Harmony Korine ‘s Spring Breakers premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival is still days away, but festival-goers in Venice will catch the world debut Wednesday and already the film is making some initial waves with “raunchy” and “raucous” being just two operative words to describe the feature about a quartet of sexy college girls whose plan to rob a fast food joint to fund their spring break getaway goes awry. And that is just the beginning. The film stars Selena Gomez , James Franco , Vanessa Hudgens and Heather Morris. Franco plays their unexpected savior – so-to-speak. A local thug, he unexpectedly bails them out of jail and takes them under his wing and even manages to win them over, leading them into the wildest spring break ever and into a bit more crime. In Venice, Selena Gomez who once starred in the Emmy-winning Wizards of Waverly Place acknowledged that some of her fans may find her role a bit of a surprise. “Obviously I know that coming from Disney Channel gives you kind of a brand in a way,” the 20-year-old told reporters in Venice, according to Reuters . “People do put a label on you. I know that I have younger fans, and this is an opportunity for myself to kind of grow. It is a little shocking, I think, for the younger audiences … but I think it was right for me. I did things I didn’t even know I could do on the movie and I do think it was because I trusted Harmony.” Gomez had apparently been asked to play an even racier character in the film, but opted for the comparatively more staid Faith. The 20 year-old actress said that her character in the film was her speed at least for now. “I just didn’t think I was ready for it, and I do think that Faith is right for me at this time in my career and in my life,” she said in Venice. “Of course eventually I’m going to kind of work my way up to that I think.” Fluorescent bikinis, robberies and hard beach partying aside, The Telegraph said that Spring Breakers actually does not go “far enough,” saying it is just another “mainstream Hollywood teen comedy.” That is a surprise coming from the writer of 1995’s seminal Kids and his last Toronto offering Trash Humpers . Others will undoubtedly have their say. [ Sources: Reuters , The Telegraph ]
The Toronto International Film Festival annually boasts one of the deepest and glitziest line-ups of the year, and while there are many under-the-radar discoveries to be made, TIFF can be a very effective launching pad for upcoming studio releases and Oscar hopefuls alike. With Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck , Ryan Gosling , Paul Thomas Anderson , Kristen Stewart , Jake Gyllenhaal , Spike Lee , Keira Knightley , Bill Murray and more bringing films to Toronto, which films and A-listers are set to make the biggest splash at the fest starting tomorrow night? [ PHOTO GALLERY: The 15 Toronto Titles Most Likely To Succeed ] Argo , Ben Affleck Headed to theaters in October via Warner Bros., Ben Affleck ’s third directorial effort is also his most ambitious to date following his strong crime thrillers Gone Baby Gone and The Town . Based on the true story of a joint Hollywood-CIA plot to rescue six diplomats during the Iran Hostage Crisis, Argo boasts a stellar supporting cast – Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Philip Baker Hall, Alan Arkin, Clea Duvall, and Kyle Chandler among them – anchored by Affleck himself as real life CIA operative Tony Mendez. Oscar buzz began last weekend at Telluride , where Affleck earned kudos for his work in front of and behind the camera. The Master , Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson’s much-anticipated drama has navigated its own unorthodox course of promotion through secret screenings and teaser trailers ahead of its September 14 bow in limited release. ( Read Movieline’s sneak review here .) A highly successful official bow at the Venice Film Festival before a stop in Toronto only shored up more critical support for the period drama, about an ex-seaman (Joaquin Phoenix) drawn into the inner circle of an L. Ron Hubbard-esque figure (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Expect Anderson’s latest to keep riding the wave all the way through awards season and pique interest beyond the art house with its parallels to Scientology . The Place Beyond the Pines , Derek Cianfrance In The Place Beyond The Pines Ryan Gosling – tattooed, blond, and a biker – reunites with director Derek Cianfrance, who captured one of Gosling’s finest and most wrenching performances in Blue Valentine . Here Cianfrance pits Gosling’s vagabond-outlaw motorcyclist against an ambitious young cop (Bradley Cooper) in what Toronto Film Festival artistic director Cameron Bailey calls “a study of vengeance, memory and fate.” Rose Byrne and Eva Mendes (who’s been dating Gosling, ZOMG) also star. If you loved the Baby Goose in Drive , how can you resist? On the Road , Walter Salles Despite mixed reviews out of Cannes , Walter Salles’ adaptation of the Beat generation classic is primed to make a splash upon release this December – mostly thanks to the star power (and, let’s be real, the tabloid power) of Kristen Stewart , whose turn as the wild Marylou marks the beginning of a departure from her well-known Twilight alter ego. But On the Road could also boost the profile of Garrett Hedlund ( TRON ) – and the additional wattage of Kirsten Dunst , Viggo Mortensen , and Amy Adams doesn’t hurt, either. Looper , Rian Johnson Rian Johnson ( Brick , Brothers Bloom ) is back with a sci-fi tale with a twist: Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars underneath a prosthetic Bruce Willis nose as Joe, a “looper” – a hitman who offs targets sent back in time from the future. When he encounters his future self and fails to finish the job, Joe finds himself both hunter and hunted as time runs out. After premiering on opening night of the Toronto Film Festival, Looper will hit theaters on September 28 – a surprising must-see for sci-fi fans.
The lineup for the 56th BFI London Film Festival was unveiled Wednesday with 225 fiction and documentary features set for the event, including 14 World, 15 International and 34 European Premieres. The lineup also includes a gala for the world premiere of Crossfire Hurricane , a documentary celebrating 50 years of The Rolling Stones, who are expected to attend the event. As announced earlier, the European Premiere of Tim Burton’s 3-D animation Frankenweenie will open LFF on October 10th. The festival will close withMike Newell’s Great Expectations with Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. Other gala highlights include Toronto titles such as Ben Affleck’s political thriller Argo , Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut Quartet as well as Roger Michell’s Hyde Park On Hudson , which will screen as the London Film Festival’s Centerpiece. And drama The Sessions is set, starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy. The London Film Festival’s 2012 Competition Slate: Official Competition European Premieres: Michael Winterbottom’s Everyday Sally Potter’s Ginger and Rosa Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths UK Premieres Michel Franco’s After Lucia David Ayer’s End of Watch Rama Burshtein’s Fill the Void Daniele Ciprì’s It Was the Son François Ozon’s In the House Cate Shortland’s Lore Pablo Larraín’s No Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone First Feature Competition (recognizing an original and imaginative directorial debut): 3 European premieres Masaaki Akahori’s The Samurai that Night Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus Barry Berk’s Sleeper’s Wake 9 UK premieres Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild Tom Shkolnik’s The Comedian Maja Miloš’ Clip Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Neighbouring Sounds Scott Graham’s Shell Andrey Gryazev’s Tomorrow Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda Documentary Competition Categories : 4 World Premieres Charlie Paul’s For No Good Reason Nick Ryan’s The Summit Sarah Gavron’s Village at the End of the World Greg Olliver’s Turned Towards the Sun 1 International Premiere Sébastien Lifshitz’s Les Invisibles 4 European Premieres Jay Bulger’s Beware of Mr Baker Shola Lynch’s Free Angela and All Political Prisoners Alex Gibney’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God Amy Berg’s West of Memphis 3 UK Premieres Katja Gauriloff’s Canned Dreams Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns’ The Central Park Five Ulises Rosell’s The Ethnographer The nominees for “Best British Newcomer”: Rowan Athale – director/screenwriter Wasteland Sally El Hosaini – director/screenwriter My Brother the Devil Fady Elsayed – actor My Brother the Devil Scott Graham – director/screenwriter Shell Eloise Laurence – actor Broken Rufus Norris – director Broken Chloe Pirrie actor Shell Tom Shkolnik – director/screenwriter The Comedian
Selena Gomez arrived at the Venice Film Festival rocking a CND logo t-shirt. That is for some Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. I didn’t know she was so political. The only disarmament I care about is the disarmament of her yellow bra . No threat detected. It appears to be a frontal clasps. That’s going to require only one hand.
Selena Gomez arrived at the Venice Film Festival rocking a CND logo t-shirt. That is for some Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. I didn’t know she was so political. The only disarmament I care about is the disarmament of her yellow bra . No threat detected. It appears to be a frontal clasps. That’s going to require only one hand.
Given the Labor Day weekend, most of this week’s high-profile home-video releases are TV box sets timed to promote the new seasons of such returning favorites as The Good Wife and Grey’s Anatomy . That doesn’t mean film lovers are out of luck: there are new editions of beloved comedies from two very different directors who both managed to be brand names in their chosen fields. HIGH: The Navigator: Ultimate Edition (Kino Classics; $29.95 DVD/$34.95 Blu-Ray) Who’s Responsible: Directed by Buster Keaton and Donald Crisp from a story by Clyde Bruckman, Joseph Mitchell and Jean Havez; starring Keaton and Kathryn McGuire. What It’s All About: Keaton stars as the rich and thoroughly useless Rollo Treadway, who has his chauffeur drive him across the street so he can propose to the equally wealthy and spoiled Betsy O’Brien (McGuire). She turns him down, but through a series of complicated circumstances, the two of them find themselves alone on a ship in the middle of the Pacific. Things start out disastrously — she boils a giant pot of water to cook one egg — but they figure out a way to survive, just in time to face attack by angry islanders. Why It’s Schmancy: Academics, list-makers and cinematic know-it-alls of every stripe champion Keaton’s The General as one of the greatest silent comedies ever made, but I’ve always preferred this 1924 slapstick-heavy nautical epic. From the early scenes of the two young dilettantes trying to figure out who else is on the boat to Keaton’s underwater antics in a pre-SCUBA diving suit — which he later turns into a raft — The Navigator shows the legendary director in top form and makes the perfect movie to show to someone who’s never seen a silent movie before. Why You Should Buy It (Again): The “Ultimate Edition” marks the Blu-Ray debut of this classic, although both the Blu-Ray and the DVD releases include the HD master from the original 35mm negative, tinted to the filmmaker’s specifications. Both editions also include an orchestral score by Robert Israel, a featurette on the making of the film and Keaton’s ongoing fascination with boats as a source of comedy. Feature-length audio commentary by silent film historians Robert Arkus and Yair Solan, a photo gallery, and the audio of “Asleep in the Deep,” a 1913 hit song referenced in the film, gives this package some real depth. LOW: Zotz! (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; $20.95 DVD) Who’s Responsible: Directed by William Castle, written by Ray Russell, based on the novel by Walter Karig; starring Tom Poston, Jim Backus, Margaret Dumont. What It’s All About: College professor Jonathan Jones (Poston) finds an ancient amulet and discovers that he can use it to slow down time, cause great pain and even (when it’s pointed at someone and the title of the film is uttered) kill people. Jones tries to pass the talisman along to the Department of Defense, but the government agents think he’s nuts. The Soviets, however, want to get their hands on it, and wackiness ensues. Why It’s Fun: Zotz! marked something of a departure for Castle, best known for thrillers and horror movies like The Tingler , The House on Haunted Hill , Homicidal and 13 Ghosts . What really made Castle famous was his love of gimmicks, whether it was insuring his audiences against death by fright, wiring theater seats to buzz unsuspecting patrons or unleashing a giant inflatable skeleton to fly through the theater. With Zotz!, he toned things down a bit, merely handing out replica medallions to audience members. Still, it’s a silly and entertaining comedy, featuring a rare lead role for legendary TV second banana Poston, best known as the doofus foil to Bob Newhart on his various hit sitcoms. Why You Should Buy It (Again): Sony is offering the film through its movies-on-demand (i.e., they don’t make it until you buy it) label “Choice Collection,” which in this case means there aren’t any extras. If you’re interested in Castle, you should instead spring for the William Castle Film Collection box set, which features Zotz! and several other Castle classics as well as a great documentary on the huckster filmmaker: Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story . 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.
Ben Affleck ‘s look at a hidden story from the Iranian hostage crisis, Bill Murray as FDR, Marion Cotillard playing a woman whose life is dramatically altered in an instant, as well as a pair of acclaimed foreign language films are just a few of the most buzzed about movies coming out of this year’s Telluride Film Festival . Over the course of just four days here in this Colorado mountain town, attendees got a head start peek at some of the best movies of the year. Films and performance that will have moviegoers talking this fall. Marion Cotillard Saturday night here in Telluride, French actress Marion Cotillard sat at a small dinner alongside director James Gray. Directors Alexander Payne and Sally Potter were among those wishing her well at the intimate gathering after her on stage tribute. Cotillard is starring in Gray’s upcoming movie, Nightingale and Gray was here in Colorado to salute her on stage as she received a festival tribute. While the night included a five minute clip from Nightingale , the Cotillard movie that had festival goers buzzing was Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone . Marion Cotillard, Photo by Eugene Hernandez Set on a grittier side of the South of France than is typically pictured in the gossip magazines, Audiard’s Rust and Bone is the story of an animal trainer at the local Marineland who fights back from a dramatic setback. It would be an unfair spoiler to detail the nature of Cotillard’s character’s devastating journey but it’s safe to say that as she comes to grips with her future she also finds love in an unexpected place. Cotillard’s performance has been hailed since the film’s debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and there’s little doubt that the Oscar winner will be high atop year end lists of the best performances of the year. While it’s rare for an acting Academy Award to go to a lead in a foreign film, Cotillard already broke that barrier, winning the award for Ma Vie En Rose in five years ago. Rust and Bone opens in theaters on November 16th. Bill Murray While the best acting category will surely have some big names all vying for attention, the Telluride festival also showcased a male actor sure to turn heads. Comic legend Bill Murray plays it pretty serious in Roger Michell’s latest, Hyde Park on Hudson . He was a surprise attendee here in Telluride, walking on stage to cheers as he introduced Saturday’s screening of the 20th Century American historical drama. FDR had secrets, Michell’s film reiterates. The beloved U.S president who got the country through the Great Depression and took it into World War II was able to keep his paralysis from polio hidden from the American public. Even more buried at the time were the details of his apparent romances with numerous women, including a distant cousin near his rural upstate New York home. Uniquely, Bill Murray on Saturday compared playing FDR to performing at Carnegie Hall and cleaning out his garage. Things he never imagined doing in his life. However he said he wasn’t against giving it a shot. “I knew it would be hard,” Murray explained but added, “If I worked really hard and really tried I’d get something out of it.” In the film, scheduled to open in theaters in early December, Murray’s FDR navigates his private relationships even as his wife Eleanor tends to her own quiet affairs and his relationship with distant relative Daisy (Laura Linney) coincides with a weekend state visit by the King of England seeking the American presidents’s help on the verge of war. A Royal Affair Marital indiscretions and a monarchy collide head on in another film seen by American audiences for the first time here in Telluride, Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair . Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen stars as an aide to a mentally unbalanced King. Along the way he and the young Queen of Denmark develop a forbidden relationship. Domestic audiences will remember Mikkelsen for his turn as a villain in the recent James Bond movie, Casino Royale . This weekend’s he was also an acting honoree at the Telluride Film Festival, Mads Mikkelsen, Photo by Eugene Hernandez A Royal Affair depicts a scandal familiar to Scandinavians that doesn’t require that an audience have a detailed knowledge of European history to appreciate its universal themes. Nikolaj Arcel, writer of the original film version of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo , has created an engrossing costume drama that follows Mikkelsen’s insightful doctor who betrays a mad king by taking up with his wife. It opens on November 9th. Mikkelsen also stars this year in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt , a Cannes competition entry that also screened here in Colorado and for which Mikkelsen won the best actor prize at the French festival. Amour The big winner in Cannes this year, anchored by stunning lead performances from legendary French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, had Telluride audiences buzzing all weekend. Extra festival showings were added to meet demand here. Delicately directed by Austrian Michael Haneke, Amour is an end of life love story set amidst a devoted couple’s battle to gracefully navigate the natural disintegration of their union. Michael Haneke’s tender touch in this new movie surprised many who are fans of his films The White Ribbon , Cache , and Funny Games . Meanwhile those who were turned off by his previous work have been won over by this film. Witness the Cannes jury. President Nanni Moretti apparently wasn’t a Haneke fan but his group of jurors gave Haneke the best picture prize in Cannes. At the aforementioned dinner on Saturday night in Telluride, Cannes juror Alexander Payne was still praising the movie. Buzz this weekend was that it may just be a surprise contender for best picture when the Oscar nominations are announced. Amour opens in theaters on December 19th. Argo Speaking of golden statues, Ben Affleck’s Argo , is clearly an early awards season contender. Local attendees speculated that Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master or Terrance Malick’s To The Wonder might get a sneak peek slot here but it was Argo that secured the sole surprise sneak preview in Telluride this weekend. Ben Affleck, Photo copyright Pamela Gentile A suspense-filled look at a secret plot that rescued some of the Americans captured in Iran in 1979, Affleck’s Argo was immediately buzzed about as a viable Oscar contender. The plot involves a fictitious movie project that was created as the cover for a covert plot to free U.S. Embassy employees who secretly sought asylum in the Canadian Embassy in Tehran. Hollywood and the U.S. government quietly conspired to create the fake movie and successfully freed the would be hostages. More than one high profile Academy member praised the film this weekend. They rejoiced in the positive portrayal of the movie business afforded by Affleck. At a festival that loves movies as much as Telluride, Affleck’s Argo was beloved. At the height of the film’s tense climax, the Telluride audience burst into applause. Of course, it’s way too early to say — awards season is a marathon and this is just the first mile — but persistent talk throughout the weekend was that Argo is clear cut contender for an best picture nod. “This is one of the few festivals that really about seeing movies, rather than walking around and just talking about [them],” gushed Ben Affleck on stage this weekend here in Telluride. Argo will open on October 10th 3 More to Watch Three films that probably won’t see American screens until sometime next year were among the best that Telluride had to offer this year. Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha starring Greta Gerwig as a Brooklyn twenty-something was a sheer joy to experience. Actress turned director Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell , a surprising documentary about her family secrets, was a moving and powerful tribute to her parents. Finally, Gerard Barrett’s first feature, Pilgrim Hill , was a quietly powerful portrait of an Irish farmer that will resonate in this time of economic insecurity. The Telluride Film Festival takes place August 31-September 3. Follow Eugene Hernandez on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
This dude needs to sit the eff down. Hank Williams, Jr., keeps talking isht about Obama during his concerts and surprise; his fans are eating it up! Hank Williams Jr. repeated his anti-Obama tirade at a concert in Texas on Sunday. Performing at the Stockyards Music Festival, the country singer went on an extended rant against the president. “We’ve got a Muslim for a President who hates cowboys, hates cowgirls, hates fishing, hates farming, loves gays, and we hate him,” Williams Jr. bellowed. As the Dallas Sun reported, the crowd responded with a loud cheer. This is the second time in recent weeks the singer has used heated language when describing his distaste for the president. A late August concert featured Williams Jr. doing the same bit, though the dig at homosexuals appears to be a new addition to his schtick. Hanky’s already lost his NFL gigs…if he keeps talkin’ isht he’s going to lose even more. Source Images via WENN
The Internet is run by cats. This is a scientific fact. As such, it was really only a matter of time before all the cat videos online were honored in some officially-sanctioned capacity, and the first annual Cat Video Film Festival at Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center this week did just that. More than 10,000 were on hand as Henri 2, Paw de Deux (below) was crowned the winner of the people’s choice award, a.k.a. The Golden Kitty!
“… The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww! ‘” Sam Riley’s Sal paraphrases the famous Jack Kerouac line, but it works: Watch the jazzy, frenetic first U.S. trailer for Walter Salles’ On The Road and feel your pulse quicken. The adaptation, which also stars Kristen Stewart , Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Terrence Howard, and more (phew!) debuted at Cannes but premieres at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival ahead of its December release. I’d count this as the most effective of the many trailers to debut so far; something about the pace and the energy and abandon glimpsed in snatches and quick edits ratchets up my excitement. Or maybe it’s the looming long holiday. Here’s to everyone out there burning like Roman candles this Labor Day weekend. Thoughts? On the Road debuts in limited release on December 21. [ Yahoo ]
