears, because now you can watch some of this year's Sundance selections at the same time festival-goers do, by way of a video-on-demand service called Sundance Selects.
You will be able to view three movies debuting simultaneously with their screening at the fest through Sundance Select's "Direct from the Sundance Film Festival" banner. The films are: Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross' new documentary about disaster capitalism, The Shock Doctrine; the latest indie from the Safdie brothers, Daddy Longlegs and also Daniel Grou's dark revenge thriller 7 Days (which is part of the fest's Park City at Midnight program). Each will be available on the VOD channel for 30 days.
Here's the trailer for Daddy Longlegs...
Here's the trailer for Seven Days (Les 7 jours du talion)...
The official full-length trailer for Roman Polanski's new thriller The Ghost Writer (based on the Robert Harris novel) starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Hutton, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams has just gone online. Put aside your feelings towards Polanski and enjoy this trailer because it looks like it will be a great film.
Summit Entertainment will bring The Ghost Writer to limited theaters on February 19th.
Based on the 1979 popular anime series that was broadcast in the States under the name Star Blazers, Space Battleship Yamato is about a band of humans who construct a spaceship to battle a race of aliens who are destroying Earth.
There’s a Japanese teaser trailer that will either look really cool or really lame, depending on who you are. The live action makes me a bit nervous for the film, but also the fact that it stars J-pop singer Takuya Kimura. The film will release in Japan December 2010, no word yet when or if it will get a stateside release.
Competing at The Oscars for best foreign language film (from Spain) is Fernando Trueba's The Dancer and the Thief.
The adaptation of Antonio Skarmeta's novel is a romantic tragedy, set in post-dictatorship Chile. The story follows two men, a seasoned safe-cracker and a feisty 20-year-old in trouble with the law, as they pursue the women they love while plotting a daring heist. *You can rent this one from Netflix.
The horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs Evil will be screening at The 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The comedy twists the usual college-kids-go-camping-and-get-killed story, in favor of a kids-only-think-two-peaceful-hillbillies-are-vicious-killers (when they're really not). It doesn't sound that great on paper, but judging from the unofficial trailer it looks like it will be pretty darn funny.
Eli Roth (otherwise known as "Bear Jew" in Inglorious Basterds) directed the short snipper flick "Nation's Pride", a film-within-the-film that stars Frederick Zoller (German actor Daniel Brühl) as a sharp-shooter whose skills are depicted and lionized in the film for furthering Nazi doctrine.
Keep an eye out for Quentin Tarantino's head being blown off!
Kick-Ass (based on the comic of the same name) is about a teenage boy that decides to become a real-life superhero after being inspired by the heroes of comic books. Along the way he meets a crime fighting 12 year old girl named Hit Girl. The Red Band Trailer that recently popped up online highlights Hit Girl's ruthless talent. Look for Kick Ass in select theaters April 16th.
Every year it seems that I miss seeing more and more films, but here is a list of my favorite films that I did manage to see..
The Hurt Locker
This thriller follows a United States Army bomb squad team during the Iraq War. View the trailer here or right here...
A Christmas Tale
This French dramedy from Arnaud Desplechin tells the story of a family with strained relationships.
View the trailer here or right here...
(500) Days of Summer
This one is a romantic comedy, but as the tag line for the film states 'It is not a love story'. View the trailer here or right here...
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
This classic handmade stop-motion animated film from Wes Anderson is based on the Roald Dahl children's novel about a sly fox with a penchant for stealing chickens. View the trailer here or right here...
Pirate Radio
Pirate radio expertly captures the spirit of the sixties as a story follows a group of dj's illegally broadcasting tunes. View the trailer here or right here...
Zombieland
This comedy follows survivors of a zombie apocalypse, as they take an extended road trip in an attempt to find a sanctuary. View the trailer here or right here...
Paranormal Activity
This independent horror film centers on a young couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. The movie is presented using "found footage" from the camera set up by the couple to capture what is haunting them. View the trailer here or right here...
Precious
This film follows an illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. View the trailer here right here...
Sin Nombre
This film follows a Honduran teenager with an opportunity to realize her dream of a life in the U.S. as she has an encounter with a gang member on the run, which lead to some unexpected events.
This Pixar film centers around a grumpy old man and an overeager wilderness explorer that form an unlikely bond. View the trailer here or right here...
The Watchmen
This film is set in an alternate 1985 where the murder of a former superhero sends vigilante Rorschach into his own investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it. View the traier here or right here...
Capitalism: A Love Story
This is a shocking documentary film by Michael Moore that centers on the financial crisis of 2007–2009 . View the trailer here or right here..
Let The Right One In
This is a Swedish romantic horror (based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist) that tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in a suburb of Stockholm. View the trailer here or right here...
Ponyo
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the plot to this animated feature centers on a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year-old human boy, and wants to become a human girl. View the trailer here or right here...
Inglorious Basterds
Tarantino's film follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. View the trailer here or right here..
Coraline
This stop-motion film was adapted from the fantasy/horror novel by Neil Gaiman. It has been compared to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
This black-and-white film from Shane Meadows (This is England) follows two teenage boys adrift in an adult world, as they form an unlikely friendship and the girl they both fancy.
After a death, the family gathers to divide the estate and trade memories. French writer/director Olivier Assayas crafts a near perfect blend of humor and heartbreak, .View the trailer here or right here...
The Cove
This documentary uses state-of-the-art equipment, as a group of activists infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose horrifying events that happen there. View the trailer here or right here...
Extract
Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy) Joel (Jason Bateman) is about to sell his flavor extract factory when a freak accident sets in motion a series of events . View the trailer here or right here...
Everlasting Moments
This Swedish drama from Jan Troell follows the working class Maria Larsson through ups and downs, which include an abusive, alcoholic husband. View the trailer here.
Moon
This science fiction/psychological thriller stars Sam Rockwell as a solitary lunar employee who experiences a personal crisis as the end of his three-year stint nears.View the trailer here or right here...
The Brothers Bloom
This is Rian Johnson's story about two brothers who are the best con men in the world. View the trailer here or right here...
So, since I signed on to to attend the Sundance Film Festival (that I sadly cannot attend), I have been receiving emails about films that will be screened. This is one such film...
This British psychological thriller Exam (from Stuart Hazeldine) premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival this past June has been getting a strong word of mouth. In the film eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection for an unspecified high-powered job. That's all we really know for certain, but the trailer looks incredible.
The movie is set six months after the effects of the events of Iron Man, with billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow (as Pepper Potts), Don Cheadle (as James “Rhodey” Rhodes), and Mickey Rourke (as Ivan Vanko / Whiplash).
The Hollywood Reporter asked Tarantino what his favorite films of 2009 are and he gave them a list of 8 films that are his picks "so far". As he explains in the video (which you can watch below), he hasn't seen Avatar, The Lovely Bones, or Invictus yet, so they're not included. And he also needs to watch Bright Star and District 9 again, because he thinks they may move back up on the list once he does so.
Tarantino's Top 8 Films of 2009:
1. Star Trek
2. Drag Me to Hell
3. Funny People
4. Up in the Air
5. Chocolate
6. Observe & Report
7. Precious
8. An Education
While I enjoyed the autistic-girl-turned-martial-arts-expert flick Chocolate and the campy horror of Drag Me To Hell, I am fairly certain neither would make my picks. Personally, I failed to even sit through Star Trek, but Precious would probably be on my list. Hmmm...time to think of my picks.
Everyone Else is an independent German film directed by Maren Ade.
The film is about a German couple that travel to Sardinia and as Karina Longworth at Spout wrote, "watch, almost as if helplessly, as their seemingly solid relationship erodes upon contact with foreign forces."
No US release date for this one just yet, but when I know more so will you!
Saint John of Las Vegas is a new indie film starring Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Tim Blake Nelson. The film is about a compulsive gambler who gets lured back into Las Vegas.
Look for Saint John of Las Vegas in select theaters on January 29th, 2010.
New from the Criterion collection comes France's Arnaud Desplechin's lovely, novelistic drama that captures the holidays in all of it's dysfunctional glory.
Catherine Deneuve stars as a woman who learns of her life-or-death need for a bone-marrow transplant. She calls the family together, a reuniting of sorts, and the merriment and melancholy (in equal parts) begin.
From the writers of Sexy Beast comes the action packed comedy 44 Inch Chest. The film boasts an impressive British cast including: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, and Joanne Whalley.
The film is about a mobster who loses his wife to another man, kidnaps the other man, and then apparently everything goes wrong.
This film just recently got picked up by Image Entertainment stateside, but doesn't have a release date set just yet. When we know more, so will you.
This years Spirit Awards nominees have been announced, now it's time to get caught up on my independent film viewing! Some guys have the super bowl...I have The Spirit Awards.
I am wondering though...where are Moon (or Sam Rockwell for Best Actor) and The Hurt Locker.
I am also surprised I don't see Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, It Might Get Loud (featuring: Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge), or Tyson (about the life of Mike Tyson) in the Best Documentary category. I thought those were three of the best docs I saw this year.
The Spirit Awards will air Friday, March 5th, 2010 next year following the Oscars.
New on SlashControl is Fumihiko Sori's sci-fi action tale Vexille. Now, the plot to the '07 film is a bit complicated (plot synopsis), but the stunning visuals (combining 2-D and 3-D animation, as in his earlier film Appleseed), and score by Paul Oakenfold should be enough of a draw for some of you!
While you can see the whole film for FREE right here, I would recommend checking this out on DVD so you could fully appreciate the animation.
I recently got this trailer in my inbox...looks promising.
The plot of revolves around Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick), a failed children’s folk singer, a career proofreader, a compulsive marijuana smoker, and a less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. He’s also the most negative man alive. When his Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams) is suddenly struck ill his pessimistic worldview seems unequivocally confirmed. His only recourse is to pour his energies into a frivolous lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference, but Ben soon finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective.
Wonderful World is directed by Josh Goldin. Look for it in select theaters January 8th.
When I watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox over the long weekend I caught a trailer for the documentary Babies.
This visually stunning film follows four babies around the world, from first breath to first steps. Shot in Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco, and Tokyo the documentary captures babies in the earliest stages of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.
Focus Features will release Babies in select theaters April 16th, 2010.
The second US Trailer for the Richard Linklater's new film "Me and Orson Welles" (starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, and Claire Danes) recently popped up online. Me and Orson Welles premiered in very limited release (NY, LA) over the weekend, but we're hoping this one gets a nationwide release soon!
In the film Efron plays a teenage actor who nabs a small role in a Orson Welles' Julius Caesar. The film portrays one fateful week in the young actor’s life and his encounters with Welles and love.
Also, The Criterion Collection's website has video of director Richard Linklater and his "Me and Orson Welles" co-stars Zac Efron and Oscar buzz focal point Christian McKay (who plays Welles in the film) unveiling a plaque that commemorates the location of Welles' famed Mercury Theatre in New York. Welles' daughter, Chris Welles Feder, was also on hand for the ceremony.
I got this trailer for Shake Hands with the Devil (based on Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire’s award-winning book) in my inbox.
The story follows Emma, a journalist, as well as the personal journey of General Roméo Dallaire through the 1994 Rwandan genocide and how Dallaire's request for more aid went ignored by the United Nations.
No official release date yet, but Shake Hands with the Devil is slated for limited theaters in early 2010.
Last week IFC debuted the original five-episode Web series Dead & Lonely, written, produced, and directed by cult indie horror filmmaker Ti West (The Roost, Trigger Man, The House of the Devil).
In this series, two lonely Los Angeles singles are brought together via the popular Internet dating website DateOrDie.net. The only problem is...one of them is a vampire.
The series stars Bishop Allen frontman Justin Rice (Mutual Appreciation, Alexander The Last) and Paige Stark. Dead & Lonely brings the classic vampire love story to the modern Internet dating age. The series unfolds from both the predator's and the victim's perspectives until the characters finally meet. In the vein of Let the Right One In, the series focuses on the mundane reality of the day-to-day life of an immortal, while seeking to humanize her to the degree that she seems almost as desperate and lonely as the rest of modern society.
From China comes True Legend (aka Su Qi-Er), the latest martial arts epic from Yuen Woo-Ping, the fight choreographer on all three Matrix movies and Kill Bill. The film stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Man Cheuk Chiu. David Carradine is also listed as part of the cast as well as Jay Chou, who is playing Kato in The Green Hornet.
Su Qi-Er (Man Cheuk Chiu) is the story of a wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty who loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero known as the "King of Beggars."
The film was produced by Focus Features. There is no US release date yet, but when we know more so will you!
Women in Trouble is an ensemble film about ten women and the trouble in their lives, however, these aren't ordinary women...they're strippers and call girls.
Carla Gugino plays real life porn star Elektra Luxx. She's joined by: Emmanuelle Chriqui, Adrianne Palicki, Marley Shelton, and Connie Britton. The film also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Simon Baker. This looks like it could be a real hit or miss, but I'm still interested in checking it out.
Screen Media Films brings Women in Trouble to very limited theaters starting on November 13th.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day is an upcoming sequel to the 1999 cult classic The Boondock Saints. Director Troy Duffy returns to film the sequel, which sees the return of Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish brothers who act as vigilantes.
The story begins with the two brothers deep hiding in the quiet valleys of Ireland, far removed from their former lives or modern technologies. When word comes that a priest has been killed by sinister forces in the tough underworld of Boston (the Yakavetta Crime Family), they return to mount a bloody crusade to bring justice to those who must now suffer the consequences, with a new partner in crime (Clifton Collins, Jr.) aiding them and FBI Agent Paul Smecker's protege (Julie Benz) in pursuit of them.
The film opens in select theaters this weekend (October 30th).
I got an email about the forthcoming indie film Uncertainty, co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel and staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Lynn Collins (Wolverine), and Olivia Thirlby (Juno).
Uncertainty is about a young couple (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins), in love and facing a life-changing decision, find one seemingly ordinary July 4th cleaved in two by the flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge. Look for Uncertainty in limited theaters and on VOD starting on November 13th.
Oscilloscope has just debuted the official trailer for The Messenger!
The film is about a US soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.
The Messenger is directed by first-time filmmaker Oren Moverman, who previously wrote the screenplays for I'm Not There and Married Life. The film stars Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, and Samantha Morton.
The Messenger will open in limited theaters starting on November 13th.
A new trailer for Sony Pictures Classics forthcoming release A Prophet has just gone online!
The film (Un Prophete) by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard has been getting a strong word of mouth at film festivals. Unfortunately the full-length trailer is still only in French without English subtitles, but you can get the general idea of what's going on.
The film is about a young Arab man named Malik El Djebena is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.
A Prophet will release stateside in limited theaters on February 12th, 2010.
From the producers of Wendy and Lucy, Paranoid Park, and Old Joy comes Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick's debut feature film Some Days are Better than Others!
Shot primarily in Portland and the surrounding areas, Some Days are Better than Others is a poetic, character-driven independent feature film starring: James Mercer, Carrie Brownstein, Renee Roman Nose, and David Wodehouse. A charmingly melancholy look at abandonment, Some Days are Better Than Others asks the question, “Why do the good times slip by so fast while the sad times seem so sticky?”
Some Days are Better Than Others is a quirky black comedy about the disposable relics of our always-consuming society. It’s a film about growing up, growing old, and holding on to hope while looking for second chances.
A new trailer for Jonathan Auf Der Heide's Van Diemen's Land has recently popped up online!
This Australian thriller is about cannibalism during the early 1800s...so this one may not be for the squeamish. The title pertains to an actual piece of Australian wilderness known as Van Diemen's Land, referring to the island of Tasmania.
Van Diemen's Land tells the true story of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict. In 1822, Pearce and seven convicts escaped from Macquarie Harbour, a place of ultra banishment and punishment, only to find a world less forgiving… the Australian wilderness.
Oh how i love early John woo movies...and how i love Wǔxiá films (a broad genre of Chinese fiction that concerns itself with martial arts adventures set primarily in ancient China)!
Magnet has just debuted the official US poster for John Woo's Red Cliff, his two-part ancient Chinese epic!
For those unaware, Red Cliff is a two part ancient Chinese history war epic that Woo shot in 2007. It actually debuted theatrically in China last July, but oddly, no US distributor ever bought it. It went on to make the most money in Chinese box office history (roughly $44 million)!
This film is an adaptation of Guanzhong Luo's novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling and Zhao Wei.
Look for Red Cliff in select theaters on November 13th...or if you're like me and don't like waiting hit up the nearest Chinatown dvd retailer (which should have the proper subtitle/dvd region).
This forthcoming indie comedy titled Defendor stars Woody Harrelson as a wanna-be superhero.
The film is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival later this month, where it will be looking for a distributor. My guess is that this will get picked up pretty quickly. This should be easy to market to audiences that are currently infatuated with superheroes.
I received an email about a Behind the Scenes featurette of Drew Barrymore's directorial debut Whip It starring Ellen Page!
Also featured in the film are Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, rapper Eve, Zoe Bell ("Death Proof"), Alia Shawkat, Ari Graynor ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"), Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, and Barrymore herself, while musician Landon Pigg (playing a musician) plays Page's love interest.
The film takes place in Bodeen, Texas with the indie-rock loving Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) trying to find a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in Austin and tries to join the Babe Ruthless. Fox Searchlight will bring Whip It! to theaters on October 2nd.
Watch the Behind the Scenes featurette or the Trailer Right Here
The trailer for Michael Moore's forthcoming documentary Capitalism: A Love Story recently found it's way online!
The film explores the root causes of the global economic meltdown and takes a comical look at the corporate and political shenanigans that culminated in what Moore has described as the biggest robbery in the history of this country the massive transfer of U.S. taxpayer money to private financial institutions.
Capitalism: A Love Story hits theaters on October 2nd.
When I caught Inglorious Basterds last weekend I caught the Teaser Trailer for Christopher Nolan's forthcoming film Inception!
I still don't really have much of an idea of what the film is about, however the tagline says “Your Mind is the Scene of the Crime” and the action sequences seem to echo The Matrix. Seeing as Nolan has brought us The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins, Insomnia, Following, and (arguably his best film) Memento, I expect this to be something special.
The sci-fi thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine, and more. Inception is set to hit theaters July 16th, 2010.
Right when I was thinking 'not another Michael Cera coming of age story', the Weinstein Company debuted the first trailer for Youth in Revolt...and it looks like Cera has nailed it again!
The film, based on the C.D. Payne book, is about a teenage kid who falls in a love with a girl he can't have but decides to go to lengths to win over her heart.
Youth in Revolt stars Michael Cera, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Jean Smart, and M. Emmet Walsh. Look for it in select theaters October 30th.
The Burning Plain is the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Babel , 21 Grams, Amores Perros, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada).
The story is a romantic mystery about a woman on the edge who takes an emotional journey back to the defining moment of her life. Oscar-winner Charlize Theron plays Sylvia, a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool, professional demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger from Mexico confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to these disparate characters, all of whom are grappling with their own romantic destinies.
The Burning Plain is now available on VOD, XBOX Live and Amazon and will be released theatrically on September 18th.
Werner Herzog directs and David Lynch produce a very strange tale titled My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done.
Inspired by a true story, My Son opens in a a typical middle-class neighborhood in San Diego. The suspect has barricaded himself inside a home and appears to have taken hostages.
Then, in a series of flashbacks, the bizarre story of Brad Macallam begins to emerge. After an ill-fated kayaking trip in a distant land, Brad finds readjustment to suburban life increasingly difficult. As his disaffection grows and his relations with those around him become strained. The detectives try to penetrate the mystery of his story, but the questions only multiply as Brad's unfolding personal and family drama leads to an obsession with an ancient Sophocles play that finally drives him to murder.
The film stars Michael Shannon, Chloe Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Michael Pena, Udo Kier, and the wonderful Grace Zabriskie and will open in select theaters sometime in 2010 (no official release date yet). When I know more so will you!
An Education is the story of a teenage girl’s coming-of-age set in Britain in the early 1960's on the cusp of the strait-laced, post-war period and the free-spirited decade to come. The film is directed by Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners) and the screenplay is by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy), Aa Education was adapted from a memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, which originally appeared in the literary magazine Granta.
The film stars Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. Look for it in select theaters October 9th.
The full trailer for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus recently went online over at Yahoo!
This will get alot of attention due to the fact that this was Heath Ledger's last role. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell all join in to finish Ledger's role, but I have a feeling that Heath will be the one everybody ends up talking about
The film looks wildly original and also stars Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits. I'm not even a big Terry Gilliam fan, but this looks very interesting if only for the acid trip effects and artistry.
Look for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus in select theaters September 24th.
Peter Jackson directs The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold's best-selling tale of a young girl murdered and what she observes from the afterlife.
In The Lovely Bones Movie, Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play the parents of Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), the child who narrates the story from heaven. Stanley Tucci plays the killer in hiding.
It was announced the day before The Lovely Bones commenced filming that original star Ryan Gosling was replaced by Mark Wahlberg.
Look for The Lovely Bones in theaters December 11th.
I did not get a chance to participate in the True Blood festivities while at Comic Con over the weekend, however last Saturday HBO did premiere an exclusive advanced trailer that introduced new characters (including a first look at Evan Rachel Wood as Queen Sophie-Ann) and a preview the remainder of the explosive season, which has now been posted online!
So if you want to see a sneak peek at what’s in store for the rest of True Blood Season 2, then click away!
Watch the True Blood Comic Con Exclusive Right Here
In the mood for a real tearjerker? Then this one (directed by Nick Cassavetes) will be right up your alley.
My Sister's Keeper is the story of a family that is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl’s life. The parents’ desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart.
The film stars: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, and Jason Patric. Look for My Sister's Keeper in select theaters on June 26th.
While we're on the subject, I'll go ahead and mention the soundtrack, which seems to be a nice quite mix of singer/songwriters. Here's the tracklistng...
1. “Feels Like Home” – Edwina Hayes
2. “Don’t Wanna Cry” – Pete Yorn
3. “Better” – Regina Spektor
4. “Life Is Beautiful” – Vega 4
5. “Carry You Home” – James Blunt
6. “We All Fall In Love Sometimes” – Jeff Buckley
7. “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” – Greg Laswell
8. “Find My Way Back Home” – Priscilla Ahn
9. “With You” – Jonah Johnson
10. “Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries” – E.G. Daily
11. “Heaven” – Jimmy Scott
12. "Hymn: Amazing Grace" – Pipe Major Jim Drury and Julia McGurk
Have a listen to this previously unreleased Jeff Buckley tune "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" (written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin) Right Here
Also here's Pete Yorn's video for "Don't Wanna Cry"...
If you liked Quarantine then the Spanish original, which is more intense and much more graphic and is now available stateside on DVD is essential viewing!
Spanish horror specialists Jaume Balagueró (Darkness) and Paco Plaza (Second Name) join forces for this experimental frightener about a mysterious outbreak in an old tenement building.
Here's a trailer for a great book (written by former Simpsons and Beavis and Butt-head writer Larry Doyle) that looks like it will be ruined my a big screen adaption!
I Love You Beth Cooper tells the story of a nerdy valedictorian who proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school Beth Cooper during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and inadvertently ends up showing him the best night of his life.
The book was a fantastic light summer read, but I remain sceptical about the movie.
Purchase I Love You, Beth Cooper the book Right Here.
20th Century Fox has debuted the first red band trailer for Jennifer's Body starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried...and I know the poster is eerily similar to True Blood's, but there was some debate about this last year when both camps revealed their posters at the same time.
This is a teenage horror film written by Diablo Cody 9Juno) and produced by Jason Reitman. It looks pretty sexy and violent as all hell!
Warner Brothers has debuted the first trailer on AOL for Richard Kelly's (Donnie Darko) The Box and stars: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella. This is a story is about a box with a button that when pressed makes the owner wealthy but causes some other harm somewhere in the world.
The Box is both written and directed by Richard Kelly and is based on Richard Matheson's short story "Button, Button", which was also adapted in a "Twilight Zone" episode. Look for it in theaters October 30th.
The Watchmen Director's Cut will be hitting shelves on July 21st!
The film will be re-released in theaters in just four selected cities (the weekend before Comic-Con), Los Angeles and New York, Dallas and Minneapolis for one screening only. The Directors Cut will have 27 minutes of extra violence and sexiness.
I get not having a major re-release, but four screens...that's ridiculous?
This South Korean film is the latest from Chan-wook Park (director of the cult-classic Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). The plot revolves around a priest, who is the subject of a medical experiment which turns him into...you guessed it...a vampire.
Park recently picked up the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for this vampire love story (*just an fyi the red band trailer below is pretty graphic). Thirst gets a limited release on July 31st.
View the Red Band Trailer (Courtesy of IGN) Right Here
In this dark comedy Paul Giamatti (playing himself) decides to lighten his load by having his soul extracted and put on ice. When he decides a soul-less existence isn't for him a mishap leads to his essence being shipped to Russia, where he must track it down. Parts of this film remind me of Being John Malkovich and others of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Cold Souls also stars: Emily Watson, David Strathairn, Dina Korzun, and Lauren Ambrose. Look for it in limited release on August 7th.
Save our CEOs! Overture Films has debuted the trailer for the new documentary from Michael Moore. This is just a teaser trailer...no footage yet, sorry.
Love him or hate him, this is a creative way to introduce the concept for this doc and play with the audience. In fact, a few theaters in NY, LA, Chicago, and DC will have an "interactive" portion where ushers bring out bins to collect money in the audience. That's sticking it to Wall Street!!!
Overture Films and Paramount Vantage have announced that Moore’s new documentary will be released domestically on October 2nd.
Horror comedies are always hard to do. There's Shaun of the Dead or Return of the Living Dead..or more recently Sam Raimi's (oh Evil Dead...there's another one) Drag Me To Hell, which was less entertaining than the others but had it's moments.
There are way more straight to DVD movies that fail to frighten or conjure up laughs. This humorous look at the zombie apocalypse stars: Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Bill Murray. Look for this one in theaters on Ocotober 9th.
Dave Eggers The Wild Things is available for pre-order on Amazon.com, the script is loosely based on the Maurice Sendak story, and co-written with Spike Jonze for the forthcoming movie!
Here's the synopsis:
The Wild Things is about the confusions of a boy, Max, making his way in a world he can't control. His father is gone, his mother is spending time with a younger boyfriend, his sister is becoming a teenager and no longer has interest in him. At the same time, Max finds himself capable of startling acts of wildness: he wears a wolf suit, bites his mom, and can't always control his outbursts. During a fight at home, Max flees and runs away into the woods. He finds a boat there, jumps in, and ends up on the open sea, destination unknown. He lands on the island of the Wild Things, and soon he becomes their king. But things get complicated when Max realizes that the Wild Things want as much from him as he wants from them. Funny, dark, and alive, The Wild Things is a timeless and time-tested tale for all ages. Where The Wild Things Are will release in theaters nationwide October 16th.
The trailer for Martin Scorsese's forthcoming film Shutter Island recently popped up online!
Marty Scorsese's Shutter Island trailer is over on Apple right now (available in several different formats) and it sorta looks like a ghost story or a psychological thriller at least.
Based on the Dennis Lehane's (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone) novel Shutter Island stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as a couple of U.S. Marshals who travel to the remote Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a murderess/patient at the island's strange loony bin where, naturally, a guy like Ben Kingsley runs the show. The film is slated for an Oct. 2nd release.
Yes, I've posted about this before, but I've got some exclusive clips to pass along!
This Sam Mendes film (written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida) opened in select theaters (in NY and LA) last week. As of yet there's no nationwide release date yet, but the film has been getting pretty good word of mouth so I'm hoping it will be coming to a theater near me soon!
This film is about a couple who are expecting their first child and decide to travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. The film stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph in the lead roles and I gotta admit it all looks a little Juno-like, but this is definitely a thirty-somethings coming of age story. Rounding out the cast are: Jeff Daniels, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Josh Hamilton, Allison Janney, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Schneider.
I recently received word that Alejandro Jodorowsky's latest project titled King Shot will begin shooting this October!
Jodorowsky is the director of such cosmically trippy films as El Topo and Holy Mountain that were only recently released in region 1 DVD format after years of legal wrangling with his former partner Allen Klein of ABKCO films.
King Shot is a so-called "metaphysical spaghetti western" starring Marilyn Manson, Asia Argento, Nick Nolte, Udo Kier, and Alejandro's son Adan Jodorowsky (who was also in his father's film Santa Sangre). Nolte and David Lynch (!!!) are executive producers. Lynch's Absurda production company will be the worldwide sales rep.
Here's the trippy Trailer for El Topo...
Here's the (even more bizarre) Trailer for Holy Mountain...
Order the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky Right Here
The Weinstein Company recently debuted the trailer for The Road, the highly anticipated adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel!
After reading the novel I had a hard time believing that this somber story could be brought to the big screen, but this looks much better than I thought it would. I have a feeling this will be one of the most highly anticipated non-summer films this year. The Road stars: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, and Guy Pearce and will release in theaters on October 16th.
I got this interesting trailer in my inbox today...from first-time director John Hindman, comes The Answer Man, a romantic comedy starring Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale), Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”) and Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker). Magnolia Pictures will premiere THE ANSWER MAN On Demand June 26 and will release in theaters July 24.
The plot revolves around Arlen Faber (Daniels) a reclusive author of "Me and God," a book that has redefined spirituality for an entire generation and has been translated into over 100 languages. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of his still wildly popular book, Arlen is still sought after as the man who has all the answers. Arlen's life collides with Elizabeth (Graham), a single mom raising her seven year-old son, and Kris (Taylor Pucci), a young man fresh out of rehab who is searching for meaning. Both Elizabeth and Kris are hopeful that Arlen has the answers, but the truth is, he hasn't got a clue. The film also stars Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) and Olivia Thirlby (Juno).
Quentin Tarantino's long-awaited WWII epic Inglourious Basterds premiered at the Cannes Film Festival the other day, and so far it's gotten some pretty mixed reviews. One thing I'm certain of is that it will have it's fair share of violence with comedy.
Hayao Miyazaki is one of the great filmmakers of all time...so if you only see one animated film this year, Ponyo on the Cliff might be your best bet!
Ponyo on the Cliff looks a little more lighthearted and kid friendly than his last few films...more on par with My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service. The film has also got a celeb heavy cast for the English voiceover (Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin and more). The film is written and directed by master animator Hayao Miyazaki, maker of Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle.
Disney is bringing Ponyo on the Cliff (the Japanese title), now known as just Ponyo, to theaters everywhere August 14th.
The film is described as an animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.
View the Japanese Trailer (sorry, that's all that's out there) Right Here
Watch the first seven minutes of Rian Johnson's second film The Brothers Bloom!
Rian Johnson btw, is the clever guy who brought us that fantastic indie gem Brick a few years back.
The Brothers Bloom looks like a wacky film that follows a couple of con men who decide to take one last job. The film stars stars Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, and (Babel's) Rinko Kikuchi. Look for The Brothers Bloom in select theaters on May 15th.
Watch the opening sequence, in which the Brothers Bloom began grifting at a very young age, right here...
Sony Picture Classics recently debuted the first trailer for Duncan Jones' Moon, a much hyped indie sci-fi film starring Sam Rockwell that first premiered at Sundance earlier this year!
The plot revolves around astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) who has a personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his intelligent computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of Helium 3, a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.
The trailer for Ang Lee's next film Taking Woodstock recently popped up online after debuting last week on "Important Things with Demetri Martin".
Based on a true story, Taking Woodstock stars Demetri Martin as Elliot Tiber, a boy working at his parents' motel in the Catskills who agrees to host Woodstock in their backyard and inadvertently sets into motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
Chances are you've seen this already, but I'm gonna post it anyway because I'm excited that the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are popped up online today... and it looks pretty amazing!
I have high hopes for Spike Jones (director) and Dave Eggers (screenplay) film which includes Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, and James Gandolfini in the cast.
Bonus points for using a slightly different version of The Arcade Fire's song "Wake Up" for the trailer...it really intensifies the film's fantastical elements.
Here's to hoping this is an instant classic! Where the Wild Things Are hits theaters on October 16th.
View the Trailer over on Apple in HD Here or right here...
Clips of this Jennifer Lynch's (daughter of David Lynch) forthcoming film Surveillance popped up online awhile back, but now we get a full-length trailer!
The plot revolves around an FBI agent who tracks a serial killer with the help of three of his would-be victims - all of whom have wildly different stories to tell.
The thriller stars Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond and is set for a June 26th release. David Lynch is also credited as Executive Producer so I'm sure he gave his two cents with the some of the films haunting imagery.
Here's a promising film opening this weekend in select theaters!
The story revolves around a young Honduran woman who joins her father and uncle on a journey to cross the gauntlet of the Latin American countryside en route to the US. Along the way, she crosses paths with a Mexican gang member, who is attempting to outrun his violent past. Together they must rely on trust and street smarts if they are to survive their journey towards the hope of new lives.
This Sam Mendes film was written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida so I'm expecting this to be pretty good!
This film is about a couple who are expecting their first child and decide to travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. The film stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph in the lead roles and I gotta admit it all looks a little Juno-like, but this is definitely a thirty-somethings coming of age story. Rounding out the cast are Jeff Daniels, Carmen Ejogo, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Josh Hamilton, Allison Janney, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Schneider.
Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a coming-of-age tale based on the 1988 novel by Michael Chabon. This was Chabon's first novel, which he began writing when he was a twenty-one-year-old undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh. The story revolves around alienated youth, while serving up some familiar details of sex, alcohol and drugs. The film adaptation stars Jon Foster, Sienna Miller, Peter Sarsgaard, Mena Suvari, and Nick Nolte
Look for Mysteries of Pittsburgh in select theaters March 27th.
This film will includes three shorts from Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine, Human Nature), South Korean filmmaker Joon-ho Bong (The Host) and French director Leos Carax (Pola X)!
The trailer looks visually stunning, as you might expect from anything that uses the city of Tokyo as its backdrop. Tokyo! will release on March 6th in NY and March 20th in LA.
Here’s a rundown of each of the three stories...
“Interior Design” by Michel Gondry: the surreal fable of a young couple who moves to Tokyo in search of a future. While the boy’s ambition to be a movie maker is clear, the girl begins to drifts apart. Both of them will be drowned in the imensity until the girl, feeling alone, discovers something strange.
“Merde” by Leos Carax: a mysterious man spreads confusion on the streets of Tokyo through a succession of irrational and provocative acts. ” The Creature of the Sewers ” as the media have dubbed him, arouse passion or repulsion. He will be captured, judged and then…
“Shaking Tokyo” by Bong Joon-Ho: He is a hikikomori - like many others in Japan, he has withdrawn from all contact with the outside world. When the pizza delivery girl faints during an earthquake, the unthinkable happens - the man falls in love. Will he take the unimaginable step : leaving the dead security of his apartment for the streets of Tokyo?
It seems like the day would never come, but The Watchmen finally arrives in theaters this weekend nationwide!
Here's some Rorschach-heavy clips...
While we're on the subject...The Watchmen Soundtrack seems to be a nice mix of classic tunes, here's the tracklisting...
"Desolation Row" (Bob Dylan cover by My Chemical Romance)
"Unforgettable" (Nat King Cole)
"The Times They Are A-Changin" (Bob Dylan)
"The Sound Of Silence" (Simon & Garfunkel)
"Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
I'm Your Boogie Man" (KC & The Sunshine Band)
"You're My Thrill" (Billie Holiday)
"Pruit Igoe & Prophecies" (Philip Glass)
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)
"All Along The Watchtower" (Jimi Hendrix)
"Ride of the Valkyries" (Budapest Symphony Orchestra)
"Pirate Jenny" (Nina Simone)
I got an email bout this Festival De Cannes Jury Prize winner about a seemingly ordinary Japanese Family.
Tokyo Sonata is a portrait of a seemingly ordinary Japanese family. A father who loses his job conceals the truth from his family; the eldest son in college hardly returns home; the youngest son furtively takes piano lessons without telling his parents; and the mother, who knows deep down that her role is to keep the family together, cannot find the will to do so.
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s (no relation to Akira Kurosawa) the film is set to release in select theaters March 13th.
The first trailer for Alejandro Amenábar's (Abre Los Ojos, The Others, The Sea Inside) historical drama Agora recently hit the web.
Now, I'm not a big fan of these kinds of period films, but I love this director this one looks pretty promising. Agora stars Rachel Weisz as Hypatia of Alexandria and Max Minghella as her slave named Davus. The story follows Davus who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hopes of pursuing freedom while also falling in love with his master, the famous female philosophy professor and atheist Hypatia. Below is an early promo trailer (no dialogue yet), but it looks good so far.
Focus Features has tentatively set a December 18th release date.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Pedro Almodóvar? Well, now a good a time as any because a teaser trailer for his forthcoming film Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos) has just popped up online!
Broken Embraces is written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar and re-teams the director with his muse Penelope Cruz. If you are unfamiliar with his work here are some titles to seek out: Law of Desire, High Heels, Live Flesh, All About My Mother, Talk to Her, Bad Education, and Volver.
Broken Embraces is described as a "four-way tale of amour-fou, shot in the style of '50s American film noir at its most hard-boiled, with signature Almodóvar themes such as fate, the mystery of creation, guilt, unscrupulous power, the eternal search of fathers for sons, and sons for fathers."
Broken Embraces opens in select theaters November 6th.
Following the success o Paris, je t'aime 12 filmmakers present New York, I Love You. The 5 minute short films illustrate the universal theme of encountering love within the five boroughs of New York City. The directors chosen this time around are: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Scarlett Johansson, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Randall Balsmeyer.
The cast that features: Carlos Acosta, Eva Amurri, Kevin Bacon, Jacinda Barrett, Justin Bartha, Jordann Beal, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, James Caan, Richard Chang, Jeff Chena, Gary Cherkassky, Hayden Christensen, Julie Christie, Bradley Cooper, Chris Cooper, Sinsu Co, Simon Dasher, Cesar De León, Drea de Matteo, Eddie D'vir, Andy Garcia, Taylor Geare, Ethan Hawke, Juri Henley-Cohn, John Hurt, Ashley Klein, Sean T. Krishnan, Shia LaBeouf, Cloris Leachman, Blake Lively, Eliezer Meyer, Adam S. Phillips, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Purcell, Maggie Q, Amy Raudenbush, Christina Ricci, Robert d Scott, Qi Shu, Gurdeep Singh, Olivia Thirlby, Goran Visnjic, Eli Wallach, Saul Williams, Robin Wright Penn, Burt Young, Ugur Yücel, and Rebecca Merle.
Look for New York, I Love You in select theaters on April 10th.
I recently viewed Christophe Honoré's excellent films Dan's Paris (Inside Paris) and Love Songs (Les Chansons D'Amour)!
Dans Paris stars Romain Duris, Louis Garrel, and Joana Preiss in this French film about a man (Paul) depressed after the break-up of his marriage. Paul moves in with his divorced father and womanizing younger brother as his father tries in vain to cheer him up.
Love Songs is a modern day musical told through songs sung entirely by the cast and scored by Alex Beaupain. The story revolves around a relationship between Ismael (Louis Garrel of Dans Paris, The Dreamers), Julie (Ludivine Sagnier of Swimming Pool, Girl Cut in Two), and Alice (Clotilde Hesme of Regular Lovers) who engage in a threesome as things begin to get tricky. Ultimately tragedy strikes and these young Parisians are forced to deal with the fragility of life and love.
Here's an indie film that I'm looking foreward to seeing!
When Trudi suddenly dies, Rudi is thrown out of gear and learns that his wife wanted to live a totally different life in Japan. Look for Cherry Blossoms in select theaters Jan. 16th. (Above is the German movie poster)
Every year it seems that I miss seeing more and more films, but here is a list of my favorite films that I did see with a little music mix from some of the films.
Slumdog Millionaire
Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Millions, 28 Days Later, Sunshine) Slumdog Millionaire's plot revolves around an Indian street orphan who wins the grand prize on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire, as we find out (via flashbacks) if it was it all luck or if he was cheating. View the trailer here or right here...
The Wrestler
Directed by Darren Aronofsky this is the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) a professional wrestler from the 80s, who still wrestles on the weekends in semi-pro matches for extra money. He is forced to retire completely after a heart attack threatens to kill him the next time he wrestles. He takes a weekend shift at the deli counter at the grocery store where he already works on weekdays, attempts to form a relationship with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei) and does his best to reconcile with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). However, he is drawn to the prospect of a rematch with his old wrestling nemesis the Ayatollah (Ernest Miller), even though the fight may cost him his life.
View the trailer here or right here...
Paranoid Park
Directed by Gus Van Sant this artsy drama (based on the novel of the same name by Blake Nelson) takes place in Portland, Oregon and revolves around a teenage skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard. View the trailer here or right here...
The Visitor
The Visitor's plot revolves around sixty-two-year-old Walter Vale, who is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference and he is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment who have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him. View the trailer here or right here...
A Band's Visit
The film follows a band of members of the Egyptian police force who head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town with a series of quiet happenings and confessions. View the trailer here or right here...
The Go-Getter
The plot to this road-trip movie revolves a teenager (Lou Pucci) who steals a car to find his long-lost brother and discovers a profound connection along the way (with Zooey DeShannel). View the trailer here or right here...
The Counterfeiters
Based on the true story of counterfeiter extraordinaire Salomon Sorowitsch who gets put in a German concentration camp and agrees to help the Nazis in an organized counterfeit operation set up to help finance the war effort. View the trailer here or right here...
Cassandra's Dream
Directed by Woody Allen, Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play brothers in this dark drama about siblings who dream of improving their lives only to find themselves in a sticky situation when an uncle asks them to do an illegal favor. View the trailer right here...
Frozen River
Frozen River is the story of Ray Eddy, an stuggling mom who is lured into the world of illegal immigrant smuggling when she meets a Mohawk girl who lives on a reservation that straddles the US-Canadian border.
This is the strange tale of a high school student who discovers that she has a physical advantage when she becomes the object of male violence. View the trailer here or right here...
Cloverfield
The plot revolves around an attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people who film the entire story on their hand held camera. View the traier here or right here...
When Did You Last See Your Father
This film explores the father/son relationship of Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) deals with the death of his father. Blake’s upsetting memories about his childhood are interspersed with tender scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father and their history of conflict. View the trailer here or right here..
Girl Cut in Two
This French film from Claude Chabrol is about a girl torn between an older man (a famous married author who won't leave his wife) and a semi-deranged young heir to an industrial fortune who loves her. View the trailer here or right here...
Towelhead
Directed by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and based on Alicia Erian's novel of the same name, Towelhead tells the story of a young Arab American girl named Jasira (Summer Bishil) who is sent to live with her strict Lebanese father (Peter Macdissi) who lives in a suburb of Houston, Texas. Jasira struggles against her father's lifestyle and against her racist classmates. For the first time in her life, the problems of being an Arab in America hits Jasira, causing her to become sexually obsessed with her neighbor; a bigoted army reservist. View the trailer here or right here...
Flashbacks of A Fool
Errogant and aging Hollywood star Joe Scott (Daniel Craig) finds out about the death of his childhood best friend and takes us into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970's Britain that helps to explain why he is so tormented. View the trailer here or right here..
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald this tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
When two brothers plan to rob their parents' jewelery store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax.
Ed Harris directs this western about two gunmen (Harris and Viggo Mortensen) who try to help a lawless town suffering at the hands of a thuggish rancher (Jeremy Irons).View the trailer here or right here...
In Bruges
This film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen hiding out in the Belgian city of Bruges, awaiting instructions from their gangster boss (Ralph Fiennes) as they come to terms with issues of guilt, morality, and redemption. View the trailer here or right here...
Quarantine
In this film a television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC after the outbreak of a mysterious virus. View the trailer here or right here...
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Prestige, Following, Insomnia) directs the second installment of the Batman seires, and I'm sure you've all read that Heath Ledger steals the show as The Joker. View the trailer here or right here...
Two Lovers is a romantic drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as Leonard, a charismatic but troubled young man who moves back into his childhood home following a recent heartbreak. While recovering under the watchful eye of his parents (Isabella Rossellini and Moni Monoshov), Leonard meets two women in quick succession: Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a mysterious and beautiful neighbor who is exotic and out-of-place in Leonard's staid world, and Sandra, the lovely and caring daughter of a businessman who is buying out his family's dry-cleaning business.
Two Lovers opens in select theaters February 13th, 2009.
The Wrestler is definitely one film that I will be looking forward to checking out!
There is a ton of hype surrounding Darren Aronofsky's forthcoming drama about a washed-up professional wrestler played by Mickey Rourke. The film also stars Marisa Tomei, who plays Rourke's stripper friend and Evan Rachel Wood as Rourke's estranged daughter. The Bruce Springsteen song in the trailer is also a nice touch.
More on the film: The film is actually about Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a 1980s era pro wrestler who had become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he had a heart attack during a small-time match, doctors told him he could die if he fights again. In an effort to build a new life Robinson took a job at a deli, moved in with an aging stripper and tried to build a relationship with her son. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis, the Ayatollah, proved too tempting to resist...even if it meant risking his life.
The Wrestler opens in select theaters on Dec. 17th.
View the Trailer (courtesy of Cinematical) Right Here
Here's one more new film that recently came out on dvd that I would recommend!
Harmony Korine's (director of Kids, Gummo) latest film Mister Lonely is his first film in quite awhile. The plot synopsis goes like this: An American kid, a Michael Jackson impersonator, is lost...and he meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and he gets found when he goes to this place where Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, Madonna, and a bunch of other Jack Rabbit Slims employees live and see nuns falling out of the sky. Diego Luna and Samantha Norton star in the lead roles.
Here's another new film that recently came out on dvd that I would recommend!
Based on the autobiography of Blake Morrison of the same name, When Did You Last See Your Father? is a film that reflects upon themes of respect, contempt, and understanding one’s parents and the indisputable truth that as children we are doomed to become them in one facet or another.
There's a few new films that recently came out on dvd that I would recommend viewing, this is but one of them!
Sukiyaki Western Django is directed and co-written by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, known for horror films including Ichi the Killer, Audition, Gozu, and One Missed Call.
Asian cowboys, samurai, and Quentin Taratino squaring off in the old west east...what more could you ask for?
Have y'all seen the teaser trailer for Roland Emmerich's 2012, which popped up online last week?
T film is based on the Mayan calendar prediction that the end of the world will arrive sometime in 2012...the movie is about that arrival and what will happen. Of course that means there is alot of potential for some crazy viral marketing, which brings us to a site called Institute for Human Continuity that talks about registering for a lottery to guarantee your survival when the apocalypse comes in 2012. Nothing much happens once you register, but it's still early in the game.
Look for 2012 in theaters theaters on July 10, 2009.
Register at Institute for Human Continuity Right Here
View the Teaser Trailer (if you have not already done so)...
One of my favorite French directors Olivier Assayas is set to release his latest drama titled Summer Hours!
Summer Hours plot revolves around a family that meet at their mother’s 75th birthday in an old French country home that belonged to their great uncle, who was a famous artist. After the party the film follows the three adult children (Charles Berling, Juliette Binoche, and Jeremie Renier). The film meditates on what memory and family mean as we grow older and how objects play a role in that.
Fans of Assayas' early films like Late August, Early September might enjoy this one. No official stateside release date yet, but I'm betting this will be popping up in art house cinemas quite soon. You'll know more when I do.
Here's the trailer for Kelly Reichardt's follow-up to the '06 indie film Old Joy (starring Will Oldham).
Wendy and Lucy follows Wendy (Michelle Williams) and her dog Lucy as they travel to Alaska for a summer job. Wendy's life begins to fall apart once her car breaks down in Oregon as her financial situation gets progessively worse. There is already much talk from the films viewings at various festivals about Michelle Williams powerful performance.
Indie film I've Loved You For So Long hits select theaters this weekend! If you are not headed out to see Clint Eastwood's Changeling or Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche NY then this is a wise choice.
The story revolves around a woman named Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) who has had no ties with her family who had rejected her over 15 years ago. Although life once violently separated them, Lea, her younger sister, takes her into her home which she shares with her husband Luc, his father, and their two daughters.
I've Loved You For So Long opens in select theaters this weekend (October 24th).
Indie film Sunshine Cleaing aims to be this years Little Miss Sunshine!
A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around in the off-beat dramedy directed by Christine Jeffs (Rain, Sylvia).
Once the high school cheerleading captain (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single mom working as a maid. Her sister Norah (the beautiful Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash.
Look for Sunshine Cleaning in select theaters March 13th 2009.
Screw Twilight! This Swedish vampire film looks like a real wild ride and now the Exclusive Red Band Trailer has just popped up online!
Terrorized by bullies, lonely 12-year-old Oskar befriends a mysterious young girl whose arrival coincides with a series of gruesome deaths and attacks. Though Oskar realizes that she's a vampire, his friendship with her is stronger than his fear.
Let The Right One In has been picking up awards at various screenings, so I'd say it's only a matter of time before this gets an official stateside release date.
View the Exclusive Red Band Trailer (Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes) Right Here
