Archive for the ‘Exhibition’ Category
Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, Gen Art
One of my favorite films from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival will kick off one of my favorite film festivals of the year, as Gen Art has just unveiled the lineup for their 15th annual film festival, which will run in New York City from April 7th-13th. Sundance fav (and audience award winner) HappyThankYouMorePlease will open this year’s festival, which is looking to make a big splash in the Big Apple in honor of its 15th anniversary.
Also screening the fest this year — which boasts a pretty enticing (from a festgoer’s perspective) lineup of 7 film premieres and 7 parties in 7 days — Adrian Grenier’s (Entourage) excellent doc Teenage Paparazzo (which was another buzzed-about Sundance title), Sebastian Gutierrez’s Elektra Luxx, Tanner Hall, Waiting for Forever, Scott Caan’s Mercy and the Slamdance audience award winner, The Wild Hunt. All seven of these films will be enjoying their New York premieres at the festival, and all of them are completely worthy of a night out on the town.
The one thing I love about the Gen Art fest (and I say this every year) is that the price of a ticket ($25-35) not only gets you in to see the film (all features are also accompanied by a short), but you also get access to the film’s after party at some way-hotter-than-you NYC hot spot, which comes complete with open bar, celebrity appearances and a chance to meet yours truly (I’ll be the guy making an ass of himself on the dance floor as onlookers point and laugh continuously).
For more information, tickets and schedule, please visit Gen Art’s website at or call(212) 255-7300. So … I’ll be seeing you there, right?
Filed under: Animation, New Releases, Disney, Exhibition, Movie Marketing
There are two things that I feel I must share up front, in the spirit of full disclosure. The first is this: I consider myself a fan of Tim Burton. Every time I hear that the frazzle-haired aging Goth crackpot is releasing a new film, I feel an undeniable frisson of excitement, sure that this one will be on par with Big Fish, or Mars Attacks!, or (oh pleasepleaseplease) Ed Wood. And so I eagerly anticipate every new Burton film — up until that point when I’m trapped in a theater with Planet of the Apes or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, weeping sadly into my popcorn. Every time.
Secondly, while I’m as technologically savvy as I need be (considering that the majority of my work and leisure time are tied to the Internet, that all my life’s pertinent contact info is stored in my phone, and if my laptop failed right now I would turn into a useless, neurotic pile of fail) I’m also a late adopter when it comes to tech trends. I still have a normal-sized TV, for instance. My cell phone is just a phone. That sort of thing.
All of which I share so that you’ll understand my reaction to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland remodel. Putting aside any considerations of what’s good or bad about the movie as art, I couldn’t get past one huge stumbling block — once the opening credits had finished, I spent every moment of Alice wishing desperately that it wasn’t in 3-D.
Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Quentin Tarantino
Movie lovers know the value of a good, independent theater. Those lucky enough to live in Austin enjoy the delights of the Alamo Drafthouse, and those in Los Angeles have the likes of the New Beverly and the Egyptian. Even if you’ve never been fortunate enough to visit them, life is a little better for a fan knowing that somewhere in the world they screen 35mm prints of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot or The Court Jester on a regular basis. Those of us living outside their realm of awesome can read their schedule, dream, and plot plans to relocate.
But cinema nearly lost one of these last gems. The New Beverly in Los Angeles has been in danger for some time. With the rise of DVDs, the theater was suffering a possible closure and new life as a Super Cuts until Quentin Tarantino, a longtime fan and patron of the theater, stepped in. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he volunteered to pay $5,000 a month to keep the theater open. He’s been doing so steadily until 2007, when owner and family patriarch Sherman Togan passed away. The theater was in danger of closing again, as the landlord had a buyer bidding for the space as the Togan family tried to stall for time and rescue. Luckily, Tarantino stepped up again, and this time purchased The New Beverly outright. “I always considered the New Beverly my charity — an investment I never wanted back,” he told THR. “I already had a good relationship with the family and the theater, so it was a natural step.”
Continue reading Quentin Tarantino Saves The New Beverly Theater
Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, Oscar Watch
As you’re probably already tired of hearing, directors Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron used to be married! To each other! and now they’re competing for the Best Director Academy Award while their movies, The Hurt Locker and Avatar, fight for Best Picture. (The other eight Best Picture nominees are just lucky to have been nominated.) (Especially District 9.) Unfortunately, Kate and Jim, who split up in 1991, are reportedly on really good terms and don’t hate each other, which kind of ruins the narrative. But still!
To capitalize on this battle of the exes, the IFC Center in New York will host the “Bigelow vs. Cameron” series, playing films by each of them at midnight Fridays and Saturdays from Feb. 26 to April 17. They’ll alternate weekends, starting with Bigelow’s Point Break, followed by Cameron’s The Abyss. Bigelow’s other films in the series are Blue Steel, Strange Days, and Near Dark, and Cameron’s are True Lies, Aliens, and The Terminator.
What’s especially noteworthy here is that all 10 of these films are excellent “midnight movie” selections. I mean, if the head-to-head directors were Terrence Malick and James Ivory, you’d probably go with a different schedule. (“Don’t miss the MIDNIGHT MADNESS of Howards End!!”) But these Bigelow and Cameron titles aren’t just rowdy, raucous, late-night movies — most of them are actually pretty good, too, a reminder that films can be smart and popular. (You’ll notice they didn’t schedule K-19: The Widowmakeror Piranha II.)
Good luck to both directors, and may the best divorced person win!
Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, Oscar Watch
As you’re probably already tired of hearing, directors Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron used to be married! To each other! and now they’re competing for the Best Director Academy Award while their movies, The Hurt Locker and Avatar, fight for Best Picture. (The other eight Best Picture nominees are just lucky to have been nominated.) (Especially District 9.) Unfortunately, Kate and Jim, who split up in 1991, are reportedly on really good terms and don’t hate each other, which kind of ruins the narrative. But still!
To capitalize on this battle of the exes, the IFC Center in New York will host the “Bigelow vs. Cameron” series, playing films by each of them at midnight Fridays and Saturdays from Feb. 26 to April 17. They’ll alternate weekends, starting with Bigelow’s Point Break, followed by Cameron’s The Abyss. Bigelow’s other films in the series are Blue Steel, Strange Days, and Near Dark, and Cameron’s are True Lies, Aliens, and The Terminator.
What’s especially noteworthy here is that all 10 of these films are excellent “midnight movie” selections. I mean, if the head-to-head directors were Terrence Malick and James Ivory, you’d probably go with a different schedule. (“Don’t miss the MIDNIGHT MADNESS of Howards End!!”) But these Bigelow and Cameron titles aren’t just rowdy, raucous, late-night movies — most of them are actually pretty good, too, a reminder that films can be smart and popular. (You’ll notice they didn’t schedule K-19: The Widowmakeror Piranha II.)
Good luck to both directors, and may the best divorced person win!
Filed under: Documentary, Awards, Deals, New Releases, Distribution, Exhibition, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Politics, Cinematical Indie
Louie Psihoyos’s animal rights documentary The Cove (a film we’ve been championing since Sundance ‘09 – read our review here) has been opening eyes stateside and in a handful of overseas markets since opening last summer, but the real question was whether or not the people of Japan would hear about the mass dolphin harvesting that had been going on for years under their noses in the small fishing village of Taiji. According to a press release, Japanese audiences will get their chance to watch The Cove come April 2010, when distributor Medallion Media releases the Oscar nominated film.
In the press release (via The Hot Blog), Medallion Media director Norio Okahara stressed that the company was remaining neutral in the highly political dolphin harvesting debate, but that it was an important issue that deserved attention, so as to let the Japanese public decide for themselves. “In distributing The Cove we are not taking sides. Rather, we are presenting the film for the Japanese to decide for themselves about the issues it raises. There is a debate to be had here and this important film – and the Academy Award(R) nomination only serves to reinforce its importance – offers the opportunity for such a debate.”
Continue reading Dolphin Doc ‘The Cove’ Gets Japanese Release Date
Filed under: Animation, Disney, Exhibition, Newsstand
UPDATED: According to Coming Soon, Bob Iger was misquoted, and Cars 2 is still set to arrive in theaters on June 24th, 2011. Phew. The Pixar summer streak continues … please disregard the below post.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve really come to look forward to that time in May or June when Pixar releases their annual animated tale. It’s like regardless of what big franchises are launching, rebooting, remaking or sequalizing during those summer months, we know that no matter what Pixar will give us something to smile at; something that’s sure to make us feel all warm and cuddly inside as if a tasty bowl of soup magically found its way into our stomachs while the movie was playing.
That may all change when it comes to the summer of 2011, though, as Walt Disney has announced a release date change for Cars 2, from June 24th, 2011 to December of 2011. The announcement came during the company’s first quarter earnings call on Tuesday, and it’s the third release date the film has been given so far (after originally posting a 2012 date, then moving to summer 2011). Moving Cars 2 leaves a hole in the June 24th slot, though studios will be careful with what they put there seeing as The Green Lantern is right before it (on June 17th) and Transformers 3 is right after (on June July 1st).
However, Disney was planning to release their fairytale The Bear and the Bow in December of 2011, so Cars 2 moving means Bear and the Bow will most likely shift too. Where will it shift? We don’t know. Obviously there’s a small outside chance it will take that June 24th spot, but rarely do animated films move up their release since folks behind the scenes need that time to finish piecing the film together. In all likliehood, that means we’re not getting a Disney/Pixar animated film over the summer of 2011, and, yes, I’m a little sad inside right now. You?
[via Coming Soon]
Filed under: Animation, Disney, Exhibition, Newsstand
UPDATED: According to Coming Soon, Bob Iger was misquoted, and Cars 2 is still set to arrive in theaters on June 24th, 2011. Phew. The Pixar summer streak continues … please disregard the below post.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve really come to look forward to that time in May or June when Pixar releases their annual animated tale. It’s like regardless of what big franchises are launching, rebooting, remaking or sequalizing during those summer months, we know that no matter what Pixar will give us something to smile at; something that’s sure to make us feel all warm and cuddly inside as if a tasty bowl of soup magically found its way into our stomachs while the movie was playing.
That may all change when it comes to the summer of 2011, though, as Walt Disney has announced a release date change for Cars 2, from June 24th, 2011 to December of 2011. The announcement came during the company’s first quarter earnings call on Tuesday, and it’s the third release date the film has been given so far (after originally posting a 2012 date, then moving to summer 2011). Moving Cars 2 leaves a hole in the June 24th slot, though studios will be careful with what they put there seeing as The Green Lantern is right before it (on June 17th) and Transformers 3 is right after (on June July 1st).
However, Disney was planning to release their fairytale The Bear and the Bow in December of 2011, so Cars 2 moving means Bear and the Bow will most likely shift too. Where will it shift? We don’t know. Obviously there’s a small outside chance it will take that June 24th spot, but rarely do animated films move up their release since folks behind the scenes need that time to finish piecing the film together. In all likliehood, that means we’re not getting a Disney/Pixar animated film over the summer of 2011, and, yes, I’m a little sad inside right now. You?
[via Coming Soon]
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sony, Exhibition, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
At first I was slightly interested to see where Sony was going to go with their Spider-Man franchise. I’m a fan of both the screenwriter (James Vanderbilt, Zodiac) and the director (Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer) — and obviously I hold a lot of affection for the titular character.
But now comes word from Sony that on July 3, 2012, you’ll be able to see Spider-Man swinging directly into your face: yes, the Spider-Man reboot is definitely going to be in 3-D. This news makes me sigh wearily, as I’m of the opinion that 3-D is (even at its finest) just another William Castle-style distribution gimmick. We all have big fancy TVs and HD blu-ray clarity these days … but our living rooms cannot promise mega-keen 3-D bedazzlement — which is why we’re seeing so many damn 3-D projects these days.
Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts on whether or not this news gets you more or less excited for the as-yet-untitled Spider-Man reboot. Meh, you kids and your 3-D gizmos. In my day, 3-D was for crap like Jaws 3 and Amityville 3, which is why it died out. Again.
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sony, Exhibition, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
At first I was slightly interested to see where Sony was going to go with their Spider-Man franchise. I’m a fan of both the screenwriter (James Vanderbilt, Zodiac) and the director (Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer) — and obviously I hold a lot of affection for the titular character.
But now comes word from Sony that on July 3, 2012, you’ll be able to see Spider-Man swinging directly into your face: yes, the Spider-Man reboot is definitely going to be in 3-D. This news makes me sigh wearily, as I’m of the opinion that 3-D is (even at its finest) just another William Castle-style distribution gimmick. We all have big fancy TVs and HD blu-ray clarity these days … but our living rooms cannot promise mega-keen 3-D bedazzlement — which is why we’re seeing so many damn 3-D projects these days.
Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts on whether or not this news gets you more or less excited for the as-yet-untitled Spider-Man reboot. Meh, you kids and your 3-D gizmos. In my day, 3-D was for crap like Jaws 3 and Amityville 3, which is why it died out. Again.
