Well, maybe Brad Pitt won’t save all of us. As you can see in the first full trailer for Marc Forster’s big-budget action pic World War Z (via Apple), a few billion Earthlings will kick the bucket (but will probably reanimate, so there’s that) when the undead rise against us. Watch the trailer to get a look at Pitt’s shaggy-maned family man hero, who must to leave his wife (Mireille Enos) and their kids to go fight the zombie apocalypse for the sake of humanity in next summer’s World War Z . Head to Apple for the trailer debut. The full trailer has me breathing a sigh of relief after this week’s rather underwhelming trailer tease ; I can get used to World War Z ‘s superfast undead swarms, pouring through streets and leaping like lemmings off of buildings chasing desperately after Pitt’s delicious, delicious body. I mean brain. Or whatever these zombies eat. It must be high in protein to keep this kind of zombie metabolism going. Despite the departures from the book that will have lit fans up in arms, and the vaguely I Am Legend / War of the Worlds vibe this gives off, World War Z has me excited to see Pitt as an action hero. And how great is it that he’s doing a rare action turn while looking like a long-haired crunchy hippie dad? World War Z hits theaters June 21, 2013. How’s it look to you, Movieliners? Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die won the Gand Jury Award, at AFI Fest Thursday afternoon, while A Royal Affair by Nikolaj Arcel won the Audience Award in the World Cinema section. Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm won the Audience Award among the fest’s list of New Auteurs and Only the Young by Jason Tippet received the audience prize among its “Young Americans.” David Tosh Gitonga took the Audience nod for “Breakthrough” for Nairobi Half Life . “It has been an incredible year in film and we’re grateful for having had the opportunity to showcase so many wonderful films,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director of AFI Fest in a statement. “Our desire is to have these films reach an even wider audience after these eight festival days, and that our jury and audience awards contribute to building an audience for these films.” AFI Fest closes out Thursday night with the World Premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln . AFI Fest 2012 Winners Jury Awards, New Auteurs (with descriptions provided by AFI Fest): Grand Jury Award: Eat Sleep Die by Gabriela Pichler Description: A Montenegrin-born young woman living in rural Sweden, Raša is laid off from her job at a food-packing plant. Her ensuing job search pulls us through the maze of limited prospects and frustrating bureaucracy facing the country’s working immigrant population. Affable, resilient, street smart and soft-hearted, Raša’s natural magnetism draws us in completely. We feel every ounce of her disappointment, fear and elation as she soldiers on, looking for work. An Audience Award winner at the Venice Film Festival, Eat Sleep Die ‘s assured naturalism and political conviction single out Pichler as a bold, exciting new cinematic voice. Special Mention for Performance: Simon Killer ‘s (DIR Antonio Campos) Mati Diop for “her contribution to Simon Killer as both an actress and screenwriter.” Description: follows recent graduate Simon as he travels to Paris to escape the fallout from a former relationship. No matter how hard he tries, Simon can’t seem to shake the past and feelings of lost love. Instead, he fills his days traveling the streets and taking in the sites, while composing letters to his ex-girlfriend, engaging in chat room sex and hitting on girls in the streets. When he meets a beautiful prostitute and falls in love, everything begins to unravel and we discover that Simon is harboring some dark secrets. Special Mention: Here and There by Antonio Mendez Esparza Description: After many years in New York, Pedro returns home to Guerrero, Mexico, to an overwhelmed wife and daughters he barely knows. Pedro struggles to secure a job in town and establish his place as the head of the household. Just as the family begins to regain their balance, Pedro and his wife Teresa are thrown into turmoil, facing a difficult pregnancy and the prospect of a new child. Audience Awards (with descriptions provided by the festival) World Cinema: A Royal Affair . DIR Nikolaj Arcel. Denmark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany. Description: In the age of enlightenment, a young woman becomes Queen of Denmark via an arranged marriage, but shortly after the ceremony it becomes clear that the young king suffers from mental illness. German physician and philosopher Johan Struensee is called to attend the unstable King and an epic romance results between the doctor and the queen, giving Johan the power to make transformational social changes within the Danish kingdom. Based on a true story, A Royal Affair is Denmark’s official submission for Academy Award consideration. New Auteurs: A Hijacking . DIR Tobias Lindholm. Denmark. Description: One mistake can mean life or death to the crew on board a Danish ship taken hostage by Somali pirates. In Denmark, the shipping company’s CEO boldly ignores advice from a hostage negotiator and speaks on the phone directly with the pirate’s translator, Omar. Conditions worsen on the claustrophobic ship as the psychological pressure intensifies and months pass while negotiations continue. Shifting from the chaotic conditions onboard to the offices of the Danish shipping company, A Hijacking skillfully examines the art of bargaining in this fraught, high-pressure drama. Young Americans: Only The Young . DIR Jason Tippet, Elizabeth Mims. USA. Description: North of Los Angeles stands the city of Santa Clarita, where once-affluent neighborhoods now buckle under the strain of economic recession. Inside one of the town’s vacant houses, teenagers Garrison Saenz and Kevin Conway build a skateboard ramp in an empty room. The two best friends — punkish and no strangers to rowdy behavior — are as devoted to preaching the Gospel as they are to the half-pipe. Add to the mix Garrison’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Skye, a whip-smart, devout Christian facing a devastating foreclosure on her home; and Kristen, Garrison’s liberal-thinking, hip-hop dancing possible new paramour and you’ve got enough teen love, happiness and heartache to fill a deeply affecting screenplay. Breakthrough: Nairobi Half Life . DIR David Tosh Gitonga. Kenya/Germany. Description: Despite his parents’ wishes, Mwas leaves his small village and embarks on a journey to Kenya’s capital in order to pursue a career in acting. Naïve and filled with hope, he quickly learns why the city is nicknamed “Nairobbery.” A few innocent mistakes land him in jail, which eventually leads Mwas to connect with a gang. Although he learns how to survive in the dangerous and sprawling urban center, Mwas is torn between his new lifestyle of theft and violence and his dream of becoming an actor. Grand Jury Awards, Live Action and Animated Short – AFI Fest Grand Jury Award winners in the Live Action and Animated Shorts categories as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards Short Film category. Grand Jury Award, Live Action Short: Introducing Bobby by Roger Hayn “for crafting an honest vision of America by making an insightful portrayal of a single man.” Grand Jury Award, Animated Short: Oh Willy… by Emma De Swaef and Marc Roels “for melding a dynamic narrative with innovative animation style that leads the viewer to pure wonderment.” Special Jury Award for Animation: Belly by Julia Pott “for its personal touch to technique and playful storytelling that is a welcome addition to the pantheon of animation.” Special Jury Award for Documentary Filmmaking: Whateverest by Kristoffer Borgli “for constructing a film that contextualizes the digital generation and reflects on what happens when we turn the camera onto ourselves.” Honorable Mention for Performance: Narcocorrido (DIR Ryan Prows) for Raul Castillo’s “penetrating lead performance that conveys a sense of loss that leaves a lasting mark on the audience.” Honorable Mention for Promising Vision: Dogs Are Said to See Things by Guto Parente “for pulling together social criticism with a pool party and actually making something fresh and smart.”
Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die won the Gand Jury Award, at AFI Fest Thursday afternoon, while A Royal Affair by Nikolaj Arcel won the Audience Award in the World Cinema section. Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm won the Audience Award among the fest’s list of New Auteurs and Only the Young by Jason Tippet received the audience prize among its “Young Americans.” David Tosh Gitonga took the Audience nod for “Breakthrough” for Nairobi Half Life . “It has been an incredible year in film and we’re grateful for having had the opportunity to showcase so many wonderful films,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director of AFI Fest in a statement. “Our desire is to have these films reach an even wider audience after these eight festival days, and that our jury and audience awards contribute to building an audience for these films.” AFI Fest closes out Thursday night with the World Premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln . AFI Fest 2012 Winners Jury Awards, New Auteurs (with descriptions provided by AFI Fest): Grand Jury Award: Eat Sleep Die by Gabriela Pichler Description: A Montenegrin-born young woman living in rural Sweden, Raša is laid off from her job at a food-packing plant. Her ensuing job search pulls us through the maze of limited prospects and frustrating bureaucracy facing the country’s working immigrant population. Affable, resilient, street smart and soft-hearted, Raša’s natural magnetism draws us in completely. We feel every ounce of her disappointment, fear and elation as she soldiers on, looking for work. An Audience Award winner at the Venice Film Festival, Eat Sleep Die ‘s assured naturalism and political conviction single out Pichler as a bold, exciting new cinematic voice. Special Mention for Performance: Simon Killer ‘s (DIR Antonio Campos) Mati Diop for “her contribution to Simon Killer as both an actress and screenwriter.” Description: follows recent graduate Simon as he travels to Paris to escape the fallout from a former relationship. No matter how hard he tries, Simon can’t seem to shake the past and feelings of lost love. Instead, he fills his days traveling the streets and taking in the sites, while composing letters to his ex-girlfriend, engaging in chat room sex and hitting on girls in the streets. When he meets a beautiful prostitute and falls in love, everything begins to unravel and we discover that Simon is harboring some dark secrets. Special Mention: Here and There by Antonio Mendez Esparza Description: After many years in New York, Pedro returns home to Guerrero, Mexico, to an overwhelmed wife and daughters he barely knows. Pedro struggles to secure a job in town and establish his place as the head of the household. Just as the family begins to regain their balance, Pedro and his wife Teresa are thrown into turmoil, facing a difficult pregnancy and the prospect of a new child. Audience Awards (with descriptions provided by the festival) World Cinema: A Royal Affair . DIR Nikolaj Arcel. Denmark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany. Description: In the age of enlightenment, a young woman becomes Queen of Denmark via an arranged marriage, but shortly after the ceremony it becomes clear that the young king suffers from mental illness. German physician and philosopher Johan Struensee is called to attend the unstable King and an epic romance results between the doctor and the queen, giving Johan the power to make transformational social changes within the Danish kingdom. Based on a true story, A Royal Affair is Denmark’s official submission for Academy Award consideration. New Auteurs: A Hijacking . DIR Tobias Lindholm. Denmark. Description: One mistake can mean life or death to the crew on board a Danish ship taken hostage by Somali pirates. In Denmark, the shipping company’s CEO boldly ignores advice from a hostage negotiator and speaks on the phone directly with the pirate’s translator, Omar. Conditions worsen on the claustrophobic ship as the psychological pressure intensifies and months pass while negotiations continue. Shifting from the chaotic conditions onboard to the offices of the Danish shipping company, A Hijacking skillfully examines the art of bargaining in this fraught, high-pressure drama. Young Americans: Only The Young . DIR Jason Tippet, Elizabeth Mims. USA. Description: North of Los Angeles stands the city of Santa Clarita, where once-affluent neighborhoods now buckle under the strain of economic recession. Inside one of the town’s vacant houses, teenagers Garrison Saenz and Kevin Conway build a skateboard ramp in an empty room. The two best friends — punkish and no strangers to rowdy behavior — are as devoted to preaching the Gospel as they are to the half-pipe. Add to the mix Garrison’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Skye, a whip-smart, devout Christian facing a devastating foreclosure on her home; and Kristen, Garrison’s liberal-thinking, hip-hop dancing possible new paramour and you’ve got enough teen love, happiness and heartache to fill a deeply affecting screenplay. Breakthrough: Nairobi Half Life . DIR David Tosh Gitonga. Kenya/Germany. Description: Despite his parents’ wishes, Mwas leaves his small village and embarks on a journey to Kenya’s capital in order to pursue a career in acting. Naïve and filled with hope, he quickly learns why the city is nicknamed “Nairobbery.” A few innocent mistakes land him in jail, which eventually leads Mwas to connect with a gang. Although he learns how to survive in the dangerous and sprawling urban center, Mwas is torn between his new lifestyle of theft and violence and his dream of becoming an actor. Grand Jury Awards, Live Action and Animated Short – AFI Fest Grand Jury Award winners in the Live Action and Animated Shorts categories as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards Short Film category. Grand Jury Award, Live Action Short: Introducing Bobby by Roger Hayn “for crafting an honest vision of America by making an insightful portrayal of a single man.” Grand Jury Award, Animated Short: Oh Willy… by Emma De Swaef and Marc Roels “for melding a dynamic narrative with innovative animation style that leads the viewer to pure wonderment.” Special Jury Award for Animation: Belly by Julia Pott “for its personal touch to technique and playful storytelling that is a welcome addition to the pantheon of animation.” Special Jury Award for Documentary Filmmaking: Whateverest by Kristoffer Borgli “for constructing a film that contextualizes the digital generation and reflects on what happens when we turn the camera onto ourselves.” Honorable Mention for Performance: Narcocorrido (DIR Ryan Prows) for Raul Castillo’s “penetrating lead performance that conveys a sense of loss that leaves a lasting mark on the audience.” Honorable Mention for Promising Vision: Dogs Are Said to See Things by Guto Parente “for pulling together social criticism with a pool party and actually making something fresh and smart.”
Ahead of Skyfall ‘s theatrical roll out last month in the U.K. and this week’s release in the U.S., Bond star Daniel Craig has said he’s committed to two more 007. But in a recent interview, Craig held out the possibility he is holding out the possibility of departing the role as the debonaire British operative. The film screened in NYC and L.A. last night to packed crowds. The Secret Screening of the latest Bond packed Grauman’s Chinese Theater Wednesday night at AFI Fest . “I’ve been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it,” Craig told Rolling Stone . “But they won’t let me go, and I’ve agreed to do a couple more, but let’s see how this one does, because business is business and if the shit goes down, I’ve got a contract that somebody will happily wipe their ass with.” [ Related: ‘Skyfall’ Premiere Gallery – 007 Mingles With Royalty On The Red Carpet ] It is not quite clear whether his descriptives were said ahead of Skyfall ‘s theatrical release in the U.K. and other territories. The latest installment is one of the most successful in the 50 year-old franchise. The Sam Mendes-directed film also starring Judi Dench and Javier Bardem is expected to pass the $400 million mark internationally and that does not include the U.S. where it’s tracking to have a robust debut. Javier Bardem, who is winning accolades for his role in the latest Bond film playing villain Raoul Silva, told Cinema Blend that he was once offered to play 007, telling the publication, “Years ago, I was. I don’t remember what movie it was for. But yeah, it was just not that time. I didn’t feel it was the time for me to do something like that. And also, I was doing something else, so I passed. This time, when I read it, I felt that it was very powerful material, and I wanted to join.” Bardem said that he doesn’t regret the pass because it gave him a chance to pursue other things, even if some of them weren’t always “beautifully executed.” Given the success of Skyfall , it is highly unlikely anyone will – err – foul Craig’s contract as 007 for at least two more features. But speculation, nevertheless, ratcheted up a couple weeks ago that Bond’s next manifestation may possibly take an ethnic change. Bond girl Naomie Harris recently hinted at the possible news, saying that the next 007 may be Idris Elba. If so, the star of The Wire and films Prometheus and Thor would become the first non-Caucasian James Bond in his 50 years. Harris hinted that Elba met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli about the possibility. Skyfall had advanced screenings in L.A. and New York Wednesday night. The film packed in a full-house as AFI Fest’s “Secret Screening” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Rumors swirled that perhaps some of the cast would make an appearance at the screening since they were in town doing press. The red carpet was seen getting a good vacuuming hours ahead of the screening and the AFI Fest Step and Repeat was in place, but as the 9:15 start-time neared, the photo backdrop was covered up and star-watchers were not gathering behind barricades as they’ve done nightly at the festival ahead of nightly Galas. They will likely return, however, for Thursday night’s Closing Night Gala, Lincoln [ Sources: Rolling Stone , Cinema Blend ]
Ahead of Skyfall ‘s theatrical roll out last month in the U.K. and this week’s release in the U.S., Bond star Daniel Craig has said he’s committed to two more 007. But in a recent interview, Craig held out the possibility he is holding out the possibility of departing the role as the debonaire British operative. The film screened in NYC and L.A. last night to packed crowds. The Secret Screening of the latest Bond packed Grauman’s Chinese Theater Wednesday night at AFI Fest . “I’ve been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it,” Craig told Rolling Stone . “But they won’t let me go, and I’ve agreed to do a couple more, but let’s see how this one does, because business is business and if the shit goes down, I’ve got a contract that somebody will happily wipe their ass with.” [ Related: ‘Skyfall’ Premiere Gallery – 007 Mingles With Royalty On The Red Carpet ] It is not quite clear whether his descriptives were said ahead of Skyfall ‘s theatrical release in the U.K. and other territories. The latest installment is one of the most successful in the 50 year-old franchise. The Sam Mendes-directed film also starring Judi Dench and Javier Bardem is expected to pass the $400 million mark internationally and that does not include the U.S. where it’s tracking to have a robust debut. Javier Bardem, who is winning accolades for his role in the latest Bond film playing villain Raoul Silva, told Cinema Blend that he was once offered to play 007, telling the publication, “Years ago, I was. I don’t remember what movie it was for. But yeah, it was just not that time. I didn’t feel it was the time for me to do something like that. And also, I was doing something else, so I passed. This time, when I read it, I felt that it was very powerful material, and I wanted to join.” Bardem said that he doesn’t regret the pass because it gave him a chance to pursue other things, even if some of them weren’t always “beautifully executed.” Given the success of Skyfall , it is highly unlikely anyone will – err – foul Craig’s contract as 007 for at least two more features. But speculation, nevertheless, ratcheted up a couple weeks ago that Bond’s next manifestation may possibly take an ethnic change. Bond girl Naomie Harris recently hinted at the possible news, saying that the next 007 may be Idris Elba. If so, the star of The Wire and films Prometheus and Thor would become the first non-Caucasian James Bond in his 50 years. Harris hinted that Elba met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli about the possibility. Skyfall had advanced screenings in L.A. and New York Wednesday night. The film packed in a full-house as AFI Fest’s “Secret Screening” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Rumors swirled that perhaps some of the cast would make an appearance at the screening since they were in town doing press. The red carpet was seen getting a good vacuuming hours ahead of the screening and the AFI Fest Step and Repeat was in place, but as the 9:15 start-time neared, the photo backdrop was covered up and star-watchers were not gathering behind barricades as they’ve done nightly at the festival ahead of nightly Galas. They will likely return, however, for Thursday night’s Closing Night Gala, Lincoln [ Sources: Rolling Stone , Cinema Blend ]
This week’s new DVD releases make it easy to put a little Highbrow dark chocolate in your Lowbrow crunchy peanut butter and enjoy a satisfying double feature . Whether you’re in the mood for serious German cinema (that mixes in some genre tropes) or ass-kicking science fiction (flavored with pungent political satire), there’s plenty for all tastes this week. HIGH: Fritz Lang: The Early Works (Kino Classics; $39.95 DVD) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: This trio of early works by legendary German director Fritz Lang includes an adaptation of the classic opera Madame Butterfly and two films Lang co-wrote with his then-wife Thea von Harbou that feature actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge — two key collaborators on Lang’s masterpiece, Metropolis . WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: 1919’s Harakiri , the Madame Butterfly adaptation, tells the story of a Japanese girl and her doomed romance with a European officer who abandons her. The Wandering Shadow (1920), Lang and von Harbou’s first collaboration, follows a woman fleeing from a sex scandal and her eventual shot at redemption. Four Around the Woman , from 1921, sees a socialite falling victim to a crime…or is she involved in a blackmail plot? WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: Before he fled Nazi Germany, before M and Metropolis , even before Spies and the Dr. Mabuse movies, Fritz Lang was a successful filmmaker in Weimar-era Germany, when Expressionism was the happening thing. For scholars who wanted to explore the master’s entire oeuvre, however, many of Lang’s earliest films were difficult to access. Harakiri was one of four films Lang made in 1919, his first year as a director. And yes, the film has German actors performing in yellowface, but at least the filmmakers bothered to get genuine Japanese costumes and artifacts from the Hamburg Anthropological Museum. This DVD features restorations mastered from 35mm elements. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT: Fritz Lang: The Early Works should appeal to more than just Lang completists. Anyone who cares about the roots of movies or just wants to check out silent cinema at its most vibrant should pick up this collection. LOW: They Live (Collector’s Edition) (Scream Factory; $19.93 DVD, $29.93 Blu-Ray) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written (under the pseudonym “Frank Armitage”) and directed by John Carpenter; starring “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: A homeless drifter (Piper) finds a stash of special sunglasses that allow him to see the truth about the world around him: the rich and powerful are actually aliens who are destroying the planet and manipulating humans with subliminal messages in the media that induce people to consume mindlessly and to conform. WHY IT’S FUN: Released in 1988, Ronald Reagan’s last year in office, They Live is one of the most stinging satires of the Gipper’s era. Carpenter basically implied that yuppie-ism and the rest of the decade’s excesses were the product of cultural manipulation. (Okay, so extraterrestrials were behind the whole thing, but it’s an intriguing idea.) And if you’re not in the mood to look for political perspective, there are gross aliens and crazy shoot-outs and a fight scene between Piper and David that goes on…and on…and on…into cinema legend. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): This new Collector’s Edition features great new goodies, including interviews with Foster (who’s still got Those Eyes), David and Carpenter, plus previously unseen footage from the original TV spots for the movie and a featurette on the visual style, scoring and stunts. (There’s also a Carpenter-Piper commentary track that’s been previously available.) Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap, Salon and MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He also the author of two books: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (Limelight Editions) and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
This week’s new DVD releases make it easy to put a little Highbrow dark chocolate in your Lowbrow crunchy peanut butter and enjoy a satisfying double feature . Whether you’re in the mood for serious German cinema (that mixes in some genre tropes) or ass-kicking science fiction (flavored with pungent political satire), there’s plenty for all tastes this week. HIGH: Fritz Lang: The Early Works (Kino Classics; $39.95 DVD) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: This trio of early works by legendary German director Fritz Lang includes an adaptation of the classic opera Madame Butterfly and two films Lang co-wrote with his then-wife Thea von Harbou that feature actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge — two key collaborators on Lang’s masterpiece, Metropolis . WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: 1919’s Harakiri , the Madame Butterfly adaptation, tells the story of a Japanese girl and her doomed romance with a European officer who abandons her. The Wandering Shadow (1920), Lang and von Harbou’s first collaboration, follows a woman fleeing from a sex scandal and her eventual shot at redemption. Four Around the Woman , from 1921, sees a socialite falling victim to a crime…or is she involved in a blackmail plot? WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: Before he fled Nazi Germany, before M and Metropolis , even before Spies and the Dr. Mabuse movies, Fritz Lang was a successful filmmaker in Weimar-era Germany, when Expressionism was the happening thing. For scholars who wanted to explore the master’s entire oeuvre, however, many of Lang’s earliest films were difficult to access. Harakiri was one of four films Lang made in 1919, his first year as a director. And yes, the film has German actors performing in yellowface, but at least the filmmakers bothered to get genuine Japanese costumes and artifacts from the Hamburg Anthropological Museum. This DVD features restorations mastered from 35mm elements. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT: Fritz Lang: The Early Works should appeal to more than just Lang completists. Anyone who cares about the roots of movies or just wants to check out silent cinema at its most vibrant should pick up this collection. LOW: They Live (Collector’s Edition) (Scream Factory; $19.93 DVD, $29.93 Blu-Ray) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written (under the pseudonym “Frank Armitage”) and directed by John Carpenter; starring “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: A homeless drifter (Piper) finds a stash of special sunglasses that allow him to see the truth about the world around him: the rich and powerful are actually aliens who are destroying the planet and manipulating humans with subliminal messages in the media that induce people to consume mindlessly and to conform. WHY IT’S FUN: Released in 1988, Ronald Reagan’s last year in office, They Live is one of the most stinging satires of the Gipper’s era. Carpenter basically implied that yuppie-ism and the rest of the decade’s excesses were the product of cultural manipulation. (Okay, so extraterrestrials were behind the whole thing, but it’s an intriguing idea.) And if you’re not in the mood to look for political perspective, there are gross aliens and crazy shoot-outs and a fight scene between Piper and David that goes on…and on…and on…into cinema legend. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): This new Collector’s Edition features great new goodies, including interviews with Foster (who’s still got Those Eyes), David and Carpenter, plus previously unseen footage from the original TV spots for the movie and a featurette on the visual style, scoring and stunts. (There’s also a Carpenter-Piper commentary track that’s been previously available.) Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap, Salon and MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He also the author of two books: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (Limelight Editions) and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Oscar hopeful Beasts of the Southern Wild and Artifact , actor Jared Leto ‘s documentary — he’s credited as Bartholomew Cubbins — about his band 30 Seconds to Mars, are among the five films that have made it to the final round of IFP’s Gotham Independent Film Audience Award contest. Beasts, which was directed by Benh Zeitlin , turns out to be the only non-documentary nominated: The other three contenders include Kirby Dick’s Invisible War , about rape in the military; Burn , Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam’s documentary about Detroit firefighters, and Jonathan Kalafer’s Once in a Lullaby: The PS 22 Chorus Story , which tells the story of how the fifth-grade chorus at a Staten Island public school came to perform at the 2011 Oscars. The first round voting took place from October 18 – 31, during which 31 audience award-winning films from the top 50 US and Canadian film festivals were narrowed through online voting to the five films with the highest number of votes. Round two of voting will take place until Nov. 18, and the winner will be announced at the Gotham Awards in New York on Nov. 26. Filmgoers can vote online for their favorite film . Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Oscar hopeful Beasts of the Southern Wild and Artifact , actor Jared Leto ‘s documentary — he’s credited as Bartholomew Cubbins — about his band 30 Seconds to Mars, are among the five films that have made it to the final round of IFP’s Gotham Independent Film Audience Award contest. Beasts, which was directed by Benh Zeitlin , turns out to be the only non-documentary nominated: The other three contenders include Kirby Dick’s Invisible War , about rape in the military; Burn , Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam’s documentary about Detroit firefighters, and Jonathan Kalafer’s Once in a Lullaby: The PS 22 Chorus Story , which tells the story of how the fifth-grade chorus at a Staten Island public school came to perform at the 2011 Oscars. The first round voting took place from October 18 – 31, during which 31 audience award-winning films from the top 50 US and Canadian film festivals were narrowed through online voting to the five films with the highest number of votes. Round two of voting will take place until Nov. 18, and the winner will be announced at the Gotham Awards in New York on Nov. 26. Filmgoers can vote online for their favorite film . Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Also in Monday morning’s round-up of news briefs, Michael Douglas ‘ And So It Goes proves popular with buyers; Argo heads to Doha Tribeca Film Festival; and Cafe de Flore shines at the Specialty Box Office. Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Terrence Stamp Lead Noms at British Independent Film Awards Stamp, 74, and Redgrave, 75, are cited for Song for Marion , in which they play members of an amateur choir. Dench, 77, is nominated for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , as is her co-star Dame Maggie Smith, also 77. Broken , starring Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy, has nine nominations for the awards, which take place December 9th, BBC reports . D.C.’s Million Puppet March to Save PBS 1,000 people took part in a ‘Million Puppet March’ in the U.S. capital in a bid to keep PBS funding. Republican nominee Mitt Romney pledged to de-fund public television in a ‘Big Bird’ reference that became a key catch phrase of this election season, Deadline reports . Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton’s And So It Goes Sells Around the Globe Douglas plays a self-centered eccentric realtor whose life is turned upside down when his estranged son drops off a granddaughter he never knew. But his determined and lovable neighbor (Keaton) enters the picture and unexpectedly helps him to love again. The film is selling well around the world at the American Film Market currently underway, THR reports . Argo Heads to Doha Tribeca Film Festival Robert DeNiro will also be feted with a special event at the festival organized in part with the Tribeca Film Festival. Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist will open the event in the Gulf state of Qatar, taking place November 17 – 24, THR reports . Specialty Box Office: Cafe de Flore , A Late Quartet Lead Pack of Newcomers Specialty movies openers bowed mostly middling at at best, and a couple of pictures may have suffered residual Hurricane Sandy trauma. Adopt Films’ Cafe de Flore took the per-theater-average crown with $10K in one location. Entertainment One’s A Late Quartet bowed in 9 theaters with a fairly solid average of 8,433, although the distributor suggested the figure was lower than it might have been if The Sunshine in Manhattan’s Lower East Side had been able to re-open sooner, Deadline reports .
