KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK is the first fully-authorized documentary made with the cooperation of Kurt Cobain’s family. It is a raw and visceral journey through Cobain’s life and provides no-holds-barred access to Kurt Cobain’s archives, home to his never-before-seen home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, journals, demos, personal archives, family archives and songbooks. The film features dozens of Nirvana songs and performances as well as previously unheard Cobain originals. Read More →
Tag Archives: FilmFestival
Tickets to the Tribeca Film Festival Now on Sale!
Tickets are on sale now at tribecafilm.com/festival/
Single tickets cost $18.00 for evening, and weekend screenings, and $10.00 for weekday matinee screenings.
Single tickets can be purchased can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/
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Old School Kung Fu Fest – Dedicated to the Ninja – in NYC April 16-19
Old School Teaser Poster designed by Jerry Ma (Epic Proportions)
The Old School Kung Fu Fest, a four-day celebration of the rarest, wildest, and most incredible martial arts and action cinema from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s is back at the Anthology Film Archives for its 5th edition, which is dedicated to the deadliest fighter of them all…the ninja!
Since the dawn of time, man’s natural predator has been the ninja. Hiding in your shower, crouching behind your laptop, clinging to your back — the ninja is everywhere. What killed the dinosaurs? Ninja. What battles great white shark? Ninja. Who is buying flowers for your mom? Probably ninja. But ninja is not vampire! Ninja can be filmed! This year’s Old School Kung Fu Fest examines this crazy natural phenomena of ninja with 14 movies that show you this sneaky fighter in the only place where he cannot shoot throwing stars into your eyes: on the movie screen!
There are serious black-and-white ninjas in the original ninja films Shinobi No Mono Parts 1 & 2 (1962 and 1963), super-noir ninjas in 1965’s Samurai Spy, party-colored crazy ninjas from the go-go 80s likeAmerican Ninja 1 & 2 and then be entered, revenged, and dominated by Cannon’s essential ninja trilogy: Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. Watch brave Chinese people fight ninjas with their guts in Shaw Brothers movies like Five Element Ninjas! See ninjas fly on kites in Duel to the Death! You must see all the ninjas! Because to fight ninja, first you must understand ninja.
The Old School Kung Fu Fest 2015: Enter the Ninjas! is curated by Subway Cinema’s programming team, consisting of Samuel Jamier, Rufus de Rham, and Goran Topalovic.
We’re deeply grateful for the support of the Kenneth A. Cowin Foundation, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York, Mizu Shochu, and Mass Appeal.
Screening materials provided by the American Genre Film Archive, Animeigo, Celestial Pictures, Fortune Star, Kino Lorber, Park Circus, Shochiku, and Toei.
Raffle prizes provided by Blue Snake Books, IDW Publishing, and Well Go USA Entertainment.
Special thanks to Crystal Decker Orren, Jesse Falowitz , Dan Halstead,Devin Power-Bearden, and Keith Allison(Teleport City).
WARNING: do not be scared. Ninja are only in movie and cannot hurt you. They are not actually giant. Except in Duel to the Death.
THE FILMS!
AMERICAN NINJA
(1985, USA, 95min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, John Fujioka, Judie Aronson.
The greatest bar mitzvah movie ever made, American Ninja tells the tale of a young American boy who must embrace his people’s ancient traditions in order to become a man. Originally set to star Cannon Films’ martial arts megastar, Sho Kosugi, that plan bit the dust when Sho ditched the exploitation studio over creative differences. Next Cannon offered the part to Chuck Norris but he was busy, so the part of the white boy with amnesia who is actually a secret ninja went to model Michael Dudikoff. Shot in the Philippines by Cannon’s go-to director, Sam Firstenberg (Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Revenge of the Ninja, Ninja III: The Domination), American Ninja delivers balls-out 80s action as it pits Dudikoff and his easygoing partner, stuntman-turned-actor Steve James, against the mysterious Black Star Ninja, his ninja training camp, and ninja lasers!
Showtimes: Sat, April 18 at 3:00pm.
AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION
(1987, USA, 90min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Jeff Weston, Gary Conway, Michelle Botes.
Probably the most ridiculous 80s action movie ever made, AN2:TCdelivers an easy, breezy does of sheer gnarlitude as Dudikoff and Steve James team up once again, their pecs a-flexin’, to investigate trouble on a tropical island where ninjas are kidnapping US Marines. “Ninjas? Drug pushers? My men being kidnapped and murdered? This is really beginning to get on my tits!” shouts the base commander. Dressed in jams and Hawaiian shirts because the costume department was on vacation, the Marines are being turned into genetically-engineered super-ninjas by drug dealers! Is Dudukoff’s cool coif big enough, and are James’ tiny red shorts short enough, to defeat the Clone Super Ninja Army???
Showtimes: Sun, April 19 at 9:30pm.
DUEL TO THE DEATH生死決
(1983, Hong Kong, 83min, DCP, in Cantonese with English subtitles)
Directed by Ching Siu-tung
Starring: Norman Chu Siu-Keung, Damian Lau Chung-Yan
The first movie from Hong Kong’s great action director, Ching Siu-tung (Swordsman II, A Chinese Ghost Story I – III, House of Flying Daggers) this is a fever dream of freaky images ripped straight from his childhood. Once every 10 years, Japanese and Chinese fighters duel (to the death) to figure out who will rule the martial world. But this time, they detect something rotten. This time they detect…ninjas! The story is as old school as they come, but It’s the execution that changes everything. Ching spent his early years locked up in his bedroom reading Martial Arts World Magazine and imagining cool monsters and psychedelic fighting techniques, and after choreographing the action on dozens of films for other directors, this is the first time he finally got to put those fantasies onscreen. The result is a surreal phantasmagoria of flashing blades, teleporting demons, giant ninjas, ninjas on kites, exploding heads, and killer puppets.
Presented with the Hong Kong the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York.
Showtimes: Thu, April 16 at 8:30pm and Sat, April 18 at 1:00pm.
ENTER THE NINJA
(1981, USA, 100min, 35mm)
Directed by Menahem Golan
Starring: Franco Nero, Susan George, Sho Kosugi, Christopher George.
This landmark Cannon Films production launched the ninja craze of the ‘80s and revitalized the martial arts film in America after it died in 1973 with Bruce Lee. When 20th Century Fox announced they were shooting a $20 million adaptation of best-selling novel, The Ninja, Cannon flipped out and bought their very own ninja script from martial artist Mike Stone and rushed this movie into production. Starring Frano Nero (the original Django) as a white ninja with a thick Maurizio Merli mustache, it’s shot in the Philippines where Nero helps an old buddy (and his old buddy’s hot girlfriend, Susan “Straw Dogs” George) take on evil real estate developer, Mr. Venarius (Christopher George). Only a ninja can defeat a ninja, so the bad guys hire Sho Kosugi, who got his start as an extra on this film before his martial arts abilities earned him the role of the evil ninja.
Showtimes: Thu, April 16 at 6:15pm.
FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS, aka CHINESE SUPER NINJAS五遁忍術
(1982, Hong Kong, 103 minutes, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles)
Directed by Chang Cheh
Starring: Ricky Cheng Tien Chi, Lo Meng, Lung Tien-chiang
In the 80s, Shaw Brothers was losing audiences to TV, so it unleashed Chang Cheh (The One-Armed Swordsman, Five Deadly Venoms) to direct his most insane movie ever. A Chinese martial arts clan is fighting everyone and winning but then they fight ninjas. Ninjas who know Five Element Formation! So secret! So deadly! The only survivor learns that in order to beat ninja…he must become ninja! Ninja fights using Gold Powers, Wood Powers, Water Powers, Earth Powers, Fire Powers! Chinese martial artist fights using Hitting Ninjas in Face Power! Trees bleed. Crotches are stabbed. Guts are extracted. Every second of this movie is high-octane man-against-ninja action and it does not end until every inch of the screen is covered in dead ninja. Screening will be introduced by Dan Halsted, who will tell the story of how he unearthed a massive collection of extremely rare 35mm kung fu films in 2009, which included the print of Five Element Ninjas.
Presented with the Hong Kong the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York.
Showtimes: Sat, April 18 at 5:00pm.
A LIFE OF NINJA亡命忍者
(1983, Taiwan, 88 min, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles)
Directed by Lee Tso-nam
Starring:Chen Kuan-tai, Elsa Yeung, Yasuaki Kurata, Peng Kong, World Wrestling Champion Wong Kin-mi
He creeps. He skulks. He stalks. He scurries. He strikes! Ninja – most deadly foe. Using ways most nefarious and killing arts mysterious ninja will kill and kill. And kill, and kill, and kill. Sometimes he kills wrapped in gold foil like a baked potato; sometimes he is a naked lady ninja to confuse foes before blowing them up! Life of ninja is easy, no?
No. Life of ninja is hard.
Ninja must learn dancing on ice cubes. Sometime ninja ladies must mud wrestle for no good reason. How do you make a ninja? Are no ninja babies. Must take normal person and beat. Beat until are ninja! A life of ninja is shown in beautiful motion picture A Life of Ninja. At heart of picture is family – they are Cheng family and have family business but no one is happy. Cheng is married to sister and is boss. Bad boss! One sister is boozer – drink lots of cognac. Ha ha! Other wants to be ninja, but can’t! So she wear the tight leather trousers and beat up men with wooden sword.
Then…ninja attack! Kill with icicle! Kill with poison! Police visit Chen Kuan-tai. He is ninja-pooper: he knows ninja, but poops their parties. Police ask for help, he been in many martial art movie (likeCrippled Avengers), he must help police. He says yes. Yes, I fight ninja. He fight the ninja?!? Ninja get furious. Use hypno-mind-control killers, flying snakes, tiny bombs, poison ink, swords and knives, even get World Wrestling Champion Wong Kin-mi to wear little red briefs and turn over cars. And stomp! And kill! Big fights!
Then Chen Kuan-tai fight the head ninja, Yasuaki Kurata, in secret ninja fort. They use flying knife, exploding statue, flying backward, invisibility, giant jumping, fighting Irish jig, secret ninja spazz dance, is very strange. There can be only one. Is exciting! You must see A Life of Ninja to believe A Life of Ninja!
Showtimes: Fri, April 17 at 10:15pm.
NINJA III: THE DOMINATION
(1984, USA, 92min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Lucinda Dickey, Jordan Bennett, James Hong.
Lucinda Dickey had an insane 1984. In one year she starred in three landmark Cannon productions that might be the most 80s movies ever made: Breakin’, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, and Ninja III: The Domination. Directed by Sam Firstenberg (Revenge of the Ninja,American Ninja), the movie stars Dickey as a telephone maintenance technician and part-time aerobics instructor who becomes possessed by the spirit of an evil ninja assassin. Forced to carry out her tormentor’s brutal revenge, she soon finds that one of her main targets is her policeman boyfriend! Only one man – Sho Kosugi (a ninja!) – can exorcise the evil which possesses Lucinda and prevent the lovers from destroying each other. Full of dry ice, floating samurai swords, hot 80s neon, and aerobics classes, this film is topped off with an appearance by James Hong (Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China) as an exorcist, and Evel Knievel’s son, Robbie Knievel, who shows up to pull off some motorcycle stunts.
Showtimes: Sat, April 18 at 9:30pm.
REVENGE OF THE NINJA
(1983, USA, 90min, Digital projection)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Keith Vitali, Virgil Frye.
Cannon followed the box office success of Enter the Ninja with Revenge of the Ninja, the first American movie to give an Asian actor sole star billing (even Bruce Lee had to share billing with his co-stars in Enter the Dragon). Sho Kosugi (a ninja!) returns home from an afternoon stroll to find his family massacred by evil ninjas. With his mother and infant son in tow he flees Japan for Los Angeles, vowing to forsake the ninja life forever. With the help of his friend and business partner, Keith Vitali (a karate legend who fought onscreen in several 80s Hong Kong movies), he opens an art gallery, specializing in fancy Japanese dolls. What Sho doesn’t know is that his friend is actually an evil ninja who wears a silver demon mask and is smuggling heroin into the country inside the dolls! Sho is just trying to raise his ninja son (played by his real-life son, Kane Kosugi), but now he has to deal with a grindhouse full of dead bodies, fountains of blood, cheap 80s sex scenes, mafia stereotypes, and dueling ninjas!
Showtimes: Fri, April 17 at 6:00pm.
SAMURAI SPY 異聞猿飛佐助
(1965, Japan, 100min, 35mm, in Japanese with live English subtitles)
Directed by Masahiro Shinoda
Starring: Koji Takahashi, Shintaro Ishihara, Eitaro Ozawa, Kei Sato, Mutsuhiro Toura, Tetsuro Tanba, Eiji Okada
Unconventional in its mise-en-scène, photography and score, unrelenting in its dark philosophical view of war and its consequences, unparalleled in its artistic ambition, Samurai Spy is an existentialist super-noir ninja masterpiece by Masahiro Shinoda (Pale Flower, Double Suicide), which towers over the shinobi genre, and possibly the entire jidai-geki category as a whole. As the days of the Warring States come to a close and the Tokugawa shogunate consolidates its power, wandering samurai (and secretly, a Koga ninja) Sasuke Sarutobi, war-weary, tries very hard to stay clear of the bloody business of the remaining factions. The sudden defection of a high-profile spy from the service of the shogun, puts an end to his aimless wanderings. Inevitably, Sasuke is sucked into a maze of conspiracies and shadow-play. The plot thickens when both the defector and the former wanderer find out they are tracked by a third man: a shadowy white-hooded master assassin (Tetsuro Tamba).
Showtimes: Fri, April 17 at 8:00pm.
SEVENTEEN NINJA
(1963, Japan, 98min, 35mm, in Japanese with live English subtitles)
Directed by Yasuto Hasegawa
Cast: Kotaro Satomi, Jushiro Konoe, Yuriko Mishima, Ryutaro Otomo.
Toei’s star-studded response to Daiei’s hugely successful 1960s franchise, Shinobi No Mono, this nocturnal, cynical game of chess between two master manipulators is an amazing and underseen ninja movie that we’re presenting with live subtitles since no English-subtitled version exists. As the ruling Shogun lies on his death futon, seventeen Iga clan ninja are trusted by theirmaster with an impossible mission: to infiltrate the impregnable fortress where his youngest son plans to take both Edo Castle and the supreme power by force. They have two options: to steal the scroll that will grant legitimacy to the usurper’s claim, or to assassinate him. Before they can even reach the stronghold, a vicious ninja hunter thwarts their every move. As the Iga ninja fall, the success of the mission falls in the hands of one young and inexperienced ninja.
Note: Seventeen Ninja is a super hardcore rarity that very, very few human beings have watched!
Showtimes: Sun, April 19 at 1:00pm.
SHINOBI NO MONO, aka A BAND OF ASSASSINS 忍びの者
(1962, Japan, 105min, Digital projection, in Japanese with English subtitles)
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring: Raizo Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Yunosuke Ito.
A monster of a movie, worthy of all the superlatives it has earned,Shinobi no Mono was conceived by the fevered minds of far-left director Satsuo Yamamoto and nihilistic pulp novelist Tomoyoshi Murayama, and if you’re devious enough, it can be read as a socialist allegory. Incidentally, it’s quite possibly the ultimate real ninja film. Fate and the invisible hands of evil spymasters ensnare Goemon Ichikawa (superstar Raizo Ichikawa), a dashing but naive young man exceedingly skilled in the arcane ninja arts, in the tangles of a dark plot to assassinate warlord Nobunaga Oda, a cat-loving, power-hungry samurai. Soon, Goemon finds himself outlawed, betrayed and embroiled in labyrinthine political machinations. Produced with the help of the last living ninja master, Masaaki Hatsumi, Shinobi no Mono features authentic, realistic ninja action packs into a transcendental template. Eight sequels would ensue, and many, many imitations.
Showtimes: Sun, April 19 at 5:15pm.
SHINOBI NO MONO 2: VENGEANCE 続・忍びの者
(1963, Japan, 93min, Digital projection, in Japanese with English subtitles)
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring: Raizo Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Tomisaburo Wakayama.
Surpassing its predecessor in the same way The Godfather II is seen by some as superior to the first, the second installment of the Shinobi No Mono series outdoes its precursor at its own game: deeper, darker, and crueller in all aspects. The sole survivor of his Iga fortress village, Goemon Ishikawa aspires only to live the boring life of a family guy. Overlord Nobunaga Oda and fate have other plans for the retired ninja. Not one to leave out any details, the warlord goes a on nation-wide rampage to root out any ninja who might have survived. Bloody mass murder ensues. And soon, vengeance is the only thing that matters to Goemon. The desperate ninja finds unlikely allies in the Saiga clan and spymaster Hattori Hanzo. With nothing left to lose, he weaves a web of deceit and double-crosses to bring bring down Nobunaga.
Showtimes: Sun, April 19 at 7:30pm.
SUPER SPECIAL SECRET SCREENING! – An Old School Kung Fu Fest Tradition.
We can’t tell you the title of this Japanese 1970s cult classic that was first distributed by Roger Corman to the grindhouse theaters in the U.S., but trust us: you want to see it on the big screen, on 35mm, with an audience! Before the show, we’re going to be giving away tons of fun ninja-themed prizes, and make announcements about the lineup and guests for this year’s New York Asian Film Festival (June 26-July 11 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and SVA Theater), so what more could you possible ask for!?
Showtimes: Sat, April 18 at 7:20pm.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
(1990, USA/Hong Kong, 93min, 35mm)
Directed by Steve Barron
Starring: Judith Hoag, Corey Feldman, Elias Koteas, Sam Rockwell
For years Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael have lived deep in the sewers of New York, learning the art of ninjitsu from their mentor, Splinter… ok, we all know the story by now about our favorite pizza-eating humanoid turtles, but the best way to forget about Michael Bay’s lazy and tedious franchise reboot is to come appreciate the first, and still the best, version. Produced by Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest studios (home of Jackie Chan), with the Turtles lovingly brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, edited by Sally Menke (the editor of every single Quentin Tarantino movie before her untimely death in 2010), and with a theme song by MC Hammer, it’s lean, green, and on the big screen – a CGI-free dose of ninja turtle power!
Showtimes: Sun, April 19 at 3:15pm.
THE SCHEDULE!
Thursday, April 16
6:15pm – ENTER THE NINJA
8:30pm – DUEL TO THE DEATH
Friday, April 17
6:00pm – REVENGE OF THE NINJA
8:00pm – SAMURAI SPY
10:15pm – A LIFE OF NINJA
Saturday, April 18
1:00pm – DUEL TO THE DEATH
3:00pm – AMERICAN NINJA
5:00pm – FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS
7:20pm – Super Special Secret Screening!!!
9:30pm – NINJA III: THE DOMINATION
Sunday, April 19
1:00pm – SEVENTEEN NINJA
3:15pm – TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
5:15pm – SHINOBI NO MONO
7:30pm – SHINOBI NO MONO 2: VENGEANCE
9:30pm – AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION
VENUE AND ADMISSION!
Screenings and exhibitions will be held at Anthology Film Archives
(located at 32 Second Avenue, at the corner of 2 Avenue and 2 Street).
$10 general admission, $8 students, seniors, and children (12 & under), $6 Anthology Film Archives members. Tickets are available at Anthology’s box office on the day of the show. The box office opens 30 minutes before the first show of the day.
ABOUT THE OLD SCHOOL KUNG FU FEST
Old School Kung Fu Fest (OSKFF) is an annual celebration of classic kung-fu films, bringing back to the big screen the rarest, wildest, and most incredible martial arts, action, and other genre cinema from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Rising from the ashes of Subway Cinema’s original Old School Kung Fu Fest screenings of early 2000’s, the new incarnation was relaunched in 2013 as a Spring festival at Anthology Film Archives. Twitter: @subwaycinema (#oldschool15).
ABOUT SUBWAY CINEMA
Subway Cinema is America’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the exhibition and appreciation of Asian popular film culture in all forms, building bridges between Asia and the West. With year-round festivals and programs, the organization aims to bring wide audience and critical attention to contemporary and classic Asian cinema in the U.S. In 2002, Subway Cinema launched its flagship event, the annual New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), which is North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema. Since 2010, NYAFF has been produced in collaboration with the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The 14 NYAFF will take place June 26 – July 11, 2015. Subway cinema’s other events and initiatives include Old School Kung Fu Fest (OSKFF), New York Korean Film Festival (NYKFF), Asian Film Preservation Fund (AFPF), and year-round special screenings and filmmaker tributes.
For more information, visit www.subwaycinema.com,www.
ABOUT ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES
Founded in 1969, Anthology’s mission is to preserve, exhibit, and promote public and scholarly understanding of independent, classic, and avant-garde cinema. Anthology screens more than 1,000 film and video programs per year, publishes books and catalogs annually, and has preserved more than 900 films to date.
Directions:
Anthology is at 32 Second Ave. at 2nd St. Subway: F to 2nd Ave; 6 to Bleecker.
Web:http://www.
Twitter:http://twitter.com/
Facebook:http://www.facebook.
For news and updates:
www.subwaycinema.com/
twitter: @subwaycinema (#oldschool15)
P.S. Sho Kosugi is meditating in a mist-filled temple built deep within an active volcano until mankind needs him once again.
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Short Films from SXSW streaming FREE on Vimeo!
6 Films to catch at this year’s New Directors New Films Festival
Last year’s fest was a total success in my opinion. I saw some of my favorite films of the entire year there; Buzzard, The Babadook, Fish and Cat, Dear White People, and the #1 film on my Top 10 for 2014, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. This year’s selections were just as eclectic in subject and style. Here is my personal list of things to consider at this year’s New Directors New Film Festival.
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
Minnie is a 15 year old with a coked out mom and little self esteem. When she takes her childish fantasies to an adult level by sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend, emotional hell breaks loose in form of a tape recorded diary and sketches turned animated thoughts. This film jumps off the screen with a breakout performance from Bel Powley as Minnie. She is funny, insightful, and an apparent old soul, all while still just a kid trying not to lose her shit. The added element of the animation only adds to the wonder of this film. Kristen Wiig plays Minnie’s absent mother. She is a revelation in this role. You know, those rare cinematic moments when you forget who the actor is because you’re so immersed in the performance, that it’s a winner. Alexander Skarsgård is the creepy object of Minnie’s affection. This is not a coming if age tale for our lead, but truly for the adults in the film. The Diary Of A Teenage Girl will remind you of your own sexual awakening. All the awkwardness, the curiosity, and frankly, the lies you were told by everyone around you. Rediscover your own past. Go ahead.
VIOLET
Jesse has been through a terrible trauma. He is despondent after the murder of his good friend, just feet from him at a local mall. Violet is a look into the world of survivor’s guilt. The camera work alone should get you through the door. Breathtaking closeups coupled with soft focus and exquisite sound editing creates a barrage of sense memory moments for both for Jesse and the audience alike. The uncomfortable silence (dialogue wise) is the key to this film. At a tight 82 minutes run, Violet is about what’s not being said.
WESTERN
Western is a documentary that takes us into the world of small town politics up against very large drug cartel violence in the two bordering towns of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Mayor Chad Foster puts on a brave face as violence escalates and threatens the harmony he’s worked so hard to procure in Eagle Pass. Mayor Jose Manuel Maldonado, tries his best to ease the minds of local constituents and the mass media alike. Local cattle rancher, Martin Wall’s, smile turns hard in the wake of a temporary USDA ban on livestock trade over the border. Each of these men is doing their darnedest to maintain peace, safety and the livelihoods of so many others. Pulling the curtain back on what feels like scenarios that only happen in the movies, is eye opening. You have to remind yourself that these folks are living, breathing people with families and loved ones. This documentary is unusually educational and will certainly restore your faith in humanity.
LISTEN TO ME MARLON
This doc opens up in a jarring fashion. Reminiscent of the floating head at Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion, there we see and hear the disembodied “Head” and voice of Marlon Brando. Director, Stevan Riley has granted the world the access he gained to mountains of audio tapes made by Brando himself. Some are self hypnosis tapes in which he recalls childhood moments once kept very close to his chest. Through archival footage and Brando’s own voice, we delve into the personal life of the reclusive star. These confessional tapes reveal a side of this legend not many people were privy to. Acting was somewhat of a spiritual outlet. His charisma was endless, as was his passion for sex and affection. Receiving little from his alcoholic parents, Brando‘s ego was lifted by his enormous talent, perhaps too far for the likes of some. Although, as you listen to him speak, you gather that he was a rather astute, observant, reflective man who struggled with real abandonment issues that never truly get resolved for him. Tragedy followed him in his personal life and the genius and attention swallowed him hole at times. Listen To Me Marlon is a gorgeous portrait. When you stop taking notes during a film and just listen, as a critic, that is the moment of pure magic.
GOODNIGHT MOMMY
Give a kid an inch, so they say, and they’ll take a mile. Twins Lukas and Elias have been awaiting the return of their mother. She has just completed facial reconstructive surgery. Longing for her love and affection, the boys are thrown into detective mode when Mom returns a different person. Face completely bandaged and rage on the surface, she forces the boys to maintain quiet and changes all the rules. Something clearly amiss, Lukas and Elias must find a way to make her admit who she really is, while facing the changes themselves. Much like last year’s The Babadook, psychological torture is in the cards. Can you stomach the tactics used by children when they don’t fully understand the consequences themselves? Goodnight Mommy will scare the hell out of you and make you squirm like never before.
DOG LADY
Following a woman surrounded by a pack of discarded dogs, this film highlights the off-grid lifestyle to the nth degree. The film’s subject, played flawlessly by co-director Verónica Llinás, chooses to live on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in a what begins as a primitive lean-to, and progresses in sound structure along with the movie itself. We follow our lady through four full seasons as she forages for food and supplies. Her ingenuity is astounding, taking what is essentially trash and making a home for herself. She has absolutely zero dialogue. The sparse dialogue that does exist comes from what little human interaction she allows; taunting children, a clinic doctor, and a brief sexual encounter with a rather verbose rancher. This film is highly engrossing, perhaps causing the viewer to reassess the amount of material objects we carelessly cast aside. Her sense of survival and her clear warm spirit guide this film along it’s year long timeline. There is definitely something to be said about the it’s wide final shot. It will force you to come to terms with your true feelings of our Dog Lady.
You can find out more about these incredible films, and so many more, at NDNF. The Diary of a Teenage Girl opens tonight! Screenings during the fest take place at MoMa and FSLC.
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TFF 2015: Tribeca Talks Free Events Starting In One Month!
“Tribeca Talks: Master Class” (Free event)
Adorama Rental Co. (ARC): The Producers
Independent producers are responsible for some of the greatest breakout hits in cinema history, have fought passionately for their art, and faced every logistical and financial challenge along the way. Cinematic mavericks divulge tales from the trenches and lessons they have learned along the way.
Panelists include Foxcatcher producer Anthony Bregman, Beasts of the Southern Wild producer Matthew Parker and Blue Valentine producer Alex Orlovsky. Moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Tatiana Seigel.
DATE: Thursday, April 16
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2
Get the Look
The look of a film can propel the story and understanding of a film in both subtle and bold ways. Academy Award-winning production & costume designer of films such as The Great Gatsby, Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge, Catherine Martin discusses her methods for creating some of the most instantly recognizable visuals on screen as well as how she has propelled this into businesses beyond the screen. With Vogue’s International Editor-at-Large Hamish Bowles.
DATE: Friday, April 17
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2
CNN Films: Capture Reality
Nonfiction filmmaking has truly revolutionized itself in recent years through its visual language as it brings audiences stories which often seem too bizarre to be true. Leading documentary filmmakers expose how they choose their subjects and capture real life in new and innovative ways to shape the final story.
Panelists include Bobby Fischer Against the World director Liz Garbus, Big Men Director Rachel Boynton, and God Loves Uganda director Roger Ross Williams. Moderated by film critic Eric Hynes.
DATE: Monday, April 20
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2
Dolby Institute: The Sound of the Coens
From Fargo to The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men, the sounds of Coen brother films are exhilarating, incorporating an array of music composition and inflections of sound to add to the all-encompassing world of their movies.
Panelists include Composer Carter Burwell and Academy-Award Winning Sound Mixer Skip Lievsay, who will discuss the creative process behind their films as well as the collaborative relationship with Ethan & Joel which has endured and prospered across so many films. Moderated by Director of The Dolby Institute Glenn Kiser.
DATE: Tuesday, April 21
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2
“Tribeca Talks: Script & Screen” (Free)
Hosted by Barnes & Noble
Act Your Age
From the malleable period in life called youth to grappling with growing older, age is never-ending subject matter to explore within the plot of a film and one that we have been drawn to exploring and viewing for as long as cinema has been in our lives. But what is it about these transformative years that is so transfixing?
Panelists include King Jack director Felix Thompson and Gored director Ido Mizrahy. Moderated by Variety’s Gordon Cox.
DATE: Friday, April 17
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble, Union Square (33 East 17th Street)
The Beauty of Angst
Filmmakers have long delighted in exploring human angst on screen, and as an audience, we relish and revel in these stories. But what is the fine line of darkness that you can push boundaries towards before audiences turn away, and why are we so drawn to the anguish of others as an escape from reality?
Panelists include Meadowland director Reed Morano, Thank You for Playing co-directors David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and Necktie Youth director Sibs Shongwe-La Mer. Moderated by Indiewire’s Eric Kohn.
DATE: Saturday, April 18
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble, Union Square (33 East 17th Street)
This is the Real Life
Real life offers enough drama for the big screen, and writers and directors forever have been drawn to it. Through documentary and narrative form there are constant choices to be made in deciding which version of events to explore, and how to recreate moments from the immediate or far past for a present audience.
Panelists include The Adderall Diaries director Pamela Romanowsky, As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM director Kevin Kerslake, Men Go to Battle director Zachary Treitz and The Wannabe director Nick Sandow. Moderated by The Verge’s Ross Miller.
DATE: Sunday, April 19
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble, Union Square (33 East 17th Street)
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Monty Python Cast to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
International Premiere of the new Python documentary MONTY PYTHON -THE MEANING OF LIVE and Special Screenings of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN, and MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE to play at TFF April 24-26
The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced a special celebration to mark the 40th Anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail including a special screening of the film and the international premiere of the documentary Monty Python – The Meaning of Live directed by Roger Graef and James Rogan. In honor of the anniversary the Festival will also host special screenings of classic Python films Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. The five surviving members of the legendary comedy group, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, will come together for the special presentation of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, which will screen on Friday April 24 at The Beacon Theatre. Tickets to the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail go on sale on March 23 at www.tribecafilm.com. The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival will take place April 15-26 in downtown Manhattan.
Continuing its celebration of the Pythons, the Festival will debut Monty Python – The Meaning of Live. Directed by Roger Graef and James Rogan, this feature-length documentary offers unprecedented access to the preparations and staging of the Pythons’ 2014 reunion shows at The O2 in London and gives a fascinating insight into the personalities, relationships, and circumstances that made the Pythons into a global phenomenon. Dive into the history of Monty Python on stage and discover the genesis of some of its most well-known pieces, as they prepare for their final live show. The documentary will premiere on Saturday, April 25, Monty Python’s Life of Brian will screen on April 25, and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life on April 26. Each film presentation will be followed by a Q&A with some of the members of Monty Python.
“It is hard to believe that Holy Grail was first shown 40 years ago,” said Paula Weinstein, Executive Vice President, Tribeca Enterprises. “The film is so brilliant and the Pythons’ influence on contemporary comedy in cinema and television is so enduring that it feels as fresh today as it did decades ago. We are honored to welcome the Pythons to Tribeca and to share stories of their groundbreaking process with our audience through the international premiere of Monty Python – The Meaning of Live.”
“It’s amazing how lack of money saved us from mediocrity. We couldn’t afford real horses,” said Terry Gilliam.
Michael Palin said, “The Pythons are looking forward very much to the Tribeca Film Festival and the chance to meet anyone who can remember why we made Monty Python and The Holy Grail. All we know is that it was a documentary about coconuts that rather lost its way. If anyone at Tribeca can explain why we made it and didn’t call it Braveheart then our visit to New York will not have been wasted.”
Eric Idle continued, “I often had the feeling the movie might make a good Broadway musical….”
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones (UK) – Special Screening. Monty Python re-creates England of 932 A.D in their first film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. When King Arthur enlists Knights to join his Round Table, they are inspired by God to go on a quest for the Holy Grail that is constantly interrupted by all manner of challenges.
Monty Python – The Meaning of Live, directed by Roger Graef and James Rogan (UK) – International Premiere, documentary. While perhaps best known for its eminently quotable films, Monty Python has performed its signature, surreal humor in live shows since the group’s earliest days. Dive into the history of Monty Python’s on stage and the genesis of some of its most well-known pieces as they prepare for their last-ever live shows at The O2, London in July 2014. Monty Python – the Meaning of Live is a hilarious and illuminating survey of what is takes to bring Monty Python to the stage.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian, directed by Terry Jones (UK) – Special Screening. Monty Python delivers an anarchic satire of both religion and Hollywood’s depiction of all things biblical with their second film. Brian Cohen, born in Bethlehem in the stable next door, by a series of absurd circumstances is caught up in the new religion and reluctantly mistaken for the promised messiah.
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, directed by Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam (UK) – Special Screening. Monty Python examines birth, life, death and fish in their third, final, and probably most tasteless yet funniest feature film that finally reveals The Meaning of Life.
CONNECT WITH TRIBECA: To keep up with Tribeca, visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival. Like the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page atfacebook.com/TribecaFilm. Follow us on Twitter @TribecaFilmFest and on Instagram @tribeca and join the conversation by using the hashtag #TFF2015 or #TribecaTogether.
CONNECT WITH MONTY PYTHON on Facebook www.facebook.com/MontyPython or on twitter at @montypython and by using the hastag #MontyPython
Passes and tickets for the 2015 Festival
The new Spring Pass is on sale now at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets. This pass will provide access to Spring Studios, throughout the Festival, including innovation talks, exhibitions, and special events, as well as a resource center, and creative workspace, with food, and drinks. This Pass will also provide reduced ticket prices for select special events. The Spring Pass costs $400, discounted to $300 if purchased before April 15. Pass holders can invite one guest to accompany them to Spring Studios each day of the Festival. An Individual Day Pass for Spring Studios costs $50, discounted to $40 if purchased before April 15.
Advance selection ticket packages and passes are now on sale for American Express Card Members, and on Monday, March 9 for the general public. All advance selection packages and passes can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).
Single tickets cost $18.00 for evening, and weekend screenings, and $10.00 for weekday matinee screenings.
Single ticket sales begin Tuesday, March 31 for American Express Card Members, Sunday, April 5 for downtown residents, and Monday, April 6 for the general public. Single tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Regal Cinemas Battery Park (102 North End Avenue), Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea (260 W. 23rd Street), and the Tribeca Film Festival creative hub at Spring Studios (50 Varick Street). The 2015 Festival will offer ticket discounts on general screenings and Tribeca Talks: After the Movie and Directors Series panels for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only.
About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.
Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.
The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,600 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.9 million attendees, and has generated an estimated $900 million in economic activity for New York City.
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Tribeca Film Festival: Free Program Storyscapes presented by Bombay Sapphire – April 16-19
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival is rapidly approaching. Liz and Melissa will be bringing you news, reviews and interviews from the best and brightest. Stay tuned! Read More →
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7th Annual Reelabilities Film Festival New York – Special Guests Rory Culkin – Opens March 12th
Rory Culkin and RJ Mitte Announced as Special Guests at the 7th Annual Reelabilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival; Opening Night Event on March 12 on the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
At the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, Liz and I saw the fantastic Gabriel, starring Rory Culkin (and Liz interviewed him!) You get another chance to see this amazing film at this year’s Reelabilities Film Festival.
Festival to play at over 35 venues throughout New York including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of the Moving Image and the New York Public Library, followed by National Tour
The largest edition of ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival includes more celebrated guest speakers than ever before. Opening night at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will include a performance by The Voice season 7’s Blessing Offor and, following the NY premiere of The Finishers, Professor Annette Insdorf will engage in conversation with award-winning director, Nils Tavernier. Rory Culkin, whose lead performance in Lou Howes’ directorial debut, Gabriel, was named “electrifying” by Variety Magazine, will discuss his role in the film after the film’s screening at JCC Manhattan. The festival’s closing night event will include welcoming remarks from Breaking Bad‘s RJ Mitte along with a special comedy night featuring performers and comedians with disabilities.
Every film at the ReelAbilities film festival is followed by a conversation, as way of further engaging the community with the important topics presented in the films. Panel discussions and conversations follow each of the festival’s 100+ screenings and events presented throughout the New York Metro area.
For a full list of festival speakers, visit: http://ny.reelabilities
Leading the way in accessible film and culture, ReelAbilities is presented in all accessible venues, providing captions, audio description, ASL interpretation, CART (live captioning), and information in Braille.
Past festival guests include Sigourney Weaver, Mat Fraser, Geri Jewell, Danny Woodburn, John Hockenberry, Ben Lewin, and many others who have moderated and participated in post-screening conversations. These conversations are a core component of the festival, furthering audience understanding and consciousness about ideas raised in the films while providing a platform for in-depth discussions and audience interaction with filmmakers, actors, and issues portrayed in the films.
About The JCC in Manhattan
Located on 76th Street and Amsterdam, the JCC is a vibrant non-profit community center on the Upper West Side. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC serves over 55,000 people annually through 1,200 programs each season that educate, inspire, and transform participants’ minds, bodies, and spirits. Since its inception, the JCC has been committed to serving the community by offering programs and services that reach beyond neighborhood boundaries. Programs at the JCC reach people at all stages of their lives, and serve the entire family and community.
Located on 76th Street and Amsterdam, the JCC is a vibrant non-profit community center on the Upper West Side. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC serves over 55,000 people annually through 1,200 programs each season that educate, inspire, and transform participants’ minds, bodies, and spirits. Since its inception, the JCC has been committed to serving the community by offering programs and services that reach beyond neighborhood boundaries. Programs at the JCC reach people at all stages of their lives, and serve the entire family and community.
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What the hell is ‘BUZZARD’?! It’s only the best thing ever – Liz chats with Writer/Director Joel Potrykus
I promised Joel I wouldn’t title this “The Buzz on Buzzard”, and I didn’t. I kept that promise (though, I guess I just wrote it… but I digress) Anyone that would degrade this film in using that title, just plain sucks at life. I know, my eloquence astounds you, but in all seriousness, BUZZARD is one of the weirdest, coolest, totally magical, and yet indescribable movies of the year. Yup. I said it, and I’m not even sorry. We’ve all had endless conversations, at this point, about our Top 10 Movies of 2014. And if you haven’t seen our posts yet, shame on your face. But, what most of you didn’t know is that I had a secret addendum to mine. BUZZARD was my special “I have to tell people about this movie” selection.
So let me just launch into the premise. Marty works a crap temp job. Scamming the system is his game, and he’s pretty good at it. Until one truly face palm moment throws his existence into a series of even more terrible life choices and a downward spiral of paranoia. How long can Marty survive? It’s anyone’s guess. This film is an inspiration for everyone who has worked a mundane job just to live paycheck to paycheck. Marty is every man’s hero. He takes the “Damn The Man” attitude to the nth degree. He does all the things we think about doing, but he actually does them. Unapologetically and with much pride, Marty’s fearless audacity lies somewhere between genius and insanity. He is most definitely someone I would dub the “King of Mediocrity” or “Captain Bullshit”, both I mean in all due respect. He is kind of like a giant 14 year old in 1994, trapped in a 20-something year old’s body. Let’s be real, if you or I could get away with the shit this guy pulls, we would do it in a heartbeat.
Joshua Burge plays Marty in such a effortless manner it’s frightening. One might almost think that this film were a documentary. This says a lot about both Josh’s acting ability and how sensational Joel’s script is. Fun fact I learned in watching the credits, Joel plays Derek, Marty’s best friend in the film. He is also downright hilarious in his honesty. He likes what he likes even if a tad socially inept. Playing by the rules is his safety net. He is the perfect foil for Marty, whose disdain for authority is incontrovertible. BUZZARD is undeniably accessible. Everyone I’ve spoken with since I first saw this film at the New Directors/New Film Fest in 2014 love it. All ages, all backgrounds, not a single person has anything negative to say about this film. Clearly, I am on that ship. I cannot express how much fun this film is, so you know what that means, right? You now have to go see it and/or rent it on demand, and then you can come back and tell me how right I was. Good Talk.
Speaking of good talks… I got to have a sweet one with Joel Potrykus about this awesomeness. Take a listen because we both know you’ll be better for it. *PS- a small office dog makes an appearance, you’ll hear the jingle of this little dude at moments. Try not to get confused. OK, now go! *
BUZZARD – TRAILER from Oscilloscope Laboratories on Vimeo.
Marty is a caustic, small-time con artist drifting from one scam to the next. When his latest ruse goes awry, mounting paranoia forces him from his lousy small town temp job to the desolate streets of Detroit with nothing more than a pocket full of bogus checks, a dangerously altered Nintendo® Power Glove, and a bad temper. Albert Camus meets Freddy Krueger in BUZZARD, a hellish and hilarious riff on the struggles of the American working class.
Oscilloscope Laboratories will release Joel Potrykus‘ BUZZARD in U.S. theaters and digitally on March 6, 2015. Written and directed by Potrykus, the film stars Joshua Burge and was produced by Michael Saunders and Ashley Young. Associate Producers are Kevin Clancy and Tim Saunders.
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Indy Film Fest Fave ‘Ben’s at Home’ is Getting a Web Series…Hell Yes
I was happy today to get news that one of my fave films of 2014, Ben’s at Home, is in the process of getting made into a web series. I was lucky enough to catch the film at the Indy Film Fest and had the fantastic opportunity to speak with both co-writer/star Dan Abramovici and co-writer/director Mars Horodyski about the film and their process. You can catch my review here.The basics of the plot is a guy who goes through a bad breakup decides not to leave his house…ever. Everything he needs, he can get sent to his house. Why leave?
So, there is a way that you (yes you!) can help out the Ben’s at Home team. Watch the teaser below and throw a comment their way on YouTube. The Canadian-based filmmakers are looking to get funding through Canada’s Independent Production Fund to get this thing off the ground. So what harm can that do? The film was funny, witty and topical and I expect the web series will expand on what Ben is up to now.
Get there, people. I’m really excited about this project and you should be too.
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Jeremy’s Interview: Lance Edmands, Award-Winning ‘Bluebird’ Writer/Director
If you followed my coverage of the Indy Film Fest, you might remember I was able to catch (review here) the Grand Jury & American Spectrum Prize-Winning Bluebird, written and directed by Lance Edmands. You also might remember that it was my favorite of the films that I saw at the festival. I was curious to learn more about the film, its evolution and its journey to the screen so I reached out to Lance and he was kind of enough to give me 45 minutes of his time. Here’s what he had to say… Read More →
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‘Bluebird’ Starring Mad Men’s John Slattery & Lance Edmands’ Grand Jury & American Spectrum Prize Winner
Having gone to my fair share of film festivals, it is rare that I agree with the juries who award the prizes for “best of the fest.” They often see far more in films that I dismiss and frequently don’t give enough credence to those that I love, because as anyone knows my opinion is always correct (wink, wink). The one time I attended a fest that got it 100% was the 2004 Chicago International Film Festival when Nimrod Antal‘s mesmerizing Kontroll took home the Gold Hugo. Now, while I didn’t see every film at this year’s Indy Film Fest, Lance Edmands’ Bluebird was far and away my favorite of those that I saw and certainly worthy of the Grand Jury Prize, tops of the fest, as well as the American Spectrum Prize for the best film made by an American director (the Audience Award has yet to be awarded). So, bravo to the jury! Read More →
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SNL Documentary to Open the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
Connect with Live From New York! at www.livefromnewyorkmovie.com. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/
Tickets for the opening will go on sale on March 23 for American Express Card Members at www.tribecafilm.com. General Public can buy tickets starting March 28. In the meantime, keep checking back for more TFF 2015 announcements.
The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, announced today that the world premiere of the documentary Live From New York!, will open the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, April 15. “Saturday Night Live” has been reflecting and influencing the American story for 40 years. Live From New York! explores the show’s early years, an experimentthat began with a young Lorne Michaels and his cast of unknowns, and follows its evolution into a comedy institution. Archival footage is interwoven with stolen moments and exclusive commentary from “SNL” legends, journalists, hosts, crew and others influenced by the comedy giant. Live From New York! captures what has enabled “SNL” to continually refresh itself over nearly 800 episodes and keep America laughing for 40 years. Live From New York! is directed by Tribeca alum Bao Nguyen and produced by JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker. Tickets for the TFF 2015 Opening Night Gala go on sale on March 23 at tribecafilm.com/festival. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 15 to April 26.
“’SNL’s’ contribution to the arts and to pop culture has been—and continues to be—groundbreaking, and Live From New York! offers an inside look at the show’s inimitable ability to both reflect and impact American news, history and culture,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “This is the story of a creative journey from pilot to institution and a tribute to the moments that kept us laughing and talking long after the episodes aired. We are excited to welcome Bao Nguyen back to Tribeca to open our 14thFestival with the world premiere of Live From New York!.”
“After 40 years, the timing just felt right,” said Lorne Michaels.
“The selection of Live from New York! to open the 14th Tribeca Film Festival is personally gratifying to me on several levels. Having hosted SNL three times, and guested on several occasions, I speak from a first-hand experience about “SNL’s” rightful place in our culture as well as a welcome addition to our Festival,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.
“’Saturday Night Live’ is such a revered institution and we really wanted to make a film that reflected its significance not just to the American comedic tradition but also to American culture and society,” said director Bao Nguyen. “I want to thank Lorne Michaels for allowing us to film in the storied halls of Studio 8H. I’d also like to thank JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker for trusting me with their creative vision. Finally, I can’t thank Tribeca enough for all their support. We couldn’t dream of a better place to world premiere Live From New York! than at New York City’s own Tribeca Film Festival.”
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Check out the ‘Birdman’ Q&A & A Buy 1 Get 1 Free Ticket!
Check out this fun Q&A from this year’s New York Film Festival after a press screening that Liz and myself had the honor to attend. Everyone is very charming and you’ll fall in love with Michael Keaton all over again! Check out Michael’s review here.
Go see Birdman, it’s a truly mesmerizing experience for the senses.
Buy one ticket, get one free. Use promo code REGALBIRD at checkout at any Regal Theater. Offer ends 2/5. While Supplies Last. Terms Apply. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: ‘1971’ looks a lot like 2015
In grade school we all read the George Orwell classic, 1984. “Big Brother Is Watching.” With technology as sophisticated as it is is now, we are not a far cry from constant surveillance, frankly, we’re already there. People still don’t understand that once “it” is on the internet, it’s there forever. And not just the internet, anything connected to a WiFi signal at this point. Our post 9-11 world is one of less freedom and more scrutiny. In 1971, the true story of a small burglary is the catalyst that kicked the FBI in its ass. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: ‘SONG ONE’ plays well
Nothing quite captures New York City like it’s sound scrape. The roaring of a passing subway train. The chatter in a coffee house. The songs heard on the streets by the immense talent that envelopes themselves in the starving artist community that creates the fabric of this magical place. SONG ONE is a beautiful ode to this city. Read More →
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Liz’s review: ‘LIFE INSIDE OUT’ and interview with star Maggie Baird
My mother always encouraged us to have music on in the kitchen. While she baked or did her lesson plans for her art classes, or made dinner. Chicago, Huey Lewis, and Disney soundtracks were blasting in our car rides back and forth to dance lessons, or girl scouts, or my brother’s karate lessons. My mom was a superhero. My mom is still a super hero. If I can be half the mother she is, I will consider myself a lucky woman. In the new film LIFE INSIDE OUT we are privy to the perfect example of how creative mothers reach their children in very different and very special ways. The talented acting/writing team, Maggie Baird and Lori Nasso, bring to life a story of so many mothers who have lost their own identity to raising their children and keeping their families intact. The story comes from Baird’s true life experience with son Finneas O’Connell. When Baird’s husband was forced to take a job that kept him away from the family, it took an emotional toll on then 12 year old Finneas. Once Maggie rediscovers her songwriting roots, Finneas follows suit. Much to everyone’s surprise, Finneas is a bit of a musical prodigy is his own right. Writing his own songs allowed him to creatively process his own angst and bond with Maggie on a new level. Read More →
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Liz’s ‘MATCH’ Review and Roundtable Interview with Sir Patrick Stewart and Stephen Belber
In the arts, like other career paths, but especially in the arts, one must sacrifice quite a bit to succeed. Putting off kids, working extra crappy jobs, and being selfish are all things most artists must do in order to live the dream. Eventually, those decisions can creep up on you, leading to regret.
Stephen Belber has adapted his Tony-nominated stage play Match for the silver screen. The story centers around just three characters; Tobi (Patrick Stewart), an aging dance teacher, and the Seattle based couple, Lisa(Carla Gugino) and Mike (Matthew Lillard) who fly in to interview him. The set up is simple, Lisa needs info about what it was like during the 1960’s in the NYC dance scene. Hubby, Mike, is just along for the ride. They meet at a quaint neighborhood diner where Tobi is a regular. Once the three are comfortable enough, he invites them back to his apartment for drinks and continued conversation. Slowly, and under the influence of alcohol and a little pot, the hard questions come out. Mike, being a cop, begins to use what seem like interrogation tactics in inquiring about specific sexual partners. Tobi is compliant until it becomes clear that there are ulterior motives in this supposed dissertation inquiry. Finally, at the end of his polite host rope, he attempts to end the ruse. Mike’s aggression escalates as he demands a DNA sample from Tobi. He is certain that Tobi is his father. What happens from there is a startling scene of betrayal and crossed lines.
Gugino is earnest and vulnerable in her portrayal of Lisa. She is a woman who has lost her self-worth due to her husband’s emotional damage. Her one-on-one scenes with Stewart are breathtaking. Lillard, who I will forever associate with Scream, seems uncomfortable in his own skin, and I do mean that as a compliment. He struggles with his own identity, not sexually, but as a grounded man and caring husband. The dynamic between the three actors worked so well for me. The tension on screen is strong and each beat is carefully timed by Belber’s adaptation and in his direction.
Patrick Stewart is a legend of stage and screen, both large and small. No matter what role he takes on, he is perfection. Watching him is like taking a free masterclass in acting. His stillness speaks volumes and his eyes tell you nothing but the truth before you’ve even realized it. Playing the role Tobi, seems to be more personal by his own admission. And, as for Stephen, well, the genius is evident both on the page and on the screen as he adapts his own work seamlessly.
The following is the interview from roundtable discussions when Match first screened at The Tribeca Film Festival 2014.
Being that this is the second time he’s adapted one of his plays for the screen. Belber speaks to the challenges of moving a stage play to film:
Stephen Belber: Obviously, theater is about the dialogue and I was interested in getting in between the words. The dialogue is what it is, but I wanted to use the camera to get in between and chart the emotional landscape of the faces and what’s not said, and where they’re conveying emotion without words. So that was a fun challenge just to set myself, and to know that I had actors who were able to give so much without having to speak it. To be up close in Patrick’s face when he is lying and to compel the audience to know whether it is a lie or the truth. And to see him hear certain information that is thrown at him and to non verbally register it, and deal with it, is very filmic and cinematic in a way you can’t get in a theater. There’s a great exchange that obviously takes place with the theater and a live audience so for this it’s a whole different ballgame. So that’s something I wanted to concentrate on.
On casting Patrick as Tobi:
Stephen Belber: I wanted someone to go away from the broad comedy and the bigness of it and go to the humanity of it and I knew that Patrick could do that hands down.
Patrick Stewart: This morning has been curious for me, because every interview that I’ve done I have been asked, “So what were the challenges of taking on what was a stage play and now putting it in front of a camera?” I had never realized until this morning that I never actually gave your stage play a thought and people express real surprise when I said, “I didn’t see the play. I never read it. I never thought of reading it”. Well, what I had was a screenplay and it was always a screenplay but furthermore I had the author behind the camera every minute of the day so why would I need to access something that we were not doing, anyway. It was very successful as a screenplay. I had no answer to these questions I’ve been asked all morning.
Stephen Belber: I’m glad that you didn’t read the play because it is a different piece. I wrote (the play) 10 years ago so I think I’m a more nuanced writer and I knew that I wanted to be different so it is a different ballgame and not a great reference point probably.
Patrick Stewart: The role and the story resonate strongly for me because a powerful theme in the film is about the choices that people can make in their lives, especially if they are people who are passionately, ambitiously building a career and how those choices require that some things get put aside or left behind, forever. The life of an actor, particularly an actor working in the theater, as I was working for decades, 6 nights a week I was not there to tuck my children up and sing a song. It was only Sunday night I could do that exclusively and so there was a huge part of my life… I was not making choices, those were just the conditions that you had to accept to work, so this theme in the film has related to me. How you feel you’ve made the right choices. You feel that you are where you want to be, but you don’t know until the shock of what happens in the movie comes up, that actually the choices you’ve made were not the best ones and that life could have been very different. You know, the path not taken. I put my work first, always. I remember once at a dinner party in my own home sitting around a table 6, 8, 10 people, some actors, directors, but all people in the arts, this was the topic of conversation. Somebody at the table said, “I love my job, I love what I do, but my family always come first” and I heard a voice in my head, quite distinctly, saying, “Not me! Not me.” I think it was shocking because it was true.
(Liz) Reel News Daily: I had a question about theatre culture in the UK versus the US and since I have you both here, this is the perfect opportunity. I have found that the respect for theatre acting is so much greater in the UK. That is really where you hone your skills and then maybe from there you are plucked to do movies and television. I feel like it’s the opposite in the US. I’m a theater kid and a writer so to have you both here with your perspectives, I was just curious where do you think that comes from? Why do you think theater maybe isn’t as respected or wide as it is in the UK?
Patrick Stewart: First of all I’m not sure that that’s true, but I think tradition has a great deal to do with it. There’s been Theater on stage in England for 700 years and particularly a lot of classical theatre, as I’ve done. You look over your shoulder and you see all these actors going back in time who has been standing exactly where you been standing saying the same lines. I think it is different now in the UK. Most actors leaving drama school, as I hear this from the casting department of the Royal Shakespeare Company, say its not what it was. We don’t have first pick, anymore, of the cream of the drama school because of these guys, they are not interested in doing theater. They see the careers that can be made in film and TV and that’s where they want to be. So it’s different from how it was. All I ever wanted to do was to be on stage. Everything that ever happened to me on film and television was an accident it. I fell over it rather than pursuing it. And it just so happened that you guys are so much better at film acting than we are. For the most part, you are. I loved the cinema when I was a kid! It was, for me, the absolute escape from my really rather not very great life. I don’t recall seeing British movies. If I thought they were British I wouldn’t go see them, and I sort of lost myself in this world that used to be overwhelmed with sadness. The curtains would close and I would have to go back to real life again. So working with American filmmakers and American actors, as with Matthew and Carla, both superb actors, was such a joy to me. I mean we do OK, we got a few actors that do OK. We did not have one hour of film acting in our drama school in 2 years. I think we once visited a television studio which is to say, “That is the camera.”
Stephen Belber: I think he’s right in the tradition and “Who is royalty?” and I think that film actors became royalty with kids growing up, but “These (referring to Patrick) are the icons,” and they value their skill. But there are enough kids here that catch the theater bug. Matt has weekly play readings in his living room, in his house in L.A., because he’s a theater nerd. And you grab those people and then cross them over into film.
What has been your proudest moment, thus far, in your career?
Patrick Stewart: I think, as I said, all I want to do was be on stage but I couldn’t narrow that down to say what I really wanna be is on the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. that was actually my ambition and everything I did for the six years that led up to that wasn’t going into that direction so I did one season with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford upon Avon playing quite small roles, supporting roles, and understudy roles. And thank God, never, ever, ever had to go on. But at the end of that 10 month season, all the company, one at a time, were called to Peter Hall’s office, it’s like meeting the headmaster, “We will review your work”, and I didn’t think mine had been very good or overly interesting or of any real quality but all I wanted was to be asked, given one more chance to come back and do another season, and that’s all I wanted. And it was my turn to go in, and I went in and Peter Hall said, “Well this isn’t going to take long.” And I thought,oh no, this is it and he said, “Look, are you aware that we have three year contract here?”, and I said, “Yeah, I had heard of that.” And he said, “We wanna give you a three year contract.” I was speechless and outside the theater in Stratford there was a telephone box and I went down and I called my wife and she said, “How did it go?” …. and finally, getting the silence she says, “I take it it went well.” That was it for me. Nothing has been quite so thrilling a feeling as that moment.
Match is a beautifully intimate film. It dares to go places that some might be scared to approach. How have our decisions in our lives affected where we are now? I think that remains to be seen. Bottom line, it’s a contemplative film. You will, perhaps, reexamine your choices when you leave the cinema.
Written/Directed by: Stephen Belber Starring: Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino, Matthew Lillard Runtime: 94 min
MATCH opens in theaters January 14th. and is available on VOD.
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Liz’s Review: ‘MURDER OF A CAT’ is a quirky suburban noir.
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a weird gal. It’s fine. It’s sort of my thing. I like what I like and I’m proud of it. That being said, if someone killed my best friend, I’d hunt them down like the scoundrels they are. (Prime example, I use words like scoundrel in regular conversation). In the new film MURDER OF A CAT, Clinton (Fran Kranz) also, a bit of a weirdo, finds his beloved cat-friend brutally murdered. It is his moral duty to find out who, what, when, where, and why.
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