WEIRDLAND

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Journey to Sundance (2009)

"Who was responsible for the renaissance of non-studio movies? Has the Sundance Film Festival become too influenced by the Studios? How does the "little guy" who's made a movie break into what seems to be a closed system even for indie film? Enter a team of three neophyte filmmakers - Julian Starks, Jennifer Sorenson and Bill Jacobson - who embark on a five year roller coaster of a ride to find the answer to the two decades old debate: What is Independent Film? Against the backdrop of the Sundance Film Festival and the yearly pilgrimage of producers, directors, industry "suits" and Hollywood wannabes, these filmmakers and their cameras journey for the answers. They trek to the festival each January for five years, and in their search of the original question, each of them is forced to face the issues - and demons - that plague any indie film. Whether it's lack of money, lack of time, unexpected losses or disintegrating relationships, this grueling journey takes its toll on these three filmmakers, who ultimately refuse to give up on their quest. Passion? Obsession? Stupidity? Insanity? Are these the qualities that help define Independent Film? "Journey to Sundance" tackles these questions straight on, with humor, honesty, poignancy and resolve". Source: www.imdb.com

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel, Jake Gyllenhaal, Javier Bardem, Salma Hayek, John Malkovich, Mira Sorvino, Robert Redford, Christian Slater, James Woods, Jane Fonda, Michael Ealy, Cliff Curtis, Joe Pantoliano, Aidan Quinn, Chazz Palminteri, Julian Starks, etc.

Watch one clip of "Journey to Sundance".

Gordon-Levitt and Cera at Sundance

"we had the good fortune of running into our fantasy man, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, en route to the premiere of his short film, Sparks. The film stars Carla Gugino and Eric Stolz, is an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard short story about a seductive failed rock star who may or may not have burned her own house down.

As a filmmaking debut, JGL has done himself proud. There were definitely some storytelling issues and performance missteps but JGL served up an absurdist, experimental, visually innovative piece that is a great starting point for his directing career.

That, however, was not an opinion shared by Michael Cera.

Everyone knows not to talk about the films right after a screening since the chances of one of the filmmakers overhearing you isn't just high, it's probable.

But that didn't stop Mr. Superbad. As we left the theater, we overheard Cera talking smack and laughing with his friends about Sparks, saying it was the least interesting of the seven shorts shown and generally lacked anything impressive or memorable.

Funny enough, earlier in the day we heard Joseph praising Michael (even though he dissed other things).

JGL admitted he wasn't really a fan of Cera's (personal issues perhaps?) but he admired the fact that Cera, "took a script as annoying as Juno and made it into a good piece of work."

Yes, it's backhanded, but it's still a compliment.

Boys, boys, you're both pretty. Play nice!
Source: www.gossipsauce.com

Maggie & The Precious Planet Collection

"Maggie Gyllenhaal helps Fisher-Price launch Precious Planet and donates $250,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society at Central Park Zoo on Tuesday (January 27) in New York City.

The Precious Planet Collection consists of a wide selection of baby gear including a high chair, gym, cradle swing, bouncer, jumperoo, potty, mobile, tub, bedding and more.

“I think it’s important to show them how we can and how we must co-exist. They are learning to respect the planet”, Maggie said. “Fisher-Price is such a big part of everyone’s childhood and I am so happy to join forces with them in presenting this generous donation in support of the Wildlife Conservation Society". Source: justjared.buzznet.com

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Interview with Jerry Bruckheimer

Are you planning on breaking the video game curse with Prince of Persia?

JB: That I can’t predict. I have no idea. I just know we have a really good story and we have a great cast and a brilliant director. I’ve got one of the best cinematographers in the world doing it, so it’s going to look great. I know the acting’s going to be really good. Whether people go see it—your guess is as good as mine.

I spoke with Mike Newell last year when he first signed on. That’s an interesting choice.

JB: Yeah. He’s very talented.

Yes, he is, but it’s an unusual choice for a—

JB: Big adventure. Well, it’s about character, and he understands character, story. That’s the main thing for me. The rest you can figure out.

Character and story is what matters and the rest is icing?

JB: Yes.

Are you contemplating going the route of Dark Knight and Transformers and using IMAX for any of your upcoming movies? I know you’ve mentioned possibly using it for Pirates IV.

JB: We haven’t talked about it, but I’d love the ability to be able to do it.

It seems like it would lend itself well to them. But you haven’t decided.

JB: We’re too far away. Persia doesn’t come out until summer of 2010". Source: www.collider.com

Monday, January 26, 2009

"Zodiac" Director's Cut

* Director's Audio Commentary -- David Fincher provides a comprehensive guided tour through the genesis of 'Zodiac,' detailing his intentions, his research, and his deviations from the actual events. I was impressed with his attention to detail in each scene and imagine it was quite easy for the cast and crew to buy into his vision. Fincher has a quiet reverence in his voice anytime he talks about Avery, Graysmith, and Toschi. It's clear from his comments that he truly felt connected to their self-destructive obsession. This is a great starting point for anyone tackling the full set of features.

* Cast and Crew Commentary -- Author James Ellroy, writer James Vanderbilt, producer Brad Fischer, and actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhaal supply an additional commentary track that rarely encroaches on the information in Fincher's track. For the most part, the group has entirely different stories and points of view. As an added bonus, the conversational nature of the large group commentary keeps things interesting. The actors tend to keep the track light, Fischer throws in some excellent tidbits, and the writers give a fascinating dissertation on adapting the story for film. This is a wonderful track that shouldn't be missed.

* Zodiac Deciphered (HD, 54 minutes) -- Once again, I was pleased with the lack of repetition. This documentary doesn't feature any interviews with Fincher (he merely appears here and there in behind-the-scenes footage), but his commentary already establishes his thoughts on every aspect of the film. Instead, screenwriter James Vanderbilt takes center stage and sets about exploring the way the actual events were recreated for the film. A series of interviews reveal the excruciatingly thorough research, the on-set attention to detail, and the cast and crew's determination to make the film something unique.

* The Visual Effects of Zodiac (HD, 15 minutes) -- This featurette covers the subtle CGI work used to enhance the authenticity of key scenes. To be honest, I hadn't noticed that CGI was employed in the film, so I was particularly intrigued by this one.

* Previsualization (SD, 6 minutes) -- The only standard definition supplement in the bunch (note the lack of an "HD" indicator on the back cover), this featurette compares a handful of animatics to the scenes that appeared in the final film.

* This is the Zodiac Speaking (HD, 101 minutes) -- This feature length documentary is a monster, packed with more information than one person can possibly take in with one viewing. It includes dense procedural summations, a tour through the Zodiac case, and interviews with survivors and investigators involved in the case. This is an intricate tapestry of information that is worth the price of the disc alone. If you watch nothing else, spend time digging through this one.

* Prime Suspect: His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen (HD, 42 minutes) -- This is another informative documentary that focuses on the prime suspect in the Zodiac killings. Another top notch component in the package.
Source: bluray.highdefdigest.com

-It looks like we get five extra minutes of footage in the actual movie itself?

-David Fincher: I think it's more like seven.

-Seven? O.K. So were these just time issues then, why these were cut?

-David Fincher: My answer would be two-fold. It's based not only on what it played like in the theater, but it's also knowing that certain things play differently in a home theater environment. You have different expectations when you're sitting with 700 people than when you're sitting with your friends or family. It's just a different world. You have the power to pause stuff and you have the power to go to the bathroom. You can do whatever you want in your own home. It's a much more relaxed thing. It's more like a book, it seems to me. That's kind of the way I watch movies. If I see a movie for the first time on DVD, I watch it all the way through, the lights are down, I don't pick up the phone. The third or fourth time you see a movie, sometimes you just have them on and you check in every once in a while with things that you liked. [...] Source: www.movieweb.com

Prince of Persia looks fantastic

"Yeah, you won't recognize Jake Gyllenhaal", Bruckheimer said in a press conference on Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his latest film, Confessions of a Shopaholic. "I've seen most of Prince of Persia. It looks fantastic."

The producer added that Gyllenhaal got his swashbuckler muscles the old-fashioned way. "No, no drugs," he countered to jibes against Gyllenhaal's sudden bulk. "No drugs. [He] just worked really hard."

Bruckheimer credited Gyllenhaal with a solid athletic foundation that was easy for his Hollywood trainers to manipulate in different directions. "Well, he's a cyclist anyway, and he bikes all the time", the producer said. "We just had to have him do a little lifting, but he looks fantastic."

The movie is based on the hit Ubisoft video game. Despite hits such as Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat, game-based movies have yet to garner critical acclaim. But Bruckheimer is optimistic about Prince of Persian: "Let's hope. Let's hope."

Bruckheimer, who also produced Disney's well-received Pirates of the Caribbean movies, added that he hopes Prince will earn similar kudos. "I hope so", he said. "I think we have a terrific story and great characters and a wonderful cast, a great director. Mike Newell is a master." Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is due in theaters May 28, 2010.

Separately, MTV.com reported that the first poster for Prince of Persia will appear in Confessions of a Shopaholic, appearing as a Times Square advertisement about halfway into the film. It joins posters for a number of other Bruckheimer productions, including the upcoming G-Force, though Persia is unique in that it marks the first time the film's artwork has been seen anywhere, with Gyllenhaal in full-costume as Prince Dastan, the site reported". Source: scifiwire.com

S.A.G. 2009

Congrats to Sean Penn for his S.A.G. Award, the next step is an Oscar Award. His performance as Harvey Milk in "Milk" was the best one I've seen this year.