Late last week, the box office prognosticators speculated whether The Dark Knight Rises would eek out a triumph over newcomer Total Recall . The pendulum would swing in either direction as the weekend approached, but in the end TDKR easily beat out Total by every measure. In fact, the film only really managed to measure-up to its original, but in 2012 dollars 1. The Dark Knight Rises Gross: $36,440,000 (Cume: $354,638,000) Screens: 4,242 (PSA: $8,590) Weeks: 3 (Change: – 41%) Speculation ran rampant in among box office watchers if The Dark Knight Rises would hold number one with the debut of Total Recall , but in the end Batman won and actually quite handily. TDKR took the top spot for the third weekend in a row. The feature dropped 162 screens compared to the previous weekend and its $8,590 per-screen average compares to $14,549 last weekend. Internationally, the pic has grossed well over $378 million. 2. Total Recall Gross: $26 million Screens: 3,601 (PSA: $7,220) Week 1 The original opened with just over $25.5 million when it debuted in 1990 in 2,060 theaters for a $12,395 average, so the re-make is in quite in the shadow of its original especially when factoring inflation. Abroad, Total Recall grossed $6.2 million in 12 markets, but will be heading to larger territories in the coming weeks. 3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Gross: $14.7 million Screens: 3,391 (PSA: $4,335) Week: 1 The pic also grossed an additional $2.77 million overseas, so within ear-shot of its $22 million production budget, but it did not measure up to last year’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules in its bow. The previous installment of the series grossed $23.75 million from 3,167 theaters for a $7,500 average back in March of 2011. It went on to gross nearly $52.7 million domestically 4. Ice Age: Continental Drift (3-D, Animation) Gross: $8.4 million (Cume: $131,862,859) Screens: 3,542 (PSA: $2,372) Week: 4 (Change: – 37%) The animated feature held decently one month out and should surpass the previous installment Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs , which grossed just under $200 million domestically. 5. The Watch Gross: $6.35 million (Cume: $25,363,203) Screens: 3,168 (PSA: $2,004) Weeks: 2 (Change: -50%) The pic struggled to connect with audiences with a drop of 50% despite no change in screen count. 6. Ted Gross: $5,478,660 (Cume: $203,413,895) Screens: 2,767 (PSA: $1,980) Weeks: 6 (Change: -25%) The stuffed bear continues to be a summer hit internationally as well. The comedy grossed $32 million at 2,380 locations in 20 territories for an international total coming in at $77.3 million. Domestically, the feature played 362 theaters compared to the previous weekend. 7. Step Up: Revolution (3-D) Gross: $5.3 million (Cume: $23,097,149) Screens: 2,606 (PSA: $2,034) Weeks: 2 (Change: – 55%) The feature had a pretty steep drop, though it did have a slight up-tick in showings compared to its opening weekend. Still, the drop suggests the pic is not grabbing audience attention as it expands. 8. The Amazing Spider-Man Gross: $4.3 million (Cume $250.64 million) Screens: 2,425 (PSA: $1,773) Weeks: 5 (Change: -36%) One of the summer’s biggest hits, the feature is now totaling just under $678 million worldwide. 9. Brave (3-D, Animation) Gross: $2.89 million (Cume: $223,324,000) Screens: 2,110 (PSA: $1,370) Weeks: 7 (Change: -33%) The Disney animation has cumed $118 million for a global total coming in at $341.3 million. Brave has comfortably surpassed the summer’s other animated success, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted , which has cumed just over $210.8 million in 9 weeks of release. 10. Magic Mike Gross: $1.38 million (Cume: $110,894,000) Screens: 1,202 (PSA: $1,148) Weeks: 6 (Change: – 47%) A success by any measure, the feature has likely come close to its domestic peak. The Steven Soderbergh directed film added 349 theaters in its sixth weekend out. Still its $1,148 average compares to $1,626 last week. And overall, certainly a stripping success for a $7 million budget.
Before there was Django Unchained , there was Django , and the star of that 1966 spaghetti western, Franco Nero, can be found in the 1970 surreal comedy Compañeros, which also inspired Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming anti-slavery opus. The Film: Compañeros (1970) Why It’s an Inessential Essential: With Django Unchained on the way, it’s a good time to revisit the films that inspired Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming pastiche. The winningly surreal action comedy Compañeros is the third installment of a trilogy that spaghetti-western director Sergio Corbucci’s shot with Franco Nero, the star of the original Django (1966) and the mysterious man who makes a prominent cameo at the end of the Django Unchained trailer. Like most spaghetti westerns, Compañeros is a mish-mosh of narrative tropes that takes the kind of mercenary outsider made popular in the genre by A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Django and places him in the political, revolutionary-centric context of “Zapata westerns” like Tepepa (1969) and Duck, You Sucker! (1971). Compañeros stars Nero as “The Penguin,” a Swedish mercenary who blows into town and is instantly plied with requests to join two warring factions: the current political regime and the revolutionaries. Soon enough, he bumps into the effusive Vasco, played by spaghetti-western staple Tomas Milian, a shoe-shine man who accidentally becomes a captain in the revolutionary cause. Through a series of convoluted events that inevitably involve double- and triple-crosses, Vasco and the Penguin team-up to help protect a scientist (Fernando Rey!) who knows the combination to a hulking bank vault that everyone suspects houses a huge bounty. But to get to the safe, the trio has to avoid Jack Palance’s mustachioed, pot-smoking baddy. (Did we mention that his character keeps a pet falcon? ) Almost everyone betrays everyone else along the way, making the film’s uplifting finale a welcome one. How the DVD Makes the Case for the Film : Blue Underground has re-released Compañeros in a very tempting box set with three other spaghetti westerns starring Milian: the middling Lucio Fulci’s Four of the Apocalypse (1975) and the manic Sergio Sollima’s Run, Man, Run (1968). The box set is basically a re-issue of their previous editions of the films, but there are some worthwhile special features, including commemorative featurettes on the films, that nicely complement the collection. The 17-minute documentary included on the Run, Man, Run DVD boasts some entertaining soundbites — such as when Milian proudly exclaims, “If there’s one thing in this life I’m sure of: I am fucking talented.” The “In the Company of Compañeros ” featurette is especially informative. In it, Nero and Milian look back at their work in the film and even music composer Ennio Morricone talks a little about the main theme he composed (“a kind of joyful requiem, but also dramaticit was a kind of reggae with a Gregorian theme.”). Milian’s anecdotes are the juiciest of this bunch. He explains that the way he he wore his beret in any given scene indicated how his character was feeling in that sequence. He also hilariously describes Jack Palance: “The way you see him behave in the movie? That’s the way he behaved on the set. He knows he has a scary face and he uses it.” Other Trivia: Milian and Nero joke about their rivalry during the production of Compañeros and how they went on to become great friends. Milian has an especially funny anecdote about the time he showed up to the set of Compañeros an hour and a half before filming started, only to discover that Nero had already been there two hours prior to his arrival! According to Milian, Nero would get to set early so that he could have crow’s feet applied to his face to make him look older. When a younger Milian asked Nero why he did this, Nero supposedly replied, “30 years from now, people are going to say: he never ages.”
Friday’s Total Recall reboot trades heavily on brand enthusiasm for Paul Verhoeven’s original 1990 dystopian sci-fi actioner , but its makers had to be careful not to invoke too much of the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle. And cool as it would’ve been to see the former Governator pop up in the new, grittier reimagining starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, and Bryan Cranston, director Len Wiseman ( Underworld , Live Free or Die Hard ) explained to Movieline why he chose not to indulge his inner fanboy. “There was talk about it very early on, and the kind of teenager in me fan was very tempted by it,” Wiseman said of the possibility of a Schwarzenegger cameo. “But the further we got into production on it, I just thought it would be too gimmicky. I wanted the movie to be its own movie.” The tonal difference between the original Total Recall and Wiseman’s is one reason why such a wink-wink nod might have distracted audiences too much. “I had to kind of check myself,” he continued. “How often had I seen that happen where I really thought it worked well? I haven’t, actually. It refers to itself in such a gimmicky way that I think it just takes you out of the movie.” Another would-be stunt cameo that almost made it into the Total Recall reboot was a brief appearance by Ethan Hawke , who was widely reported last year to be contributing a mystery performance to the film. Hawke even filmed his scene, which was said to include a five-page monologue . [KINDA-SPOILER ALERT] Producer Toby Jaffe spilled the beans , revealing that Hawke had been brought in to play a version of Farrell’s character Hauser, who subsequently undergoes the mind wipe and a face lift and wakes up sans memories as Quaid. “Ethan plays who he was before they wiped his mind and changed his face,” Jaffe told ScreenRant during production. [END SPOILERS] Hawke’s scene, however, did not make it into the final cut. As Wiseman told Movieline, “it was deleted, as many scenes were, for pacing and what have you.” But he also says Hawke’s footage could make it into the film’s eventual DVD/Blu-ray extended cut, although exactly how remains to be seen. As for Schwarzenegger, who’s back in the acting game post-politics and has Expendables 2 coming out two weeks after Total Recall , Wiseman was hopeful Arnold would eventually see the film: “I’d love him to see it.” Stay tuned for more with Total Recall ‘s Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Here comes the cinephile debate of the day: After polling 846 film experts, BFI’s Sight & Sound declared Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo to be the #1 greatest film of all time, topping Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane , Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story , and classics from Renoir, Murnau, Kubrick, and more of your favorite all-timers. It’s a triumph long in coming for the Hitchcock pic, which only first made Sight & Sound’s once-a-decade list in 1982 and has been working its way up the ranks of critical opinion since. Does the 2012 poll finally have it right? Culled from Top Ten lists from 846 critics, academics, writers, and programmers, Sight & Sound’s GOAT survey is at its widest to date. The full ten: The Critics’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time 1. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) 2. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) 3. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 4. La Règle du jeu (Renoir, 1939) 5. Sunrise: a Song for Two Humans (Murnau, 1927) 6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) 7. The Searchers (Ford, 1956) 8. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929) 9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer, 1927) 10. 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963) Somewhere out there, Kim Novak is raising her fist in victory while William Friedkin – who told Movieline Citizen Kane set the bar for cinematic greatness so high, trying to match it is what keeps him going – is probably shaking his damn head. Meanwhile, 358 filmmakers were polled for a separate director’s choice, yielding some interesting differences in opinion: The Directors’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time 1. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) and Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) (tie) 4. 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963) 5. Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1980) 6. Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979) 7. The Godfather (Coppola, 1972) and Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) (tie) 9. Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1974) 10. Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948) It’s interesting to note the divide between critics’ and filmmakers’ ranking of Vertigo , which is a more populist-romantic choice in ways than Citizen Kane ; perhaps unsurprisingly, the directors’ list is much more auteur-heavy in its leanings. But let’s open this up to discussion: Is Vertigo really the best film of all time? (Is it even the best Hitchcock of all time?) Have at it in the comments below! Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
After rolling out its Galas and other spotlights last week, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled a swarm of new films added to its lineup, including documentaries by Ken Burns, Alex Gibney and Julien Temple. TIFF also added its genre-heavy Midnight Madness section including new work from Oscar-winners Martin McDonagh and Barry Levinson as well as Don Coscarelli and Rob Zombie. The festival’s Vanguard section includes international work that “defies convention” and includes work from North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Also joining the 2012 roster is TIFF’s City to City lineup which this year will spotlight Mumbai; the TIFF Kids lineup including the new Finding Nemo 3-D animation and a collection of restored work. In all, the festival announced over 70 films Tuesday. “There is great satisfaction in discovering films from new voices in non-fiction filmmaking,” said Thom Powers, lead Festival programmer for documentaries. “Some of the most powerful stories being told are from these bold and original emerging filmmakers whose work stands strongly side by side documentary filmmaking greats Alex Gibney and Ken Burns.” The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 6 – 16. Descriptions are provided by TIFF. TIFF Docs: 9.79* by Daniel Gordon, United Kingdom World Premiere Daniel Gordon’s 9.79* looks at the legacy of the 100-metre men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when gold medalist Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and scandal reigned. For the first time ever, the eight athletes who ran that infamous race tell their story. Artifact by Bartholomew Cubbins, USA World Premiere The band Thirty Seconds to Mars and lead singer Jared Leto fight an excruciating lawsuit with EMI while writing songs for their album This is War. A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel, United Kingdom/Lebanon/Denmark World Premiere A World Not Ours is an intimate, often humorous, portrait of three generations of exile in the refugee camp of Ain El-Helweh, in southern Lebanon. Based on a wealth of personal recordings and historical footage, it is a sensitive and illuminating study of belonging, friendship and family. The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark/Norway/United Kingdom World Premiere In a place where killers are celebrated as heroes, these filmmakers challenge unrepentant death-squad leaders to dramatize their role in genocide. The result is a surreal, cinematic journey, not only into the memories and imaginations of mass murderers, but also into a frighteningly banal regime of corruption and impunity. Executive produced by Errol Morris. As if We Were Catching a Cobra by Hala Alabdalla, Syria/France World Premiere Initially intended as a documentary foray into the art of caricature in Egypt and Syria, when the insurgencies break out in both countries, Syrian director Hala Alabdalla ends up drawing an electrifying, intimate, passionate film on the fearless tenacity of Arab artists fighting for freedom and justice. Camp 14 — Total Control Zone by Marc Wiese, Germany North American Premiere This is the story of a man who was born and grew up in a Gulag-style North-Korean camp. After his escape at the age of 23, he discovers the “outside world” for the first time. The film relays his incredible story, as well as those of his fellow inmates and prison guards. Featuring Shin Dong-Huyk, Hyuk Kwon and Oh Yangnam. The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, USA North American Premiere The Central Park Five tells the story of how five black and Latino teenagers were wrongly convicted of raping the Central Park Jogger and how a rush to judgment by the police, media clamoring for sensational stories, and an outraged public contributed to that miscarriage of justice. Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story by Brad Bernstein, USA North American Premiere Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story depicts one man’s wild, life-long adventure of testing societal boundaries through his use of subversive art. This film combines traditional documentary storytelling with original animation from over 70 years worth of art from the renegade children’s book author and illustrator. Featuring Tomi Ungerer, Maurice Sendak, Jules Feiffer, Steven Heller and Michael Patrick Hearn. Fidaï by Damien Ounouri, France/Algeria/Qatar/China/Kuwait World Premiere An exceedingly timely tribute of unsung everyday heroes of revolutions draws the intimate portrait of El Hadi, a seventy-year-old veteran of the Algerian War of Independence, filming the unrecorded memory of years in combat, with its glories, traumas and legacy of violence. First Comes Love by Nina Davenport, USA World Premiere With the bracingly honest, occasionally hilarious and ultimately moving First Comes Love, Davenport examines husband-free parenthood. From hormone injections to post-natal chaos, Davenport chronicles her own pregnancy — including her conventional family’s reaction to it. She reflects upon a rapidly changing world, providing a wry and insightful play-by-play that keeps the viewer tuned in and transfixed by the topsy-turvy state of modern reproduction. The Gatekeepers by Dror Moreh, Israel/France/Germany/Belgium International Premiere Charged with overseeing Israel’s war on terror, the head of the Shin Bet — Israel’s secret service agency — is present at the crossroad of every decision made. For the first time ever, six former heads of the agency agree to share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions — offering an exclusive account of their experiences and attitudes during, and after, their service. The Girl from the South by José Luis García, Argentina International Premiere Filmmaker José Luis García was fascinated by a young Korean student activist he met in 1989 in North Korea. The director begins his quest to ask her how she crossed the most fortified frontier in the world and what happened to her dreams after the fall of communism. How to Make Money Selling Drugs by Matthew Cooke, USA World Premiere How To Make Money Selling Drugs offers a provocative glimpse into the lives of those on both sides of the “war on drugs,” delivering a diverse and unique perspective on the subject through interviews with 50 Cent, Eminem, The Wire producer David Simon, Arianna Huffington, Woody Harrelson, Eminem, Susan Sarandon and infamous drug kingpin “Freeway” Rick Ross. Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp by Jorge Hinojosa, USA World Premiere Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp examines the tumultuous life of Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) and how he reinvented himself from pimp to author of seven groundbreaking books. These books were the birth of Street Lit and explored the world of the ghetto in gritty and poetic detail and have made him a cultural icon. Interviews with Iceberg Slim, Chris Rock, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Quincy Jones and Snoop Dogg. London – The Modern Babylon by Julien Temple, United Kingdom International Premiere London – The Modern Babylon is legendary director Julien Temple’s epic time-travelling voyage to the heart of his hometown. From musicians, writers and artists to dangerous thinkers, political radicals and — above all — ordinary people, this is the story of London’s immigrants, its bohemians and how together they changed the city forever. Lunarcy! by Simon Ennis, Canada World Premiere With wry humour and affection, Simon Ennis’ Lunarcy! follows a disparate group of dreamers and schemers who share one thing in common: they’ve all devoted their lives to the Moon. From the former ventriloquist who’s made millions selling Moon lots to the young man who’s resolved to depart for Luna (permanently), Lunarcy! is a touching and comic portrait of passion, creativity and quixotic dreams. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God by Alex Gibney, USA World Premiere Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney exposes the abuse of power in the Catholic Church and a cover-up that winds its way from the row houses of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, through the bare ruined choirs of Ireland’s churches all the way to the highest office of the Vatican. Men At Lunch by Seán Ó Cualáin, Ireland International Premiere Narrated by Fionnula Flanagan, Men at Lunch reveals the remarkable untold story behind one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, Lunch atop a Skyscraper, taken on the 69th floor of the Rockefeller Building in the autumn of 1932. Part homage, part investigation, Men at Lunch is the revealing tale of an American icon, an unprecedented race to the sky and the immigrant workers who built New York. More Than Honey by Markus Imhoof, Germany/Austria/Switzerland North American Premiere Einstein once said: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” In the past five years, billions of honeybees simply vanished for reasons still obscure. If the bees keep dying, there will be drastic effects for humans as well: more than one third of our food production depends on pollination by honeybees and their lives and deaths are linked to ours. No Place on Earth by Janet Tobias, USA/United Kingdom/Germany World Premiere While mapping out the largest cave system in Ukraine, explorer and investigator Chris Nicola discovers evidence that five Jewish families spent nearly a year and a half in the pitch-black caves to escape the Nazis. This is the story of the longest uninterrupted underground survival in recorded human history. Reincarnated by Andrew Capper, USA World Premiere Legendary hiphop star Snoop Dogg travels to Jamaica to record a new album and immerse himself in the island’s music and culture. After decades as America’s ultimate gangsta, Snoop seeks a more spiritual path. Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out by Marina Zenovich, USA World Premiere In 2009, celebrated director Roman Polanski was arrested at the Zurich Film Festival. His weekend jaunt turned into a 10-month imprisonment. Zenovich’s follow up to Wanted and Desired — which some say was one of the reasons for Polanski’s arrest — explores the bizarre clash of politics, celebrity justice and the media. The Secret Disco Revolution by Jamie Kastner, Canada World Premiere A cheeky, sexy documentary-hybrid, The Secret Disco Revolution wraps revealing celebrity interviews — The Village People, Gloria Gaynor, Kool and the Gang — classic glitter-era footage and music in a hilarious new package that never lets you stop dancing long enough to decide what’s real and what’s satire. Shepard & Dark by Treva Wurmfeld, USA World Premiere Remember when close friends corresponded by letters? When intimate thoughts about life, family and mortality were hand-written or typed on the page, with full thought given to every word? This is the kind of friendship that Sam Shepard and Johnny Dark had. Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life of Garth Drabinsky by Barry Avrich, Canada World Premiere One of the most infamous moguls, Garth Drabinsky’s incredible story is the most dramatic and unprecedented rise to and fall from power in show business history. Show Stopper features interviews with artists who loved him, industry players who battled him and the media who spilled gallons of ink chronicling his prodigious career. State 194 by Dan Setton, Israel/Palestine/USA World Premiere In 2009, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched a plan to demonstrate that his people were deserving of statehood, inspiring them to change their destiny and seek U.N. membership. Since then, they’ve made remarkable progress, but the political quagmire threatens to destroy the most promising opportunity for peace in years. From Participant Media, the company behind Waiting for Superman and An Inconvenient Truth. Storm Surfers 3D by Christopher Nelius and Justin McMillan, Australia World Premiere Storm Surfers 3D is an epic, character-driven adventure documentary following two best friends on their quest to hunt down and ride the biggest and most dangerous waves in the world. Aussie tow-surfing legend Ross Clarke-Jones and two-time world champion Tom Carroll enlist the help of surf forecaster Ben Matson, and together they track and chase giant storms across the Great Southern Ocean. The Walls of Dakar by Abdoul Aziz Cissé, Senegal International Premiere A rare documentary that chronicles Dakar’s unplanned, spontaneous mural frescos, produced by marginal painters, rappers and taggers, that functioned, until the city’s insurgency, as one of its rare sites for free, uncensored expression and the crucible for articulating citizenship. Visually captivating, an elegy of Dakar’s unrepentant insurgent spirit of its everyday artists. Documentaries screening in other Festival programs include: Wavelengths: Bestiaire by Denis Côté, Canada/France Toronto Premiere Animals/People: Along the rhythm of the changing seasons they watch one another. Award-winning director Denis Côté’s sixth feature film, Bestiaire, unfolds like a filmic picture book about mutual observation and about peculiar perception. A contemplation of a stable imbalance, and of loose, quiet and indefinable elements. Masters : The End of Time by Peter Mettler, Canada/Switzerland International Premiere The End of Time is a cinematic experience from visionary filmmaker Peter Mettler which explores our perception of time. The Toronto International Film Festival will continue to announce documentary film selections in coming weeks. Previously announced documentaries include the world premieres of Shola Lynch’s Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Gala), Liz Garbus’ Love, Marilyn (Gala) and Maiken Baird and Michelle Major’s Venus & Serena (Special Presentation). Midnight Madness: The ABCs of Death World Premiere Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, and Yûdai Yamaguchi Twenty-six directors… 26 ways to die! The ABCs Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived, featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. With each director assigned a letter of the alphabet, they were then given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving a tale of mortality. It’s an alphabetical arsenal of destruction orchestrated by some of the most exciting names in global horror including Ben Wheatley ( Kill List ), Ti West ( House of the Devil ), Jason Eisener ( Hobo With A Shotgun ), Adam Wingard ( You’re Next ), Xavier Gens ( Frontieres ), and Nacho Vigalondo ( Time Crimes ). Aftershock by Nicolás López, USA/Chile World Premiere In Chile, an American tourist’s vacation goes from good to great when he meets some beautiful women travellers. But when an earthquake ravages the underground nightclub they’re in, a fun night quickly turns to terror. Escaping to the surface is just the beginning as they face nightmarish chaos above ground. Starring Eli Roth and Selena Gomez. The Bay by Barry Levinson, USA World Premiere A brutal and harrowing film about a deadly parasite, The Bay chronicles the descent of a small Maryland town into absolute terror.
Danish comedy duo Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam would like you to know they are not pedophiles. Not that accusations of creative indecency would stop them from toying with the line of good taste, as they do to hilarious effect in the R-rated Danish sex comedy Klown . The Curb Your Enthusiasm -style road trip comedy, which they wrote and co-star in, happens to be the funniest, most outrageous film of the year, and it has already been acquired for American remake by Todd Phillips and Danny McBride. Klown debuted in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin over the weekend, stirring up a decent opening as it looks to expand to 13 additional markets in the coming weeks. Back home in Denmark, it’s already made $12.3 million; nearly 20 percent of the population reportedly watched it upon release in 2010. That’s a fantastic start for a buddy comedy chock full of explicit sexual gags, nudity, child endangerment and wanton irresponsibility galore — a NSFW comedy of discomfort. After floating down the the Guadalupe River outside of Austin, Texas last month for The Alamo Drafthouse’s wonderfully meta Rolling Roadshow screening series, Christensen and Hvam spoke with Movieline about the planned American remake, their scripting process, and their tricks for pushing the envelope. For instance, why you can’t pop a joke too early (“What would top ejaculating in a child’s face? It’s impossible”), and the gag from their Klown series that rivals the worst transgressions of Klown the Movie. Also: What is cinematic infant terrible Lars Von Trier (whose Zentropa outfit co-produced Klown , and whose Nazi-referencing Cannes controversy the duo dismiss as “a stand-up comedian at an open mic”) really like? You two had a successful run with Klown the TV show, but at what point did you crack the right way to make it into a film? Casper Christensen: We did six seasons, and Frank and I wrote all the episodes. It’s a lot of work. It’s a joyride, it’s a lot of fun, but sometimes in life you’ve got to just come up for fresh air. So after six seasons we just took a break from each other — Frank went on a stand-up comedy tour, I did television, and it felt good just to let go of the Klown universe for a while. But we always had ambitions to write a movie. We got together and said, ‘Let’s write this movie.’ I wanted to get back into Klown because the character was so much fun to act, and we knew the characters so well, that we thought it might be a good idea for the first movie that we wrote, to know something. It would be easier for us. So I convinced Frank that it could be a good idea to write Klown . Frank Hvam: It was a good idea. I have no regrets about that movie. CC: But we started out bouncing around ideas for a completely different movie before we did this one. How different was that concept? FH: It’s always based on some buddy stuff, because that’s our relationship — we are friends in real life. We have this comic dynamic that we know, and we use that. CC: We talked about setting it during the second World War. FH: Because we would probably fail totally in a war situation. CC: We talked a lot about war. FH: On which side would we be? [Laughs] CC: How would we be if we were soldiers? Would we still be friends? Who would really be the hero between the two of us? FH: Every time we see a war movie in Denmark it’s about Danish heroes, and we would like to tell a story about Danish assholes. CC: During the second World War. Maybe you can use that in a Klown follow-up. Do you already have an idea in mind for your next movie? CC: Oh, we have a plan! We’re going to start writing in January. It might be a Klown movie, but it might be something completely different. One of things Klown the film does well is give freshness to a concept that isn’t necessarily unique – the road trip set-up, for example. If you were to give comedy writing tips based on your experience writing Klown, where would you start? CC: You’ve got to have a good story, a story that means something to yourself. Fatherhood is interesting for Frank and I — we’re both fathers, spent a lot of time talking about it, and living not the everyday life, we live a different life than most people in Denmark so of course we talk about things like, what kind of father figure are we? That was most important for us — we had a good story, and we had something we wanted to talk about. CC: Once a story is in place, you’ve got to do good comedy on top of it. You’ve just got to refresh your thoughts — I’ve never seen this, this might be fun — and just believe in it. We weren’t trying to please anybody when we made the movie. We’re not going to go, ‘People might like canoeing.’ Frank and I liked the concept of canoeing, that’s why we did it. FH: Write for yourself. That’s a very important thing, otherwise you get confused. CC: Six seasons on television – there were a lot of characters that people liked and loved from the series that aren’t in the movie. We might disappoint people, but then what? We don’t care. It’s about what we think is important. So there are a lot of good characters that aren’t in the movie. Nudity, especially in R-rated comedy these days and especially involving male genitalia, is used often for shock value. How strategic do you have to be in using it at just the right moment, and for maximum effect? CC: When we wrote it we wanted to make sure one of the biggest laughs was going to be at the end of the movie, because it seemed downhill from there. FH: We also had to make sure it didn’t ruin the story. If we have something explosive and we can’t get on the horse again – our story horse – then it wasn’t worth it. CC: That’s why we don’t show the picture right after we take the picture. We put it late in the movie but early enough that you kind of have forgotten we took the picture. That’s when people go, ‘Oh!’ when Frank goes, “I’ve got Casper’s phone right here.” They’re suddenly reminded. FH: We were discussing having Bo in the bed having a pearl necklace instead of Frank’s mother in law. That would have been fun, but it would have destroyed the story because it would have been impossible for Frank and Bo to get on that canoe trip after that. CC: And what would top it? What would top ejaculating in a child’s face? It’s impossible. FH: Then it’s a skit. CC: No, then it’s illegal! Do you think American audiences will be more shocked by how far Klown goes in the pursuit of humor than audiences back home were? FH: It was a shocking movie at home, too. CC: Let’s not kid ourselves – it’s way too much, even in Denmark. Denmark doesn’t just have the coolest audience in the world, then? CC: Oh, no – that’s why you laugh, because it’s too much. FH: It’s ok that people are a little bit shocked. Otherwise we wouldn’t have a movie! CC: Some scenes get more laughs over here, though; the homosexual themes are much more taboo. FH: The home robbery scene is also a little more [taboo] because running away from a child during a robbery here in the U.S. is a death scene — in Denmark it’s bad, but it’s not that bad because the robbers are probably not armed. Thieves are nicer back home? CC: They’re still thieves! Don’t kid yourself. It’s dangerous, but not that many people have guns so it’s not that dangerous. There’s also a point when Frank is teaching Bo to swim and there’s a beautiful shot of the two characters, the lake is in front of them and the sun is going down, they’re both drying themselves off, and Frank goes, “Let me see that penis… it’s not that small.” It’s funny but it’s a beautiful scene, it’s a loving scene – it’s got feelings in it! In Denmark people laughed, they giggled, but over here it’s like [guffaws] they LAUGH. A grown man looking at a boy’s penis! But in Denmark it’s a beautiful thing. Why bring Klown to Zentropa? Was Lars Von Trier’s involvement part of the appeal? FH: He wasn’t that much involved, but we came to Zentropa because of Lars von Trier. We wanted to get some of the best film workers on our project and we wanted to get close to Lars because he’s a super cool guy. He involved himself in a little bit of the editing at the start. He wrote an episode, he acted in an episode, and he is good at forcing us to push the envelope. He really wants things to go wild, and if you’re close to Lars you just want to impress him. He’s cultivated quite the reputation for himself, and not just through films. CC: Once you get to know him he’s a good guy! He’s got a good sense of humor, he’s a little bit crazy – but in a good way. I’ve been to his house having dinner with his children and my children and it’s all normal… but then suddenly Lars picks up a rifle at the dinner party, stuff like that. Sometimes taking his shirt off during dinner. He wants to see what happens now – what if I did this? And that’s interesting to be around. FH: Basically, he’s just a nice guy. Do you think his detractors took his Cannes comments a little too seriously? FH: We were surprised. We couldn’t see that he’d made any mistake at that press conference. He was just a comedian in an open mic situation – CC: And somebody misunderstood his joke. Lars von Trier as stand-up comedian – sounds about right. CC: That’s what he is! He’s trying out material. FH: We have tried that too. People sometimes are not offended in their heart, but they can use a matter to promote their own cause, and then they start a war just to show who they are. Contined on next page…
An Olympics-themed film program sounds like the kind of project that would drive most cinema curators bonkers. I mean, there’s Jim Thorpe: All American , if you want to tell a really sad tale at a moment when we’re supposed to be stoking the thrill of American victory. And then there’s Cool Runnings , which I’ve long thought of as the ideal film for herbal triathletes: mighty-lunged consumers of pot, hash and Salvia. Lucky for Westchester residents, The Pelham Picture House , a non–profit film organization operating out of a beautifully restored 1921 single-screen movie house in Pelham, NY has risen to the challenge with Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Olympics on Film. Through Thursday, the eve of the Games’ star-studded opening ceremony in London, the theater is showing a creatively curated selection of pictures that captures the highs, lows and entirely made-up madcap comedy that the Olympics have produced. On Wednesday, the schedule includes Walk, Don’t Run , the 1966 film which starred Cary Grant in his last role. He plays a businessman who can’t find lodging during the 1964 Tokyo games. Grant ends up sharing an apartment with Samantha Eggar and fixing her up with an American athlete played by Jim Hutton. Hijinks ensue. Also on the schedule: Miracle , the 2004 picture that stars Kurt Russell as the coach of the 1980 Olympic hockey team who brought home gold after defeating the Soviet team against all odds. Yung Chang’s China Heavyweight documentary, which follows former Chinese boxing star and state coach Qi Moxiang as recruits Olympic hopefuls from the impoverished villages of Sichuan province. Other films that have already played in the program include Laurens Grant’s documentary Jesse Owens, the Oscar-winning One Day in Munich , about the Palestinian organization Black September’s kidnapping of athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Warrior Champions, Craig and Brent Renaud’s documentary about disabled Iraq War vets pursuing the Olympic dream. Jim Thorpe: All American did not make the cut, but Cool Runnings, a comedy inspired by the 1988 Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, gets multiple screenings on Wednesday and Thursday. Leave your blunts at home, though. The late, great John Candy is in the movie, and just looking at him can produce uncontrollable fits of laughter even when you’re totally straight. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter Follow Movieline on Twitter
Juno Temple (recently, Selina Kyle’s special friend in The Dark Knight Rises ) and Riley Keough (the granddaughter of Elvis seen briefly in Magic Mike ) star in Bradley Rust Gray’s Jack and Diane , a dark romance about two young ladies experiencing puppy love and the peculiar transformations that ensue. After the jump watch the first official trailer, which sets up their sweet sapphic connection but shies away from major spoilers. Jack and Diane burst onto the collective radar a while back with its horror-tinged setup (which I won’t ruin here) and once was set to star Juno BFFs Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby in the title roles. As the first trailer highlights, Temple and Keough promise to bring a different dynamic to the tale — theirs is a naive, elemental chemistry, glimpsed in snatches, made ominous by animated sequences by the Brothers Quay. Cara Seymour and Kylie Minogue also co-star. Who can resist? Still, Jack and Diane floundered with critics upon its Tribeca Film Festival debut . But between Magic Mike , TDKR , and this week’s Killer Joe (which features Temple as the object of Joe’s affections), there’s no better time for Magnolia to capitalize on their stars’ rising cache. Verdict: Looks cute. But will it come together? Jack and Diane debuts on VOD on September 28 and is in theaters November 2.
Hollywood.TV is your source for celebrity gossip, news, and videos of your favorite stars! bit.ly – Click to Subscribe! Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! Hollywood.TV spotted Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez leaving quickly out of the back of a restaurant in Beverly Hills, after celebrating her birthday. It seems everyone was sending Selena lovely birthday wishes, even singing “Happy Birthday” to her at the Teen Choice Awards! We know the birthday parties have to be pretty insane when Beebs is throwing them. Happy birthday Selena! Hollywood.TV is the global leader in capturing celebrity breaking news as it happens. Launched in 2008, we capture all the latest news, exclusive celebrity interviews, star videos and hot celebrity gossip from around the world every minute of everyday. HTV is on the streets 24/7, at all the industry events and invited by the stars to cover their every move in Hollywood, New York and Miami. Hollywood.TV is currently the third most viewed reporter channel on www.youtube.com YouTube with almost 400 million views, and our footage is seen worldwide! Tune in daily for all the latest Hollywood news on www.hollywood.tv and http like us on Facebook!
Today Warner Bros. released the first teaser for 2013’s superhero reboot Man of Steel , an elegiac glimpse of Clark Kent ( Henry Cavill ), as a man and a boy, accompanied by memories of childhood paternal advice telling him of his destiny as Earth’s savior. But Clark/Superman has two dads — biological Kryptonian pop Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and adoptive farmer pa Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), giving fans a neat double tease: One teaser, two voice-overs. From the looks of things in the Zack Snyder-directed, Christopher Nolan -produced Man of Steel , it appears that Clark Kent is taking some “me” time off from his superhero calling to moonlight as a deep sea fisherman, Deadliest Catch -style. That vocation should give him time to ponder the childhood advice gleaned from his two dads, one who tells him he’s destined to save humanity, another who tells him that destiny is his choice to make. “You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They’ll raise behind you. They will stumble. They will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.” [Via MSN ] “One day, you’re going to have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good character or bad, it’s going to change the world.” [Via Yahoo ] The teaser had already been reportedly attached to prints of TDKR in theaters. I do like the idea of Hobo Superman slinging crawfish by day and hanging with a scruffy boatyard dog by night as he ponders life and stuff. But you tell me. Man of Steel will be released June 14, 2013. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
