This shot from the 1926 Buster Keaton movie THE GENERAL has been called the most expensive of the silent era, with a price tag of $42,000 or $570,000 in 2016 dollars

Are you kiddin' me? Verhoeven's great ELLE gets snubbed, Xavier Dolan's atrocious IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD makes the cut of the 9 shortlisted films for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar

Well, what can I say ... "Toni Erdmann," and "The Salesman" are very deserving of this list. Saw "My Life as a Zuchinni at Cannes and it's a charmer. "Land of Mine" is a powerful film that I really, truly correlate with TIFF of 2015, but "It's Only the End of the World?" Oh man, that's a stinker. I cannot, for the life of me, think of a worse film to have among these 9 contenders. I can only speculate that Dolan has become a big enough name in Hollywood, where he is currently filming his first American film, that he now just has enough clout to pull this joke off. "Elle" is a great film, I'd say even more deserving than the lightly enjoyable and, at times, stinging satire of "Toni Erdmann," but do people actually "get" the film? I did, but have spoken to a handful of people that did not really care for it or have any real emotional response to its bleakly serious, but comic subject matter.

These far superior films also didn't make the cut and were also beaten by Dolan's low-tier stinker: "Neruda," "From Afar," "Sieranevada," and "Ma Rosa."

It's Only the End of the World (Canada) directed by Xavier Dolan
Tanna (Australia), directed by Bentley Dean, Martin Butler
Land of Mine (Denmark), directed by Martin Zandvliet
Toni Erdmann (Germany), directed by Maren Ade
The Salesman (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi 
The King’s Choice (Norway), directed by Erik Poppe
Paradise (Russia), directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
A Man Called Ove (Sweden), directed by Hannes Holm
My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland), directed by Claude Barras

Great "Full Metal Jacket" poster showing all the main characters getting their boot camp buzz cut.

Tarantino's original cast wish list for "Pulp Fiction"

In 1977, 20th Century Fox had so little faith in the "Star Wars" franchise that they gave away all of the movie licensing and merchandising rights to George Lucas in exchange for his $500,000 directorial fee.

Fox executives years later: "Well, we fucked up." 

Lucas should have used all that money for lessons in screenwriting alas he did manage to give us a couple of great films. The franchise is now worth around $37 Billion dollars. 

It all began modestly. After his success with American Graffiti in 1973, Lucas wanted to make a Western set in outer space to refresh the genre. He was turned down by several studios but found a champion in Alan Ladd Jr., then running 20th Century Fox -- even though most of the other Fox executives and the company board didn't agree. Fox let Lucas pass up an additional $500,000 directing fee in return for keeping licensing and merchandising rights for himself -- a decision that would cost the studio billions.

Full THR article HERE

Criterion announces their March lineup which includes 45 YEARS, BLOW-UP and BEING THERE

Isn't it just the most bittersweet feeling whenever Criterion announces their latest monthly titles? You're in cinema heaven just looking, and drooling, at these brand-new covers of some of your very favorite films, but, at the same time, you know you're more than likely going to shell out a little too much money for these beauties.

I wrote an IndieWire article around a year ago which had to do with 10 films that really, badly deserved the Criterion treatment. One of those titles was "Blow-Up." I am ecstatic that this Antonioni classic is finally getting its due treatment on DVD/Blu-Ray.

The Hal Ashby directed "Being There" which has become the kind of under-seen classic that makes discovering great hidden gems such a treat, is also getting the Criterion treatment. Watch that Peter Sellers classic and tell me it's not the antecedent to 1994's inferior "Forrest Gump."

"45 Years," last year's Andrew Haigh directed film is mostly a showcase for its leading star Charlotte Rampling. I was left rather unsatisfied by the film, but I am in the minority here. I am planning on giving it a second look eventually.

"Multiple Maniacs" is John Waters' second feature film, he eventually followed it, and upped the ante, with the disgusting, outrageous and brilliant "Pink Flamingos." Both films feature Divine, the drag queen that made his name with these films and has become the stuff of cinematic lore due to his unabashed radical behavior on-screen, and off,  which broke major taboos in American film and set the stage for successors. Divine has to be seen to be believed.

List of IMAX locations that will screen DUNKIRK Prologue

My local theater is listed, but do I really have to sit through "Rogue One" again to watch this damn thing? I wonder if they will eventually release it online? All clues indicate that they will, but when?

Ozu

“Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” will likely be one of 2017's very best films

Getting lost in the shuffle of Telluride was Joseph Cedar’s English-language debut. After his impressive Israeli film “Footnote” made waves on the international circuit Cedar decided to make this film about New York “fixer” Norman, a crooked man who lies, sways and persuades numerous people of power for his own benefit. As played by Richard Gere, Norman ends up in deep trouble after “helping” an Israeli dignitary who three years later becomes the Israeli Prime Minister. This flawless balancing act of a film had Richard Gere giving an incredibly rich performance that is sly enough to feel fully fleshed out. The wheeling and dealing that the film presents to us is transfixing and feels like new, uncharted cinematic territory. Cedar makes it all work like a pro and the fact that the film, which has a sprawling ambitious plot, doesn’t feel like a mess at all, but instead like a work of art is a testament to its director’s talent.

“Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” opens spring 2017

Martin Scorsese says The Irishman represents "unfinished business" for him and Robert De Niro

Want to know what Scorsese will follow-up 'Silence' with? A jog down memory lane, with an actor he has shared his greatest movies with, oh, and Al Pacino as well. 

Steve Zaillian (“Gangs Of New York,” “Schindler’s List,” “Moneyball,“ “The Night Of“), will helm the screenplay for "I heard You Paint Houses," which is based on the Charles Brandt book of the same name. 

"The Irishman"  tells the story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran — a hitman tied to the Bufalino crime family that was a high ranking officer in the international brotherhood of teamsters, was tied to a possible plot in the JFK assassination and who claimed, on his deathbed, to have murdered Teamster leader and iconic cold case Jimmy Hoffa.

Speaking to the Toronto Sun just today, Scorsese piqued our interest even further with a few juicy quotes:

“You know,” Scorsese said, “De Niro and I have some unfinished business, so it looks like that might be next! We’ve been trying for years to do something again, since Casino, but we’ve never got the right story. This seems to be the right one.”

It was De Niro himself that pitched the idea to Scorsese after reading the Brandt novel. “(De Niro) had tears in his eyes when he described this to me, and I think I know how to do it.” 

"Raging Bull," "Taxi Driver," "Mean Streets," "Goodfellas," "Casino," "The King of Comedy" .... What kind of"unfinished business" could they possibly have?

Thoughts?

Makato Shinkai's "Your Name" will open in Theaters in U.S., Canada on April 7

Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name" (Kimi no Na wa) an anime film sensation in Asia will finally open in theaters in the United States and Canada on April 7. 

The film opened in Japan on August 26, and has become the highest grossing anime film of all time, surpassing Studio Ghibli’s "Spirited Away" international gross.

"Your Name" has currently grossed over US $290 Million at the international box office, "Spirited Away" ended its international run at  US$ 289 Million. The large bulk of the gross was domestically in Japan, where since the film’s debut on August 26, it has earned over ¥22.4 Billion US $192.5 Million.

I have kept my eye out on this film for quite some time, I mean how could you not? The buzz has been tremendous.

Almodóvar: “Film Right Now Is Worse Than It Used To Be”

Pedro Almodóvar is now the second major filmmaker this week, after Martin Scorsese, to come out against current cinema. 

Do these guys have a point? Of course they do. If you just look within the American studio system things are looking very bleak. For example, I am currently attempting to make my annual ten best list and have 30 contenders. Of these 30 contenders, how many have had the "luxury" of being backed by a big studio? Only one: Martin Scorsese's "Silence." But as Todd McCarthy stated yesterday, "Silence" happened "Only because “Marty” had paid enough commercial dues to finally make a dream project dating back 26 years. Yet even then, 20 — count 'em, 20 — producers and executive producers were needed to cobble together the financing."

The good news in all this downer outlook? I had 30 films contending for my ten best list. That usually doesn't happen. It's been a great year, but Hollywood, well Hollywood is a lost cause. 

Here's what Almodóvar had to say:

“It’s very difficult for me to go to the theater and find movies that I love — much more difficult than before. Maybe I’m getting old. Either that or I find it more difficult for a story to surprise me. I think that film right now is worse than it used to be. For example, I don’t think that you see the kinds of films you saw in the ’60s or the ’70s,” he tells Variety.

“I have no real interest in films that have to do with superheroes and sequels, prequels, reboots — all this kind of business,” he added. “Ironically, on some level, the fact that movies are so technically proficient works against them. I used to be interested in the adventure film or any chase film before the effects were so perfect. The digital, the synthetic aspect of the image, has taken some of that away from me. There was a sense of danger that was exciting.”

Thoughts?

7-Minute prologue from Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK will screen before select ROGUE ONE screenings in 70mm IMAX

Those that bought a ticket to "Rogue One' in 70mm IMAX are in for a real treat. A seven minute prologue for Christopher Nolan‘s "Dunkirk" will play before select showings of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".

Nolan shot key sequences of his new film "Dunkirk" using 15 perf 65mm IMAX cameras. More specifically, it has been revealed that Nolan’s "Dunkirk" will feature over 100 minutes of IMAX material, according to /Film which is quoting "sources close to production.

Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, and Harry Styles star in "Dunkirk" which is expected to come out on July 21st, 2017.

Ben Affleck Says He Decided To Play Batman Because He Hated Daredevil So Much

“That’s the movie I want to do. I want to be a part of that,” he said of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. “Part of it was I wanted for once to get one of these movies and do it right — to do a good version. I hate Daredevil so much.”

About Netflix’s success with Daredevil

 “The Netflix show does really cool stuff,” he said. “I feel like that was there for us to do with that character, and we never kind of got it right. I wanted to do one of those movies and sort of get it right.”

Watch Affleck’s full interview at TimesTalks.com.

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD Nominations and my prediction of Viggo for Best Actor coming into fruition

I've been predicting Viggo Mortensen getting a Best Actor Oscar nomination for quite some time now. Listen folks, there isn't a single person I know that hasn't liked the film and by person I mean normal, outside the industry folks. The film is well-loved and within the industry it is as well. "Captain Fantastic" is just one of those organic films that feels unforced in its sentiments and real. The french loved it when I was at Cannes. so much so that they gave Matt Ross a Best Director prize for the UN CERTAIN REGARD section, which the film was competing in.  Suffice to say that many of these supposed Oscar pundits are just damn fools that predict like robots instead of looking at the bigger picture. Viggo Mortensen is a threat and, it seems like, the film is a threat for a nomination as well. 

Best Ensemble
Captain Fantastic
Fences
Hidden Figures
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best Actress in a Lead Role
Amy Adams – Arrival
Emily Blunt – The Girl on the Train
Natalie Portman – Jackie
Emma Stone – La La Land
Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Actor in a Lead Role
Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
Ryan Gosling – La La Land
Tom Hanks – Sully
Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington – Fences

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water
Hugh Grant – Florence Foster Jenkins
Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel – Lion

Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Viola Davis – Fences
Naomie Harris – Moonlight
Nicole Kidman – Lion
Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea

Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK has a spectacular new trailer

I'm confused. What dream level are Cobb & his crew in?

This trailer looks spectacular.

Christopher Nolan is trying to reinvent the war movie with this one, just like he tried to reinvent sci-fi with "Inception." "Interstellar," "The Prestige" and superhero movies with "The Dark Knight Trilogy."

What strikes me most about this first look is how un-Nolan the whole things feels. There are no indications whatsoever that this was directed by him, except for the title card which states his name. I do expect the incredibly ambitious shots that he is known for to appear in this film, but this looks like a real breath of fresh air from him.

Who'd a thunk it? An epic WWII movie, shot on 65mm is about to become a summer blockbuster. 

Also this is a mostly unknown cast, what a risk he's taking.

Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, Harry Styles, James D’Arcy, Jack Lowden, and Barry Keoghan are the lead roles, sure there's Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, and Cillian Murphy, but they are supposedly in supporting roles. A very British minded production and, quite possibly, the most personal project he's ever done.

“Dunkirk” opens on July 21, 2017.

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS broke the worldwide record for the largest ever trailer debut with 139 million views in the first 24 hours.

How is this film not called "The F8 of the Furious"? Somebody in marketing must get fired for not coming up with that ingenious title. In fact, that's the most thought I will likely put into this film. Also, unless I'm payed to review it there's no way I will watch it. The franchise is a dumbing down of society in the most inane of ways. The fact that these films not only make money, but have made The Rock and Vin Diesel the two highest paid actors in Hollywood is a crime to everything that's holy about cinema.

TONI ERDMANN tops Film Comment's Critics Poll

Leave it to Film comment to come up with a great list of the year's best films. I really can't complain about any of these, safe for maybe "Neruda" which I really think I should give a second shot. Also "The Lobster" is great for its first 75 minutes then it kinda dissolves into a mucky love story.

1. Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade, Germany
2. Moonlight, Barry Jenkins, USA
3. Elle, Paul Verhoeven, France/Germany
4. Cemetery of Splendor, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand
5. Certain Women, Kelly Reichardt, USA
6. Paterson, Jim Jarmusch, USA
7. Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan, USA
8. Aquarius, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil/France
9. Things to Come, Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany
10. No Home Movie, Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France
11. The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos, France/Netherlands/Greece/UK
12. Right Now, Wrong Then, Hong Sangsoo, South Korea
13. Love & Friendship, Whit Stillman, Ireland/Netherlands/France/USA
14. Cameraperson, Kirsten Johnson, USA
15. Kaili Blues, Bi Gan, China
16. The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook, South Korea
17. Everybody Wants Some!!, Richard Linklater, USA
18. The Fits, Anna Rose Holmer, USA
19. Neruda, Pablo Larraín, Chile/Argentina/France/Spain
20. The Other Side, Roberto Minervini, France/Italy


Source: Film Comment

Thoughts on "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

You'd think that based on the social media reaction after Sunday night's premiere it would be a fantastic film. You see, that's where you're dead wrong. Yes, the battle scenes pique your interest, for the most part, but that's just the problem. It's all out war and just war. At some point you just become numb to it all and wonder where has the character development gone. For all the crying and moaning I've heard about "The Force Awakens," at least that film developed its characters well enough for you to actually care about their outcome in its finale. "Rogue One" wants to be the "Black Hawk Down" of "Star Wars" flicks, but even though Ridley Scott's 2001 war movie was, mostly, about all out war and didn't have an ounce of character development, at it least it was based on true events and felt real enough in a goddamnit-you-are-actually-there-with-these-soldiers kind of way. "Rogue One" is stale, non-involving, beautiful to look at mind you, but, nevertheless, inconsequential.

There's also the fact that the inconsistent tone must be due to re-shoots that happened. There are moments when it does feel like it was directed by a different filmmaker. This is overall just a mess of a film and many of the positive reviews you will read today will come from critics, bloggers etc. that bought the hype and, for good reason, were on an endorphin high seeing it in advance of everybody else. I couldn't find a single negative opinion from Sunday's Hollywood premiere, but now that the high has calmed down a bit you are starting to see some people come back down to earth. I was starting to think I'd be the only one disappointed by this film, but clearly there are many more with mixed feelings.

More thoughts to come once I get my hands on my notepad ...

Golden Globes again prove their idiotic taste

No Best Motion Picture nomination for Oscar contenders "Silence," "Fences" and "Sully." Did they even see Scorsese's epic? because if they did and still decided not nominate it for Best Picture then they just have bad cinematic taste. 

No acting nomination for Oscar contenders Tom Hanks ("Sully,") Michael Shannon ("Nocturnal Animals,") Michael Keaton ("The Founder,") Kevin Costner and Taraji P. Henson ("Hidden Figures.")

SURPRISE! "Deadpool" and "Sing Street" get nominated for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical.

Mel Gibson is clearly making a comeback with "Hacksaw Ridge" nominated for Best Motion Picture, Drama and he himself getting a Best Director nomination.

Viggo Mortensen gets nominated for "Captain Fantastic" and justifies my theory from last week that he's going to get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Collin Farell ("The Lobster"), Jonah Hill ("War Dogs") and Ryan Reynolds ("Deadpool") get surprisingly nominated in Best Actor, Comedy category.

Hailee Steinfeld gets nominated for "The Edge of Seventeen." Yaas!

The wrong "Nocturnal Animals" player gets nominated for Best Supporting actor, instead of Michael Shannon's incredible performance as the sherrif it's Aaron Taylor-Johnson that gets nominated. Can I get a WTF?!!

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Lion
Manchester By the Sea
Hacksaw Ridge

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

La La Land
20th Century Women
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
Sing Street

Best Director, Motion Picture
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By the Sea

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Arrival
Nocturnal Animals
La La Land
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight
Hell or High Water

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Casey Affleck, Manchester By the Sea
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Denzel Washington, Fences
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Amy Adams, Arrival
Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Ruth Negga, Loving
Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill, War Dogs
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Emma Stone, La La Land
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Lily Collins, Rules Don't Apply
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Dev Patel, Lion
Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester By the Sea

Best Original Song in Motion Picture
Lin-Manuel Miranda – “How Far I’ll Go” (Moana)
Iggy Pop and Danger Mouse – “Gold” (Gold)
Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling” (Trolls)
Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande – “Faith” (Sing)
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – “City of Stars” (La La Land)

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Justin Hurwitz – La La Land
Nicholas Britell – Moonlight
Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka – Lion
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Arrival
Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams, and Hans Zimmer – Hidden Figures

Best Foreign Film
Divines
Elle
Neruda
The Salesman
Tony Erdmann

Animated Feature Film
Kubo and the Two Strings
My Life As A Zucchini
Moana
Sing
Zootopia