We’ve come to the point where hand-drawn animation almost seems like a forgotten art, lost in the gaudy shuffle of motion-capture slickness a la The Adventures of Tintin and the sleek technical sophistication of pictures like Rango and Kung-Fu Panda 2 . That’s why it’s such a glorious relief to greet the arrival of an old-school -– but very grown-up — animated picture like Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando’s Chico & Rita , a romance that opens in late-1940s Cuba and uses a thumbnail history of midcentury Latin jazz as its backdrop. It’s gorgeous to look at — the images are stylized and detailed at once, as fluent in capturing the movement of human bodies as they are in portraying the luxe deco excitement of ‘50s Havana, New York and Las Vegas. And the story, sultry and bittersweet, is bracingly adult: This is the kind of sophisticated storytelling you rarely get even in live-action movies these days, full of unexpected turns and unruly human complications. There is also, of course, the music, much of it performed by Cuban jazz pianist, bandleader and composer Bebo Valdés, whose own life provided the rough inspiration for the film. Chico & Rita is the story of aspiring jazz pianist Chico (voiced by Emar Xor Oña) who meets the woman of his dreams one evening in a Havana club. Rita (Limara Meneses) is a singer, and Chico falls hard both for her voice and for her knockout figure, but he comes on too strong for her liking — she immediately brands him a country boy. Before long, though, they’ve tumbled into bed and into an on-again, off-again affair as well as a professional partnership. Together, with the help of Chico’s pal and manager, the charming, level-headed Ramón (Mario Guerra), they win a talent contest and embark on a blazing career as a duo, complete with a hit record. But Rita is lured away to New York with big dreams of success, and though she wants Chico to accompany her, a misunderstanding separates them. Chico eventually does make his way to New York on his own, where he slips into divey basement clubs to bask in the presence of his idols, people like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. (Their cartoon versions are wonderful and charmingly accurate, even if Parker is drawn playing a tenor and not an alto.) There, Chico also joins the ranks of other Latin artists like Chano Pozo and Machito, performers who made their way to New York and met with quick and explosive fame during the midcentury Latin jazz craze. Chico and Rita’s careers occasionally intertwine, only to once again veer off into separate corners. The plot doesn’t follow the standard rags-to-riches template (though it wouldn’t be a liability if it did). Instead, the story — the script is by Trueba and Ignacio Martinez de Pisón — treads softly but boldly into unexpected places, touching upon, for example, the fast living and violent death of Chano Pozo, and giving some sense of what the Jim Crow laws of the pre-Civil Rights-era South meant for black jazz musicians. Trueba is the director of the 1992 Belle Epoch; he also made the 2000 Latin jazz documentary Calle 54 , the development of which brought Valdés to his attention. (Like so many musicians of his generation — and like so many from his culture — Valdés had, by the 1990s, lapsed into obscurity: He was forced out of Cuba after the revolution and moved to Sweden, where, years later, he was rediscovered playing piano in a Stockholm restaurant.) Calle 54 also marked the beginning of Trueba’s professional partnership with Spanish artist and graphic designer Mariscal. (Mariscal designed Cobi, the half-bear, half-possum mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.) Together with animator Errando, Trueba and Mariscal worked out the look and feel of the film, reconstructing a vision of the vibrant, long-lost 1950s Havana (with the help of archival photographs kept by the city government) and re-creating a grayish, bustling ‘50s New York whose chief source of color is an aural one — in the movie’s vision, it’s a place where the music flows from basement clubs like a life-giving river. The music in Chico & Rita is just as vital as the visuals are: When Chico sits down at the piano, it’s Valdés’s notes that stream out, leaping and shimmering like trout in a stream. Idania Valdés (no relation to Bebo) provides Rita’s singing voice, luminous and smoky at once. The music that these characters make, separately and together, is as much a part of them as their own blood, and the drawing in Chico & Rita captures that essence: Just after their first meeting, Chico takes Rita to a bar that’s been closed for the evening and sits at the piano, ready to prove himself to her. She likes what she hears and begins to dance — her yellow dress swirls around her legs, her swiveling hips. Chico keeps playing, but he can’t, of course, keep his eyes on the keys. How do you portray something as delicate as a sexual frisson in a cartoon? Somehow, Chico & Rita pulls it off. The picture has a seductive, casual eroticism. Chico & Rita – which was released in Europe last year but is only just now appearing in the United States — has been nominated for an Academy Award, in a category that has snubbed much more lavish features like Cars 2 and Rio ; a recent Hollywood Reporter article suggested that we may be seeing a backlash against motion-capture and other kinds of computer animation. ( Chico & Rita is mostly hand-drawn, though it does use some computer imaging.) There may be no need to draw such a stark dividing line in the sand: Computer animation certainly has its uses and benefits, and the spirit of any piece of animation depends so much on the guiding sensibility behind it, anyway. But Chico & Rita is organic and vital in a way that it might not be had it been fully composed on computer screens. There’s so much depth and warmth in both the story and in the drawing: This is animation that implies movement instead of merely showing it. It also keeps the spirit of this one particular branch of the jazz canon burning in its heart. Chico & Rita may, in its deceptive simplicity, be the wave of the future. At the very least, it’s something to be grateful for in the present, a picture that conjures new life out of old grooves. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Director Gary Ross tells MTV News the first-person perspective will be shown ‘cinematically,’ not through voice-over. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Gary Ross Photo: MTV News For our fellow “Hunger Games” fans who are following each and every detail released about the upcoming big-screen adaptation, one of the key questions is how the filmmakers will address the fact that a large amount of the story is told via Katniss’ inner monologue. Will we be hearing Jennifer Lawrence narrate throughout the film via voice-over or will we see the action from multiple characters’ perspectives? Today is our lucky day, because we have an answer straight from director Gary Ross himself, who told MTV News recently that after much careful consideration he is not using any voice-over. “I’m not using voice-over for her. This thing is all from Katniss’ perspective,” he said of the story. “It is a first-person point of view. How do we put the viewer immediately and urgently in that experience they had when they read the book and they’re in Katniss Everdeen’s shoes? A lot of that is done cinematically. I spent a lot of time wondering and thinking about at the beginning of this process, ‘What does it really mean to be in the character’s point of view cinematically?’ I looked at a lot of really interesting references for that, but it comes down to: You don’t know more than the character knows.” Ross said we will be experiencing everything from Katniss’ perspective; we just won’t be hearing her talk us through it. “You wonder about what she’s wondering about, you worry about what she’s worrying about,” he explained. “You don’t know things she doesn’t know, and as such, you wander and experience things through her eyes, so that’s the first job: How do we make people feel they’re walking in Katniss’ shoes and encountering the same obstacles and challenges she is?” he said. “A lot is done cinematically and a lot is having someone as good as Jen Lawrence.” The “Pleasantville” and “Seabiscuit” helmer was cagey when asked about the specific look and style of the film but did promise they did everything they could to make things as realistic and believable as possible. “I don’t want to start giving specific scenes away, I know you understand that. I will say movies can do a lot in imagery where you can assimilate at lot of the world there pretty quickly,” he said when asked how much backstory he felt he needed to include or whether he’ll just jump right into the story at the start of the film. “The trick there is to make the world as real and as specific as it was when you read the book, be very precise about the production design and what this world looks like, and I think we’ve created a pretty vivid world.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Hunger Games’ Director Gary Ross Related Photos The Hunger Games
After spending the last year with her Oscar and her new baby, Natalie Portman is set to return to acting with a busy year with not one, but two Terrence Malick films. The Black Swan star will join Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett to film Knight of Cups this summer, with all three reuniting in the fall to film Malick’s Lawless with Ryan Gosling , Rooney Mara , and Haley Bennett. Plot details for both films have been kept under wraps, so tee off with your thoughts on the Portman addition and the unusual double film casting move below. [ Deadline ]
Film festivals have emerged as one of the best, most fertile grounds for discovering new voices in genre filmmaking, so much so that just about every fest these days has a midnight sidebar for edgier, darker fare. Among the just-announced midnight selections at this year’s SXSW Film Festival (held March 9-17 in Austin, TX): Tales of killer lady bartenders, faceless spooks, space-traveling Nazis, a deadly virus, VHS tapes , and the most evil kind of nightmare-inspiring villain imaginable, feral children. (Shudder.) Let’s rundown the freakiest-sounding offerings of the SXSW Midnight slate! 1. Intruders (Spain, UK) “The haunting story of two children living in different countries, each visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them.” –> “Faceless being.” Not scary sounding enough to you? JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO CLIVE OWEN’S FACE . 2. [REC] ³ GENESIS (Spain) “Koldo and Clara’s wedding is horrifically interrupted when some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding.” –> The first REC inspired an Americanized remake ( Quarantine ) and itself earned three sequels ( REC 4 is forthcoming). Mysterious viral outbreaks never get old… or do they? 3. The Tall Man “When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.” –> There’s been a recent resurgence in child-themed horror – children in peril being pursued by the spooky creatures of fantasy — and for good reason: Even adults remember the dread inspired by the nightmare boogeymen of their youth. 4. V/H/S “A group of misfits are hired to burglarize a house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. The guys are confronted with a dead body and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger than the last…” –> Having seen this anthology horror already , I admit it’s not so much scary as it is viscerally thrilling, an excellent use of the found footage gimmick made by folks who have a true affinity for the genre. 5. CITADEL (Ireland, Scotland) “An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children.” –> FERAL CHILDREN. Oh hell no. Of course, there are all sorts of genre scares in the SXSW Midnight line-up as well, including grindhouse yarns ( Iron Sky ) and cult pics in the making ( John Dies at the End ). And don’t forget the shorts slate! SXSW programmers have a knack for finding exceptional short films each year, and the inclusion of my Sundance ’12 favorite — Jillian Mayer’s Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke , a Miami-set twist on La Jetee starring Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew as himself — not to mention new shorts from Bill Plympton and Don Hertzfeldt, is promising. Full slate of Midnight films and shorts below. — SXSW Midnight Slate: The Aggression Scale Director: Steven C. Miller, Screenwriter: Ben Powell 4 hitmen + $500,000 of stolen cash + 1 family = WAR Cast: Fabianne Therese, Ryan Hartwig, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears, Jacob Reynolds, Joseph McKelheer, Boyd Kestner, Lisa Rotondi, Ray Wise (World Premiere) CITADEL (Ireland, Scotland) Director/Screenwriter: Ciarán Foy An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children. Cast: Anuerin Barnard, James Cosmo, Wumni Mosaku, Jake Wilson, Amy Shiels (World Premiere) Girls Against Boys Director/Screenwriter: Austin Chick A psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree. With edgy and ironic humor and a darkly meditative tone, it is also a coming-of-age story about a girl learning how the world really works. Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Nicole LaLiberte, Liam Aiken, Michael Stahl-David, Andrew Howard (World Premiere) Intruders (Spain, UK) Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Screenwriters: Nicolás Casariego, Jaime Marques The haunting story of two children living in different countries, each visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them. Cast: Clive Owen, Carice Van Houten, Daniel Brühl, Pilar López de Ayala (U.S. Premiere) Iron Sky (Finland, Germany, Australia) Director: Timo Vuorensola, Screenwriters: Michael Kalesniko, Timo Vuorensola In 1945 the Nazis went to the moon; in 2018 they are coming back. Cast: Julia Dietze, Götz Otto, Christopher Kirby, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Tilo Prückner, Michael Cullen, Udo Kier (North American Premiere) John Dies At The End Director & Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli On the street it’s called “soy sauce,” a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Suddenly, a silent otherworldly invasion is underway. Can college dropouts John and Dave save humanity? No, they can’t. Cast: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman Modus Anomali (Indonesia) Director/Screenwriter: Joko Anwar A man tries to save his family who go missing during a vacation in the forest. Cast: Rio Dewanto, Hannah Al Rashid, Izziati Amara Isman, Aridh Tritama, Surya Saputra, Marsha Timothy, Sadha Triyudha, Jose Gamo (World Premiere) [REC] ³ GENESIS (Spain) Director: Paco Plaza Screenwriters: Luiso Berdejo, Paco Plaza Koldo and Clara’s wedding is horrifically interrupted when some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. Cast: Leticia Dolera, Diego Martin (World Premiere) Super Secret Screening Be the first to see this feature film coming to theaters near you. The Tall Man Director/Screenwriter: Pascal Laugier When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children. Cast: Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B.Davis (World Premiere) V/H/S Directors: Ti West, Adam Wingard, Joe Swanberg, David Bruckner, Glenn Mcquaid, Radio Silence, Screenwriter: Ti West, Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Radio Silence, Glenn Mcquaid A group of misfits are hired to burglarize a house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. The guys are confronted with a dead body and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger than the last… Cast: Joe Swanberg, Calvin Reeder, Kate Lynn Shiel, Sophia Takal, Lane Hughes, Helen Rogers, Adam Wingard NARRATIVE SHORTS A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2013 Academy Award nomination for Best Narrative Short. Aaron Burr, Part 2 Director: Dana O’Keefe History is a contest. Another Bullet Dodged Director: Landon Zakheim In the fading echoes of a relationship, character is revealed. Bear Director: Nash Edgerton Jack means well, but sometimes good intentions have horrible consequences. The Black Balloon Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie In New York City, a lone black balloon, once part of a huge 100-balloon bouquet, learns that humans are complicated creatures with extreme highs and lows. Part Sci-Fi, part children’s film. The Chair Director: Grainger David The story of one boy’s reaction to a mysterious outbreak of poisonous mold in his small town. A Chjána (The Plain) Director: Jonas Carpignano Inspired by real events, A Chjàna (The Plain) follows Ayiva, an African migrant worker who seeks to reunite with his best friend in the wake of the most significant race riot in Italian history. A Fábrica Director: Aly Muritiba An inmate convinces his mother to take a risk smuggling a cell phone for him into the penitentiary. FOXES Director: Lorcan Finnegan A young couple trapped in a remote estate of empty houses and shrieking foxes are beckoned from their isolation into a twilight world. A world of the paranormal or perhaps insanity. Heimkommen (Coming Home) Director: Micah Magee When Robert’s girlfriend dies, he turns his grief against his younger sister Jo. Jo plays ice hockey with the boys, hoping to gather strength to bring her brother back to the land of the living. In The Pines Directors: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell Simultaneously an exploration of nature and psyche, the film documents a young woman’s hunt for extraterrestrial meaning. Part science fiction, part psycho-thriller, part poetry – this film crafts a memorable scene rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Joy Director: Colm Quinn Nicola reluctantly introduces her newborn daughter to her best friend Tess. Liar Director: Adam Garnet Jones When a brutal teenage revenge plot gets pushed too far, 14 year-old Tara is forced to choose between standing helplessly on the sidelines or stepping in to defend the boyfriend that hurt her. Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke Directors: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva A modern Miami adaptation of the 1962 French short film La Jetee, starring Uncle Luke of the 2 Live Crew. Little Dad Director: Noah Pritzker An insecure father prepares for a party at his in-laws. Mouthful Director: Robert G. Putka Bobby and Bliss are a happy couple, that is, until they begin to tell each other things probably better left unsaid. A single question leads them down a highway to relationship hell. My Friend Kills Time Director: Jakob Rørvik Thomas moves to a remote cabin in an attempt to disappear completely… even from himself. My Friend Kills Time mixes visual textures and haunting soundscapes to create a cinematic diary of a young man’s isolation. Not Far From The Abattoir Director: Kyle Thomas A story of a man controlling his demons and trying to imagine a better life outside of the only town he has ever called home. Pitch Black Heist Director: John Maclean Two men, professional safe crackers, meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe of its contents. The catch; a light activated alarm system impelling them to embark on a pitch black heist. Playtime (Spielzeit) Director: Lucas Mireles A seamless journey through the lives of German youth on a Sunday afternoon. Random Strangers Director: Alexis Dos Santos Lulu and Rocky meet, fall in love, spend the night together, and fall asleep looking at each other…except for the fact that he is in Berlin and she is in Buenos Aires. Reinaldo Arenas Director: Lucas Leyva Told from the point of view of a dying shark, Reinaldo Arenas is the story of an unintentional immigrant in Miami. REMAINS Directors: Jeremiah Zagar, Nathan Caswell A blend of documentary and fiction, Remains is about recollection and fading memories. Combining three years of recorded voice messages with stunning macro photography, the film documents a relationship from its inception to its end. Sea Meadow Director: Lily Baldwin A disoriented young woman stumbles upon an empty estate. There are signs of a lush life, but the inhabitants have disappeared. Or have they? Sea Meadow revamps the thriller with pop mashups and stylized dance tableaux. Shoot the Freak Director: Bradford Willingham Through the freak’s musings, this film chronicles the last days of the iconic, abrasive Coney Island attraction Shoot the Freak. In masked anonymity, the nihilistic teen indulges in drug-induced daydreams of violence and oceanic abandon. A Short Film About Ice Fishing Director: Jason Shahinfar In rural South Dakota two friends go out for the most explosive day of ice fishing either will ever experience. Syndromes Directors: The Golden Filter, Kristoffer Borgli A young girl’s bizarre and unexplained ability to help others leads to her involvement in a sinister underworld. Would You Directors: Brian McGinn, Rod Blackhurst Two friends play ‘Would You Rather.’ When their choices magically start to come true, they find themselves in a variety of awkward and funny situations. DOCUMENTARY SHORTS Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum. Aisha’s Song Director: Orlando von Einsiedel Musically lush and stunningly shot, Aisha’s Song is a touching and uplifting story of female empowerment from a part of the world where women are all too often overlooked. A Brief History of John Baldessari Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman No more boring films! Everything you need to know about the godfather of Conceptual Art… narrated by Tom Waits. BRUTE FORCE Director: Ben Steinbauer The story of Apple Records notoriously irreverent recording artist, Brute Force. CatCam Director: Seth Keal When a German engineer creates a tiny camera for his newly adopted stray cat to wear, the photographs reveal more than ever expected. Cutting Loose Directors: Finlay Pretsell, Adrian McDowall “I’m trusted with a pair of scissors and I’m in here for murder.” A snapshot of prison life in the build up to the annual hairdressing competition. Family Nightmare Director: Dustin Guy Defa Unearthed home movies and haunting dubbed voices collide to create a personal portrait of family dysfunction. The Fuse: or How I Burned Simon Bolivar Director: Igor Drljaca A nine-year-old boy thinks he is responsible for the civil war in Bosnia. Kudzu Vine Director: Josh Gibson This ode to the climbing, trailing, and coiling species Pueraria lobata evokes the agricultural history and mythic textures of the American South. The Love Competition Director: Brent Hoff The World’s First Love Competition. The Man That Got Away Director: Trevor Anderson A musical documentary that tells the true life story of Trevor’s great-uncle Jimmy in six original songs. Meaning of Robots Director: Matt Lenski Mike Sullivan’s world is overrun by an army of miniature sex robots with no end in sight. Minor/Major: The TV on the Radio Tour Documentary Director: Chioke Nassor An intense documentary portrait on the band TV on the Radio as they transition from minor label darlings to major label success. New York Accent Director: Caleb Slain Once a man with all the answers, Dr. Ed Dobson is struggling to resolve his own questions before succumbing to the unusual disease eating away his body. Written in Ink Director: Martin Rath Can one change what has already been written in ink? SX GLOBAL SHORTS A showcase for cutting-edge documentary shorts from around the world. Abuelas Director: Afarin Eghbal In Buenos Aires, an old woman looks forward to all the joys of becoming a grandmother. However, unfolding historic events mean she is forced to wait over 30 years. The Contest Director: Jakub Cuman Observational documentary made during the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Preliminaries in 2010. Chronicle of Oldrich S. Director: Rudolf Smid Mr Sedlacek wrote one-sentence entries in his chronicle from 1981 to 2005, everyday stories of his life, his village, and of international events. This animated documentary is based on 80 of those entries. The Contract Director: Lina Mannheimer On the 5th of May 2005, Beverly Charpentier declares an oath of allegiance to Catherine Robbe-Grillet. Hereby she gives up her freedom, for the rest of her life. Doctor Rao Directors: Alexej Tchernyi, Wu Zhi Doctor Rao passed away. Family and friends are celebrating his last journey. Walt Disney Square Directors: Renata Pinheiro, Sergio Oliveira A “quasi-musical” approach to contemporary urban life that reflects Brazilian society and many others throughout the world, this documentary describes at the same time a place, a city and a country. ANIMATED SHORTS An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2013 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short. 663114 I am a 66-year cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident. Belly Director: Julia Pott I can feel you in my belly. Caldera Director: Evan Viera A young girl goes off her medication to leave a bleak metropolis and immerse herself in a vibrant oceanic cove. Chocolate Milk Director: Eliza Kinkz Growing up in a Texas drug rehab, a teenage girl learns the rules of life and dairy products. Combustion Director: Renaud Hallée Fire used as a visual and musical tool. Giraffe Danger Director: Randall Hopkins A giraffe with personal space anxiety has a bad day. The Hunter Director: Marieka Walsh A hunter searches for a missing boy deep in the snow covered mountains. He must make decisions that will forever change his relationship with the wilderness he fears. The Hunter is a stop-motion sand animation. “it’s such a beautiful day” Director: Don Hertzfeldt Bill finds himself in a hospital struggling with memory problems, in this third and final chapter to Don Hertzfeldt’s “Everything will be OK” trilogy. Little Boat Director: Nelson Boles One little boat, one big journey. The Maker Director: Christopher Kezelos Life is what you make it. (notes on) biology Director: Danny Madden An animated account of an organism adapting to its environment. Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise Director: Kelly Sears A terrifying look back at high school. Paint Showers Director: Miguel Jiron Swirling cosmos of paint give way to a storm of color and drips. Photographs Directors: Christina Manrique, Robert Clogher An elderly woman living in an abandoned town finds a camera, which becomes a means for her to recreate her past life and remember a lost love. Reddish Brown and Blueish Green Director: Samantha Gurry Child services, schwag, and the American dream. The Shrine / An Argument Director: Sean Pecknold An elk wanders through a world of madness. Summer Bummer Director: Bill Plympton A man daydreams about what terror could be lurking in his backyard pool. MIDNIGHT SHORTS Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, genre, and hilarity needs. Cheap Extermination Director: Minka Farthing-Kohl For Ernst, the perfect disguise was to play himself. Cherry On Top Director: Mike Damanskis A prostitute finds new ways to attract business. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared Directors: Rebecca Sloan, Joseph Pelling A short film about teaching creativity—by This Is It Collective. Duck Sauce, “Big Bad Wolf” Director: Keith Schofield Keith Schofield’s original, outrageous and very, very funny promo for Duck Sauce’s single Big Bad Wolf has been burning up the internet, causing millions of pelvises to be thrust worldwide. An instant classic. I Am Your Grandma Director: Jillian Mayer An autobiographical video diary log (vlog) that Jillian Mayer records for her unborn grandchildren. J.P.B.F. Director: Steve Collins A woman interviews for a job at a nefarious company that may or may not f**k b**ts. Jacuzzi Boys, “Glazin” Directors: Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer Glazin’ is part of a larger narrative where a group of 6 anonymous girls innocently paint their privates and rig them to lip-synch their favorite song as a gift to the band. Machines of the Working Class Directors: James Dastoli, Robert Dastoli Two robotic blue-collar workers take a brief hiatus to discuss delusions of grandeur. Man & Gun Director: Brian McOmber A post 9/11 fairy tale about a man’s love affair with guns. Merman Director: Jono Foley Harrison swims through the darkest recesses of his mind. Other Director: Daniel DelPurgatorio Patrick is a brilliant doctor in an obsessive race to alter his own grim prognosis. During a series of unconventional experiments, he discovers a scientific loophole unlike anything he had ever imagined. Perished Directors: Aaron McCann, Stefan Androv Radanovich Sometimes survival is worse than death. Zombie Chic Director: Todd Cobery A stuffy dinner party is interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. MUSIC VIDEOS A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture. Alexander, ”A Million Years” Director: Benjamin Kutsko Baskerville, ”Reloaded” Director: Marieke Verbiesen Battles, ”My Machines” Director: DANIELS Casey Veggies, ”Euphoria II” Director: John Bollozos Céline Desrumaux, ”Countdown” Director: Céline Desrumaux CHRISTEENE, “African Mayonnaise” Director: PJ Raval Cults, ”You Know What I Mean” Director: Kevin Lin Ganesh Rao, ”Empyrean” Director: Ganesh Rao The Good The Bad, “030” Jeppe Kolstrup Gotye (Feat. Kimbra), ”Somebody That I Used To Know” Director: Natasha Pincus Hawaaii, ”Welcome” Director: Churl Gwon Herman Dune, ”Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” Director: Toben Seymour Hooray For Earth, ”True Loves” Director: Young Replicant Hyperpotamus, ”De Camino” Director: Lucas Borras Kina Grannis,”In Your Arms” Director: Greg Jardin Little Tybee, ”Boxcar Fair” Directors: Brock Scott, Tom Haney Ok Go, ”All Is Not Lost” Director: Ok Go, Pilobolus, & Trish Sie Porter Robinson, ”Spitfire” Director: Saman Keshavarz Son of Kick,“Playing the Villain” Director: Matt Devine (Glues Society) When Saints Go Machine, ”Parix” Director: Daniel Kragh-Jacobsen Whomadewho, ”Every Minute Alone” Director: William Stahl Yip Deceiver, “Get Strict” Directors: Brandon LaGanke, John Carlucci Yuksek, ”ALWAYS ON THE RUN” Directors: David Hache, Marc-Edouard Leon TEXAS SHORTS An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state. foolproof Directors: Zach Anner, Marshall Rimmer Zach Anner, the freeloading roommate, and Marshall Rimmer, the responsible businessman, eat their morning cereal together. The Gathering Squall Director: Hannah Fidell A teenage girl is forced into adulthood after she is assaulted by a classmate. The Guessing Game Director: Angela Cheng A very short comedy set in a retirement home with senior citizens. On the morning of his birthday, Emmett asks his fellow residents to guess his age and is surprised by their answers. Hellion Director: Kat Candler All hell breaks loose when seven-year-old Petey is left with his hell-raising brothers. But things go from bad to really, really bad when Dad gets home. Knife Director: James M. Johnston From the rugged cross-timbers of Texas comes a portrait of greed and vengeance. Magpie Director: Russell O. Buh On a trip to reconnect with his estranged and recently engaged daughter, Phillip finds a sex tape of the little girl he used to know. Dinner is going to be awkward. Spark Director: Annie Silverstein While a boy waits out his father’s tryst he is unexpectedly forced to deal with the lady-friend’s daughter. Set on a ranch in Bastrop, Texas, Spark uses the environment to explore the internal space of children. Tumbleweed! Director: Jared Varava The true and historically accurate tale of one tumbleweed that did not tumble. What It’s Like Director: Matt Naylor A magazine writer goes to an old folks home to buy mushrooms from one of the elderly residents. What starts as a bizarre transaction becomes a moment of connection across generations. TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS Texas High School students offer a glimpse of a bright future for Texas filmmaking. The Apparition Director: Jonathan Munoz Paranormal Elimination 101. The Bench Directors: Kalen Doyle, Hirsh Elhence There’s a note for that. The Bench Director: Christian Benavides One son’s letter to his father. Boom Directors: Daniel Matyas, Brian Broder All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought ’twas all in fun, then Pop! goes the weasel. Burn Spark Directors: Maqui Gaona, J.J. Rubin In the future, one man fights the system to choose his own love. Chance Director: Jasmine DePucci A young girl experiences a transformation by an evil spirit contained within the fluffy seams of a teddy bear. Code Red Director: Zach Prengler Four nerdy guys buy the hottest video game of the year, but what they bought was not what they expected. Drawings Directors: Christian Larrave, Alex McKenna The story of two doodles in love. Drones Director: Micah Autry A social issue film that projects the life of the protagonist and how he overcomes constraints of a normal life. Drum Roll Please Director: Alexander Villanueva Opposable thumbs have allowed humans to become the dominant species. How dominant, you say? Janitor’s Laundry Director: Brian Broder A dark thriller exploring the actions of a murderous janitor, who attacks lonely victims at the local laundrymat. Josh Lumsden, “Guilty” Director: Josh Lumsden Josh Lumsden sings and dances while trapped in a mental asylum. Julian Edmonson: Who I Am Director: Jake Wangner Julian Edmonson is a point guard who graduated from Fossil Ridge High School. This is a video putting a spotlight on this student before he went off to college. Knit-Picky Director: Bobby Jorgenson Life socks. Language Director: Leah Schell Jason and his Korean foreign exchange student struggle to overcome a language barrier. Masterpiece Director: Anele Page An artist struggles to create a masterpiece for a special cause. McChange: a Manifesto Directors: Jonathan Griffin, Josiah Sandhu Mark McNeil is the president that Pasadena Memorial High deserves, but doesn’t need right now. Plasticine Dream Directors: Samantha Fine, Andrew Fields Romance molded into the shape of a dream. The Process Director: Ty Whittington Ty Whittington, a young artist, takes us through the process of creating an artistic illustration in his own way. The Proposal Directors: Marcella Jimenez, Susannah Rodrigue The story of a young boys hope for childhood love. SAFE Director: Pierce Harvell When a tornado threatens the lives of two brothers, one decides to take the initiative towards survival despite the reservations of his twin. Silent Night Director: James Bradford Run fat boy, run! Zwichensug Directors: Cole Martin, Josh Willis An anonymous man with skills of inexplicable origin infiltrates the corporate hideout of a shady, but high-ranking businessman. Using fast and fluid tactics, our protagonist is determined to complete his task. Previously: The 2012 SXSW Features slate For more on the SXSW Film Festival, click here .
Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans and director Marc Webb also pop in during 3-D premiere of new trailer. By Kevin P. Sullivan Andrew Garfield in “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photo: Marvel / Columbia Pictures NEW YORK — Spider-Man fans came out in droves around the globe and in the web-slinger’s hometown to get “a sneak peek into the untold story” from the upcoming film. That’s all they knew when they lined up hours early outside Manhattan’s Regal Union Square. As similar events were taking place in major cities worldwide, no one in the audience knew about the surprises four of the events, in particular, held in store. MTV News’ Josh Horowitz moderated the New York event and welcomed fans as they took their seats. The theater grew quiet, and a live feed from L.A. replaced the Spider-Man insignia on the screen. The L.A. host welcomed the director of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Marc Webb, to join him on-camera. Webb threw it to Rio de Janeiro, where Emma Stone was introduced. A trip across the pond revealed the film’s villain, Rhys Ifans , but it wasn’t until the special guest in New York that the crowd lost their minds. Andrew Garfield , the man behind the mask, stepped out from a side door, inciting an out-of-control roar from the theater. A man shouted “Hallelujah” from the crowd, and Garfield couldn’t help but agree: “Hallelujah. You said exactly what was on my mind,” he said. “It means the world to all of us that you care so much. Thank you for being here.” Back in L.A., Webb instructed the audiences around the world to put on their 3-D glasses for the new trailer for “Amazing Spider-Man,” hours before the world premiere. Each of the four special guests then answered a question about the upcoming film. Webb addressed the new story and villain. Stone described how Gwen Stacy is the polar opposite to Mary Jane Watson. Ifans explained how Dr. Connors’ flaws make him more significant and how the connection to Peter’s father makes the film more emotional. Garfield answered a simple question — “Why did you want to be Spider-Man?” — in a simple and honest way: “Because I’m not an idiot,” he said. “It’s the thing everyone wants.” He explained that the role doesn’t belong to him, the character belongs to everyone. Garfield even expressed hopes that the next actor to play Peter Parker would be “half Hispanic/half African-American,” like the current iteration of Spider-Man in the Ultimate run, Miles Morales. The event concluded with an extended sizzle reel, lasting about seven minutes in all, of new 2-D footage, much of which was unfinished. Scenes included an awkward and cute scene between Peter and Gwen and a short sequence showing Peter developing his powers. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
Critics agree that the supernatural movie brings new life to the found-footage technique. By Kevin P. Sullivan Alex Russell in “Chronicle” Photo: 20th Century Fox With “Chronicle,” found footage comes to the superhero genre. It’s a fun and exciting take on a story you’ve probably heard before, and the critics agree. You can check out MTV’s review over at the Splash Page . We’ve rounded up a mostly spoiler-free sampling of the reviews out there for your reading pleasure. Check out what the critics are saying about “Chronicle.” The Story “Told mostly (we’ll get to that in a bit) through the video-camera lens of a pasty Seattle high school loser named Andrew (Dane DeHaan), the film “documents” the aftermath of his encounter with a mysteriously glowing space rock. Along with friends and fellow discoverers Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B. Jordan), Andrew realizes he can levitate objects and possesses super-human strength.” — Ty Burr, Boston Globe The Leads “From the start, there’s an undertow of cruelty to the teenagers’ high jinks as they learn what they can do, as when they levitate a stuffed animal to frighten a child. Mr. Trank brings a light touch to these self-discovery scenes — the three are flexing fast-evolving muscles — as well as a creeping sense of menace. In this respect, Mr. DeHaan, whose vulnerability and physical awkwardness here can evoke the young Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’ is invaluable. Mr. Russell and Mr. Jordan are as likable as their characters, but it’s Mr. DeHaan who pulls you uneasily in.” — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times The Writer and Director “Sometimes a movie arrives out of the blue that announces the arrival of considerable new talents. Josh Trank is 26, and this is his directing debut. Max Landis, also 26, has written a couple of shorts. His father is the director John Landis, but connections don’t teach you how to write.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times The Found Footage “One of the cleverest conceits is the way in which shots are framed so that it really does seem as if we’re seeing everything through Andrew’s lens. Helped by the keen eye of cinematographer Matthew Jensen, mirrors — really, any shiny surface — help fill in the settings.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Final Word “Bolstered by the natural performances of a trio of little-known actors, the very watchable ‘Chronicle’ keeps us captive throughout.” — Claudia Puig, USA Today Related Videos Talk Nerdy
We posted a video yesterday of a January 29th service at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church where Bishop Eddie Long was crowned a king by Ralph Messer — who claims to be a Rabbi bringing Torah truth to Christians. “He’s no longer a commoner,” said Messer. “He’s not on the Earth! He’s raised from Earth into a Heavenly realm! He’s raised in a prophetic position…God has made a prophet out of you.” During the ceremony Eddie Long was also wrapped in a sacred Torah scroll and carried upon a throne. Messer claimed the Torah scroll was 312 years old and “may still have the dust of Auschwitz and Birkenau,” referring to the Nazi extermination camps in Poland where millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with several metro Atlanta Jewish leaders who found the ceremony offensive to Judaism, including Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League. Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs told the AJC that he would never wrap a Jewish person in a Torah scroll, saying he found the symbolism off-putting. In a statement released through New Birth, Messer said critics misunderstood his intent. “My message was about restoring a man and to encourage his walk in the Lord,” Messer said. “It was not to make Bishop Eddie L. Long a king.” Messer added that Sunday’s ceremony “was simply a way of bringing honor to a man who had given his life to the Lord and had given so much to his church, the Atlanta metro area and throughout the world.” Read the full story at the AJC. RELATED: WTF! Bishop Eddie Long Crowned King?! [VIDEO] New Birth Christian Academy To Reopen With Aurora Day School [VIDEO] Bishop Eddie Long Returns To New Birth [VIDEO] Eddie Long Protestors Nearly Run Over By Long’s Supporters! [VIDEO] View The Eddie Long / Vanessa Long Divorce Papers Here! [PHOTOS] Bishop Eddie Long Taking Leave From New Birth [VIDEO] Vanessa Long Says Divorce Back On, Eddie Long Responds Eddie Long Seeks To Recoup Sex Abuse Settlement Money
W.E. wasn’t just an undertaking for Madonna, who directed her Wallis Simpson/Edward VIII biopic with all the lavish heft of a gigantic watercolor landscape. It was also a labor of love for Andrea Riseborough, the 30-year-old actress playing Simpson, the American socialite whose romance with Edward led to his abdication of the throne in 1936. The film’s most enjoyable asset, Riseborough was saddled with making the polarizing Simpson a wholly charismatic figure — an Evita without the benefit of torch songs. She succeeds, and with her thoroughly photogenic Edward (James D’Arcy) in tow, she softens W.E. ‘s melodrama with fantastic ease. We caught up with Riseborough to discuss her fascinating director , her feelings about the subject matter, and the zaniness of the Venice Film Festival . You’ve been promoting this movie nonstop for months! Are you sick of corsets and gorgeous costuming at this point? Are the constraints of the couture caving in on you, so to speak? That’s very funny! No, I’m very much enamored with every different period. It’s so funny because people often say — or people talk about period pieces — and I never really faction different periods or divide them from one another. I just think that really everything is of a specific period whether it be 2016 or 1810. It was extraordinary, the architectural feats that some of the couture gowns entailed on W.E. entailed. You have no idea. It was extraordinary. But is it daunting to think of committing so much to the look and feel of a period piece again? It’s something I’m very familiar with. Because whether it is 2016 or 1810, it’s very arduous. Specificity in any project, even if it exists in the abstract [Laughs] or it exists in an alternate reality, there’s always a vision that everybody adheres to. Everybody very much passionately leans toward expressing that vision and the way we share it with the world. It’s something that’s very familiar to me, actually, I suppose is the answer to that. It’s something I enjoy very much. It’s transporting. You are stunning in this movie. You really have the face of a beautiful silent screen star, or a young Bette Davis. Have you seen Dark Victory ? Oh I have, yes! Very much a part of my lexicon as a child. Did you think your throwback looks would aid you in getting cast? Because you would definitely fit in with the stars of Wallis Simpson’s time. Not really, because when I’d been sent the script, I thought it was very unique. I wanted to explore a little more and was interested certainly in the character that was Wallis Simpson, when I went to meet with the director — but when I met her, I actually had what could only be described as sandy blonde hair and a false tan. I was playing a modern character elsewhere. I’d never seen myself in one particular period. I know that my face is pretty plain and can look reasonably attractive but can also look horribly unattractive, and it’s been something that’s been a real benefit to me — being a blank canvas. Muscularly, I can mold it anyway that I want to, if need be. Or I can completely relax it! So, no, I didn’t think that — no. What I saw ahead was like with any role, the journey of a transformation that was something so utterly far away from myself. It was something and is something I’m very fulfilled by. For the record, James D’Arcy also looks just like Anthony Perkins. You can tell him I said so. [Laughs.] Nobody’s ever told him, but I can e-mail him if you like! [Laughs again.] E-mailing him now. Madonna is known for being able to choose forthcoming trends, own them, and bring them to the pop culture fore. Before you met her, did you have any idea what would impress her, based solely on your knowledge of her before W.E.? Did you use that insight to get cast in the film? My desire was not to impress; I wanted to see what fueled her passion for the story. I wanted to know what her vision was for it, and whether she would respond to what I could her offer her as a potential duchess. I think it would’ve been — I would’ve been somebody else, actually. It’s not who I am, I suppose. I was interested to see what our complicit working relationship would be. That was exciting to me. The story of the duchess was something I thought would be potentially interesting to excavate. I wanted to see within what framework that might possibly happen. She, very fortunately, responded to what I had to bring to her. Really, we were artistically complicit from that point on, from the outset really. She’d seen me play Margaret Thatcher and this other character before, so she had a good grasp on the reality that I could inhabit somebody who existed and somebody who was young and innocent — this other character was young and innocent. One interesting thing about W.E. is the sheer continental difference in knowledge about Wallis Simpson. In the U.K., everyone knows. In the U.S., plenty of people know nothing about that era of British history. Oh, don’t do yourself down! I’m trying not to! But there’s definitely a gap in awareness about who Wallis Simpson was. How do you feel addressing that with different markets for the film? I think, really, the story transcends any historical context you might feel you need to put it in. Interestingly, of course, it was a reality. But what we have portrayed is our perception or version of the truth, Madonna’s version and vision of a woman who really existed. The heart of the piece is the thing that’ll tap on the door of the common man, if you will. Because, I hope, that was the thing that originally tapped on the door of the common man — every one of the working class areas that Edward visited, the working men so very much appreciated him, took him into their homes in a way that a prince had not been taken in before. It’s that same honesty and love and truth, I think, that people will feel and respond to. Wallis, she’d seen the writing on the wall. She ended up being as trapped as she imagined she would be, if he should abdicate, which he did as you know. It’s impossible for any one person — I mean, let’s not even reduce it to gender — it’s impossible for any one person to live up to the responsibility of the kingdom. How does one man fulfill a partner who has given up such an awful, awful lot for their relationship? Do you find yourself sorting out the fair criticism of W.E. from what might be considered a biased response to your director? Has the criticism been fair? I really believe that people have their own relationship with it. And I say “with it,” I mean everything that the film is. We were all part of making it. They can choose to absorb it and gain what is valuable from it any which way. I really have no opinion on it, to be truly honest, Louis. I know I’m incredibly honest to be part of something I found beautiful. That’s really all I know. Talk about the Venice Film Festival, where the world got its first taste of W.E. and the first swarm of responses to the film hit. Seemed pretty manic at the time. How do you remember it? It felt incredibly special. It was almost like our first offering at something we’d been so lovingly baking. The explosion that then ensued was quite breathtaking. It was almost funny being so surrounded by love. I’m just speaking as honestly as I felt it! Lastly, I heard you say that you and Madonna connected deeply in researching the “geeky” minutia of Wallis Simpson’s life. How deeply did that fixation go? Oh my gosh, that is such a long answer, Louis. Her fastidious research has no bounds! And that’s where the answer lies. When you approach something that you’re ignited by and are passionate about in such a way, really, until it seems to you’re getting to the point where no stone is unturned, only then can you stop. When you imagine chronicling an entire woman’s life from age 29 to 70, everything that went before 29 — since it must be taken into account — and everything that went after, you can imagine that’s no small feat. I ferociously lapped that up. I enjoyed it so much. But none of that is worth anything if you can’t just trust that it’s been inside of you so you can be present when you’re living out what might’ve been their life. W.E. opens Friday in limited release. [Top Photo: WireImage]
Former R&B singer Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC may have finally scored herself a celebrity boyfriend. According to a ton of sources on the set of Tyrese’ s new video “Nothing On You,” the two are dating. Chilli, who was cast as Tyrese’s leading lady in the video, allegedly went wild with Tyrese during one of the steamy love scenes and when the director yelled “cut,” the two were still getting it on. The source claims it, “felt more like a porno set than a video set.”
Critics give mostly positive reviews to the Liam Neeson’s wolf-punching thriller. By Kevin P. Sullivan Liam Neeson in “The Grey” Photo: Open Road Films For the third January in a row, Liam Neeson returns to kick ass more than any other 59-year-old we know. This time he isn’t taking down sex traffickers like in “Taken” or whatever he was fighting in “Unknown.” No, this time, it’s wolves. For a movie that was sold on the notion of wolf punching, “The Grey” has received primarily positive reviews for its deeper-than-you’d-think story and characters. Check out what the critics are saying about “The Grey.” The Story “We meet Neeson’s character, a heartbroken loner named John Ottway, on the verge of suicide and thinking back, obsessively, to the woman who got away. His demons temporarily quelled, Ottway boards a small plane with his fellow refinery workers and in one of the most nerve-racking flights ever put on film, the aircraft runs afoul of bad weather and crashes. (For a turbulence wimp like me, this scene was not easy.)” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune The Star “Having paid his quality biopic dues as Oskar Schindler, Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey, Mr. Neeson has, at least for now, turned to the rougher and perhaps more lucrative work of action heroism. It takes nothing away from his earlier achievements to note that he’s really good at it. He conveys a ferocious and absolute seriousness even when the going gets silly, and he finds the soul in each new angry-everyman cipher he is asked to play.” — A.O. Scott, New York Times The Wolves ” ‘The Grey’ is an unrelenting demonstration that wolves have no opinion. When they attack, it’s not personal. They’ve spent untold millennia learning how to survive, naked and without weapons, in fearsome places like the Arctic Circle in the dead of winter. They aren’t precisely unarmed; they have their teeth and claws, but how far would that get us, even if we had rifles?” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times The Director “We’ve come, in vain, to see [Neeson] danse-macabre with wolves, and the film’s director, Joe Carnahan, provides the occasional horror-film sneak attack. He also manages to create one of the movies’ more nightmarish plane crashes and conclude with just the sort of ludicrous finale that paying customers who’ve seen the ads might assume they would be getting a whole film of.” — Wesley Morris, Boston Globe The Final Word “For all its macho standoffs and action set pieces and menacing off-screen howling, ‘The Grey’ is at heart a simple moral fable about how true heroism consists in helping other human beings to live as long and die as well as they can, which is, after all, the task all of us face each day, even when we’re not fending off wolves with broken glass duct-taped to our knuckles.” — Dana Stevens, Slate
