Saturday, June 30, 2012

Best of the Week with Trailers!

Good Saturday to Everyone!


BEST OF THE WEEK

I started looking studio by studio, distributor by distributor this week at those film firms that are often the source for films that play at Telluride.  This first week focused on 4 specifically: Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics and The Weinstein Company.  Here's what I had to say:


FOCUS ON FOCUS



Today I begin the breakdown of some of the "usual suspects" in as far as film companies that produce and/or distribute and are, at least sometimes, players at the Telluride Film Festival.  This week I'll be focusing on domestic companies and specifically today on Focus Features.

Focus has had what I would term a "modest" Telluride relationship in the recent past.  It has been represented there previously and in some years has been fairly prevalent.  There have also been some years where Focus has been absent altogether.

Here's the recent Focus films that have been in Telluride's lineup:

As distributor:

2007: Into the Wild
2006: Catch a Fire
2005: Brokeback Mountain
2004: The Motorcycle Diaries, House of Flying Daggers
2003: Lost in Translation

As production company:
2010: Bitiful, Another Year

As you can see.  Focus doesn't play every year at T-ride and doesn't play "big" (I define "big" as 3 or more films).

So what does Focus have in store for this year that might tempt the Telluride programmers?

They're distributing Joe Wright's "Anna Karenina" and Roger Michell's "Hyde Park on Hudson".  They're producing and distributing the Gus Van Sant directed Matt Damon and John Krasinski authored and starrer "Promised Land" which IMDb lists in post-production but which at least film news outlet thinks might be ready for fall festivals and Oscar consideration.

Of the three "Hyde Park on Hudson" is almost a lock I think.  It's directed by Roger Michell (TFF's in 1995 for "Persuasion", 2004 for "Enduring Love" and 2006 with "Venus") and stars Laura Linney (tributed at TFF in 2004 (Kinsey and P.S.) and returning to Telluride with films or as a part of their guest list in 2006 (Jindabayne), 2007 (The Savages), 2008, 2009 and 2010).



In all likelihood "Hyde Park" is the lone representative from Focus Features at Telluride this year.

If there is a second, it's probably more likely to be "Promised Land" if it's ready.  Director Gus Van Sant has had some Telluride experience in the past...but it's been a good while (1995 To Die For, 2003 Elephant).

"Anna Karenina" is the least likely, though not completely impossible.  Joe Wright's career is young enough not to have a long track record of films to have even been considered for Telluride.  In AK's favor, I suppose, is the fact that TFF programmers have enjoyed programming films that star Keira Knightley as of late: 2011: "A Dangerous Method" and in 2010: "Never Let Me Go".






FOX SEARCHLIGHT



I'm continuing my look at the "independent" type production/distribution firms that have had a significant presence at the Teluuride Film Festival over the past few years in order to look at their possible offerings for this year's fest.  Today's company is Fox Searchlight.

FS has had a number of high profile films over the past several years at T-ride including:

As distributor and/or production company:
2011: Shame, The Descendants
2010: 127 Hours, Never Let Me Go, Black Swan
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2007: Juno, The Savages
2006: The Namesake, The Last King of Scotland
2004: Kinsey
2000: Quills

Take note of three things:
1) FS plays most years (especially since 2006)
2) FS averages 2 films per year when they play
3) FS does NOT always play...ex. 2009
4) When they do have offerings, they're almost always a part of the year end awards conversation.

So what's the takeaway?

Fox Searchlight's slate this year is not particularly large nor Telluride friendly.



Chan-wook Park's "Stoker" has been getting a lot of buzz, but doesn't seem particularly Telluride-like.
Ben Lewin's "Sessions" premiered at Sundance...
Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" opened today in New York and L.A.
Jonathan Dayton and Valeire Faris' "Ruby Sparks" opens July 25.

Nothing else listed at the FS page on IMDb seems likely in terms of content or time frame.

Now, there is "The East" from director Zal Batmanglij that is NOT currently listed with Fox Searchlight on IMDb but is reported as an FS project in the media.  "The East" has no announced release date and is listed as being post-production.  It was written by (and also stars) indie rising star Batmanglij and Brit Marling who also co-wrote "Sound of My Voice".  Marling also penned and starred in 2011 Sundance sensation "Another Earth".


"The East" co-writer/star Brit Marling

"The East" also stars Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson and Julia Ormand

So, ultimately, "The East" becomes Fox Searchlight's best Telluride option by default.  That's why I have it listed on this week's (and the summer's first) "Ten Bets" list posted Monday.

I'm still hoping (and nagging) that "Sessions" gets on the Telluride program despite having had its premiere at Sundance.



Fox Searchlight's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0028932/

"The East's" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1869716/





SONY PICTURES CLASSICS



I am continuing my summer march through film distribution and production companies and their recent past relationship in terms of the Telluride Film Festival as a way of looking at possibilities for what we might see come Labor Day weekend.

Today's focus is on a major player at Telluride: Sony Pictures Classics...what is essentially Sony Pictures Entertainment's indy/foreign wing.

Here's what SPC has shown in Telluride recently:

2011: A Dangerous Method, In Darkness, Footnote, A Separation
2010: Incendies, Of Gods and Men, Tamara Drewe, Another Year, The Illusionist, Inside Job
2009: The Last Station, The White Ribbon, Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet, An Education
2008: Waltz with Bashir, I've Loved You So Long
2007: O'Horten, Brick Lane, When Did You Last See Your Father, Persepolis, The Band's Visit, The Counterfeiters
2006: Jindabyne, The Lives of Others, Volver,
2005: Breakfast on Pluto, Capote
2004: Being Julia, House of Flying Daggers, Bad Education

So you can see, SPC averages about 4 films per TFF over the last 8 years, tending toward more rather than less as you look at the most recent years.

SPC's IMDb page appears to list 4 films that haven't or will not have been released prior to TFF and which did not bow at Sundance making them all prime possibilities:

Susanne Bier's "Love is All You Need" starring Pierce Brosnan.
Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone" with Marion Cotillard



Pablo Larrain's "No" with Gael Garcia Bernal
and Michael Haneke's Cannes Palme D'Or Winner "Amour"



My bet right now is that "Rust", "No" and "Amour" are all going to make the Telluride cut (see Monday's Ten Bets list) and I'd put the odds at 50% for "Love is All You Need".

One final note: should SPC pick up the North American distribution for other films in the next 6 weeks or so (or if they have them already and they just haven't been announced) then depending on strategy, those late acquisitions could stop in Telluride as well.





THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY



Today marks the fourth day to continue our examination of production/distribution film firms that have or may have a Telluride connection in the past and one for 2012.  Today's company du jour is The Weinstein Company.

TWC usually plays Telluride, but it often does so with two characteristics being true.  First, they don't normally have many films there and second, the films they do have are almost always serious awards contenders by the end of the year and it's very clear that the Weinstein people (meaning head guy Harvey Weinstein) carefully calibrates choices in terms of what they wish to unveil during the Labor Day festival.

Here's the TWC Telluride history as a distributor/producer:

2011: The Artist (Best Pic winner), Butter
2010: The King's Speech (Best Pic winner)
2009: The Road
2007: I'm Not There, My Enemy's Enemy

So, as you can see, one or two films per year with the last two years being part of the path that TWC used on the way to winning the Best Picture Oscar.

So what does TWC bring to Telluride in 2012?  Their shelves are stocked full...so many potential Telluride releases.  I have a feeling that this is the year that there are more than two TWC films on the TFF #39 program...

Here are the most likely/intriguing possibilities that TWC has slated for a 2012 release that fit Telluride's window:

Dustin Hoffman's "Quartet"
Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"
Kar Wai Wong's "The Grandmasters"
Regis Roinsard's "Populaire"
David O. Russell's "The Silver Linings Playbook"  (see trailer below)
Paul Andrew Williams "Song for Marion"
Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master"
Andrew Dominick's "Killing Them Softly"
Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires"

John Hillcoat's "Lawless" is set for an Aug. 29th release date...so no Telluride for what was once called "The Wettest County in the World".

Currently I only have "Song for Marion" listed on this week's "Ten Bets" list but I think ANY of the films listed above are possible T-ride choices.

If forced to handicap the field I'd suggest that the most likely are "The Sapphires", "The Silver Linings



Playbook" and, yes, I'm going to say it..."The Master".



Mid-level possibilities: "Killing Them Softly" and "Populaire"

Least Likely: "The Grandmasters", "Quartet" and "Django Unchained".

TWC's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0150452/

Keep your eyes open and your fingers crossed!



ALL DJANGO ALL THE TIME



If you're breathlessly awaiting the arrival of Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" then you need to go to this website now:
http://ht.ly/bOd27

Links to pictures, logo, trailer and a ton of other stuff on this "Webmasters Toolkit".

There is a lot of stuff here...




And, finally, the year's first "Ten Bets" list was up on Monday.  I'll have an new list up in 2 days... Here's this week's:



1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Beyond the Hills
4) Hyde Park on Hudson
5) Song for Marion
6) No
7) Midnight's Children
8) The East
9) Something in the Air
10) On the Road




More later...Have a great weekend!


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2




Friday, June 29, 2012

TWC/Silver snd Sessions Trailers/Coming Attractions

Good Friday to All!


THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY



Today marks the fourth day to continue our examination of production/distribution film firms that have or may have a Telluride connection in the past and one for 2012.  Today's company du jour is The Weinstein Company.

TWC usually plays Telluride, but it often does so with two characteristics being true.  First, they don't normally have many films there and second, the films they do have are almost always serious awards contenders by the end of the year and it's very clear that the Weinstein people (meaning head guy Harvey Weinstein) carefully calibrates choices in terms of what they wish to unveil during the Labor Day festival.

Here's the TWC Telluride history as a distributor/producer:

2011: The Artist (Best Pic winner), Butter
2010: The King's Speech (Best Pic winner)
2009: The Road
2007: I'm Not There, My Enemy's Enemy

So, as you can see, one or two films per year with the last two years being part of the path that TWC used on the way to winning the Best Picture Oscar.

So what does TWC bring to Telluride in 2012?  Their shelves are stocked full...so many potential Telluride releases.  I have a feeling that this is the year that there are more than two TWC films on the TFF #39 program...

Here are the most likely/intriguing possibilities that TWC has slated for a 2012 release that fit Telluride's window:

Dustin Hoffman's "Quartet"
Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"
Kar Wai Wong's "The Grandmasters"
Regis Roinsard's "Populaire"
David O. Russell's "The Silver Linings Playbook"  (see trailer below)
Paul Andrew Williams "Song for Marion"
Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master"
Andrew Dominick's "Killing Them Softly"
Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires"

John Hillcoat's "Lawless" is set for an Aug. 29th release date...so no Telluride for what was once called "The Wettest County in the World".

Currently I only have "Song for Marion" listed on this week's "Ten Bets" list but I think ANY of the films listed above are possible T-ride choices.

If forced to handicap the field I'd suggest that the most likely are "The Sapphires", "The Silver Linings Playbook" and, yes, I'm going to say it..."The Master".

Mid-level possibilities: "Killing Them Softly" and "Populaire"

Least Likely: "The Grandmasters", "Quartet" and "Django Unchained".

TWC's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0150452/

Keep your eyes open and your fingers crossed!


SILVER LININGS AND SESSIONS TRAILERS



Trailers broke online yesterday for "The Silver Linings Playbook" and "Sessions"...my pet "please program this" project.  For what its worth, I think "Silver Linings" looks better than expected and "Sessions" looks like the film that Sundance on fire (along with "Beasts of the Southern Wild").  Here they are via YouTube:

Silver Linings:



Sessions:





FirstShowing.net had posts up yesterday about both films' trilaers (and "Sessions" poster as well):
http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/bradley-cooper-jennifer-lawrence-in-silver-linings-playbook-trailer/

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/john-hawkes-stars-in-first-trailer-for-sundance-hit-the-sessions/


Silver Lining's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/

The Sessions IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1866249/





COMING ATTRACTIONS

Each Friday this summer, I'm trying to highlight an announced film project that has at least some chance to play at TFF #40 (or 41).  Today's addition to that list is "August:Osage County"  set to star Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.  Directed by John Wells.  George Clooney and Grant Heslov signed n as producers last week and The Weinstein Company is on board to distribute.  It's based on Tracy Lett's Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway stage hit.

August's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322269/

Here are a series of links concerning the early developments surrounding "August: Osage County":

The Wrap: http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/meryl-streep-julia-roberts-star-august-osage-county-35446

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/george-clooney-grant-heslov-produce-august-osage-county-44631

The Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/george-clooney-grant-heslov-august-osage-county-338804

HitFix: http://www.hitfix.com/news/george-clooney-teams-with-julia-roberts-meryl-streep-for-august-osage-county


More later...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2



Thursday, June 28, 2012

SPC/Half of 2012/12 Years Cast/Bernie's Texas

Good Thursday Everyone!


SONY PICTURES CLASSICS



I am continuing my summer march through film distribution and production companies and their recent past relationship in terms of the Telluride Film Festival as a way of looking at possibilities for what we might see come Labor Day weekend.

Today's focus is on a major player at Telluride: Sony Pictures Classics...what is essentially Sony Pictures Entertainment's indy/foreign wing.

Here's what SPC has shown in Telluride recently:

2011: A Dangerous Method, In Darkness, Footnote, A Separation
2010: Incendies, Of Gods and Men, Tamara Drewe, Another Year, The Illusionist, Inside Job
2009: The Last Station, The White Ribbon, Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet, An Education
2008: Waltz with Bashir, I've Loved You So Long
2007: O'Horten, Brick Lane, When Did You Last See Your Father, Persepolis, The Band's Visit, The Counterfeiters
2006: Jindabyne, The Lives of Others, Volver,
2005: Breakfast on Pluto, Capote
2004: Being Julia, House of Flying Daggers, Bad Education

So you can see, SPC averages about 4 films per TFF over the last 8 years, tending toward more rather than less as you look at the most recent years.

SPC's IMDb page appears to list 4 films that haven't or will not have been released prior to TFF and which did not bow at Sundance making them all prime possibilities:

Susanne Bier's "Love is All You Need" starring Pierce Brosnan.
Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone" with Marion Cotillard
Pablo Larrain's "No" with Gael Garcia Bernal
and Michael Haneke's Cannes Palme D'Or Winner "Amour"

My bet right now is that "Rust", "No" and "Amour" are all going to make the Telluride cut (see Monday's Ten Bets list) and I'd put the odds at 50% for "Love is All You Need".

One final note: should SPC pick up the North American distribution for other films in the next 6 weeks or so (or if they have them already and they just haven't been announced) then depending on strategy, those late acquisitions could stop in Telluride as well.

Tomorrow: The Weinstein Company

HALF OF 2012



2012 starts its downhill tilt this weekend as we pass the halfway mark on the calendar.  Variety put up an interesting piece today discussing Oscar prospects of what has been released thus far and what is still to come.  Look at it here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118056045/

Most interesting from my perspective is the mention near the end of the story about the possible completion of both Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" (which I have been mentioning of late) and Sacha Gervasi's "Hitchcock" before year's end.

I noted yesterday that Fox Searchlight, which is where both of these films are parked, has a thin slate as we look at the end of the year and awards season.  These could change that and if they're ready, they could be on the Telluride radar.

"Hitchcock" (a  look at the story of Hitch's experiences making "Psycho")might be a stretch but it is slated for release in some European nations in mid-February.

I think there would be a greater chance that "Promised Land" might be ready and on the Telluride slate.

Personally, I'm looking forward to both.

12 YEARS CAST



I have been highlighting virtually any news about Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" as I think it's a decent bet for TFF #40.  Of late has come further casting news (for a cast that now is immense and increasingly impressive).  Latest additions are reportedly Michael K. Williams (Life During Wartime) and Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild).  Check the stories:

Get the Big Picture:
http://www.getthebigpicture.net/blog/2012/6/25/omar-comin-yo-to-twelve-years-a-slave.html

The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/twelve-years-a-slave-becomes-more-awesome-by-adding-michael-k-williams-20120623

Shadow and Act
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/beasts-of-the-southern-wild-actor-dwight-henry-added-to-mcqueens-12-years-a-slave#

BERNIE'S TEXAS

One of my favorite films of the year so far is Richard Linklater's "Bernie" with Jack Black in a fine (maybe his best ever) performance.  One of the highlight scenes is this gem explaining the nature of the state of Texas (where the true story that the film is based on took place).  Look at it here:

 

More later...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2




Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Fox Searchlight/Best Actor/Supporting Actor

Good Wednesday Everyone!


FOX SEARCHLIGHT



I'm continuing my look at the "independent" type production/distribution firms that have had a significant presence at the Teluuride Film Festival over the past few years in order to look at their possible offerings for this year's fest.  Today's company is Fox Searchlight.

FS has had a number of high profile films over the past several years at T-ride including:

As distributor and/or production company:
2011: Shame, The Descendants
2010: 127 Hours, Never Let Me Go, Black Swan
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2007: Juno, The Savages
2006: The Namesake, The Last King of Scotland
2004: Kinsey
2000: Quills

Take note of three things:
1) FS plays most years (especially since 2006)
2) FS averages 2 films per year when they play
3) FS does NOT always play...ex. 2009
4) When they do have offerings, they're almost always a part of the year end awards conversation.

So what's the takeaway?

Fox Searchlight's slate this year is not particularly large nor Telluride friendly.



Chan-wook Park's "Stoker" has been getting a lot of buzz, but doesn't seem particularly Telluride-like.
Ben Lewin's "Sessions" premiered at Sundance...
Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" opened today in New York and L.A.
Jonathan Dayton and Valeire Faris' "Ruby Sparks" opens July 25.

Nothing else listed at the FS page on IMDb seems likely in terms of content or time frame.

Now, there is "The East" from director Zal Batmanglij that is NOT currently listed with Fox Searchlight on IMDb but is reported as an FS project in the media.  "The East" has no announced release date and is listed as being post-production.  It was written by (and also stars) indie rising star Batmanglij and Brit Marling who also co-wrote "Sound of My Voice".  Marling also penned and starred in 2011 Sundance sensation "Another Earth".


"The East" co-writer/star Brit Marling

"The East" also stars Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson and Julia Ormand

So, ultimately, "The East" becomes Fox Searchlight's best Telluride option by default.  That's why I have it listed on this week's (and the summer's first) "Ten Bets" list posted Monday.

I'm still hoping (and nagging) that "Sessions" gets on the Telluride program despite having had its premiere at Sundance.

Fox Searchlight's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0028932/

"The East's" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1869716/

Tomorrow a look at Sony Pictures Classics.


BEST ACTOR



Take a look at Gold Derby's  8 editor's picks for likely Best Actor nominations here:
http://www.goldderby.com/awardshows/editors/oscars-2012-nominations-nominations/best-actor.html#

Taken collectively the Gold Derby folks shake out this way:

1) Daniel Day-Lewis/Lincoln
2) Philip Seymour Hoffman/The Master
3) Bill Murray/Hyde Park on Hudson
4) Leonardo DiCaprio/Great Gatsby
5) Hugh Jackman/Les Miserables

with John Hawkes/Sessions just on the outside.

Outliers: Joaquin Pheonix, Jamie Foxx, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer and Mads Mikkelsen (for The Hunt which I believe has a shot at TFF #39)

And then look at them through the prism of Telluride's recent record of providing the springboard for the eventual winner: Jean Dujardin, Colin Firth, Daniel Day-Lewis, Forest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

You have to wonder if this provides some programming insights.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

On a related note, here's a link to Rope of Silicon's early line on Best supporting Actor:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/early-list-2013-best-supporting-actor-oscar-contenders/

And finally, a note of condolence and memory for Nora Ephron (1941-2012): She penned Silkwood, Heartburn, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie and Julia as well as directed.



More later...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2







Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Focus on Focus/All Django/Master Trailers Reviewed

Good Tuesday All!

38th Telluride Film Fest favorite and Best Picture Oscar winner "The Artist" is available today on VD and Blu Ray.  Check it out.

FOCUS ON FOCUS



Today I begin the breakdown of some of the "usual suspects" in as far as film companies that produce and/or distribute and are, at least sometimes, players at the Telluride Film Festival.  This week I'll be focusing on domestic companies and specifically today on Focus Features.

Focus has had what I would term a "modest" Telluride relationship in the recent past.  It has been represented there previously and in some years has been fairly prevalent.  There have also been some years where Focus has been absent altogether.

Here's the recent Focus films that have been in Telluride's lineup:

As distributor:

2007: Into the Wild
2006: Catch a Fire
2005: Brokeback Mountain
2004: The Motorcycle Diaries, House of Flying Daggers
2003: Lost in Translation

As production company:
2010: Bitiful, Another Year

As you can see.  Focus doesn't play every year at T-ride and doesn't play "big" (I define "big" as 3 or more films).

So what does Focus have in store for this year that might tempt the Telluride programmers?

They're distributing Joe Wright's "Anna Karenina" and Roger Michell's "Hyde Park on Hudson".  They're producing and distributing the Gus Van Sant directed Matt Damon and John Krasinski authored and starrer "Promised Land" which IMDb lists in post-production but which at least film news outlet thinks might be ready for fall festivals and Oscar consideration.

Of the three "Hyde Park on Hudson" is almost a lock I think.  It's directed by Roger Michell (TFF's in 1995 for "Persuasion", 2004 for "Enduring Love" and 2006 with "Venus") and stars Laura Linney (tributed at TFF in 2004 (Kinsey and P.S.) and returning to Telluride with films or as a part of their guest list in 2006 (Jindabayne), 2007 (The Savages), 2008, 2009 and 2010).



In all likelihood "Hyde Park" is the lone representative from Focus Features at Telluride this year.

If there is a second, it's probably more likely to be "Promised Land" if it's ready.  Director Gus Van Sant has had some Telluride experience in the past...but it's been a good while (1995 To Die For, 2003 Elephant).

"Anna Karenina" is the least likely, though not completely impossible.  Joe Wright's career is young enough not to have a long track record of films to have even been considered for Telluride.  In AK's favor, I suppose, is the fact that TFF programmers have enjoyed programming films that star Keira Knightley as of late: 2011: "A Dangerous Method" and in 2010: "Never Let Me Go".



Tomorrow a look at Fox Searchlight.


ALL DJANGO ALL THE TIME



If you're breathlessly awaiting the arrival of Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" then you need to go to this website now:
http://ht.ly/bOd27

Links to pictures, logo, trailer and a ton of other stuff on this "Webmasters Toolkit".

There is a lot of stuff here...


THE MASTER'S TRAILERS REVIEWED?

Yes indeed and by a real film critic.  David Thomson spends a significant amount of time breaking down the two teasers that we have seen come forth for Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master".  The article is for The New Republic.  Check it here:
http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/104329/paul-thomas-anderson-the-master-trailers-scientology-film

Trailers:





More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Monday, June 25, 2012

Ten Bets/Sessions/DiCaprio in Django/New Segment


Good Monday Everybody!

TEN BETS

Last year about this time I began a weekly list of what I felt like the 10 most likely films to turn up at the Telluride Film Festival.  Here's what that first list for the 38th fest looked like:

1) The Descendants***
2) The Artist***
3) The Kid with a Bike***
4) Young Adult
5) Le Havre***
6) A Trip to the Moon***
7) Gazing Into the Abyss***
8) Dark Horse
9) We Have to Talk About Kevin***
10) Shame***

The triple*** indicates films that actually DID play at Telluride...8 of 10...which I thought was pretty good (still do) and I'll be very pleased if I can do that well again this year.  So here it is, my first "Ten Bets" list for the 39th Telluride Film Festival:


[Amour Trailer]


1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Beyond the Hills
4) Hyde Park on Hudson
5) Song for Marion
6) No
7) Midnight's Children
8) The East
9) Something in the Air
10) On the Road

[Rust and Bone trailer]

On this list are a good sample of Cannes successes, and/or past connections to Telluride at the production, distribution or directing levels.  I'll have a new "Ten Bets" next Monday as it will evolve based on what info I can turn up.


THE SESSIONS



It's no secret that I have begun mentioning that I'd like the TFF programmers to bend their "rule" concerning films and their North American premieres in the case of what has now become entitled "The Sessions" (it was "The Surrogate" then "Six Sessions").  "The Sessions" was one of the two biggest buzzed films from Sundance, the other being "Beasts of the Southern Wild".

I'm pulling for the kind of decision that was made in the case of "An Education" in 2009 as it was programmed despite having dropped at Sundance earlier in the year.

Now admittedly, "An Education" probably benefited from being under the direction of Lone Scherfig who had appeared previously at Telluride in 2001.

I'm holding onto some hope that it could happen because it's under the Fox Searchlight banner and they're slate of films going into the fall is relatively limited.  Fox Search normally is fairly represented during TFF.

So, I'm hoping...

Rope of Silicon has a post up from late last week concerning the film:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movie/sessions/


LEO'S NEW PIC FROM DJANGO



And, again, chances that we'd see a Tarantino film in Telluride are mighty small, but I am excited that "Django" will be out Christmas Day.  Here's a new photo of DiCaprio via The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/new-pipe-smoking-image-of-leonardo-dicaprio-in-django-unchained-20120625

NEW SEGMENT

Check out the new page I have added that details a select timeline/history for the Telluride Film Festival.  Just click the tab above.

More later...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2




Saturday, June 23, 2012

Best of the Week/New Addition

Good Saturday to Everyone!


BEST OF THE WEEK

I started this week with an analysis of what major studio(s) might have been dangling their Oscar wares at the Telluride programmers last week in Los Angeles per a story from Deadline.com's Pete Hammond:


MAJOR WANTS TO PLAY



Deadline.com's Pete Hammond posted a story yesterday that focused primarily on the opening of the L.A. film fest but it also included a number of references to this year's Telluride fest as the TFF crew was in L.A. host a TFF-centirc soiree.  The article includes references to likely TFF choices "Rust and Bone" and "Amour".  Perhaps the most intriguing Telluride note came in the last paragraph of Hammond's post:

"Meanwhile the LAFF isn’t the only film festival action taking place this week in Los Angeles. The Telluride Film Festival threw a party at the London Hotel on Sunset the night before the LAFF launch to tout their upcoming Labor Day weekend 39th edition of a fest that grows in importance every year as a key start to awards season. Fest directors Gary Meyer, Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger are still putting the program together and, as is the custom, won’t announce it in advance.  But it’s clear this fest which draws Oscar-hopefuls from the likes of SPC, Searchlight, The Weinstein Company, Focus  and others has also attracted the attention of the major studios with eyes on Oscar this year.  At least one of them was busy showing their wares to the Telluride honchos this week in hopes of making the cut."


Which leads to a couple of points:


1) Which studio and what films?


2) It's not that the majors don't play Telluride, but their participation is usually a small part of the festival.  One wonders if this bit of news signals a larger presences for 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal etc.


3) And finally, you have to believe that Hammond's line "a fest that grows in importance every year as a key start to awards season." (which is something I have been saying the last five years) is reflected by a greater desire from the majors to be included on the Telluride bill of fare.


So here's that day by day breakdown of four "major" studios:




If you looked in on this space Saturday you saw this tidbit repeated from a Pete Hammond post from Deadline.com:


“The Telluride Film Festival threw a party at the London Hotel on Sunset the night before the LAFF launch to tout their upcoming Labor Day weekend 39th edition of a fest that grows in importance every year as a key start to awards season. Fest directors Gary Meyer, Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger are still putting the program together and, as is the custom, won’t announce it in advance.  But it’s clear this fest which draws Oscar-hopefuls from the likes of SPC, Searchlight, The Weinstein Company, Focus  and others has also attracted the attention of the major studios with eyes on Oscar this year.  At least one of them was busy showing their wares to the Telluride honchos this week in hopes of making the cut. 


Which has kept my mind whirling for the last 48 hours...which studios? what films?  Certainly it seems that Hammond is implying more than one.  

Consequently, during the course of this week, I'll take a look at the "major" studio offerings that are expected as we move to the end of the year that most think want to be Oscar contenders and at least see if we can discern what the field of possibilities looks like.

Today we start with Universal Pictures which looks to be distributing two "Oscar-y" films: Tom Hooper's "Les Miserables" and Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" (the Osama Bin Laden/Seal Team 6 film).

The Bigelow film seems more "Telluride-ish" (as I thought "The Hurt Locker" might be back in 2008) but Tom Hooper had a great deal of success out of Telluride for "The King's Speech" in 2010..so both films seem plausible Telluride contenders if Universal has decided to make that play and T-ride's heads deem them acceptable.

Other connections..."Les Miz's" production company Working Title had a production connection to Telluride 2006 "sneak" "Catch a Fire".

"Zero Dark Thirty's" IMDb page is here:

"Les Miserables" IMDb page is here:


20TH CENTURY FOX



Continuing to look at "Major" studios who might have been the studio reference by reports from the L.A. Film Festival that a so-called "major" was dangling bait in front of Telluride programmers we review the late year offerings from 20th Century Fox.

It looks like four possibilities emerge:

Ang Lee's "Life of Pi"...which I'm watching anyway because Lee's been represented at Telluride before with "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" perhaps most notable.

Curtis Hanson's "Of Men and Mavericks"...mostly because I met Hanson at Telluride a few years ago.

And Daniel Barnz's "Won't Back Down" starring Viola Davis in what purports to be this year's vehicle for Ms. Davis to challenge for the Best Actress Oscar that Meryl Streep won over her last year.

Won't Back Down" is featured in a post this week from The Playlist with links to 4 clips from the film.

Here's one of them:



Check others here at The Playlist:



And of course, the big dog Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" which Fox is co-producing with Dreamworks and Amblin and a bunch of others.  I'll have more to say about it on Friday. ("Lincoln's IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/)


20th Century Fox has been represented at Telluride in the past with: "The Descendants" (2011), "127 Hours", "Never Let Me Go" and "Black Swan (2010) and "The Savages" (2007) and others.

My take:  "Life of Pi" chances are at 30%, "Of Men and Mavericks" 15% and "Won't Back Down" at 25%.

Tomorrow a look at what Warner Brothers might have tried to play with if they're the studio in question.



PARAMOUNT



In light of commentary this weekend in a Pete Hammond post for Deadline.com that suggested that one of the major studios had been plying their wares for the head honchos of the Telluride fest, I have taken it upon myself this week to look at what those possibilities might be.  Today, I'm looking at Paramount and we can probably rule them out pretty quickly.  Despite past recent participation at Telluride with "Up in the Air", "Benjamen Button", "Zodiac", "Babel" and "Paranormal Activity" and probable future Telluride films "Labor Day" and "Nebraska" as of right now they have only one film that might be conceivably considered Oscar material and that's the Denzel Washington starrer and Robert Zemeckis directed "Flight".  And frankly, I don't think it sounds like either a Telluride picture or much of an Oscar one for that matter.  So I'm writing Paramount off.

Here's the IMDb page for Paramount Pictures:http://www.imdb.com/company/co0023400/

"Flight's" IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1907668/



WARNER BROTHERS



Deadline. com reported last week that at least one "major" studio was showing film to TFF programmers in an effort to polish Oscar chances who were in L.A. during the L.A. Film Fest and so this week I have been trying to nail down some possibilities.  Today: Warner Brothers.

According to their IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/company/co0026840/) WB is distributor for a ton of Oscar bait  films: Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" (DiCaprio, Maguire and Telluride favorite Carey Mulligan), Ben Affleck's "Argo"( Affleck, Goodman, Arkin) , The Wachowski Bros."Cloud Atlas"(Hanks, Sarandon, Berry), Robert Lorenz's "Trouble with the Curve" (Eastwood, Adams), and Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad" (Penn, Gosling, Brolin).  Oh, and that "Hobbit" thing.

There's a lot there and WB has played in Telluride before...just not recently.  They distributed "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008 and "Rails and Ties" in 2007...Allison Eastwood's directing debut...I have a nice New Sheridan story about her.  WB also produce "Benjamen Button" and "zodiac" which were a pert of the festival's David Fincher tribute in 2008.

For my money...if it was Warners...I'd guess "Argo" and "Curve" would be the best possibilities and "Gatsby" on the outside.




MAJOR ANALYSIS

All week long I have been trying to parse the meaning of Pete Hammond's post at Deadline.com from last week in which he describes at least one :major" studio plying Telluride film programmers with their "wares" trying to entice T-ride into a programming choice.  That original Hammond post is here:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/06/la-film-festival-los-angeles-woody-allen-opens-2012-laff-telluride/

This week I have looked at Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox and what films they are either producing and/or distributing that look like they're also positioned for an Oscar run.


Re-capping...
Universal is distributing has "Les Miserables" and "Zero Dark Thirty" (This with Columbia).
Paramount: "Flight"
Fox: "Life of Pi", "Won't Back Down" and "Lincoln" (with Dreamworks and Amblin, obviously)
Warners: "Argo", "Cloud Atlas", "The Great Gatsby", "Trouble with the Curve" and "Gangster Squad".

["Argo" trailer]

Going to go BOLD here...

I lean toward Warners or Fox and here's why...

Warners...If I'm the Eastwood people and I really want Clint to be in play for a Best Actor Oscar I can't ignore the recent past concerning that trophy and Telluride.

2011: Jean Dujardin/The Artist (and a near miss for George Clooney for "The Descendants")
2010: Colin Firth/The King's Speech
2009: Another near miss by Geroge Clooney for "Up in the Air"
2007: Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood"
2006:Forest Whitaker for "The Last King of Scotland"
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote" (also near miss for Heath Ledger for "Brokeback Mountain").

I don't think it's a coincidence...

So if you're looking at what is likely Clint's last shot at Best Actor...don't you play in Telluride?

And there is some Eastwood/Telluride history.  He's been there before...and I always default to believing that almost everyone that comes once wouldn't mind coming back.

Fox... same logic applied to Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and Best Picture.  Again, look at the last few year's of BP winners from Telluride:

2011: "The Artist"
2010: "The King's Speech"
2008: "Slumdog Millionaire"
2007: No winner but "Juno" and There Will Be Blood" nominated
2006: "Babel" nominated
2005: "Brokeback" and "Capote" nominated

3 of the last 4 BPs got a huge boost from Telluride.

If you're he Spielberg people aren't you tired of the near miss status of the last few years? "War Horse", "Munich", "Saving Private Ryan".  Plus the films that didn't even get a nomination for BP.  And then there is the Marshall/Kennedy connection to Telluride.

So there you are...

As always, I could be totally, completely, 100% wrong...and probably am.





MASTER #2

A second teaser/trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" appeared this week:



The film sites are abuzz since late last night with a second teaser/trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" which is far and away the film I am most energized about for the coming fall/winter.

I am crossing my fingers that this plays at the Telluride festival this year but to be honest, I'd guess it's chances at about 45%.  A lot depends on the strategy The Weinstein Company chooses to pursue vis a vis Oscar campaigning.

I still think that "The Master" could play T-ride, but Harvey has a lot of arrows in his quiver this year and he/they may well think that they'd benefit from this PTA film being a Venice/New York thing.

I'm not alone, however, in at least thinking that it's still a possible Telluride choice as, in the midst of all the posting about the new teaser Jeff Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere wrote today:

"If Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master is going to play the Venice Film Festival, as rumored, surely there's a decent chance it'll also play Telluride...no? Along with Terrence Malick's To The Wonder and Brian De Palma's Passion withRachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace (which will probably be minor at best -- DePalma's best days are long past)"




Which makes me feel a little more confident about keeping it on our list of Telluride possibles.\\Here's the link to the rest of Wells' story and the teaser as well as comments (including mine):


http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/06/late_august.php


Here's the teaser via You Tube:



I had a big piece this week on Venice speculation:


VENICE SPECULATION



We're probably about 5 weeks away from the official lineup announcement for the Venice Film Festival.
We already know that it's under new direction from a past director.
We know it will be smaller (near Telluride-size in terms of the total number of films screened).
We know that the new director has claimed that he's likely to have "The Master", "To the Wonder" and Brian DePalma's new film, "Passion", though I think these might all be wishful thinking rather than hard and fast commitments.
We know that the overlap between Telluride and Venice films is usually very small...last year: 3 films (to the best of my ability to dig  this up): "Shame", "A Dangerous Method" and "Diana Vreeland".  And 3 is about normal.
Overlap in 2010: "Black Swan" and "Letter to Elia"
Overlap in 2009: "The Road", "Life During Wartime" and "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans"
So Venice is usually a lineup that winnows Telluride possibilities...

All that to get to this: The Playlist has a big Venice speculation piece posted yesterday.



Highlights include two specific Telluride references in their analysis of Derek Cianfrance's "The Place Beyond the Pines" and David O. Russell's "The Silver Linings Playbook".  "Pines" is Cianfrance's follow up to the very well received "Blue Valentine".  "Silver Linings" is the latest project from the director of "The Fighter" and "Three Kings" and will be distributed by The Weinstein Company.

Some other intriguing notes from The Playlist post:
They appear to believe the claims about "The Master", "To the Wonder" and "Passion" as they have them listed as "strong possibilities" for Venice along with "Anna Karenina", "Argo", "Gangster Squad" and "Something in the Air" among others.

Among "possibilities" they list: "Life of Pi", "The Place Beyond the Pines" and "Love is All You Need".

Among the "long shots" are: "Seven Psychopaths", "The Silver Linings Playbook", "Django Unchained","Low Life", "Cloud Atlas", "Inside Llewyn Davis" and "Zero Dark Thirty".

The complete post is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/terrence-malick-the-master-anna-karenina-more-what-could-be-in-this-years-venice-film-festival-line-up-20120619

That seemingly led to a Twitter follow from the PR Director from the Venice Film Fesival: Giovanni Santoro.

Finally this week, a wish list from the folks at IndieWire provided some interesting fun:


50 FILMS FOR THE FALL

The fine people at IndieWire posted a "wish list"/prediction piece yesterday about what they hope and expect will play as part of the fall festival lineups (i.e. Telluride, Toronto and Venice.)  It's fun to look at and drool over.

They specify Telluride in the case of these films:
"A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III" from Roman Coppola and...
"The Place Beyond the Pines" from Derek Cianfrance (and this becomes the second time in a week that someone has tried to connect "Pines" to T-ride...

Among the 48 other films listed that have the most Telluride "potential" (in my view):



[Trailer from "Hyde Park on Hudson"]

"Anna Karenina" (d. Joe Wright)
"Argo" (d. Ben Affleck)
"Gambit" (d. Michael Hoffman)
"Hyde Park on Hudson" (d. Roger Michell)
"Life of Pi" (d. Ang Lee)
"Love is All You Need" (d. Susanne Bier)
"The Master" (d. Paul Thomas Anderson)
"Quartet" (d. Dustin Hoffman)
"The Silver Linings Playbook" (d. David O. Russell)
"Something in the Air" (d. Olivier Assayas)
"Song for Marion" (d. Paul Andrew Williams)

I think that 3 of the above are really solid guesses...check back on Monday for my first "Ten Bets" of the season to see which 3.

Check the entire IndieWire post here:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/fall-festival-wishlist-50-films-we-hope-to-see-in-venice-toronto-and-or-telluride



NEW ADDITION

Old friends of this blog will note a new page today.  You can access what I have termed a "selective" history of the Telluride Film Festival.  It's still "under construction", but a good portion of what it will be is up and examines the fest from its inception in 1974 up until 1995.

I'll be finishing it throuhout the coming weeks.  Take a look by clicking on the tab "Selected TFF History" above.


Have a good weekend...more on Monday...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Friday, June 22, 2012

50 Films for Fall/Major Analysis/Coming Attractions

Good Friday All!

50 FILMS FOR THE FALL

The fine people at IndieWire posted a "wish list"/prediction piece yesterday about what they hope and expect will play as part of the fall festival lineups (i.e. Telluride, Toronto and Venice.)  It's fun to look at and drool over.

They specify Telluride in the case of these films:
"A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III" from Roman Coppola and...
"The Place Beyond the Pines" from Derek Cianfrance (and this becomes the second time in a week that someone has tried to connect "Pines" to T-ride...

Among the 48 other films listed that have the most Telluride "potential" (in my view):


[Trailer from "Hyde Park on Hudson"]

"Anna Karenina" (d. Joe Wright)
"Argo" (d. Ben Affleck)
"Gambit" (d. Michael Hoffman)
"Hyde Park on Hudson" (d. Roger Michell)
"Life of Pi" (d. Ang Lee)
"Love is All You Need" (d. Susanne Bier)
"The Master" (d. Paul Thomas Anderson)
"Quartet" (d. Dustin Hoffman)
"The Silver Linings Playbook" (d. David O. Russell)
"Something in the Air" (d. Olivier Assayas)
"Song for Marion" (d. Paul Andrew Williams)

I think that 3 of the above are really solid guesses...check back on Monday for my first "Ten Bets" of the season to see which 3.

Check the entire IndieWire post here:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/fall-festival-wishlist-50-films-we-hope-to-see-in-venice-toronto-and-or-telluride


MAJOR ANALYSIS

All week long I have been trying to parse the meaning of Pete Hammond's post at Deadline.com from last week in which he describes at least one :major" studio plying Telluride film programmers with their "wares" trying to entice T-ride into a programming choice.  That original Hammond post is here:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/06/la-film-festival-los-angeles-woody-allen-opens-2012-laff-telluride/

This week I have looked at Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox and what films they are either producing and/or distributing that look like they're also positioned for an Oscar run.


Re-capping...
Universal is distributing has "Les Miserables" and "Zero Dark Thirty" (This with Columbia).
Paramount: "Flight"
Fox: "Life of Pi", "Won't Back Down" and "Lincoln" (with Dreamworks and Amblin, obviously)
Warners: "Argo", "Cloud Atlas", "The Great Gatsby", "Trouble with the Curve" and "Gangster Squad".

["Argo" trailer]

Going to go BOLD here...

I lean toward Warners or Fox and here's why...

Warners...If I'm the Eastwood people and I really want Clint to be in play for a Best Actor Oscar I can't ignore the recent past concerning that trophy and Telluride.

2011: Jean Dujardin/The Artist (and a near miss for George Clooney for "The Descendants")
2010: Colin Firth/The King's Speech
2009: Another near miss by Geroge Clooney for "Up in the Air"
2007: Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood"
2006:Forest Whitaker for "The Last King of Scotland"
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote" (also near miss for Heath Ledger for "Brokeback Mountain").

I don't think it's a coincidence...

So if you're looking at what is likely Clint's last shot at Best Actor...don't you play in Telluride?

And there is some Eastwood/Telluride history.  He's been there before...and I always default to believing that almost everyone that comes once wouldn't mind coming back.

Fox... same logic applied to Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and Best Picture.  Again, look at the last few year's of BP winners from Telluride:

2011: "The Artist"
2010: "The King's Speech"
2008: "Slumdog Millionaire"
2007: No winner but "Juno" and There Will Be Blood" nominated
2006: "Babel" nominated
2005: "Brokeback" and "Capote" nominated

3 of the last 4 BPs got a huge boost from Telluride.

If you're he Spielberg people aren't you tired of the near miss status of the last few years? "War Horse", "Munich", "Saving Private Ryan".  Plus the films that didn't even get a nomination for BP.  And then there is the Marshall/Kennedy connection to Telluride.

So there you are...

As always, I could be totally, completely, 100% wrong...and probably am.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

[Darren Aronofsky via movieline.com]

Where I feature a film in production that could be a Telluride palyer in 2013 or even 2014.  Today: Darren Aronofsky's "Noah"

Aronofsky brought "Black Swan" in 2010 and ended up with multiple Oscar nominations and a win for Natalie Portman as Best Actress.  So could he bring this epic about the Great Flood to the San Juans?
Here are a variety of links concerning casting and filming of the project...we believe it's scheduled to begin rolling next month.


The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/russell-crowe-liam-neeson-circle-darren-aronofskys-noah-biblical-epic

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/darren-aronofskys-noah-greenlit-with-july-start-date-russell-crowe-locked-in-to-star

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/douglas-booth-logan-lerman-set-sail-with-darren-aronofskys-noah-20120604

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/emma-watson-gets-biblical-with-darren-aronofskys-noah-20120607

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/an-evil-cloud-ray-winstone-looking-to-take-villain-role-in-darren-aronofskys-noah-20120611

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jennifer-connelly-officially-in-talks-for-darren-aronofskys-noah-20120618

Get the Big Picture:
http://www.getthebigpicture.net/blog/2011/12/1/darren-aronofsky-wants-michael-fassbender-for-noah.html


More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2