The trick to creating successful screen farce is to make sure audiences don’t see you sweat. So it’s not a good sign that the actors are spritzing up a storm in Like a Boss. But what actors! The comic tornado known as Tiffany Haddish seizes the role of Mia Carter, the creative wiz behind a Diy cosmetics company she runs with her numbers-minded best friend, Mel Paige, played by her up-for-anything costar Rose Byrne. The duo work their butts off for laughs that the putatively femcentric script by two first-time screenwriters,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Robert Aaronson, an acquisitions, production and distribution executive who has worked for the likes of Fine Line Features, Fox Searchlight, Netflix and most recently Universal Studios Home Entertainment, has been hired as senior vice president of indie distributor-producer Cohen Media Group.
In the new role, Aaronson will oversee domestic acquisitions, digital and ancillary sales and marketing. He will head Cmg’s Los Angeles office and report to Charles S. Cohen.
Aaronson most recently worked from 2010-2018 in acquisitions at Universal Studios Home Entertainment, structuring deals that included North American and multiple international markets. He also negotiated and secured output deals with companies including Neon, Film Arcade, Amazon Studios, Aviron Pictures and Great Point Media.
“As a producer and executive, Bob Aaronson is the perfect fit for our company and we’re thrilled to have him bring his vast experience to Cohen Media Group,” said Cohen on Friday. “His expertise will boost our growing,...
In the new role, Aaronson will oversee domestic acquisitions, digital and ancillary sales and marketing. He will head Cmg’s Los Angeles office and report to Charles S. Cohen.
Aaronson most recently worked from 2010-2018 in acquisitions at Universal Studios Home Entertainment, structuring deals that included North American and multiple international markets. He also negotiated and secured output deals with companies including Neon, Film Arcade, Amazon Studios, Aviron Pictures and Great Point Media.
“As a producer and executive, Bob Aaronson is the perfect fit for our company and we’re thrilled to have him bring his vast experience to Cohen Media Group,” said Cohen on Friday. “His expertise will boost our growing,...
- 10/11/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
There many variations on the premise of “Duck Butter,” in which Naima (Alia Shawkat) and Sergio (Laia Costa) commit to spending 24 romantic hours talking about life. Richard Linklater made a whole trilogy of them. Nevertheless, this amiable and ambling dramedy directed by Miguel Arteta and co-written by Shawkat in her screenwriting debut has its own unique sensibility, and while it falls short of coalescing into much of a bigger picture, manages to fulfill the expectations of its well-worn trope without screwing it up.
Initially, the movie threatens to become too meta for its own good. As “Duck Butter” begins, struggling actress Naima is driving to the L.A. set of a Duplass brothers movie, while listening to a podcast featuring the sibling filmmakers talking about their work. It’s a peculiar setup, not only because the very concept of a hardcore Duplass brothers fan (a Duplass-stan?) seems like the setup...
Initially, the movie threatens to become too meta for its own good. As “Duck Butter” begins, struggling actress Naima is driving to the L.A. set of a Duplass brothers movie, while listening to a podcast featuring the sibling filmmakers talking about their work. It’s a peculiar setup, not only because the very concept of a hardcore Duplass brothers fan (a Duplass-stan?) seems like the setup...
- 4/26/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Mostly working within the comedy film curriculum, two decades, and now eight feature films in, an habitual of the fest since presenting Star Maps in 1997, Miguel Arteta appears to be oscillating towards dramatic formulas with afterthought.
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- 11/15/2017
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Kim Kardashian West has been on the cover of many a magazine, but years ago, she was just a little girl flipping through the pages of Barbie.
On Wednesday, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star took her fans and followers down memory lane when she showed off her first-ever magazine debut.
“You guys, my first debut was in 1988 in Barbie Magazine,” said Kardashian West, 36. “Look at, what a star! Reading star maps.”
In the first Snapchat video, she flips through the “Special California Issue” and pans the pages with her phone, which showcases her looking at Star Maps alongside other young girls.
On Wednesday, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star took her fans and followers down memory lane when she showed off her first-ever magazine debut.
“You guys, my first debut was in 1988 in Barbie Magazine,” said Kardashian West, 36. “Look at, what a star! Reading star maps.”
In the first Snapchat video, she flips through the “Special California Issue” and pans the pages with her phone, which showcases her looking at Star Maps alongside other young girls.
- 2/9/2017
- by Natalie Stone
- PEOPLE.com
The dinner party is fertile ground for movies about a handful of characters whose unspoken biases bubble to the surface. From “The Exterminating Angel” to “The Celebration,” this longstanding subgenre is a precise means of examining society at large. In the hands of regular collaborators Miguel Arteta and Mike White, it’s a window into the oppressive forces of wealth and privilege, uniquely suited for our troubled times.
So it goes “Beatriz at Dinner,” an engaging if at times heavy-handed drama about characters from vastly different sociopolitical backgrounds facing their differences. As directed by Arteta from White’s screenplay, its appeal largely stems from a nuanced turn by Salma Hayek as a Mexican immigrant confronting an avaricious hotel mogul (John Lithgow), whose corporate mindset and scandal-ridden career make him an unsubtle avatar for Donald Trump. But Arteta and White handle this incendiary material with a gentle touch, and the result...
So it goes “Beatriz at Dinner,” an engaging if at times heavy-handed drama about characters from vastly different sociopolitical backgrounds facing their differences. As directed by Arteta from White’s screenplay, its appeal largely stems from a nuanced turn by Salma Hayek as a Mexican immigrant confronting an avaricious hotel mogul (John Lithgow), whose corporate mindset and scandal-ridden career make him an unsubtle avatar for Donald Trump. But Arteta and White handle this incendiary material with a gentle touch, and the result...
- 1/25/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Two movies into a promising career, Eliza Hittman has already developed a significant vision of restless urban youth troubled by their emerging sexuality and a society that hinders their development. Her feature-length debut, 2013’s “It Felt Like Love,” focused on the bumpy trajectory of an introverted teenage woman exploring her urges with dangerous results; with the markedly similar “Beach Rats,” Hittman brings the same tropes to the plight of a young man in a film that has the precision of a great short story and the uneasiness of body horror. Even as its plot suggests more traditional coming-of-age dynamics, the filmmaker doesn’t retread familiar territory so much as reinvent it.
Both eerie and exciting, “Beach Rats” finds its closeted protagonist hiding his gay dalliances from his masculine buddies against a grimy Brooklyn backdrop. His unnerving experiences take place against an uneven series of circumstances and occasional plot holes, but...
Both eerie and exciting, “Beach Rats” finds its closeted protagonist hiding his gay dalliances from his masculine buddies against a grimy Brooklyn backdrop. His unnerving experiences take place against an uneven series of circumstances and occasional plot holes, but...
- 1/24/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Sundance deals accrue such legend that it’s easy to forget the ones that materialize out of nowhere. Such was the case 20 years ago to this day, when Miguel Arteta’s first feature “Star Maps” premiered at the festival and landed a $2.5 million deal with Fox Searchlight.
The movie, which tells the story of a Latin American teen (Douglas Spain) who works as a bisexual hustler while harboring dreams of movie stardom, became an overnight sensation at Sundance — and also turned Arteta into a permanent member of the festival family. Since then he’s returned with “Chuck & Buck” (2000) and with “The Good Girl” (2002); tonight he screens his latest effort, “Beatriz at Dinner” out of competition.
The “Star Maps” deal also marked a historic moment for this site. At roughly a year old, IndieWire was establishing itself as a nimble digital upstart that had accrued popularity at Sundance, where it published a daily print edition.
The movie, which tells the story of a Latin American teen (Douglas Spain) who works as a bisexual hustler while harboring dreams of movie stardom, became an overnight sensation at Sundance — and also turned Arteta into a permanent member of the festival family. Since then he’s returned with “Chuck & Buck” (2000) and with “The Good Girl” (2002); tonight he screens his latest effort, “Beatriz at Dinner” out of competition.
The “Star Maps” deal also marked a historic moment for this site. At roughly a year old, IndieWire was establishing itself as a nimble digital upstart that had accrued popularity at Sundance, where it published a daily print edition.
- 1/23/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“Wilson” is pitched somewhere between “Bad Santa” and Rick Alverson’s “The Comedy,” inhabiting a familiar strain of American movies about profoundly unlikable people. It’s based on the 2010 graphic novel of the same name by Daniel Clowes, who excels at examining the lives of somber characters trapped in drab, isolating worlds. But even as the screenplay (which Clowes adapted) contains much of the source material’s pitch-black humor, it also falls short of realizing its subtle vision of an angry recluse learning to make peace with his surroundings.
A crazy-eyed Woody Harrelson portrays Wilson, a loudmouthed, middle-aged creep, and his performance captures the character’s fundamental appeal. Tackling this material was a tricky proposition, but the movie pulls off some endearing qualities thanks to director Craig Johnson, who last achieved a balance of gloomy comedy and a dark backdrop with “Skeleton Twins.” With “Wilson,” he appropriates the graphic novel...
A crazy-eyed Woody Harrelson portrays Wilson, a loudmouthed, middle-aged creep, and his performance captures the character’s fundamental appeal. Tackling this material was a tricky proposition, but the movie pulls off some endearing qualities thanks to director Craig Johnson, who last achieved a balance of gloomy comedy and a dark backdrop with “Skeleton Twins.” With “Wilson,” he appropriates the graphic novel...
- 1/23/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Warning: What you’re about to read is something of a Cinderella story.
Matt Spicer had only a couple of shorts under his belt, but when he sent his “Ingrid Goes West” screenplay to his agent, he got a call saying Aubrey Plaza wanted to play the lead — and then, Plaza was such a fan that she helped wrangle co-stars Elizabeth Olsen and O’Shea Jackson Jr. Things went so smoothly, production began just eight months after Spicer sent his agent the script.
And that’s when the trouble started.
The filmmakers lost a full day of shooting after a Santa Clarita wildfire destroyed one of their sets, while a plumbing problem at another location turned a house into a biohazard. Spicer also accidentally walked through a glass door, miraculously escaping with just a single two-inch gash on his arm.
This story has a happy ending: Neon acquired “Ingrid Goes West...
Matt Spicer had only a couple of shorts under his belt, but when he sent his “Ingrid Goes West” screenplay to his agent, he got a call saying Aubrey Plaza wanted to play the lead — and then, Plaza was such a fan that she helped wrangle co-stars Elizabeth Olsen and O’Shea Jackson Jr. Things went so smoothly, production began just eight months after Spicer sent his agent the script.
And that’s when the trouble started.
The filmmakers lost a full day of shooting after a Santa Clarita wildfire destroyed one of their sets, while a plumbing problem at another location turned a house into a biohazard. Spicer also accidentally walked through a glass door, miraculously escaping with just a single two-inch gash on his arm.
This story has a happy ending: Neon acquired “Ingrid Goes West...
- 1/23/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
“Landline” reunites the team who made Gillian Robespierre’s 2014 Sundance smash hit “Obvious Child,” but the films’ star and muse, Jenny Slate, bristles at the idea of the new film representing any kind of sequel.
“It’s not similar,” Slate said from the Sundance Film Festival. “‘Landline’ is not the same as ‘Obvious Child,’ except that Gil has a real knack for crafting characters that truly seem that they’re plucked out of our world, whether or not it’s a period piece or it’s taking place six months ago.”
Read More: ‘Landline’ Review: ‘Obvious Child’ Duo Reunites For A Bigger, Better, Messier Comedy That’s Totally Off The Hook
“Landline,” as it happens, is a period piece, one that reunites Robespierre with her “Obvious Child” star and that film’s screenwriter and producer, Elisabeth Holm. “We all collided in this great way,” Robespierre said. “And it was all familial and wonderful,...
“It’s not similar,” Slate said from the Sundance Film Festival. “‘Landline’ is not the same as ‘Obvious Child,’ except that Gil has a real knack for crafting characters that truly seem that they’re plucked out of our world, whether or not it’s a period piece or it’s taking place six months ago.”
Read More: ‘Landline’ Review: ‘Obvious Child’ Duo Reunites For A Bigger, Better, Messier Comedy That’s Totally Off The Hook
“Landline,” as it happens, is a period piece, one that reunites Robespierre with her “Obvious Child” star and that film’s screenwriter and producer, Elisabeth Holm. “We all collided in this great way,” Robespierre said. “And it was all familial and wonderful,...
- 1/23/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Focus Features is finalizing a deal to acquire “Thoroughbred,” the Cory Finley-directed drama that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival Sunday. The purchase price is expected to be around $5 million, Deadline reports.
Neon Acquires ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen — Sundance 2017
“Thoroughbred” attracted significant buzz among buyers thanks to its leading cast of Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Witch”) and Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”). The movie also stars the late Anton Yelchin in a supporting role. “Thoroughbred” centers on suburban Connecticut teens Amanda (Cooke) and Lily (Taylor-Joy), recently united childhood friends who hatch a sinister plan to kill Lily’s stepfather.
Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Catholic Nun Drama ‘Novitiate’ — Sundance 2017
“Thoroughbred” was produced by B-Story, one of the companies behind “Manchester by the Sea,” which sold to Amazon for around $10 million at last year’s festival.
Wme and ICM handled the sale.
Related storiesA Sundance Sale,...
Neon Acquires ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen — Sundance 2017
“Thoroughbred” attracted significant buzz among buyers thanks to its leading cast of Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Witch”) and Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”). The movie also stars the late Anton Yelchin in a supporting role. “Thoroughbred” centers on suburban Connecticut teens Amanda (Cooke) and Lily (Taylor-Joy), recently united childhood friends who hatch a sinister plan to kill Lily’s stepfather.
Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Catholic Nun Drama ‘Novitiate’ — Sundance 2017
“Thoroughbred” was produced by B-Story, one of the companies behind “Manchester by the Sea,” which sold to Amazon for around $10 million at last year’s festival.
Wme and ICM handled the sale.
Related storiesA Sundance Sale,...
- 1/23/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Tim League and Tom Quinn’s distribution shingle Neon has acquired the North American rights to the dramatic comedy “Ingrid Goes West,” starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen. Neon beat out A24 and Netflix, who were also bidding on the film, Variety reports. The acquisition came two days after the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Read More: Michael Showalter’s Second Act: How the ‘The Big Sick’ Filmmaker Reinvented His Career — Sundance 2017
Directed by first-time feature director Matt Spicer, who co-wrote the film with David Branson Smith, “Ingrid Goes West” is a dark, dramatic comedy that follows a troubled young woman named Ingrid (Plaza) who becomes obsessed with the Instagram account of a social media influencer named Taylor (Olsen). Ingrid then moves across the country and manages to befriend Taylor, before subjecting to her to some disturbing and even dangerous behavior. The film also stars Wyatt Russell and Billy Magnussen.
Read More: Michael Showalter’s Second Act: How the ‘The Big Sick’ Filmmaker Reinvented His Career — Sundance 2017
Directed by first-time feature director Matt Spicer, who co-wrote the film with David Branson Smith, “Ingrid Goes West” is a dark, dramatic comedy that follows a troubled young woman named Ingrid (Plaza) who becomes obsessed with the Instagram account of a social media influencer named Taylor (Olsen). Ingrid then moves across the country and manages to befriend Taylor, before subjecting to her to some disturbing and even dangerous behavior. The film also stars Wyatt Russell and Billy Magnussen.
- 1/23/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Roadside Attractions and FilmNation are making a reservation for the Salma Hayek starrer Beatriz at Dinner.
The companies are partnering for the North America rights to the dramedy, which stars Hayek as a holistic therapist that finds herself at a dinner party with a successful business developer she is convinced she knows from her past.
This is the fourth Sundance premiere for Puerto Rican director Miguel Arteta (his past fest entries are Star Maps, Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl). His other credits include Youth in Revolt and Cedar Rapids.
John Lithgow, Connie Britton, Jay Duplass and Chloe Sevigny also star in...
The companies are partnering for the North America rights to the dramedy, which stars Hayek as a holistic therapist that finds herself at a dinner party with a successful business developer she is convinced she knows from her past.
This is the fourth Sundance premiere for Puerto Rican director Miguel Arteta (his past fest entries are Star Maps, Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl). His other credits include Youth in Revolt and Cedar Rapids.
John Lithgow, Connie Britton, Jay Duplass and Chloe Sevigny also star in...
- 1/16/2017
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On July 15, 1996, IndieWire launched as an e-mail newsletter providing “the daily news service for independent film.” (See the first newsletter here.) The original iteration of the site was the brainchild of Cheri Barner, Eugene Hernandez and Mark Rabinowitz, three recent college students obsessed with the movies. In the ensuing years, IndieWire grew and changed hands many times over. Barner now works as a talent manager in Los Angeles, Hernandez is the deputy director of the Film Society Lincoln Center, and Rabinowitz is a freelance publicist, consultant and programmer.
But they have remained a part of our close-knit community. As IndieWire arrives at its 20th anniversary, the trio gathered together for their first joint interview to recall the early days of IndieWire — as well as the thriving American independent film scene that inspired the publication.
Eugene Hernandez: IndieWire was an outgrowth of something that Mark, Cheri and I had started in 1995. At the time,...
But they have remained a part of our close-knit community. As IndieWire arrives at its 20th anniversary, the trio gathered together for their first joint interview to recall the early days of IndieWire — as well as the thriving American independent film scene that inspired the publication.
Eugene Hernandez: IndieWire was an outgrowth of something that Mark, Cheri and I had started in 1995. At the time,...
- 7/14/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The studio’s president of production Claudia Lewis has promoted Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum to executive vice-presidents of production, effective immediately.
Greenfield and Greenbaum (b&w picture) will jointly manage all aspects of the production department and report directly to Lewis.
Greenfield has been a senior executive at Fox Searchlight for nine years, shepherding such titles as The Descendants and Enough Said. He is currently overseeing Nicole Holofcener’s latest film to star Julianne Moore and Chris O’Dowd.
Prior to joining Searchlight in 2006, Greenfield was an independent film producer whose credits included The Good Girl, Chuck & Buck and Star Maps.
Greenbaum has been a senior executive at Fox Searchlight for five years and most recently oversaw Wild and The Drop. He is currently in production on Wilson starring Woody Harrelson and is actively involved in the Fox Innovation Lab.
Prior to joining Searchlight in 2010 he was a production executive at Miramax Films in New York...
Greenfield and Greenbaum (b&w picture) will jointly manage all aspects of the production department and report directly to Lewis.
Greenfield has been a senior executive at Fox Searchlight for nine years, shepherding such titles as The Descendants and Enough Said. He is currently overseeing Nicole Holofcener’s latest film to star Julianne Moore and Chris O’Dowd.
Prior to joining Searchlight in 2006, Greenfield was an independent film producer whose credits included The Good Girl, Chuck & Buck and Star Maps.
Greenbaum has been a senior executive at Fox Searchlight for five years and most recently oversaw Wild and The Drop. He is currently in production on Wilson starring Woody Harrelson and is actively involved in the Fox Innovation Lab.
Prior to joining Searchlight in 2010 he was a production executive at Miramax Films in New York...
- 7/8/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The gang heads to a “Southland Injectibles Conference” (which we won’t analyze too deeply for its relevance to obstetrics and gynecology), presumably so they can actually shoot on location instead of using their middling-to-solid subway sets. Also, obviously, so they can do old turned suddenly sort of timely Entourage jokes.I’m not really complaining, though. For starters, this plotline gave us Mindy’s reference to her fresh Brazilian and her Star Maps, which was possibly worth the price of admission on its own: “So look out, George Hamilton, I hope you like your trespassers completely hairless.” Also, though I’m normally based in New York, I happen to be in Los Angeles on a business trip as I watch this, which gives me an eerie feeling that The Mindy Project is watching me, rather than vice versa. I can tell you, from my experience, that Danny is correct...
- 1/15/2014
- by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
- Vulture
Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg ‘Maps to the Stars’ gets German distribution, Toronto screening Starring Robert Pattinson, Julianne Moore, John Cusack, and Mia Wasikowska, Maps to the Stars has found a German distributor. Screen Daily reports that Christian Meinke’s Mfa+ has acquired the rights to the David Cronenberg-directed Hollywood satire at the American Film Market, recently held in Santa Monica. Mfa+ also picked up Vincent Grashaw’s feature debut Coldwater and Tobias Lindholm’s Danish thriller A Hijacking / Kapringen, which has a similar premise to that of the Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks hit Captain Phillips. (Photo: Robert Pattinson on the set of Maps to the Stars.) In Map to the Stars, John Cusack (replacing Viggo Mortensen) plays a Los Angeles analyst and self-help guru whose wife (Olivia Williams) is immersed in the career of their teen star son (Evan Bird), fresh off of rehab. Their daughter (Mia Wasikowska...
- 11/20/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Check out the new teaser trailer and poster for the upcoming award-winning indie action-thriller Mission Park starring Jeremy Ray Valdez, Will Rothhaar, Walter Perez, Joseph Julian Soria, Vivica A. Fox and Sean Patrick Flanery.
In Mission Park, the ambitions of four childhood friends land them on opposite sides of the law. Rookie FBI agents Bobby (Valdez) and Julian (Rothhaar) must go undercover and face their hidden pasts in an attempt to bring down their best friends’ (Perez, Soria) criminal organization.
The film was written and directed by Bryan Ramirez, produced by Independent Spirit Award nominee Douglas Spain (Star Maps, HBO’s Band of Brothers), co-produced by David J. Phillips (Life Happens, Green Guys), and executive produced by national real estate mogul and former star of A&E’s ‘Flip This House’ Armando Montelongo. Spain and Phillips both have featured acting roles in the film as well. Mission Park is the...
In Mission Park, the ambitions of four childhood friends land them on opposite sides of the law. Rookie FBI agents Bobby (Valdez) and Julian (Rothhaar) must go undercover and face their hidden pasts in an attempt to bring down their best friends’ (Perez, Soria) criminal organization.
The film was written and directed by Bryan Ramirez, produced by Independent Spirit Award nominee Douglas Spain (Star Maps, HBO’s Band of Brothers), co-produced by David J. Phillips (Life Happens, Green Guys), and executive produced by national real estate mogul and former star of A&E’s ‘Flip This House’ Armando Montelongo. Spain and Phillips both have featured acting roles in the film as well. Mission Park is the...
- 8/5/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
From our Chicana from Chicago, Christine Davila:
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
- 6/20/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
This story first appeared in the June 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Hollywood stars, take note: There's now an easier way for gawkers and stalkers to figure out where you live. Josh Flagg, the real estate agent made famous by Bravo's Million Dollar Listing, has launched an iPhone app that includes a directory of hundreds of Los Angeles-area properties associated with celebrities. The app, called Star Maps, differentiates itself from its traditional paper brethren by using the phone's Gps function to direct users to properties they'd like to see. It's the latest innovation in a lucrative cottage industry
read more...
read more...
- 6/6/2012
- by Daniel Miller
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We've been without a new episode of Brothers & Sisters for a few weeks, but it'll return on Sunday, April 10th at at 9 Pm Est with back-to-back episodes.
Here's the synopsis for the first part, "Olivia's Choice," and it's bad news for Scotty and Kevin.
When Olivia's brother shows up and sets out to gain custody of her from Kevin and Scotty, the Walkers struggle amongst themselves to determine what's best for Olivia.
Well, at least Kevin, Scotty, and Olivia got one episode where they were a happy family. Btw, Olivia's brother is played by actor Douglas Spain, who played a memorable young hustler in the movie Star Maps.
"So I put this 'food' you speak of ... in here?"
"I'm back for some reason!"
"Am I really undateable?"
"Why am I so out of focus?"
"You probably vaguely know me from stuff"
"Damn! They're strip searching Scotty again"
"It's your choice who to go with,...
Here's the synopsis for the first part, "Olivia's Choice," and it's bad news for Scotty and Kevin.
When Olivia's brother shows up and sets out to gain custody of her from Kevin and Scotty, the Walkers struggle amongst themselves to determine what's best for Olivia.
Well, at least Kevin, Scotty, and Olivia got one episode where they were a happy family. Btw, Olivia's brother is played by actor Douglas Spain, who played a memorable young hustler in the movie Star Maps.
"So I put this 'food' you speak of ... in here?"
"I'm back for some reason!"
"Am I really undateable?"
"Why am I so out of focus?"
"You probably vaguely know me from stuff"
"Damn! They're strip searching Scotty again"
"It's your choice who to go with,...
- 3/28/2011
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Chicago – It takes a man born in Puerto Rico to really understand the Midwest, and director Miquel Arteta proves it in his stellar “Cedar Rapids.” Given an all-star cast including Ed Helms, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver and John C. Reilly, Arteta formulates a comedy that feels like the heartland.
Arteta spent his youth moving around Latin America because of his father’s job with Chrysler. After moving to Boston to live with his sister, he learned filmmaking from Harvard University’s documentary program and Wesleyan University, where he met future collaborator Mike White.
His first film, “Star Maps” (1997), was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, and led him into television directing. Two other films, the Mike White penned “Chuck and Buck” (2001) and “The Good Girl” (2002) both were memorable stories and featured appearances by White, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifier Aniston and John C. Reilly. He came back last year with Michael Cera directing “Youth in Revolt.
Arteta spent his youth moving around Latin America because of his father’s job with Chrysler. After moving to Boston to live with his sister, he learned filmmaking from Harvard University’s documentary program and Wesleyan University, where he met future collaborator Mike White.
His first film, “Star Maps” (1997), was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, and led him into television directing. Two other films, the Mike White penned “Chuck and Buck” (2001) and “The Good Girl” (2002) both were memorable stories and featured appearances by White, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifier Aniston and John C. Reilly. He came back last year with Michael Cera directing “Youth in Revolt.
- 2/10/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
It's always seems like something of a miracle that Mike White's pitch-black comedy "Chuck & Buck" exists, but there was extra reason for celebration over the weekend as the film celebrated its tenth anniversary at the Cinefamily in Los Angeles. With cases of Stella Artois and Corona tucked under his arms, director Miguel Arteta handed out bottles to friends from the cast and crew like a proud father.
"That is definitely the sweetest, most gentle demented stalker film ever made," said Cinefamily owner Hadrian Belove, who, in spite of planning the screening, still seemed surprised when he looked to his left after the film ended. "There are so many people here I don't even know where to start."
Sitting beside him was star/writer White, Arteta, co-stars Lupe Ontiveros and Paul and Chris Weitz, and producer Matthew Greenfield, an impressive enough group even without those who got their starts on...
"That is definitely the sweetest, most gentle demented stalker film ever made," said Cinefamily owner Hadrian Belove, who, in spite of planning the screening, still seemed surprised when he looked to his left after the film ended. "There are so many people here I don't even know where to start."
Sitting beside him was star/writer White, Arteta, co-stars Lupe Ontiveros and Paul and Chris Weitz, and producer Matthew Greenfield, an impressive enough group even without those who got their starts on...
- 8/18/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Day 20
I inspected my troops shortly before we arrived to Coruscant. I congratulated each and every one of them for a terrific job done on Ryloth. We gave hope to the Twi'Lek people.
As I entered the Jedi temple I felt I was despised by some, respected by others. But in general, they wasn't too keen on the way I used the Force... Nor how I betrayed Master Windu and Yoda.
I filed my report on my activities on Ryloth and saw the news... The Separatists are gaining territorries at an unpressedented rate. However their attack seem random, at least to us.
-------
I was ordered to go to Kamino, to stay there and take care of that world's protection, but since Kamino's Clone production are still a secret amongst most of the galaxy, I decided to stay a while longer. Now I am at the temple's archives. I need...
I inspected my troops shortly before we arrived to Coruscant. I congratulated each and every one of them for a terrific job done on Ryloth. We gave hope to the Twi'Lek people.
As I entered the Jedi temple I felt I was despised by some, respected by others. But in general, they wasn't too keen on the way I used the Force... Nor how I betrayed Master Windu and Yoda.
I filed my report on my activities on Ryloth and saw the news... The Separatists are gaining territorries at an unpressedented rate. However their attack seem random, at least to us.
-------
I was ordered to go to Kamino, to stay there and take care of that world's protection, but since Kamino's Clone production are still a secret amongst most of the galaxy, I decided to stay a while longer. Now I am at the temple's archives. I need...
- 8/9/2010
- doorQ.com
After we recorded the pattern, we converted it to many types of codes, encryptions and many other types of files, trying to get a reading... But nothing... Until... A sudden thought... Music... It was by mere chance Master Solrac whistled the simple tune, and... All 5 Star Maps suddently turned on, each one showing information that would be more complete with the next Star Map... I was pointing to a vast empty area in the galaxy... Far out the Outher Rim, right in the zone that Hyperspace ceases to funtion...
I asked the Rakatan hologram what was in that region... He says he had no knowledge of it...
We left the underground facility and went on our way back to Dantooine.
Another long trip...
-----------
Hmmm I wonder what is waiting for me...
I asked the Rakatan hologram what was in that region... He says he had no knowledge of it...
We left the underground facility and went on our way back to Dantooine.
Another long trip...
-----------
Hmmm I wonder what is waiting for me...
- 7/25/2010
- doorQ.com
The entire time I was in some sort of subterranean facility. No doubt it was hidden... I noticed the ventilation was running heavier than usual. That means either I was in a very hot planet, or, very deep within a planet's crust. Either way, somehow I always felt we had never left Dantooine...
Master Solrac and I waited in a white empty room until a Protocol Droid met us to state our request. We specified what we wanted. Moments later an elevator rose from the floor and took us to a deeper room... Much deeper in fact...
After the doors opened we had to wait a few hours. And to my amazement... The walls opened and all 5 Star Maps were there...
We turned them on, asked questions to the Protocol Droid Hoi-010...
But nothing really relevant... I had no idea what I had to find...
But then, one of the Star Maps,...
Master Solrac and I waited in a white empty room until a Protocol Droid met us to state our request. We specified what we wanted. Moments later an elevator rose from the floor and took us to a deeper room... Much deeper in fact...
After the doors opened we had to wait a few hours. And to my amazement... The walls opened and all 5 Star Maps were there...
We turned them on, asked questions to the Protocol Droid Hoi-010...
But nothing really relevant... I had no idea what I had to find...
But then, one of the Star Maps,...
- 7/24/2010
- doorQ.com
Dantooine's Jedi Academy... It has been a long time since I've been here... The last time I was here I was still a Youngling...
------------
Master Solrac... My old tutor... If there is anyone who can help he, it's him! He is a living encyclopedia on the Jedi secrets and ommited information from the archives...
------
I was welcomed with such warmth by my old tutor. It was so good to see him again. We had a drink together (water for me, of course), and talked about our adventures since I went to the Jedi Temple in Coruscant.
Later on I asked about a Star Map on Mannan during the Sith Empire... Fortunately he did know a couple of things...
Revan and Malak. Very promissing Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side found these Star Maps and together discovered something called a Star Forge, built by the ancient Rakata.
------------
Master Solrac... My old tutor... If there is anyone who can help he, it's him! He is a living encyclopedia on the Jedi secrets and ommited information from the archives...
------
I was welcomed with such warmth by my old tutor. It was so good to see him again. We had a drink together (water for me, of course), and talked about our adventures since I went to the Jedi Temple in Coruscant.
Later on I asked about a Star Map on Mannan during the Sith Empire... Fortunately he did know a couple of things...
Revan and Malak. Very promissing Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side found these Star Maps and together discovered something called a Star Forge, built by the ancient Rakata.
- 7/17/2010
- doorQ.com
Day 1
My name is Scion. That is, what people call me. My real name is Mito Secura. But everyone else has been calling me Scion ever since I was born, so, I adopted that name.
I am a Jedi. Been one all my life, for the past 23 years.
This "Clone War" began yesterday, shortly after I recieved news that my former master was killed on Geonosis.
I am writting this diary as I travel to Manu, in a newly built Acclamator Stardestroyer.
------------------------------
Day 2
I have always kept a secret from the Order...
I have a special power.. When I realized only I had this ability, I knew I would have the biggest honor a Jedi could have, but at the same time, it would be a burden to keep this for myself...
I am writting this diary because I know my destiny. And I don't want my burden to go in vain.
My name is Scion. That is, what people call me. My real name is Mito Secura. But everyone else has been calling me Scion ever since I was born, so, I adopted that name.
I am a Jedi. Been one all my life, for the past 23 years.
This "Clone War" began yesterday, shortly after I recieved news that my former master was killed on Geonosis.
I am writting this diary as I travel to Manu, in a newly built Acclamator Stardestroyer.
------------------------------
Day 2
I have always kept a secret from the Order...
I have a special power.. When I realized only I had this ability, I knew I would have the biggest honor a Jedi could have, but at the same time, it would be a burden to keep this for myself...
I am writting this diary because I know my destiny. And I don't want my burden to go in vain.
- 7/10/2010
- doorQ.com
I inspected my troops shortly before we arrived to Coruscant. I congratulated each and every one of them for a terrific job done on Ryloth. We gave hope to the Twi'Lek people.
As I entered the Jedi temple I felt I was despised by some, respected by others. But in general, they wasn't too keen on the way I used the Force... Nor how I betrayed Master Windu and Yoda.
I filed my report on my activities on Ryloth and saw the news... The Separatists are gaining territorries at an unpressedented rate. However their attack seem random, at least to us.
-------
I was ordered to go to Kamino, to stay there and take care of that world's protection, but since Kamino's Clone production are still a secret amongst most of the galaxy, I decided to stay a while longer. Now I am at the temple's archives. I need to...
As I entered the Jedi temple I felt I was despised by some, respected by others. But in general, they wasn't too keen on the way I used the Force... Nor how I betrayed Master Windu and Yoda.
I filed my report on my activities on Ryloth and saw the news... The Separatists are gaining territorries at an unpressedented rate. However their attack seem random, at least to us.
-------
I was ordered to go to Kamino, to stay there and take care of that world's protection, but since Kamino's Clone production are still a secret amongst most of the galaxy, I decided to stay a while longer. Now I am at the temple's archives. I need to...
- 7/10/2010
- doorQ.com
I have a question for you, what makes a movie a “Cult Classic”? Well, there is a movie out there that classifies that distinction for you; and that movie is “American Zombie”, it stars Austin Basis (Boxboarders!, Hazard), Roger Ainslie (Decaf), Alice Amter (The Good Girl, Bad Boy, A Man Apart), Kaci Brown (Public Interest, Whispering Waves) and Al Vincente (My Brother Jack, Tangled, Star Maps, Irish Twins).
The plot of this movie is so simple, but yet so realistic. This movie documents the daily lives of a small community of the living deceased who make their home in Los Angeles. Yes that’s right, it shows actual zombies that are alive today and are in our community. It’s a fictitious documentary that makes you ask the question, are there really zombies living among us? I know it sounds really crazy, but let me tell you, it really does make you ask that question.
The plot of this movie is so simple, but yet so realistic. This movie documents the daily lives of a small community of the living deceased who make their home in Los Angeles. Yes that’s right, it shows actual zombies that are alive today and are in our community. It’s a fictitious documentary that makes you ask the question, are there really zombies living among us? I know it sounds really crazy, but let me tell you, it really does make you ask that question.
- 4/28/2010
- by Jack "The Whore of Horror"
Director Miguel Arteta would like to be known as the man who gives voice to awkward dorks everywhere. "Dorkiness is my realm in which I live, so I celebrate dorkiness," the director of "Chuck & Buck" and "Star Maps" says proudly. It's been eight years since Arteta's last film, "The Good Girl," which was honored by the National Board of Review. He's spent a lot of that time helming for TV, but his newest feature, "Youth in Revolt," is worth the wait. Actor Michael Cera has never been better as Nick Twisp, a 16-year-old desperate to lose his virginity to the girl of his dreams. That might sound like the pithy premise of a "Road Trip"– or "American Pie"–type jock fest, but "Youth in Revolt" has the substance to back it up, thanks to C.D. Payne's original novel. Cera's character creates an alter ego reminiscent of Tyler Durden in...
- 1/13/2010
- backstage.com
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Bitch Slap - Giveaway
When I was at Comic-Con a year and a half ago I can remember this being one of the most memorable interviews I ever conducted. I say conducted as I think conduct was what in order when I was told that the interview I was about to participate in was going to happen in bed.
Sure, you get that sinking feeling when you’re faced with having a conversation with three really lovely women about a movie that is being talked about with the...
The Archives, Right Here
I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Bitch Slap - Giveaway
When I was at Comic-Con a year and a half ago I can remember this being one of the most memorable interviews I ever conducted. I say conducted as I think conduct was what in order when I was told that the interview I was about to participate in was going to happen in bed.
Sure, you get that sinking feeling when you’re faced with having a conversation with three really lovely women about a movie that is being talked about with the...
- 1/8/2010
- by Christopher Stipp
- The director of Star Maps, Chuck and Buck and 2002's The Good Girl has been missing in action, at least in the feature film director's chair, but finally, Miguel Arteta is, according to THR, in final negotiations to direct another portrait of youth with Youth in Revolt. Folks, think of this as next year's Charlie Bartlett. Arteta is or was attached to direct Colombian Gold, Book of Joe, Date School and a remake of Swedish film Together, was busy enough producing a small, Top 20 in my books indie film called The Motel, and directed episodes of Six Feet Under, The Office and Ugly Betty. Dimension Films have locked Juno star Michael Cera in for the role of Nick Twisp. Based on C.D. Payne's novel, the story is of a precocious 14-year-old's mission to lose his virginity. "Revolt" is the journal Twisp, a precocious teen whose coital quest coincides
- 2/7/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
NEW YORK -- Jeremy Steckler and Matthew Greenfield have been tapped as senior vps production at Fox Searchlight Pictures, reporting to president of production Claudia Lewis. Steckler arrives at Searchlight after serving as a di Bonaventura Pictures exec for 3 1/2 years. Greenfield has worked as a producer on such Searchlight titles as Star Maps and The Good Girl. Both execs will work out of the specialty division's Los Angeles headquarters. "Matthew's stellar reputation in the independent film world and his experience producing terrifically unique auteur films make for a perfect fit with Searchlight," Lewis said. "Jeremy's development and production skills, especially in the genre arena, bring a fresh new point of view to the company. Both excel at recognizing innovative filmmakers who tell original stories, and we are proud to welcome both to Searchlight."...
- 6/26/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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