Stanley Praimnath was at his desk on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001, when he saw an airplane fly past the Statue of Liberty and suddenly appear larger and larger through his office windows, until he could see a red stripe on the fuselage and the letter “U” for “United Airlines.”
When hijacked Flight 175 banked and headed straight toward him, engines roaring, Praimnath, then an assistant vice-president at Fuji Bank, dove under his metal desk, yelling, “Lord, I can’t do this! You take over!” As the nose of the plane smashed through the tower,...
When hijacked Flight 175 banked and headed straight toward him, engines roaring, Praimnath, then an assistant vice-president at Fuji Bank, dove under his metal desk, yelling, “Lord, I can’t do this! You take over!” As the nose of the plane smashed through the tower,...
- 9/11/2017
- by Cathy Free
- PEOPLE.com
Mary Tyler Moore, who played TV’s first sexy housewife and then a single, career woman who could turn the world on with her smile and toss her hat in the air like no other, died on Wednesday. She was 80.
Her longtime rep issued a statement to People: “Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine. A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.
Her longtime rep issued a statement to People: “Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine. A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.
- 1/25/2017
- by nstonepeople
- PEOPLE.com
Up and comer Analeigh Tipton (Crazy Stupid Love, Warm Bodies, Mississippi Grind) will star in filmmaker Craig Goodwill's psychological thriller Sadie from a script with and written by Brian Clark. Goodwill, whose feature Patch Town recently bowed, will helm the story that centers on a young female novelist (Tipton) who, along with an enigmatic woman named Charlotte, are enticed by an ex-lover to join him at his Italian villa for a weekend celebration being held to honor…...
- 9/1/2015
- Deadline
Russ and Roger Go Beyond
Josh Gad has closed a deal to play legendary film critic Roger Ebert in the Michael Winterbottom-directed comedy "Russ & Roger Go Beyond" for Stx Entertainment. Gad will play opposite Will Ferrell as sexploitation maestro Russ Meyer.
The debauched comedy follows two no-holds-barred outsiders who defied the Hollywood establishment to make "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," one of the first X-rated films ever released by a major movie studio. Filming begins later this year. [Source: Variety]
A.R.C.H.I.E.
Michael J. Fox will lend his voice to the role of a robotic dog in Robin Dunne's upcoming independent family comedy "A.R.C.H.I.E." at Trilight Entertainment and Clairwood Capital.
Katharine Isabelle plays a world-renowned roboticist who has created Archie to look like a normal dog while having super strength, X-ray vision and the ability to talk. While her research program is shut down by the military, she helps Archie...
Josh Gad has closed a deal to play legendary film critic Roger Ebert in the Michael Winterbottom-directed comedy "Russ & Roger Go Beyond" for Stx Entertainment. Gad will play opposite Will Ferrell as sexploitation maestro Russ Meyer.
The debauched comedy follows two no-holds-barred outsiders who defied the Hollywood establishment to make "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," one of the first X-rated films ever released by a major movie studio. Filming begins later this year. [Source: Variety]
A.R.C.H.I.E.
Michael J. Fox will lend his voice to the role of a robotic dog in Robin Dunne's upcoming independent family comedy "A.R.C.H.I.E." at Trilight Entertainment and Clairwood Capital.
Katharine Isabelle plays a world-renowned roboticist who has created Archie to look like a normal dog while having super strength, X-ray vision and the ability to talk. While her research program is shut down by the military, she helps Archie...
- 9/1/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
"Indiewire follows me wherever I go," Brian Clark once said. His Facebook page, now a memorial to the digital media producer and longtime member of the film community, indicates that this is a huge part of Brian's legacy — an uplifting spirit who served as both a pioneer and a mentor to filmmakers, friends, media professionals, and the transmedia community alike. Among the many loving tributes is one from Indiewire founder Eugene Hernandez, now Deputy Director at Film Society of Lincoln Center. In Indiewire's early years, Clark circled a memo entitled, "Indiewire is a brand, dammit!" Says Hernandez: "It took me time to fully comprehend what Brian meant, but once I totally got it, we were really on our way. Indiewire will be 19 years old next month!" Read More: Brian Clark, Former Indiewire Publisher and Digital Media Producer, Dies Facebook Tributes...
- 7/2/2015
- by Emily Buder
- Indiewire
Brian Clark, one of the original figures in the conceptualization of Indiewire and a major player in the transmedia and immersive storytelling communities, died today in New York surrounded by family and friends following a brief battle with cancer. He was 46. Read More: Heartrending Tributes to Indiewire Co-Founder Brian Clark Clark co-founded the new media production company Gmd Studios in 1995 and continued to run it for nearly 20 years. In 1997, he served as a producer and managing member of Indiewire during its initial iteration as a newsletter. "indieWIRE is a brand, dammit," he wrote in an internal memo to staffers during the late '90s, using the spelling that distinguished the site in its early days. "The independents are there, ready to be led together... and it's my belief that bringing them together will be at times explosive, at other times inspirational." While Gmd Studios sold Indiewire to SnagFilms in 2008, Clark remained an active.
- 7/2/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This one is for those looking for the odd, arthouse cinema. While it premiered way back in early 2013, at the Berlinale, Denis Côté's Vic + Flow Saw a Bear finally opened in Mexico City last weekend. Our own European editor, Brian Clark, watched it in Berlin and wrote a review, leaving clear that the film is, to begin with, quite strange indeed ("as the title suggests") and stays far away from a conventional narrative. The film opens with a static shot of a boy in a scout uniform playing an awful number on the trumpet to Vic (short for Victoria). When he finishes, he demands money for the performance, which leads to a hilarious lecture from Vic about what does and doesn't merit payment. With its...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/9/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Good news for Mexico based fans of revenge and cannibal films! After being part of the Riviera Maya Film Festival back in March, Jeremy Saulnier's revenge thriller Blue Ruin is coming to Mexican cinemas, under the title Cenizas del Pasado (Ashes of the Past). Distribution company Amarok Films secured the rights and already posted online the trailer with Spanish subtitles, though a release date is yet to be confirmed. Twitch founder Todd Brown said that "Blue Ruin is a goddamned work of art and the best American indie in a year (2013) that featured a bunch of really good American indies." Brian Clark also wrote great things about it in his Cannes 2013 review, such as "It's all incredibly smart. It is also violent, hilarious, very suspenseful...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/5/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Much praise has been heaped upon Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman, which bowed at Cannes last year, and where our own Brian Clark had this to say:Many will likely make comparisons between Borgman and another off-kilter descent into insulated evil, Dogtooth. Stylistically, they share much in common, and yes, Borgman is essential watching for fans of the jet-black Greek comedy, but van Warmerdam is much more interested in maintaining the ambiguity of the menace beneath the surface rather than letting it erupt for all to witness.In anticipation of its June 6 Us release, our pals at Drafthouse Films have delivered a new clips which is most certainly a headscratcher, except well, how can you scratch your head when you're dead, and on top of that you've...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/30/2014
- Screen Anarchy
A bruising tale of single-minded intensity, Blue Ruin tore up the festival circuit last year and is heading for release in theatres and On Demand in the U.S. on April 25, 2014. As the official synopsis puts it, the film "follows a mysterious outsider whose quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family." Mason Blair embodies the "mysterious outsider" with blunt force but also a haunting, weary, and ultimately poignant despair. Blue Ruin accumulates in power as it hurtles toward a devastating climax. Our own Brian Clark saw the film when it played at the Cannes...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 1/18/2014
- Screen Anarchy
copyright Andrew Orchard
Date: Thursday, November 28 Venue: Liberty Stadium Kick-Off: 20:05
Swansea can join tonight’s opponents Valencia in the last-32 of the Europa League if they can repeat their heroics from matchday one of the competition.
Team News
Swansea could welcome winger Pablo Hernandez back into the side against former club Valencia on Thursday night.
The 28-year-old has not played more than half an hour of football since the beginning of September due to a thigh injury, but is back in contention.
Fellow winger Wayne Routledge is a doubt with a calf problem, while striker Michu (ankle) and defender Garry Monk (knee) are definitely out.
Valencia manager Miroslav Đukić has no injury concerns and has virtually a fully-fit squad to pick from.
Defender Adil Rami – sent off in the reverse fixture – is currently training with AC Milan ahead of his January move to the San Siro.
(bbc)
Key Stats...
Date: Thursday, November 28 Venue: Liberty Stadium Kick-Off: 20:05
Swansea can join tonight’s opponents Valencia in the last-32 of the Europa League if they can repeat their heroics from matchday one of the competition.
Team News
Swansea could welcome winger Pablo Hernandez back into the side against former club Valencia on Thursday night.
The 28-year-old has not played more than half an hour of football since the beginning of September due to a thigh injury, but is back in contention.
Fellow winger Wayne Routledge is a doubt with a calf problem, while striker Michu (ankle) and defender Garry Monk (knee) are definitely out.
Valencia manager Miroslav Đukić has no injury concerns and has virtually a fully-fit squad to pick from.
Defender Adil Rami – sent off in the reverse fixture – is currently training with AC Milan ahead of his January move to the San Siro.
(bbc)
Key Stats...
- 11/28/2013
- by Joseph Dempsey
- Obsessed with Film
Jeremy Saulnier is just amazed as anyone else. In September 2012, he was still editing his second feature, unclear when or where it would play, paying the bills shooting corporate videos. He spent this September hopping between film festivals, riding the waves of critical acclaim that started this past May when Blue Ruin screened as part the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was picked up for distribution both at home and abroad within hours of premiering.If it all sounds too much a Cinderalla story it bears noting that the film really deserves it. From Cannes, Brian Clark wrote, "[we] doubt we'll see a more deft, thrilling genre film this year... it's rare that a genre-film takes the chances of this one...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/19/2013
- Screen Anarchy
After announcing its official selection, the Morelia International Film Festival (Ficm) 2013 has really exciting news for the Mexican fans of Alejandro Jodorowsky. The 84-year-old Jodorowsky returned to filmmaking after 23 years with The Dance of Reality (aka La Danza de la Realidad), which was first screened at Cannes 2013. And now the Mexican premiere of The Dance of Reality, with Jodorowsky in person, will be celebrated at Morelia 2013! You can read here Brian Clark's Twitch review of The Dance of Reality; here's an extract: "When we first meet the young-boy version of Alejandro Jodorowsky in his new "imaginary autobiography" The Dance of Reality (La Danza de la Realidad), he is wearing a long blond wig and watching in terror as his dad brawls with two...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/19/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Ah, Miff, at last you grace Melbourne, Australia with your proliferating presence; more than 300 films in just under two weeks? I will be covering a heck of a lot on Twitch, so let's get started, shall we?Opening night kicked off in superb thematic style at the newly-renovated, ultra-glitzy Hamer Hall. A venue Miff will not use again this festival, but one I feel fortunate to visit.I'm So Excited! (Los Amantes Pasajeros) is 'a film by Pedro Almodovar' and for once not 'a film by Almodovar', he has let his hair down for this one, making for a lighthearted opening film choice.I agree with a lot of what Brian Clark said in his review (read here). This off-beat satire set in the sky should be...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/26/2013
- Screen Anarchy
As I was watching Miike Takashi's police thriller Shield of Straw during its opening night presentation at Fantasia, I started to wonder if the director of dozens of gonzo filmic insanities had finally succumbed to the temptation of making a polished, Hollywood-style blockbuster. That's similar to the alarm bells rung by our own Brian Clark when the film debuted at Cannes. In his review, he discussed some of the "many ways in which [it] falls short of being the knockout that it could have been." Among other things, he asked, "What has happened to Miike Takashi? The man who was once able to inject even the most cliche genre stories with wackiness, visual pizzazz and spontaneity seems totally on auto-pilot here." It's a fair point....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/22/2013
- Screen Anarchy
We here at Twitch are big fans of Ciaran Foy's feature film debut Citadel. It's an intense, tight horror film that examines a young man's crippling agoraphobia in the wake of a violent attack by strange youths that leaves his wife dead. Our own Brian Clark described it as "one of the most intense depictions of pure fear I've ever seen", and it was on my top 20 list of last year. Mixing monsters will the real-life terrors of poverty and isolation, it's both personal and incredibly relatable, particularly to those with knowledge of life on Britain's social housing estates, where crime is often rampant with seemingly no way out.The film is due for release on Friday, July 12, and there are four preview screenings on...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/7/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Speak of the devil! Alex van Warmerdam's film Borgman may not have won any of the big awards in Cannes, but it did score itself a distributor for North America. And that distributor is Drafthouse Films. Quoting Drafthouse Films founder and CEO Tim League in today's press release: "Maybe once a year, I am deluged after a premiere with texts and emails to the effect of 'this is such a Drafthouse movie', (...) it's strange, disturbing, hysterical and utterly unique. Borgman is The quintessential Drafthouse film of Cannes. We can't wait to share it with audiences in North America." Brian Clark saw the film and wrote a very positive review, while several Twitchers had put their money on Borgman winning the Palme d'Or. In the...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/1/2013
- Screen Anarchy
It's always a melancholy feeling saying farewell to another year of the Cannes Film Festival wraps up for another year. It was a particularly excellent year for films on the Croisette and you'll be reading plenty more about them as they continue to make their way across the pond. Brian Clark and I tried to keep things locked down on the review front. We've got links to all our reviews, previews, and news features for you here. Scroll down from there to get our top picks from the festival and some further thouhts. Enjoy! The Competition Reviews Behind The Candelabra Plays A Familiar Tune by Ryland Blue Is The Warmest Color Does Coming-Of-Age With Phenomenal Nsfw Aplomb by Ryland Borgman Fiendishly Recounts The Time...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/28/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly has received extreme responses from critics after its Cannes premiere on Friday. Twitchfilm’s Brian Clark Found it better than some of competition titles while Screen International’s Lee Marshall found its characters “hastily-sketched”.
International film website Twitchfilm.com’s European Editor Brian Clark was all praises for the film in his review. Here is an excerpt from his review:
…this Fargo-meets-Mumbai-police-procedural is compulsively watchable, thrilling, darkly funny and extremely well-directed.
Kashyap also gets a lot of mileage out of the locations, which emphasize the mood of the action rather than functioning as exotic foregrounds, and the way he depicts the sheer scope of a hunt for a single girl in Mumbai is pretty stunning. The performances too are all strong, with a touch of stilted, manic-intensity that blends seamlessly with the mood of the film.”
At two hours and eight minutes, Ugly runs a bit long (though of course,...
International film website Twitchfilm.com’s European Editor Brian Clark was all praises for the film in his review. Here is an excerpt from his review:
…this Fargo-meets-Mumbai-police-procedural is compulsively watchable, thrilling, darkly funny and extremely well-directed.
Kashyap also gets a lot of mileage out of the locations, which emphasize the mood of the action rather than functioning as exotic foregrounds, and the way he depicts the sheer scope of a hunt for a single girl in Mumbai is pretty stunning. The performances too are all strong, with a touch of stilted, manic-intensity that blends seamlessly with the mood of the film.”
At two hours and eight minutes, Ugly runs a bit long (though of course,...
- 5/19/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Today is the day! The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival kicks off this evening with the European premiere of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby . Both European Editor Brian Clark and I have been setting the stage with our previews of the Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight sidebars and the Official Competition. We wrap things up with a look at what's left -- namely the Midnight section, Un Certain Regard, and the Out of Competition screenings. Be sure to keep your eyes glued right here for fresh news and reviews from the Croisette and follow us on twitter at @TwitchFilm, @marshalclark, and @RylandAldrich. Midnight Blind Detective Johnnie To has had films in competition at Cannes on two occasions with Election in 2005 and Vengeance...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/15/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Yesterday European Editor Brian Clark and I took you through the Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight sidebars and today we turn our attention to the main event, the competition for the coveted Palme d'Or at the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Unlike in some past years, there's no clear favorite this go around. While plenty of the directors have had films in previous years' comps, no matter who ends up on top, this time they will be a first time winner. We can't touch on every film, but here are some of the titles we felt particularly like gushing about. We'll be back tomorrow to talk Midnighters, Un Certain Regard and the Out of Competition flicks. Michael Kohlhaas Mads Mikkelsen stars as horse-merchant who...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/14/2013
- Screen Anarchy
It's that wonderful time of the year again where brightest stars of the film world take to the French Riviera to unveil their latest masterpieces -- with a few duds likely thrown in as well. Yes it's almost time for the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival and Twitch European Editor Brian Clark and Festivals Editor Ryland Aldrich will be there in our tuxedos to tell the faithful Twitch audience just which films flip and which films flop. (Actually we'll probably just be wearing jeans and t-shirts at the press screenings, but what's the difference?) The festival kicks off Wednesday with the opening night out-of-competition screening of The Great Gatsby. You've already read one opinion of that, but Brian and I will be previewing quite...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/13/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Eureka Entertainment has announced its acquisition of Computer Chess, the award-winning new comedy from Andrew Bujalski (Beeswax, Funny Ha Ha). The distributor will oversee a UK & Eire theatrical run of the film later this year, following a "major UK festival debut", followed by a DVD and Blu-ray release in early 2014, through Eureka's prestigious Masters of Cinema series.Bujalski's film scooped the coveted Alfred P. Sloan award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, given to a feature that honours the theme of science and/or technology. Computer Chess went on to play at Berlin and SXSW. Our own Brian Clark caught the film's European premiere in Germany, where he praised it as "a relaxed, fascinating and often hilarious couple of days in the lives of of an...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/12/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Oh, Frodo. Couldn't you have found a nice hobbit in the Shire, settled down, and kept your hands off sharp, sharp knives and beautiful human women? Franck Khalfoun's Maniac opens in the UK on March 15, and to celebrate the release, Metrodome has unleashed a new trailer. Brian Clark, Twitch's European Editor, saw it last year at the L'Etrange festival and wrote, in part: This updated, Los Angeles-set story of a disturbed man cutting off the scalps of women and taking them back to his mannequin collection at home is sadistic, unapologetic, gory and extremely well-directed. It's inventive on its own terms without betraying the original, and while some may still question the need for its existence, the film is honestly much more effective than...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/13/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The latest James Bond adventure, Skyfall, has cleaned up at the box office worldwide and has also scored with (most) critics, including our own Brian Clark. It's even won a few awards along the way, including the prize for Best British Film from BAFTA. The film is already available via various VOD platforms, including Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, PlayStation, Xbox Live, and Cinema Now, and releases on DVD and Blu-ray in North America tomorrow, February 12. Roger Deakins' splendid cinematography should look awesome in high definition. We have two copies on Blu-ray to give away, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. To win one, all you have to do is email me here and solve the math problem below. Please include your mailing address. To...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/11/2013
- Screen Anarchy
After a successful run on the festival circuit, Vanishing Waves is making its way to America. Our own Brian Clark described it as "an exquisite sci-fi head trip in the vein of Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey, one which takes pleasure in ideas and exploration rather than cheap thrills. As a bonus, it's also sexier than either of those movies. Rather than taking viewers to the outer limits, Lithuanian writer/director Kristina Buožytė is concerned solely with the depths of the human mind, and all the confusion, joy, sex and pain competing for space within." As to the plot, here's the official synopsis from U.S. distributor Artsploitation Films: Lukas (Marius Jampolskis) is assisting a scientific research team by functioning as a patient in a series...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/6/2013
- Screen Anarchy
These days, our knowledge of celebrities too often originates with paparazzi images and snarky quotes by anonymous "insiders." After a while, it's easy to forget that stars are real people. That's why HuffPost Celebrity decided to launch its all-new #nofilter quick-fire question and answer series. Because how well do you know someone until they've shared their guiltiest pleasures?
Nerdist's delightfully trippy web series "Neil's Puppet Dreams" has seen Neil Patrick Harris get probed by fuzzy aliens, come face to face with a puppet version of Chris Hansen and have his "trouser weasel" examined by the aptly named Dr. Feltman. And the series' final installment, released today, gets the Bollywood treatment (rapping cow included). "You can never have enough puppets in your life, whether they’re for your children or for singing musical numbers," Harris tells The Huffington Post. Truer words have never been spoken. In honor of the finale, we...
Nerdist's delightfully trippy web series "Neil's Puppet Dreams" has seen Neil Patrick Harris get probed by fuzzy aliens, come face to face with a puppet version of Chris Hansen and have his "trouser weasel" examined by the aptly named Dr. Feltman. And the series' final installment, released today, gets the Bollywood treatment (rapping cow included). "You can never have enough puppets in your life, whether they’re for your children or for singing musical numbers," Harris tells The Huffington Post. Truer words have never been spoken. In honor of the finale, we...
- 1/22/2013
- by Erin Clements
- Huffington Post
With Leos Carax's mighty return to the cinematic medium continuing its U.S. roll out (today it opens in D.C., Chicago and a slew of other metropolitan areas), we've got six new clips to share with you from the film. Not much to say other than "Wow." Below, Take a peek at the film that made our very own Brian Clark "reflect deeply on modern life, performance, technology, regret, death, love and cinema itself... occasionally all at the same time."Check the official site for current theaters playing Holy Motors. The film continues to roll out in the coming weeks in limited release across the U.S....
- 11/9/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Some two weeks after opening in much of the civilised world (i.e. Europe), Skyfall will finally be unleashed in North America tomorrow, Friday, November 9. Advance word -- including a review by our European Editor, Brian Clark -- has been very strong indeed. Does the film deserve such plaudits? About a year ago I wrote an article, asking you people what you were anticipating for 2012. Up came the usual suspects: Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, and... the new Bond film by Sam Mendes. Wait, what? Yes, the new Bond was eagerly anticipated, by me as well. I was rather late in getting on the Daniel Craig bandwagon, only catching up to Casino Royale when it appeared on Blu-ray, prior to watching Quantum...
- 11/8/2012
- Screen Anarchy
We've covered Prometheus extensively here prior and during its theatrical release, with three very different reviews from our own Brian Clark, Ard Vijn, and Jim Tudor. The consensus (if there is one): it's a mess, but it's a beautiful mess. Fox released this expansive four-disc set recently which includes the 3D version of the film on Blu-ray, a second Blu-ray with the 2D feature, commentary, and extras, and a third Blu-ray packed with additional content. Plus, there's a DVD copy of the film along with a digital code. In any event. key takeaway from the collection of special features in Fox's Prometheus Blu-ray is that from the outset, everyone assembled knew that the Alien prequel (or "parallel" as screenwriter Damon Lindelof calls it) might be...
- 10/24/2012
- Screen Anarchy
My top pick of the year (so far), Leos Carax's Holy Motors is a dazzling carousel of emotions, ricocheting from earnest entreaty to ridiculous physical humor to poignant tenderness to revealing intimacy to the silly and absurd. Really, it touches on the full range of human experience, and features an absolutely sublime performance by Denis Levant, who plays a host of characters throughout the course of a single day. The film debuted at Cannes earlier this year, where our own Brian Clark grappled with it: With so many serious, dramatic and even generic (see Lawless) films in competition at Cannes, director Leos Carax's Holy Motors came as something like a 100 mph gust of fresh air. In fact, this sci-fi/comedy/I-don't-know-what-to-call-it is such a wild, weird...
- 10/17/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Cool, efficient, and completely generic, Taken 2 opens in theaters around the world today, an action vehicle that's ready to take as many paying customers as possible on a ride no one will remember in the morning. "The plot follows the exact same structure as the first film," observed our own Brian Clark in his review. "It starts with Liam Neeson's character Bryan trying hard but blowing it as a dad, it moves to an exotic location where some bad guys go after Bryan and his family, and concludes with (spoiler) Bryan killing all of them, followed by a schmatlzy denoument. In this case, the location is Istanbul and the bad guy is the father of the human trafficker that Bryan electrocuted back in Paris."...
- 10/5/2012
- Screen Anarchy
The 18th edition of the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival drew to a close yesterday and the winners of the competition awards were announced during the closing ceremony. The Lithuanian sci fi romantic thriller Vanishing Waves took home the award for best feature film in the competition line up, the Méliès d'Argent! This is of course very important for the film as the win also means it will be part of the competition line up at Sitges and will vie for an even bigger honor of Best European Film. Our own Brian Clark had this to say in his review of the film, "Vanishing Waves is an exquisite sci-fi head trip in the vein of Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey, one which takes...
- 10/1/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Lithuanian scifi romantic thriller Vanishing Waves leaves Fantastic Fest with a handful of awards, the picture taking all of the awards but Best Actor in the Fantastic Features competition, along with a high dose of praise from audiences enamored by the film's stylish blend of arthouse and genre elements. And our own Brian Clark rather fell in love with the film himself when it screened at the L'Etrange Festival in France just prior to arriving here in Texas.Have you ever dreamed of being inside the head of another person - a beloved one or your rival ? Have you ever wished to experience the ideal relationship, where two minds come into total fusion? "Vanishing waves" - a sci-fi melodrama. Following solid scientific experiment, based on...
- 9/26/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Twitch is proud to be a media sponsor for the 2012 edition of the L'Etrange Festival in France, with our Brian Clark poised to bring daily word from one of the largest genre festivals in the world. The festival kicks of tomorrow and to get you in the mood we've got the official festival trailer - a trippy, psychedelic sort of thing - for your perusal below. There are breasts in there, so consider this your work safe warning....
- 9/5/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Does the world need another Spider-Man origin movie? No, in the same sense that the world did not need big-screen adaptations of best-selling novels like The Godfather or Jaws, or remakes of The Maltese Falcon and The Front Page less than 10 years after the original. In every case, whether a movie is needed is determined by bankers and financiers; whether a movie is wanted is determined by audiences in general; whether a movie is any good is determined by the individual. What we have before us today is The Amazing Spider-Man, a movie that, yes, swings through the motions, as our own Brian Clark observed in his review: This new iteration of the web slinger's origin is, I suppose, serviceable, but it also...
- 7/3/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Critics are split on whether the 'Twilight' actor was the right casting choice.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Robert Pattinson at Cannes Film Fest
Photo: Afp
After supporting his girlfriend Kristen Stewart as she debuted "On the Road," Robert Pattinson hit the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 25) to premiere his film "Cosmopolis." Directed by David Cronenberg, the film follows Eric Packer (Pattinson) in the not-too-distant future as he's chauffeured through Manhattan on his way to get a haircut. His entire world is falling apart — his marriage is failing, his financial status is slipping and even his very life is being threatened.
As reviews of the film pour in, it's apparent that critics agree the film has its odd moments, but they're split on whether Pattinson is the perfect choice for the lead role. Here's what the critics had to say about "Cosmopolis."
The Story
" 'Cosmopolis,' an adaptation of Don DeLillo...
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Robert Pattinson at Cannes Film Fest
Photo: Afp
After supporting his girlfriend Kristen Stewart as she debuted "On the Road," Robert Pattinson hit the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 25) to premiere his film "Cosmopolis." Directed by David Cronenberg, the film follows Eric Packer (Pattinson) in the not-too-distant future as he's chauffeured through Manhattan on his way to get a haircut. His entire world is falling apart — his marriage is failing, his financial status is slipping and even his very life is being threatened.
As reviews of the film pour in, it's apparent that critics agree the film has its odd moments, but they're split on whether Pattinson is the perfect choice for the lead role. Here's what the critics had to say about "Cosmopolis."
The Story
" 'Cosmopolis,' an adaptation of Don DeLillo...
- 5/25/2012
- MTV Movie News
Critics are split on whether the 'Twilight' actor was the right casting choice.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Robert Pattinson at Cannes Film Fest
Photo: Afp
After supporting his girlfriend Kristen Stewart as she debuted "On the Road," Robert Pattinson hit the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 25) to premiere his film "Cosmopolis." Directed by David Cronenberg, the film follows Eric Packer (Pattinson) in the not-too-distant future as he's chauffeured through Manhattan on his way to get a haircut. His entire world is falling apart — his marriage is failing, his financial status is slipping and even his very life is being threatened.
As reviews of the film pour in, it's apparent that critics agree the film has its odd moments, but they're split on whether Pattinson is the perfect choice for the lead role. Here's what the critics had to say about "Cosmopolis."
The Story
" 'Cosmopolis,' an adaptation of Don DeLillo...
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Robert Pattinson at Cannes Film Fest
Photo: Afp
After supporting his girlfriend Kristen Stewart as she debuted "On the Road," Robert Pattinson hit the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 25) to premiere his film "Cosmopolis." Directed by David Cronenberg, the film follows Eric Packer (Pattinson) in the not-too-distant future as he's chauffeured through Manhattan on his way to get a haircut. His entire world is falling apart — his marriage is failing, his financial status is slipping and even his very life is being threatened.
As reviews of the film pour in, it's apparent that critics agree the film has its odd moments, but they're split on whether Pattinson is the perfect choice for the lead role. Here's what the critics had to say about "Cosmopolis."
The Story
" 'Cosmopolis,' an adaptation of Don DeLillo...
- 5/25/2012
- MTV Music News
Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral has proven to be one of the more challenging and divisive titles at Cannes this year - check the links below for Brian Clark's positive take on it - and those wondering what the chatter is all about now have a chance for at least a little taste.Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. Biological communion - for a price. Syd also supplies illegal samples of these viruses to piracy groups, smuggling them from the clinic in his own body. When he becomes infected with the disease that kills super sensation Hannah Geist, Syd becomes a target for collectors and rabid fans. He must unravel the mystery...
- 5/24/2012
- Screen Anarchy
(Read parts one and two.)
I’m sitting deep inside the bowels of the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center on West 65th Street. The Story Hack got off to a friendly start around 10:00 this morning with an orientation by Aina Abiodun, Mike Knowlton, and Film Society of Lincoln Center Executive Director Rose Kuo. We made sure everyone was on the same page and were told our final wild card, the Emily Dickinson quote “Fortune befriends the bold,” which has to be included in every hack. Aina’s opening thoughts also laid down the gauntlet when she said that our work in these 24 hours would initiate the growth of transmedia as much as anything else happening right now. It’s a bold claim — the hack’s theme is courage, after all — but when you think about it, she’s probably right. Not only is it a fantastic experience for each of the participants,...
I’m sitting deep inside the bowels of the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center on West 65th Street. The Story Hack got off to a friendly start around 10:00 this morning with an orientation by Aina Abiodun, Mike Knowlton, and Film Society of Lincoln Center Executive Director Rose Kuo. We made sure everyone was on the same page and were told our final wild card, the Emily Dickinson quote “Fortune befriends the bold,” which has to be included in every hack. Aina’s opening thoughts also laid down the gauntlet when she said that our work in these 24 hours would initiate the growth of transmedia as much as anything else happening right now. It’s a bold claim — the hack’s theme is courage, after all — but when you think about it, she’s probably right. Not only is it a fantastic experience for each of the participants,...
- 4/30/2012
- by Randy Astle
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Emin Alper holds a Phd in Turkish modern history and teaches at the Istanbul Technical University. While he knew he always wanted to make films, during his university years Turkish cinema was "not in its heyday" and production conditions here "very difficult," he recalls. But soon after starting his academic career he knew he would never be happy without filmmaking in his life, so a filmmaker he became. His first feature film (after shorts "Rifat" and "The Letter"), "Beyond the Hill," won a special mention award at the Berlinale. Alper brings "Beyond the Hill" to Tribeca 2012. What it's about: It’s about the violence required to keep a community together. Director Alper says: "I really like what a film critic, Brian Clark wrote about 'Beyond the Hill' at Twitch Film. He says in 'Beyond the Hill' I 'weave in pointed political and cultural allegory along with elements of (deep...
- 4/5/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
The veteran Scottish actor has always been a smoothie, and now he's showing off his moves in Streetdance 2. He talks to us about salsa, stardom – and being the oldest person on set
In the middle of Streetdance 2, a breakdance crew storms a Parisian bar to show off their moves. They flex and writhe as the music thumps. On the edge of the circle, away from the sweat and the fury, Tom Conti leads a partner through a gentle spot of salsa.
"It really wasn't about dancing," says the 71-year-old of his awkward turn on the boards. "It was about the connection between man and woman. The streetdancers don't connect with each other, they just do phenomenal acrobatics. There's no sex, really."
Conti doesn't like to dance. He has trouble with the tango, spurns the quickstep. He turned down Strictly Come Dancing ("I'd make a total arse of myself"), but he likes music,...
In the middle of Streetdance 2, a breakdance crew storms a Parisian bar to show off their moves. They flex and writhe as the music thumps. On the edge of the circle, away from the sweat and the fury, Tom Conti leads a partner through a gentle spot of salsa.
"It really wasn't about dancing," says the 71-year-old of his awkward turn on the boards. "It was about the connection between man and woman. The streetdancers don't connect with each other, they just do phenomenal acrobatics. There's no sex, really."
Conti doesn't like to dance. He has trouble with the tango, spurns the quickstep. He turned down Strictly Come Dancing ("I'd make a total arse of myself"), but he likes music,...
- 3/30/2012
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Tabu from o som e a fúria on Vimeo. (via Glenn Dunks) (Brian Clark, Twitch) Tabu calls to mind the oft-repeated comparison between film directors and magicians. Indeed, how else...
- 3/19/2012
- by Ryan Adams
- AwardsDaily.com
I've placed this clip right at the top of this entry because it's taken from the first few minutes of Captive, just after armed terrorists have stormed what appears to be a small town or encampment on the beach somewhere out there in the Pacific, nabbed whoever's available and forced them at gunpoint onto boats waiting in the harbor. Because you know you're watching a film by Brillante Mendoza, you assume all this is taking place in the Philippines. Otherwise, unless you've Googled "Abu Sayyaf" and learned that it's "one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines" or read the program notes ("The attack was intended to target employees of the World Bank, but they have already left the resort. The abductees are tourists and Christian missionaries who are now forced on a grueling foot march through the Philippine jungle"), you'll be disoriented as...
- 2/14/2012
- MUBI
It’s kind of a complicated story, but Brian Clark at Movieline breaks it down for us: You may recall that Justin Long quoted Michelle Orange’s scathing Movieline review of Going the Distance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Now, Orange has written a thoughtful piece about the whole experience and how it relates to writing and criticism... and guess who responded in the comments? Yes, Justin Long himself not only posted a well-written, ego-free response to Orange’s review and her recent piece (which is very insightful and worth reading in its entirety), but also professed admiration for Orange’s entire body of writing... Before we get to Long’s comments, this is part of what Orange wrote in her review of Going the Distance:...
- 11/5/2010
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
After Sex and the City, Kim Cattrall is taking on another man-eater: Cleopatra. After all, the queen was one of the first ever fashionistas
Shortly after the second Sex and the City film was released, Kim Cattrall attempted to have dinner in a New York restaurant. "I'd been out of town for a while, promoting the movie, so it wasn't long before someone turned up pointing a camera, then two, then four – until they were swarming like mosquitoes. Then, when I tried to leave the restaurant, someone shoved a microphone in my face and said, 'Hey Kim – what's worse? The Bp oil spill or Sex and the City 2?'"
While it hardly ranks alongside one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of all time, the much-hyped sequel underperformed at the box office and received a critical drubbing, mostly focused on its inordinate length. Chris Noth, who plays Mr Big, said:...
Shortly after the second Sex and the City film was released, Kim Cattrall attempted to have dinner in a New York restaurant. "I'd been out of town for a while, promoting the movie, so it wasn't long before someone turned up pointing a camera, then two, then four – until they were swarming like mosquitoes. Then, when I tried to leave the restaurant, someone shoved a microphone in my face and said, 'Hey Kim – what's worse? The Bp oil spill or Sex and the City 2?'"
While it hardly ranks alongside one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of all time, the much-hyped sequel underperformed at the box office and received a critical drubbing, mostly focused on its inordinate length. Chris Noth, who plays Mr Big, said:...
- 9/29/2010
- by Alfred Hickling
- The Guardian - Film News
For the Sex and the City star, it's a return to her first love and her roots – playing Shakespeare's greatest erotic heroine Cleopatra at the Liverpool Playhouse
The room was full of spray-varnished stars of the stage that day, all looking their best for the prize-giving ceremony ahead. Many were talented and some were good looking too, but there was only one actress that guests at the Laurence Olivier awards were queuing up to meet.
Regal in a long, strappy dress, her hair worn up, Kim Cattrall was belle of the ball, serenely gliding past Kevin Spacey and Patrick Stewart in the manner of Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen she has just announced she is to play later this year. Then, in 2005, the star of Sex and the City was fresh to the West End scene and so was still imbued with a kind of transatlantic glow. One might mention her...
The room was full of spray-varnished stars of the stage that day, all looking their best for the prize-giving ceremony ahead. Many were talented and some were good looking too, but there was only one actress that guests at the Laurence Olivier awards were queuing up to meet.
Regal in a long, strappy dress, her hair worn up, Kim Cattrall was belle of the ball, serenely gliding past Kevin Spacey and Patrick Stewart in the manner of Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen she has just announced she is to play later this year. Then, in 2005, the star of Sex and the City was fresh to the West End scene and so was still imbued with a kind of transatlantic glow. One might mention her...
- 5/8/2010
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
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