Joseph Gordon-Levitt: New Deal in HitRECord

"G-tech, by Hitachi, is a company that makes external hard drives, especially catering to creative people, like us. And thanks to them, our final Sundance Screening on January 29th has become hitRECord's first ever money-making production. As you know, when our production company makes money, we share what we make with the contributing artists. So there is now $10,000 up for grabs. If you contribute to one of our collaborations, and we Resource your RECord at the final Sundance Screening on January 29th, you get a share.


In a nutshell: we create and develop art and media collaboratively here on our site; we use my position in the traditional entertainment industry to turn that creativity into money-making productions; and then we share any profits with the contributing artists". Source: hitrecord.org

Sundance 2010 Favorite films

Meet the Artists: Spencer Susser talks about "Hesher"
- Sundance Film Festival 2010.

"Sundance isn’t the market it was 10 years ago (or even five years ago); few buyers have any real money to lavish on acquisitions, and a “bidding war” today might mean a producer strings out a few interested parties overnight for a million-dollar (or less) deal. It could mean a couple cable channels scrapping over a documentary. Or, in more traditional style, it could mean buyersfighting to release the one where Kristen Stewart plays a hooker.

· Blue Valentine
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A couple (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) on the downslope of a marriage attempts to rekindle some of the spark that began their relationship — a period framed in flashbacks.
UPSIDE: That cast! That drama! Gosling’s reunion with his Half Nelson producers and cinematographer implies he’ll turn in something awards-worthy, and Williams’s performance — matched with her own tormented relationship history — will likely be a publicity magnet.
DOWNSIDE: An intense young cast means little if first-time filmmaker Derek Cianfrance can’t harness them into something beyond abject Sundance melodrama.
POTENTIAL BUYERS: Sony Classics, Focus Features, Apparition
HOW MUCH? $3 million.

· Buried
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A civilian contractor (Ryan Reynolds) in Iraq is kidnapped and buried alive, with only a cell phone, a lighter and about 90 minutes to save himself before suffocating.
UPSIDE: Reynolds is coming off a terrific year in high-visibility hits (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Proposal), and come on: Who wouldn’t want a crack at distributing the Ryan Reynolds-trapped-in-a-coffin movie?
DOWNSIDE: In the end, it is just the Ryan Reynolds-trapped-in-a-coffin movie. Despite a cast that also lists Samantha Mathis and Stephen Tobolowski, I’m told that Reynolds is indeed the only one onscreen in the film. Too much Ryan?
POTENTIAL BIDDING WARRIORS: Lionsgate, Magnet, Screen Gems
HOW MUCH? A little north of $1 million, maybe more if Screen Gems — Sony’s genre label, and not generally a huge fest buyer — gets involved.

· The Company Men
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A corporate hot shot (Ben Affleck) and his peers attempt to come to grips with his downsizing.
UPSIDE: In addition to Affleck, first-time feature director John Wells (best known for writing and co-producing a zillion episodes of ER) has Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner set to deliver the dramatic chops in a story as topical as any at Sundance.
DOWNSIDE: Could be too politically on-the-nose for most buyers, especially if Wells’s small-screen gifts don’t translate to the cinema.
POTENTIAL BUYERS: Summit, Overture, The Weinstein Company
HOW MUCH? $5 million, maybe up to $6 million if the critics buy into it.
· Hesher
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A 13-year-old boy whose mother recently died befriends a batshit anarchist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Chaos ensues.
UPSIDE: Natalie Portman co-stars. Enough said.
DOWNSIDE: Are audiences ready to buy into Gordon-Levitt as a stringy-haired, sociopathic source of madness?
POTENTIAL BUYERS: Fox Searchlight, Magnolia, Lionsgate
HOW MUCH? Not a penny more than $2.5 million.

· Welcome to the Rileys
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A couple (James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo) mourning the death of their teenage daughter in dramatically different ways attempt to rebuild their lives.
UPSIDE: Jake Scott’s feature directorial debut is all class, with the executive-producer imprimatur of father Ridley Scott and uncle Tony (not to mention Ridley’s collaborator Steven Zaillian) and a cast featuring James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Kristen Stewart as a teenaged prostitute in New Orleans. OK, mostly all class.
DOWNSIDE: Could turn out to be this year’s The Greatest, which fizzled at Sundance ‘09 with a similar story line and Big Actor Moments cranked to 11.
POTENTIAL BUYERS: Overture, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate
HOW MUCH? The bidding starts at $4.5 million.
Source: www.movieline.com

More picks for Sundance Festival 2010:
HOWL

"James Franco stars as beat-poet Allen Ginsberg. Need I say more? A whole lot of buzz on this one folks…
HOLY ROLLERS

Jesse Eisenberg stars as a Hasidic Jew, who goes to work as an ecstasy dealer for a friend with ties to an Israeli drug cartel. Eisenberg starred in two of my favorite films last year, ADVENTURELAND, and ZOMBIELAND, so it’ll be interesting to see how he follows them up. He tends to pick good projects, so this could be a real winner.
SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS

Actor Mark Ruffalo makes his directorial debut with this film about a newly paralyzed DJ, who enters into the world of faith healing. Orlando Bloom co-stars.
THE RUNAWAYS

K-Stew’s other big Sundance film, in this one; she plays a circa-1975 Joan Jett, during her formative years with The Runaways. Dakota Fanning plays the band’s lead vocalist, Cherie Currie. While I think Fanning’s too young to play Currie, who was sixteen when she joined the band (Fanning was 14 when this was filmed), I’m nonetheless really looking forward to this one, as I’m a sucker for music biopics.

SPLICE

Vincenzo Natali, director of CUBE, returns with this, the tale of two scientists (Adrien Brody, and Sarah Polley), who mischievously splice the DNA strands of several animals to create a new creature- which I’m sure will run amuck at some point.
THE KILLER INSIDE ME

My most anticipated film of the festival; this stars Casey Affleck as a psychotic sheriff’s deputy, opposite Jessica Alba (as a prostitute), and Kate Hudson. It’s based on a classic piece of pulp fiction by Jim Thompson, and with Michael Winterbottom directing, who previously helmed 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, A MIGHTY HEART, and the awesome TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY, this could be one of the major films of the year". Source: www.joblo.com

Adventureland & Zombieland video

A musical video featuring some scenes from "Adventureland" (starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart) and "Zombieland", with Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Amber Heard.

Songs "36-24-36" ("I know this summer's gonna be the best if I don't die from lack of rest, Experience what my daddy said, That's what I got just like he said") by The Violent Femmes and "The hardest walk" ("It's so hard not to feel ashamed of the loving living games we play") by The Jesus & Mary Chain.

Anna Kendrick & Marion Cotillard sense of fashion

Anna Kendrick wears black strappy high heels by Sergio Rossi at the National Board Of Review Of Motion Pictures Awards Gala in NYC:White strappy high heels shoes by Sergio Rossi.
Anna Kendrick wore a one-shouldered white-and-silver sparkly gown by Marchesa Fall 2010:one-shouldered white-and-silver sparkly gown Marchesa Fall 2010.Marion Cotillard wore an emerald green asymmetric dress by Christian Dior and Jimmy Choo strappy shoes. Christian Dior Spring 2010.Jimmy Choo black strappy high heels shoes.Marion Cotillard wears Christian Louboutin high heels peep toe shoes:
Christian Louboutin peep toe shoes.

Robert Pattinson confirmed for Haiti Telethon

"Robert Pattinson is on board.

I just got word that the Twilight star has signed on for Friday's Hope for Haiti telethon. As of right now, it looks like Rob will be the sole presenter in London with performances by Jay-Z and Bono.

Robert Pattinson, promotional still of "Remember me".
Jake Gyllenhaal & Jennifer Aniston at the 9th Annual Hollywood Film Awards, Beverly Hilton Hotel on 24th October, 2005 in Beverly Hills, California.

Other mega-celebs who will present and/or help in the phone banks are Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Brad Pitt, Anna Kendrick, Sandra Bullock, Zac Efron, Bradley Cooper, Renee Zellweger, Chris Pine, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Colin Farrell, Jon Hamm, Gabby Sidibe and Emily Blunt, among many others.
No word yet on Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, but as I was the first to tell you Hollywood's hottest vampire movie trio is a very wanted group for the telethon because of the impact they would have with young people.
Clooney is set to host from Los Angeles with Wyclef John in New York City and CNN newsman Anderson Cooper in Haiti".
Source: uk.eonline.com

"This week, the death toll is estimated around 200,000. I know, in the coming days, the world will start to move on and focus its attention on The Next Big Thing — hopefully not another disaster — but this is just the beginning for Haiti. The tremors are still coming. They're smaller now, but we're sensitive to them. People are still moving out of the city in droves". Source: www.esquire.com

Best places to donate & help Haiti

Joseph Gordon-Levitt at Golden Globes after-party

Joseph Gordon-Levitt attending Film Independent's Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch on 16th January, 2010. Joseph Gordon-Levitt at Fox Golden Globes After-Party on 17th January, 2010.

Jake Gyllenhaal at pre-Golden Globes party

Jake Gyllenhaal attends CAA Pre-Golden Globes Party, on 15th January 2010.

"Golden Globes weekend got off to a starry start at the Buffalo Club in Santa Monica, Calif., where Creative Artists Agency held a private party on the restaurant's garden patio. Jake Gyllenhaal chatted up Jennifer Aniston, and despite his recent breakup, the actor "was in a great mood", a party guest tells us.
Peter Sarsgaard & Maggie Gyllenhaal at Fox Golden Globes After-Party on 17th January, 2010.

But the actor spent most of his time talking to his sister Maggie and Peter Sarsgaard. Meanwhile, the 200 guests nibbled on hors d'oeuvres like oysters and Ahi tuna carpaccio on the patio, which was decked out with lanterns and candles. "The patio was absolutely packed and the atmosphere was very glamorous and fun," says a source. "Wherever you turned, you would bump into a big movie star. Source: www.people.com