The New Wes Anderson Short Film Available On iTunes
Did we mention that Natalie Portman gets *tastefully* naked? Grab the free short here. [Hat tip, the Vulture]
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September 26, 2007
Bill O'Reilly Outdoes Imus
On his dinner in Harlem with Al Sharpton: [via Gothamist]
I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship....There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' ...You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all.
Maybe he'd have felt more at home if they'd served falafel. It probably goes without saying, but what a fucking idiot. [Thanks Noah]
September 25, 2007
Rumproast Returns
Our pal Kevin, formerly of catch.com fame, has finally traded in his suit (finely tailored by TJ Maxx) for a fresh pair of Dora the Explorer PJs and returned to blogging. Be sure to add rumproast.com to your blogroll. After all, if it weren't for Kevin, we'd have never heard of Let’s Eppelin:
Rumproast also has a link to a great Bo Diddly record from his "funky period." As Kevin says "I didn’t even know Bo went through a funk period, which I guess means I don’t know diddley about him."
Williamsburg stays sweet. Domino Sugar Factory Gets Landmark Status
Our friends at Cakehead have the story.
September 24, 2007
WFMU, Have We Told You Lately We Love You?
Consistently one of the best blogs on the intertube highway, WFMU wins our love again with an ode to September, in the form of 38 downloads of Kurt Weill's "September Song."
September Song was written by Weill (with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson) for the 1938 musical Knickerbocker Holiday. Walter Huston (father of John, Granddad of Angelica) introduced the song when he played Pieter Stuyvesant in the original production, and scored a hit with the 78 version of it while the show was still in its first run. In the play, the peg-legged Stuyvesant sings the song to Tina, the lovely Town Councilor's daughter, in the hope of rushing her into marriage against her better judgment. Peg-leg Pete uses the shortening days of September and the onset of winter to convince Tina to give herself to him and not to his rival, Brom Broeck. (Tina marries Broek in the end.)Another irony of the song that's been lost in it's many years as an American pop standard is that it's sung by a villain. In Knickerbocker Holiday, Stuyvesant is a stand-in for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who the pacifist/anarchist Maxwell Anderson saw as an exponent of American fascism.
Artists include James Brown, Django Reinhardt, Chet Baker, and countless others. Grab 'em all here.
The Meg White Sex Tape
We're just kinda speechless. Hopefully this isn't what's been causing her anxiety (if it's even Meg at all).
September 21, 2007
"Southland Tales" Trailer
From The Vulture
Mocked mercilessly at Cannes over a year ago, re-cut, and finally picked up for distribution this year, Richard Kelly's follow-up to Donnie Darko boasts one of the all-time great WTF casts in the history of cinema. Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Rock, and Sean William Scott claim pride of place in this totally whacked-out trailer, but we also get glimpses of Miranda Richardson, Amy Poehler, Mandy Moore, a heavily made-up Wallace Freaking Shawn, the Fug Girls' patron saint Bai Ling, and Justin Timberlake with a gross scar on his face.
September 18, 2007
The State Of Free Speech In America
This disturbing footage shows a University of Florida student being tasered by cops at a John Kerry forum. Meanwhile, Kerry reminds us why America thinks he's a pussy as he stands by and does nothing.
Reminder: There's A Free M. Ward Show Tonight
All the info is here.
The Gutter Opens In Greenpoint
Anybody been?
The first bowling alley to open in Brooklyn in (we can't even believe this) nearly 50 years is about to open up! The Gutter is new... but the feeling old. Brought to you by two of the same people who brought you Barcade, expect a similar vibe. There's a Schlitz globe spinning over the shoe counter, vintage bowling items adorning the bar, old lamps throughout, and even some TVs with rabbit ear antennas.You won't find flashy flatscreens displaying your scores and advertisements hanging above the lanes. The scoring machines are straight out of the past, and the only advertisements are on the pin clearing machine. Those ads are likely for establishments in a town far far away, however -- as the equipment was all purchased from an old bowling alley in the midwest.
Some more fine details: the bar overlooks the lanes, there are no league nights, the bathrooms are unisex, and the bar is stocked with good beer (you can get pitchers too) and spirits. Located at 200 North 14th Street just west of Berry in Greenpoint, it's near Automotive High School -- but you can rest assured this is a 21+ establishment.
Regular Hours: Monday-Thursday 4pm to 4am; Friday-Sunday 12 noon to 4am.
How much money you'll need: $4 shoes, $6 games Monday-Thursday, $7 Friday-Sunday
For groups of 4 or more: $48 per hour during the week and $56 per hour on weekends
Cash only for bowling, but credit cards accepted at the bar for alcohol
September 17, 2007
Wes Anderson Cashes a Fat Check From AT&T
Here's one of the hipster director's new commercials. [Via Goldenfiddle who has them all.]
Barry Manilow Does Something That's Actually, Well, Cool
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
From The Vulture & TMZ
Barry Manilow's appearance on The View tomorrow has been canceled after the singer demanded that Elisabeth Hasselbeck not be there for his performance. "I strongly disagree with her views. I think she's dangerous and offensive. I will not be on the same stage as her." Producers say there was a time when they might've complied with his request, but that was 30 years ago when he used to not quite blow
Greenspan: Iraq War Was About Oil
From The London Times
In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W Bush’s economic policies.However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil,” he says.
September 13, 2007
Sunday: Dan Dean & USA Is A Monster at the Yard
This promises to be a great show and the space (on Carroll Street) looks amazing. They'll also be hosting the Starry-Eyed Festival [hat tip BrooklynVegan:
STARRY-EYED FESTIVAL
Budos Band, Miho Hatori and Tim Love, Melanie Moser & the 11th Hour Band, Kaveh Nabattan & Barrett Lindgren
Sunday 9/23
Doors 3pm
Admission $15
On Sunday Sept. 23rdthe Starry-Eyed Festival will give New Yorkers another chance to enjoy some great outdoor music and locally grown food at Brooklyns coolest new music venue The Yard.
Free Screening Tonight: Darkon the Movie
And Another: "Mom's Gonna Be So Proud"
Clearly, this one can't be for real.... [Thanks Jeff.]
September 12, 2007
We Have A "Britney Pool" Too!
Yes, there's another video.
September 11, 2007
New Mark Ronson Video, "Valerie", Featuring Amy Winehouse (well, sorta)
Via Sterogum, who adds:
The tagline for this one could read: "When rehab and video recording schedules conflict!" No confirmation that Amy's ongoing issues are to blame, but it's fair to assume the tabloid 'n' narcotic nonsense surrounding Wino's life these days made nabbing her for the shoot an issue. Good on Mark for playing off her absence.
We Feel Bad For Britney Too, But Please Take Your Ritalin
This video confuses us. Is this fan a man or a woman? Is it for real? Why is he/she beneath a sheet? Why does he/she feel so emotionally invested in Britney? And of course, why are we so entertained? Leave Britney Spears alone!
Children Build Teacher's Coffin
This story is, of course, very tragic but its also pretty creepy in a "Children of the Corn" kind of way.
Neil Young : Time Fades Away (Vinyl Transfer)
The 1973 Live album, Time Fades Away, marks the first LP in Neil Young’s early 1970s Ditch Trilogy (see also: On The Beach, Tonight’s The Night). Somehow, 30+ years later, with the vinyl long out of print, it has yet to see the light of day in terms of a proper CD release. This is most definitely due to numerous accounts of Neil Young disparaging the album as his “worst,” which is unfortunate, because if you like your Shakey with a little dirt on ‘em, Time Fades Away is as good as it gets.
Aquarium Drunkard has the MP3's here. He also has some Band of Horses rarities and some random nuggets from Bonnie Prince Billy. [Thanks Kevin]
September 10, 2007
Offsprung's Guide To Hipster Parents: The Cribster
September 09, 2007
The War Of The Rosens by Janice Eidus
A Non-review by J. Stefan-Cole
Leo Rosen drags his daughters, ten year old Emma and thirteen year old May, to the beach on Rosh-Hashanah just to parade in bathing suits his contempt for the other Jews in the projects, perched on benches following synagogue on a crisp October day. “…All Leo sees is a huddled group of nameless, faceless men and women…frightened of pain, death, and sorrow—as are we all—foolishly and desperately turn to the supernatural, wrong-headedly calling their fears, “faith,” despite all the empirical evidence to the contrary, too week to acknowledge their own frailties.” This is 1965 and some of those nameless, faceless people have numbers tattooed to their wrists, Holocaust survivors with terror-struck pasts that Leo barely registers.
He’s a commie, a lower middle class atheist who still believes Communism, given half a chance, could solve humanity’s woes, certain in particular that religion is the root of most evil. Steinbeck is his hero, but Leo’s dreams of writing the greatest American novel since The Grapes of Wrath have crumpled into a candy store in The Bronx. From Leo’s Candies he dispenses “Truth with a Capitol T” to anyone willing to listen,
Charismatic on a small stage, he’ll slap around even a child who doubts him, as Emma does when she dares to venture into a nearby church. “‘Individuals shape their own lives,’ he’s fond of saying to his wife and two daughters, in the stirring, theatrical tones he’d perfected as captain of his Brooklyn high school’s debating team.” Yet Leo is haunted by nightmares of his own father’s beatings, and his mother’s coldness. His wife, frumpy pessimist Annette, is a socialist, a weak-kneed position according to her husband. Leo’s certainty, while stamping out subtly, and free choice, is hard ballast against the storms of life. That is, until May becomes sick with a tumor, a situation to test faith in anything. Where is certainty in the face of such personal suffering? This question is the crux of Janice Eidus’s heartfelt, searching fourth novel “The War of the Rosens” (Behler Publications).
At times the cruelty is visceral: Leo’s violent temper, May’s jealous hatred of Emma, Emma wishing her older sister dead. Annette, afraid and harried, defrosts the fridge rather than deal with daughters she loves but is not certain she likes. If you’ve ever had a stinging sibling rivalry this book will throw you back into the fray. With me it was shoelaces demarking the territory. I don’t remember who started it, but I was younger and I laid down the map, once the terms were dictated. It wasn’t fair either because, like Emma, the closets were on my side of the room. A chalk line, scratched onto the floor by May in a fit of rage, yields the first of two defining crescendos that shape the story.
It’s not all dark. A wickedly absurdist humor catches at just the right moments. Emma’s behind her father’s back quest for meaning is drawn with poignant hilarity. A Catholic classmate, Rosmary Mammano is envied for her ease with swear words, and her sure faith, though not the bigotry that comes with it (Leo successfully passed on his liberal egalitarianism). Emma secretly prays to a statue of Mary poised serenely in a church garden across from the projects. She convinces her best friend Shelley to sneak into a Sunday service—using the ploy of their being a Jewish James Gang infiltrating the enemy camp. But once her hand touches Holy Water, Emma panics, runs home, horrified, to bathe for an hour in “Jewish water” out of the tap, just in case there is a god of the Jews.
Ignorant of her daughter’s passionate search for answers, Annette fantasizes running away from home. Not needing a constant audience, as Leo does, she would like once in a while to be thanked for endless cooking and scrubbing. She goes all out for Thanksgiving, which only adds to Emma’s confusion. “‘The one holiday,’ her mother says every year, ‘we celebrate because we have things to be thankful for, even if we don’t attribute them to God.’ She never says what it is that she believes the supposedly cursed Rosens…have to be thankful for, and Emma never asks, because she suspects that her mother would probably just shrug and say something like, ‘Now that you ask, absolutely nothing.’” This year there isn’t even turkey. The Rosen world has been flipped inside out by May’s diagnosis.
The journey back to the Gun Hill Projects reflects a time that now seems innocent. Uniformly bland brick buildings are alive with an ethnic mix, sixties songs fill the background, and chance meetings at the elevator serve as a telegraph system; in the projects people are not strangers. And there are the candies Leo sells, names called out like mantras running through the book: Good ‘n Plenty, Raisinettes, Milk Duds, Junior Mints, Pez, Chunkies…manna to the neighborhood kids.
The story is ultimately Emma’s, as she grows increasingly independent. Shelly more than once protests her friend’s new bossiness (Leo’s gene pool rising?). He won’t for long control the daughter he blatantly favors. He reads Shakespeare and Steinbeck to Emma, telling May this isn’t for her; she’s good with numbers, he says, unwittingly dismissing his first born. Ashamed of her parents and “uncouth” sister, May retaliates, dreams of a mannered life in California once she is grown up and married to Marvin Ludwig, the boy she is “destined” for, though he barely notices her.
There is a fairy tale moment near the end of the book involving May and Marvin that edges the sentimental, a sudden turn around when Marvin unexpectedly pays a visit. It’s Valentine’s Day, too, and Leo surprises his girls with boxes of chocolates. No one is sure what to do as the milk of human kindness suddenly pours over the warring Rosens. The moment encompasses a family drawn in around illness, despair hovering like rotten fruit on a summer afternoon. The ready to implode status quo has to shift and shift seismically; Leo adjusts. If he can’t change the world, he can at least try to change himself. In the face of impossible suffering, clarity of self might be all there is to go on.
The Rosens begin in The Bronx, living cramped lives in close quarters, and expand to a larger world. The perennially repeated family dynamic is rephrased here in pitch perfect tones: life caught acutely at its most stubborn worst, communication shot to hell. It takes a catastrophe to shake the mix and what flushes out is not a fairly tale.
(c) September 2007 J. Stefan-Cole
September 04, 2007
The September 2007 Movie Preview
Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited
This month launches us into what's shaping up to be an especially strong indie autumn, and brings us the first few of many big and low-budget excursions into the Middle East.
September 7
3:10 TO YUMA
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Remake of the film where a guy needs to get a bad guy onto a train at some unspecified time.
WILL IT SUCK?
Not really. Russel Crowe turns in another outstanding performance. Not the most worthy follow-up to Walk the Line for director James Mangold, however. More here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Probably has the biggest stars of the weekend. $59mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
In a weaker year, Crowe might get a nod.
-----------------------------------
SHOOT 'EM UP
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Clive Owen protects a baby...again.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is unanimously good, which is impressive since the writer/director scripted Double Dragon. David Poland seemed to like it, and when he latches on to a lesser-known action flick (like Banlieu 13), it's worth paying attention.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
May not have Yuma's cast, but will probably collect a following, nonetheless. $36mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Action films don't get Academy love.
-----------------------------------
THE BROTHERS SOLOMON
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
If Dumb and Dumber tried to adopt.
WILL IT SUCK?
I'd say that Bob Odenkirk directing is a good sign if it weren't for Let's Go to Prison. And I have no idea of SNL-er Will Forte can write. The fact that it's Revolution Studios is definitely a bad sign, but the trailer's pretty funny. Good cast - Will Arnett, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, David Koechner, Chi McBride and Bob Odenkirk, among others.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Will have to split the dumb comedy pie with Mr. Woodcock the following week. $15mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If any comedies get love, it'll be Superbad or Knocked Up.
-----------------------------------
HATCHET
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
An attempt to add a new icon to the slasher canon.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is great. This one's been making its bones on the festival circuit and boasts cameos from Robert Englund, Tony Todd and Joshua Leonard (that's Freddy Kruger, Candyman and um, Josh from Blair Witch). Also, Mercedes McNabb for the Buffy/Angel fans out there.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It'll be hard to get out of the shadow of Halloween. $3mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Even if there were an indie horror category, it'd have to take on Leslie Vernon.
-----------------------------------
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
If you believe, they put a man on the moon.
WILL IT SUCK?
This is an amazing documentary. The moon landing seems like tired territory, but director David Sington breathes new life into it by interviewing exclusively those who actually experienced it firsthand and finding a context that makes it relevant today. More here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It's unique enough, but it needs more buzz. $500,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If this can do a little better than I predict, a doc nod is not out of the question.
-----------------------------------
I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jeff Garlin and Sarah Silverman do the "hot chick somehow falls for schlubby-lookin' dude" thing.
WILL IT SUCK?
First off, that should be I Want Someone With Whom to Eat Cheese, but whatever. Early buzz is mixed, but if you're a fan of Garlin, Silverman, Bonnie Hunt or Amy Sedaris, you probably want this on your radar.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Better on DVD. $2mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Jeff who?
-----------------------------------
THE GOOD NIGHT
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Martin Freeman dreams about Penelope Cruz, like, a lot.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed. Nice cast, however: Gwyneth Paltrow (director's sister), Simon Pegg and Michael Gambon are also up in here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Good cast but not nearly enough buzz. $250,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If Science of Sleep didn't make it...
-----------------------------------
FIERCE PEOPLE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Anton Yelchin does an anthropological study of the rich and shameless.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is not so good. Not crazy about the fake-y versions of "Under Pressure" and "Bittersweet Symphony" in the trailer, either. Been in the cooker since Tribeca 2005, which may not be a good sign.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Overcrowded weekend. $1mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Not with these reviews.
-----------------------------------
THE HUNTING PARTY
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Journalists hunt for a war criminal in Bosnia.
WILL IT SUCK?
I liked writer/director Richard Shepard's last effort, The Matador, and this looks to take a similar dark comic look at its subject matter, which is based on a true story. I like Terence Howard, though I haven't really been impressed with most of his post-Hustle choices. And I've been looking forward to seeing what else Jesse Eisenberg can do ever since Squid and the Whale.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Like everything else this weekend, needs more buzz. But Richard Gere's presence might help. $3mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If Gere gets a nod for anything this year, it'll be The Hoax.
-----------------------------------
ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Musical about infidelity.
WILL IT SUCK?
The delay in release is not a matter of sucking so much as it is a matter of writer/director John Turturro having to self-distribute because of studio turmoil and legal wrangling. The cast is magnificent: Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mary Louise-Parker, Christopher Walken, Eddie Izzard and Amy Sedaris.
That having been said, early buzz is not generous and part of that may be the fact that they sing over the original tunes resulting in what Hollywood Reporter calls "a karaoke nightmare."
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Given that "self-distribution" really means, "out-of-pocket screenings at the NY Film Forum," not so good. $5,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Even if we could get past the whole self-distribution hurdle, the reviews would have to greatly improve.
-----------------------------------
THE BUBBLE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Gay love affair between an Israeli and a Palestinian in Tel Aviv.
WILL IT SUCK?
It's very good. And surprisingly funny. And unsurprisingly tragic and depressing. Read more.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not so well. Should have picked a less crowded weekend. $250,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I wouldn't mind seeing it get a Best Foreign nod, but I doubt it.
-----------------------------------
September 14
-----------------------------------
EASTERN PROMISES
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Naomi Watts vs. the Russian mob.
WILL IT SUCK?
A crime thriller from the director of A History of Violence and the writer of Dirty Pretty Things with Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl? Sign. Me. The. Fuck. Up.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I'm not sure why they're opening this wide. Director David Cronenberg has a following, but it's an art house following. And Mortensen and Watts, lovely as they are, don't really open films. $27mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Cronenberg's due, Mortensen was overlooked for Violence and Watts already got a nod for 21 Grams.
-----------------------------------
THE BRAVE ONE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jodie Foster grows up into Travis Bickle.
WILL IT SUCK?
One of the writers has some experience with films where the protagonists take the law into their own hands. He wrote The Star Chamber. Sigh. Terence Howard and Nicky Katt find their way into this as well.
In spite of my reservations, early buzz is quite good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Has more star power than the other crime thriller this weekend. $50mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
While I doubt this will quite rank with The Accused or Silence of the Lambs there is already awards talk for Foster.
-----------------------------------
MR. WOODCOCK
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy tries to keep his mom from marrying his old gym coach.
WILL IT SUCK?
Not knowing much about the director or writers, let's look at the fact that Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin was brought in for massive reshoots and that the trailer looks like crap to say that, yes, this will be 18 different kinds of suck.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Sadly, this will probably be one of the highest grossing films this weekend. $43mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Yes. Most subtle poster.
-----------------------------------
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Iraq-inflected murder mystery
WILL IT SUCK?
From the writer/director of Crash, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, James Franco, Susan Sarandon and Jason Patric. Odds are against sucking, but it's not impossible. Early buzz out of Venice is mixed.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Assassination might be a problem next week, but I think Warner Independent will be able to drum up a little buzz for this tiny little project. $28mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
There are no less than four Oscar winners involved in this one.
-----------------------------------
DECEMBER BOYS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
It's Daniel Radcliffe! And he's in an indie drama!
WILL IT SUCK?
Not much to recommend this one way or another unless the thought of Harry Potter getting his swerve on does it for ya.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Daniel will pull in some folks, but not that many. $1mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Seems unlikely.
-----------------------------------
IRA AND ABBY
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Couple that probably shouldn't get married, does.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is very good. Written by Jessica Stein herself, Jennifer Westfeldt, who also stars. Won awards at U.S. Comedy Arts, L.A. Film Fest, and the Boston Jewish Film Festival, which I bet you never knew existed until now.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is the kind of movie Magnolia could weave into gold based on the buzz, but the company's not known for major theatrical pushes. $7mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If this makes an end run around the big budget contenders on pure word of mouth and screeners, I could see this being a long shot for a screenplay nod.
-----------------------------------
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Writer names his main character Jude just so a Beatles-only musical can build to a certain song.
WILL IT SUCK?
I could go on and on about why this will probably suck, but this sums it up so much more nicely. My favorite line, if you don't want to read the whole thing, is "By the time the dancing puppet heads come out, you're just like no, no, NO."
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Hey, it tested well with the teens. $21mil.
WILL ANYONE REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe some technical shiznit.
-----------------------------------
SILK
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The romantic entanglements of a silk smuggler.
WILL IT SUCK?
Writer/director Francois Girard (tell me that isn't the Frenchest name ever, even though he's Canadian) is used to more episodic fare (32 Short Films About Glenn Gould, The Red Violin), so it'll be interesting to see how he handles following one narrative for a whole movie. Early buzz says he does well.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Outmatched. $5mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Red Violin won an award, but I doubt anyone's memory will stretch back to 2000.
-----------------------------------
DRAGON WARS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Just like the title says, baby. Rock-'em, Sock-'em Dragons.
WILL IT SUCK?
Director Hyung-rae Shim's decade-in-the-making highest grossing opening weekend in South Korean history monsterfest looks to be the guilltiest pleasure of the fall. And can somebody tell me how Robert Forster ended up in here?
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Will develop a great cult following...on DVD. $3mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Nope, but will somebody cross their fingers for a Foreign nod for The Host?
-----------------------------------
MOVING MCALLISTER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Indie My Boss's Daughter
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is very good, though from the trailer this looks like yet another waste of Jon Heder's increasingly unstable cred. But hey, I'm just glad to see Billy Drago still getting work.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Nobody freakin' knows about this flick, except that maybe they heard that it was this film's wrap party Heder was leaving when he got into a fatal car crash that turned out to be an internet rumor. Not effective marketing. $2mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but do you think Heder deserved a nod for Dynamite?
-----------------------------------
KING OF CALIFORNIA
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Michael Douglas is a crazy old man and he's sure there's buried treasure under that there Costco!
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is quite good in spite of a cheesy-ass trailer.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Assassination might be an issue the following week, but if buzz can hold it, this can have decent returns. $4mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
People are already talking about Douglas' performance.
-----------------------------------
September 14
-----------------------------------
RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
More zombies and shit.
WILL IT SUCK?
Just be thankful this is the last one.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
People love them some RE. $52mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but I would pay to watch Paul Thomas Anderson beat the shit out of Paul W.S. Anderson during half-time. If they had half-time.
-----------------------------------
GOOD LUCK CHUCK
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Okay, so if you sleep with Dane Cook, the next person you meet will be your true love. Dane tries to break this curse. (It's true by the way. I slept with Dane the night before I met my wife. He's a cuddler.)
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is actually pretty good. Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Run Fatboy Run provides a little bit of competition the following week, and Employee of the Month grosses indicate the Dane Train may have come to a stop. $39mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but for the record, I actually think he's funny as shit.
-----------------------------------
INTO THE WILD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Emile Hirsch goes on walkabout.
WILL IT SUCK?
Dude, Eddie Vedder is totally doing the soundtrack! Oh, right, the film. A lot of people forget that Sean Penn is an acclaimed writer/director and he's already up to his fourth feature with this one. Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who gave all he had to charity and headed for Alaska after graduating Emory in '92.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
One of the reasons people forget that Penn is an acclaimed director is because his movies don't make a lot of money. $20mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
The Academy has yet to figure out that he's a triple threat.
-----------------------------------
SYDNEY WHITE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
...and the seven dorks. Get it? Cos' it's in college and she meets some nerds, see?
WILL IT SUCK?
I don't know which is sadder, that Joe Nussbaum has gone from George Lucas in Love to this, or that one of the dorks is Freaks and Geeks alum Samm Levine.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I actually think Across the Universe has a better shot. $17mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Which of the teen queens do you think will be the first to win an Oscar? I used to think it would be Lindsay (back during her Mean Girls days, just before the implosion). Now my money's on Mandy Moore.
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THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
How long do they have to make the title before you know what it's about?
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz has this as the result of a post-production nightmare as involved as the one that surrounded The Invasion. Explains why it was supposed to come out last year and still has the same trailer.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Lust, Caution will be a bit of an issue the following week since it'll probably get better reviews, but, c'mon, this has Brad Pitt. $35mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
With a little bit of good buzz, this is the type of moody western that could do quite well with the Academy.
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THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Admit it. As soon as you saw "Jane Austen" you decided whether or not you wanted to keep reading.
WILL IT SUCK?
The fact that the writer/director scripted Memoirs of a Geisha does not fill me with confidence. By the way, do you think this exchange ever happened on the set of The Devil Wears Prada?
Emily Blunt: So, my next project is Jane Austen Book Club. I'm one of the members of the club. We read Jane Austen books.
Anne Hathaway: Oh, yeah? Well in my next project I AM Jane Austen, bitch!
And then they wrestled in low-fat Jello. I'm serious. That totally fucking happened.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Again, Lust, Caution. $8mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
The Academy likes actual Jane Austen adaptations, but not much else.
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TRADE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Human Trafficking, the feature film version.
WILL IT SUCK?
Critics and audiences disagree pretty damn strongly on this one. Critics dismiss it heartily while audiences seem to have embraced it.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Gee, do I wanna go see dreamy Brad Pitt, funny Jane Austen, or a movie about the horrors of human trafficking that even if I could be sure it wouldn't suck would still depress the shit out of me? $2mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
When Stephen Gaghan makes a movie about human trafficking, that'll get some nods.
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THE LAST WINTER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Horror flick set against the backdrop of global warming. Seriously.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed, but it's the best-rated flick yet from low-budget horror guru Larry Fessenden (Wendigo). Hey, anyone who can wrangle Friday Night Lights stars Connie Britton and Zach Gilford and throw in Ron Perelman and James LeGros for good measure is all right in my book.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Waaay below the radar. $750,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe eco-horror is a genre the Academy can get behind.
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September 28
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THE GAME PLAN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Can you smell what the Rock is cooking...for the little girl he suddenly has to take care of?
WILL IT SUCK?
If it weren't enough that this director is reteaming with The Rock (clearly looking to make those Ice Cube family dollars with this film) to do a Witch Mountain remake, he's also remaking Fame (presumably not with The Rock, though that would be awesome). As for this film, I'm getting more of a Pacifier than a Mr. Mom vibe.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Seeker will target a not altogether different family audience the following week. $37mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe when he makes that King Kamehameha movie.
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THE KINGDOM
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jamie Foxx takes his FBI team to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist attack.
WILL IT SUCK?
Certainly not, though there'll be plenty of people who claim (perhaps accurately) that it oversimplifies a complex conflict. But I loved it.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The Heartbreak Kid which, strangely, will have a similar demo might be an issue next week, but I think audiences are just now becoming prepared for some brutal depictions of life in the Middle East. $76mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Depending upon the reception of this and other Middle East/Iraq flicks this fall, you could see director Peter Berg getting some love along with screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan, and maybe a Supporting nod for Ashraf Barhom as the Saudi colonel who assists the team.
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FEAST OF LOVE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ensemble romantic comedy.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is sort of, well, harmless. Robert Benton is a more-than-decent director and the screenwriter did the recently critically acclaimed Resurrecting the Champ, so it's got a shot. I'm not exactly lining up for Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Morgan Freeman, Missi Pyle, Radha Mitchell and Fred Ward (but I'm not running away, either).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Heartbreak Kid is going to be a problem. But a bigger problem is that no one has heard of this. $23mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
"Harmless" movies usually only get nods if they make bank.
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GOAL 2: LIVING THE DREAM
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Sequel to Goal. It was a soccer movie. Never mind.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is not so good, but not so far off from the original.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
About as well as Goal! $4mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I'm not sure anyone in the Academy knows how to play soccer.
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LUST, CAUTION
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Sex and intrigue in 1940's Shanghai.
WILL IT SUCK?
First off, let's get this straight. Ang Lee is a hella-filmmaker. I'll watch almost anything he makes (even The Hulk). And here he's reteamed with his frequent writer/producer James Schamus and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-writer Hui-Ling Wang. And we get to see how he works with Wong Kar-Wai player Tony Leung. Bottom line, this is one of the most-anticipated indie releases of the fall.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
NC-17 and a lack of stars will be serious impediments, not to mention opening against Wes Anderson. $8mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
You bet your sweet bippy. Look for screenplay, director, foreign language and maybe some love for Leung, Joan Chen and newcomer Tang Wei in the sexy, sexy lead.
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THE DARJEELING LIMITED
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Wes Anderson goes to India
WILL IT SUCK?
It's Wes Anderson. 'nuff said. Interested to see what happens when he co-writes with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwarztman, though.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Heavy competition coming next week with Michael Clayton and Grace Is Gone, and I'm not sure why he's releasing on a Saturday, but this should hold its own. $25mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
With Wes, I feel it's always a possibility, though it's only happened once before (a Screenplay nod for Tenenbaums).
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BORDERTOWN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jennifer Lopez investigates the murders of factory workers on the Juarez/El Paso border.
WILL IT SUCK?
Lopez reunites with Selena writer/director Gregory Nava to tell the true story of 470 women who have been killed in this town since 1993. Early buzz has it you might be better off reading "The Killing Fields: Harvest of Women," journalist Diana Washington Valdez's tome which inspired the film.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If Lopez couldn't get people to see a relatively happy tale (El Cantante), she'll definitely have trouble getting them to line up for this. $3mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Dude, they didn't even remember Selena.
Next Month: The Iraq extravaganza continues with a film that's likely to bring these two names together: Cusack. Oscar.
-- Dave Thomas
'Surge' Fails
From the LA Times
The U.S. military buildup that was supposed to calm Baghdad and other trouble spots has failed to usher in national reconciliation, as the capital's neighborhoods rupture even further along sectarian lines, violence shifts elsewhere and Iraq's government remains mired in political infighting....The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes has increased, not decreased, according to the United Nations' International Organization for Migration and Iraq's Ministry for Displacement and Migration.
Military officials say sectarian killings in Baghdad are down more than 51% and attacks on civilians and security forces across Iraq have decreased. But this has not translated into a substantial drop in civilian deaths as insurgents take their lethal trade to more remote regions. Last month, as many as 400 people were killed in a bombing in a village near the Syrian border, the worst bombing since the war began in March 2003. In July, 150 people were reported killed in a village about 100 miles north of Baghdad.
And in a sign that tamping down Sunni-Shiite violence is no guarantee of stability, a feud between rival Shiite Muslim militias has killed scores of Iraqis in recent months. Last week, at least 52 people died in militia clashes in the Shiite holy city of Karbala. At best, analysts, military officers and ordinary Iraqis portray the country as in a holding pattern, dependent on U.S. troops to keep the lid on violence.
"The military offensive has temporarily suppressed, or in many cases dislocated, armed groups," said Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group. "Once the military surge peters out, which it will if there is no progress on the political front, these groups will pop right back up and start going at each other's, and civilians', throats again."READ IT ALL
