Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are not only co-hosts of the 70th Golden Globes this year, they’re also competitors. Both were nominated for Best Actress in a Television Musical or Comedy, with Fey duking it out with her counterpart for 30 Rock , while Poehler is up for the award for Park and Recreation . [ Related: Golden Globes Unveil 70th Edition Nominees ] But while the co-hosts won’t conceivably know the results until the envelope opens at the ceremony on January 13th, the pair are busy working together in the lead-up to the big event, and no doubt re-calling those good ol’ Saturday Night Live days. In this promo for the Globes, the duo are dressed in matching golden sparkly dresses and they both dish out cheesy Brit(ish) accents (until they don’t). Maybe they’re commenting on the resurgence of British-speak in Hollywood films reminiscent of the very early “golden days” of Hollywood? Who knows, but here’s a funny look at what may bode well for the Globes telecast after the New Year. [ Source: Huffington Post ]
The Oscar Index’s head is spinning. What critics organization didn’t announce their nominees or award-winners this week? On Thursday it was the Golden Globes , on Wednesday the SAGs , and Monday the AFI and BFCA. The Boston, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles , Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis and Washington critics associations also weighed in with their picks. But critics don’t vote for the Academy Awards, so much of this will have little bearing on who will be nominated for an Academy Award; not Lincoln ’s seven Golden Globe nominations, not Dwight Henry’s Best Supporting Actor win from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Beasts of the Southern Wild , and not the Washington D.C. Film Critics Association’s pick of Zero Dark Thirty as the year’s best film. By splitting its acting categories into drama and musical-comedy, the Golden Globes muddle the view of the fields , but they do afford some Oscar dark-horses like Richard Gere some necessary exposure to keep their chances alive. Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild Awards do matter as an Oscar precursor, as do perhaps some preemptive strikes at a probable Oscar frontrunner. But how big a target is Zero Dark Thirty ? We got a pretty good idea this week. Let’s go to the Gold Lining Playbook. Best Picture Zero Dark Thirty might have sustained some damage this week in the wake of several newspaper pieces that charge the film with being pro-torture and questioning the character of the real-life inspiration for the CIA analyst portrayed in the film by Jessica Chastain . A New York Times Op-Ed piece provocatively opened, “I’m betting that Dick Cheney will love the new movie Zero Dark Thirty ,” Greg Miller in the Washington Post wrote that the real-life operative, who remains undercover, “was passed over for a promotion that many in the CIA thought would be impossible to withhold from some who played such a key role in one of the most successful operations in agency history.” A New Yorker profile of director Kathryn Bigelow questions whether the film’s waterboarding scene takes dramatic liberties with the true story. The timing of these stories is suspect. If past Oscar campaigning has taught us anything, one has to ask at this early stage: Just how far will Harvey Weinstein go to win Oscars for Silver Linings Playbook ? which did receive a Screen Actor’s Guild’s ensemble nomination, a Best Picture equivalent. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ’s SAG ensemble nomination could boost the film’s chances for a Best Picture nomination. Its distinguished British cast (classy) and pure escapism would seem irresistible to the typical Oscar voter, which the Los Angeles Times last year found was 94 percent Caucasian and a median age of 62. The Dark Knight Rises and so perhaps its Best Picture hopes after being named among the year’s 10 best films by the American Film Institute. Amends for The Dark Knight ? That The Master was not noticed by the SAG for its powerhouse ensemble is testament to the once presumed frontrunner’s fading buzz, while the omission of the critically praised Beasts of the Southern Wild was due to its SAG ineligibility. Likewise, the shutout of Quentin Tarantino ’s wildly anticipated Django Unchained might be a simple matter of screeners not being available in time for voters, theorizes Awards Daily ’s Sasha Stone. And with its five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Django could join the Oscar Best Picture race. 1. Lincoln 2. Zero Dark Thirty 3. Silver Linings Playbook 4. Les Miserables 5. Argo 6. Beasts of the Southern Wild 7. Life of Pi 8. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 9. The Sessions 10. Django Unchained Ones to watch: The Dark Knight Rises, The Impossible, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom, Skyfall Best Director It’s doubtful that the potshots at Zero Dark Thirty will be enough to keep Bigelow out of the running. The director and screenwriter Mark Boal returned fire against agenda-driven critics. “This movie has been and will continue to be put in political boxes,” Boal told The Wrap this week. “Before we even wrote it, some people said it was an Obama campaign commercial, which was preposterous. And now it’s pro-torture, which is preposterous.” That leaves a slot for David O’Russell , Ang Lee , or late entrant Quentin Tarantino, who received his inevitable Golden Globe nomination Thursday. Pundits still give Lee an edge. The Golden Globes’ surprise snub of Tom Hooper is another indication that this field is anything but set. The Director’s Guild nominations, a reliable Oscar precursor, will be announced on Jan. 8, two days prior to the Academy. 1. Steven Spielberg ( Lincoln ) 2. Kathryn Bigelow ( Zero Dark Thirty ) 3. Ben Affleck ( Argo ) 4. Ang Lee ( Life of Pi ) 5. Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) Ones to watch: Paul Thomas Anderson ( The Master ), Michael Haneke ( Amour ), David O. Russell ( Silver Linings Playbook ), Quentin Tarantino ( Django Unchained ) Next: Best Actor & Actress
Pamela can’t jiggle her way out this one… Pamela Anderson Owes Back Taxes Via TMZ reports : Pam Anderson REALLY should have tried harder to win “Dancing with the Stars” (and its cash prize) … ’cause girl was just slapped with TWO tax liens totaling over $370k — and could probably use the money. Tax Lien #1: Filed by the IRS, says Pam owes $259,395.75 for unpaid taxes in 2011. Tax Lien #2: Filed by the State of CA, says Pam owes $112,118.90 — also for 2011. All totaled, the “DWTS: All Stars” star — who got axed in round one this time — needs to cough up $371,514.65. But this isn’t Pam’s first run-in with tax problems. The actress had another lien filed against her back in 2009 for $1.7 MILLION. And at one point, her name even appeared on the Golden State’s list of “Top 500 Delinquent Tax Payers.” Anderson’s rep had no comment. Why do all these stars seem to think that paying taxes is optional? You all aren’t special. Get off your Hollyweird azzes and pay your taxes. Stop blaming your accountants as well. You sign the checks. If you didn’t sign one for the IRS you might want to find out why.
The scene outside East Hampton’s usually civilized Guild Hall was almost as frenzied as a mosh pit on Saturday night when an overflow crowd turned up to watch Alec Baldwin interview fellow leading man Richard Gere . The spirited conversation, which focused mostly on Gere’s pre- Pretty Woman career, was a precursor to the Arbitrage actor receiving the Hamptons International Film Festival’s 2012 Golden Starfish Award for Lifetime Achievement in Acting. Over the course of the discussion, Gere talked about some of his more unusual moments working with such storied directors at Terrence Malick, Richard Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader. For instance, he recalled his frustration working with Malick on Days of Heaven because of the lack of guidance that the filmmaker gave to his actors. Malick “is a really interesting guy,” Gere said, “but one of his quirks is that he doesn’t always know what he wants.” Indeed, during one frustrating scene, Gere said he found himself asking that very question of the director who then pointed to “linen curtains blowing” in the breeze of an open window. “I meant like that,” Gere said Malick told him, and in that case, the actor told Baldwin, “I knew exactly what he meant.” The silver-haired Gere also talked about Brooks’ secrecy regarding scripts. He recalled that when he asked the director if he could see the screenplay to Looking for Mr. Goodbar , Brooks invited him to his Los Angeles home, where the filmmaker’s wife, actress Jean Simmons greeted Gere and led the actor to a “romantically lit room.” There, Brooks gave him a half hour to read the script, which Gere implied, was not enough time, until he discovered that Brooks had “blacked out everything that was not my part.” The discussion took an amusing turn when Baldwin brought up the subject of American Gigolo and asked Gere if he was uncomfortable about his emergence as a sex symbol. The actor replied that it was an “interesting dilemma” and eventually invited his WME agent Andrew Finkelstein, who was sitting in the audience, to join the conversation. (Finkelstein was an assistant to the late ICM agent Ed Limato, who worked with Gere at the time of that 1980 movie.) Finkelstein replied that Limato “didn’t like” that the media was focusing on Gere’s “hunkishness,” adding: “You were a better actor than a hunk.” The line drew a big laugh from the audience, and Gere, wearing a wry smile on his face said: “I’m a better actor than a hunk. Thank you, Andrew.” Finkelstein recovered nicely by yelling out: “Richard is now looking for an agent.” Shortly before Gere was presented with his Golden Starfish award, Baldwin asked the actor if any of his leading ladies had ever fallen for him. “Someone told me that one of them had, and I said, ‘I wish they had told me!'” Gere replied. “But I’m not going to answer that question.” Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
After box office doldrums in late summer and the start of fall, Hollywood finally had a weekend it can celebrate. Hotel Transylvania and Looper debuted to great numbers, helping to end a five week slump. The top ten accounted for just over $104.4 million with the top two titles accounting for $64 million of that total. Another newcomer, Pitch Perfect also opened robustly, ranking sixth in the chart despite being in only 335 theaters. Won’t Back Down , however, opened weak, providing a bit of a reality check. 1. Hotel Transylvania Gross: $43 million Screens: $3,349 (PSA: $12,840) Week: 1 Hotel Transylvania soared atop the box office, ending a five week slump in the overall chart. The Columbia/Sony title had the biggest September roll out ever, beating 2002’s Sweet Home Alabama and its $35.65 million debut. 2. Looper Gross: $21 million Screens: 2,992 (PSA: $7,086) Week: 1 The sci-fi action thriller had a solid debut. This is a great showing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt who clearly has crossed over into film stardom vs. a niche sensation. 3. End of Watch Gross: $8,000,265 (Cume: $26,168,897) Screens: 2,780 (PSA: $2,878) Week: 2 (Change: – 39%) Word-of-mouth helped keep End of Watch strong in its second weekend. Last week’s box office topper added 50 theaters and grossed a solid $8 million-plus. Not bad for a pic with a production budget estimated at $7 million. 4. Trouble with the Curve Gross: $7,530,000 (Cume: $23,726,000) Screens: 3,212 (PSA: $2,344) Week: 2 (Change: – 38%) The Clint Eastwood-directed pic remained in the same number of venues in its second turn and dropped to fourth from third in its initial run. 5. House at the End of the Street Gross: $7,154,000 (Cume: $22,224,969) Screens: 3,083 (PSA: $2,320) Week: 2 (Change: – 42%) Last week’s number 2 film stayed in the same number of theaters and had a less than robust weekend with a 42% drop. Still the thriller’s production budget was an estimated $10 million, which it has already doubled, minus P&A etc. 6. Pitch Perfect Gross: $5,212,600 Screens: 335 (PSA: $15,560) Week: 1 This is a huge opening for the Universal comedy. It has by far the least number of theaters among the titles in the top ten, yet it still managed to land in the sixth spot. The feature had the biggest per screen average in the top ten and indeed any title in theatrical release over the weekend. 7. Finding Nemo (3-D, re-release) Gross: $4,066,000 (Cume: $36,475,000) Screens: 2,639 (PSA: $1,541) Week: 3 (Change: – 58%) The 3-D re-release of the Disney animated film lost 265 theaters in its third round and suffered a steep 58% drop compared to the previous week. Likely no surprise that it will not do the huge business The Lion King 3-D re-release did last year, which cumed over $94 million. 8. Resident Evil: Retribution (3-D) Gross: $3 million (Cume: $38.7 million) Screens: 2,381 (PSA: $1,260) Week: 3 (Change: – 55%) Last week’s number 5 film lost 635 theaters and had a hefty 55% drop in its weekend take. Still, better than the 68% drop it had in its second turn and it will be unlikely it can make the lifetime gross of the previous three installments of Resident Evil , though it should surpass the first version of the series, which grossed just over $40.1 million in 2002. 9. The Master Gross: $2,745,000 (Cume: $9,633,070) Screens: 856 (PSA: $3,207) Week: 3 (Change: – 37%) The smash record-breaking open added hundreds of theaters last week and another 68 screens this weekend. However, it appears to have reached its limit, with a 37% drop in gross despite still being in a relatively small number of theaters. Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood cumed over $40 million in ’07, but now there may be some question as to whether his latest will do the same. 10. Won’t Back Down Gross: $2.7 million Screens: 2,515 (PSA: $1,074) Week: 1 The fourth weekend opener in the top 10 was also by far and a way the weakest. The Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal starrer should drop a large number of screens going into its second week and will likely have a short theatrical run. [ Sources: Hollywood.com , Box Office Mojo ]
Also in Monday morning’s round-up of news briefs, The Other Dream Team tops a mostly lackluster specialty box office, while The Perks of Being a Wallflower held strong in expansion. Looper tops the foreign box office. And, a French film wins in San Sebastian. Gothams to Honor Matt Damon, David O. Russell and Participant’s Jeff Skoll The three will be honored with career tributes at the 22nd Gotham Independent Film Awards November 26th at Cipriani Wall Street. Damon stars in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land , which was produced by Skoll’s Participant Media. Russell directed Silver Linings Playbook , Deadline reports . Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire Urge Voter Expression DiCaprio and Maguire lead a cast of stars in a new public service announcement urging young voters to use social media to talk about which issues they think matter most in the upcoming election. Zac Efron, Selena Gomez, Ellen DeGeneres, Jonah Hill and Joseph Gordon Levitt also appear in the Vote 4 Stuff video unveiled Monday, A.P. reports . Specialty Box Office: The Other Dream Team Scores on Slow Weekend; Perks of Being a Wallflower Strong in Expansion There were a few weeks there when the specialties shined compared to their studio brethren — overall box office slumped, but newcomers like The Master and Arbitrage impressed. Well, the final weekend of September saw limited-release titles lack the star-power of those earlier releases, and this frame as a result can best be described as ho-hum for the indies. The documentary The Other Dream Team scored the best overall numbers with a solid $11K-plus screen average,” Deadline reports . Foreign Box Office: Looper Opens No. 1 Overseas with $36 Million The sci-fi pic opened strong in only a handful of markets, opening number one in China with an estimated $24 million, several million more than its U.S. start at $21.2 million. It opened in Russia with $4.5 million and $3.6 million in the U.K., THR reports . French Filmmaker Francois Ozon Wins San Sebastian’s Golden Shell French film In The House (Dans La Maison) won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival, while Blancanieves won a Special Jury Prize and The Attack received a special mention, Screen reports .
Bond villainy is demanding work. Evil genius and a lust for world domination are crucial, but future Blofelds of the world take note, a way with words — steeped in wit and curare, or whatever neurotoxin the cool kids are using these days — is essential. Given that inevitable defeat and death are occupational hazards of obsessively pursuing the world’s greatest spy, one of the few ways a Bond villain to distinguish himself from the other loser Bond villains is by delivering some of the most memorable lines of the movie. Sometimes it’s the little victories that count. Without further unnecessary exposition, the 10 best lines delivered by Bond villains in ascending order. 10. “I like a girl in a bikini: no concealed weapons.” — Francisco Scaramanga, The Man With the Golden Gun The supernumerary-nippled Scaramanga, played by the great Christopher Lee, may not be one for sensible artillery purchases, but The Man with the Golden Gun certainly knows how to dress a woman for optimal security — and cleavage. 9. “I am invincible!” — Boris Grishenko, Goldeneye As Bond films go, Goldeneye is relatively straightforward, but it does contain a few nods to the campier 007 flicks of yesteryear. One of them comes courtesy of Grishenko (Alan Cumming), the Russian hacker who ends every successful evasion of authority with a heavily accented proclamation of hubris that foreshadows his inevitable downfall. If only James Cameron had taken note before his controversial “I’m king of the world!” Oscar acceptance speech for Titanic. 8. “The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.” — Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies Carver (Jonathan Pryce) is a compelling villain in a not-so compelling Bond film about a William Randolph Hearst-like media mogul who uses his control over said media to kickstart global warfare. The above quote demonstrates the fine line between being unhinged and just plain evil. Fox News could not be reached for comment regarding his passing resemblance to Rupert Murdoch. 7. ““Such nice cheeks too. If only they were brains.” — Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Diamonds are Forever It’s no coincidence that Bond’s most long-lived adversary was also quite the wordsmith. With this little verbal bon bon, he nicely captures the mixture of arrogance and casual misogyny that makes Blofeld (in this instance, played by Charles Gray) one of the franchise’s best villains. 6. “Of course Vargas does not drink…does not smoke…does not make love. What do you do, Vargas?” — Emilio Largo, Thunderball In the hedonistic world of James Bond, it’s almost unthinkable that any character would abstain from the above-mentioned vices, let alone all three. No wonder Vargas chose assassin as a career. 5. “The first one won’t kill you. Not the second. Not even the third. Not until you crawl over here and kiss my foot!” — Red Grant, From Russia with Love Sean Connery’s Bond was a cold and ruthless secret agent, and as such, his adversaries were the stuff of legend, often digging into deeper and darker places than the more fleshed-out characters of the later films. Robert Shaw’s magnificent turn as the psychopathic Red Grant is one for the ages. 4. “This time, Mr. Bond, the pleasure will be all mine!” — Xenia Onatopp, Goldeneye This line from the 1995 Goldeneye may be in keeping with the double entendres that distinguished so many of the earlier Bond films, but it’s delivered by the most confident, badass female villain (played by Famke Janssen) that Bond has ever faced. The scene marks the moment when (most of) the vicious sexism of the 007 franchise was left behind. 3. “East, West, just points of the compass, each as stupid as the other.” — Dr. No, Dr. No Joseph Wiseman laid the framework for the Bond baddies, and consequently, for the spy villain archetype itself. He’s clinically insane, emotionally detached and obsessed with world domination, as demonstrated by the above sentiment. 2. “Kill Bond! Now!” — Ernst Stavro Blofeld, You Only Live Twice That really says it all in a neat but expressive package, doesn’t it? Normally a man of refined taste and precise language, even Blofeld has his breaking point. 1. No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.” — Auric Goldfinger, Goldfinger Goldfinger’s icily matter-of-fact response to the about-to-be-lasered Bond’s sneering inquiry, “I suppose you expect me to talk?”, is villainy at its streamlined best: no bad puns or goofball cackles, just pure malevolence. Nobody chilled the blood like Gert Frobe. Nobody! John Jarzemsky is a contributor at LitReactor , Twitch , and can be read semi-regularly at his personal blog, the ineptly named Super Roller Disco Monkey Hullabaloo! or on twitter @jtjarzemsky. He is big in Japan.
Paul Thomas Anderson ‘s The Master was set to receive the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter ‘s inside source, until a decision to allow only two major awards per film forced jury members to re-assign the top honor to another contender. When the awards were doled out earlier today by Venice jury president Michael Mann, the best picture prize went to Kim Ki-Duk’s ultraviolent mother-son flick Pieta while Best Director went to Anderson. (Full list of winners follows.) Per THR : “Apparently during the jury’s first deliberations, members decided to give The Master — a drama loosely based on the origins of Scientology — the top prize, as well as the Silver Lion directing award to Anderson and the acting award jointly to co-stars Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman.” UPDATED: Asked to redeliberate, the jury instead gave the Golden Lion to Pieta , leaving The Master with a joint Best Actor prize shared by stars Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, along with the Silver Lion (Best Director) for Anderson. The Master had been hotly tipped for The Golden Lion, backed by a groundswell of critical praise ahead of its September 21 theatrical release. Full list of Venice Film Festival winners announced today, via Indiewire / Venice Film Festival : Golden Lion (Best Picture) Pieta , Kim-Ki Duk Silver Lion (Best Director) Paul Thomas Anderson – “The Master” Volpi Cup – Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix & Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master” Volpi Cup – Best Actress Hadas Yaron – “Fill The Void” Special Jury Award Ulrich Seidl – Paradise: Faith Mastroianni Award – Best Young Actor Fabrizio Falcone – “Dormant Beauty,” “It Was The Son” Best Screenplay Olivier Assayas – “Something In The Air” Technical Achievement Daniele Cipri – “Il Stato E Figlio,” Luigi De Laurentiis Award (Best First Feature) “Kuf: Mold,” Ali Aydin Orrizonti: Best Feature “Three Sisters,” Wang Bing Orrizonti: Jury Prize “Tango Libre,” Frederic Fonteyne FIPRESCI Award (Competition) “The Master,” Paul Thomas Anderson FIPRESCI Award (Orizzonti/Critics’ Week) “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Constanzo SIGNIS Award “To the Wonder,” Terrence Malick SIGNIS Award (Special Mention) “Fill the Void,” Rama Burshtein Audience Award (Critics’ Week) “Eat Sleep Die,” Gabriela Pilcher Label Europa Cinemas Award “Crawl,” Herve Lasgouttes Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award “Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award (Cinema for UNICEF mention) “It Was the Son,” Daniele Cipri Pasinetti Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Constanzo Pasinetti Award (Documentary) “The Human Cargo,” Daniele Vicari Pasinetti Award (Best Actor) Valerio Mastandrea, “Gli Equilibristi” Pasinetti Award (Special) “Clarisse,” Liliana Cavani Brian Award “Dormant Beauty,” Marco Bellocchio Queer Lion Award “The Weight,” Jeon Kyu-Hwan Arca CinemaGiovani Award (Best Film of Venezia 69) “The Fifth Season,” Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth Arca CinemaGiovani Award (Best Italian Film) “The Ideal City,” Luigi Lo Casco Biografilm Lancia Award “The Human Cargo,” Daniele Vicari; “Bad 25,” Spike Lee CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo CICAE Award “Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour CinemaAvvenire Award (Best Film of Venezia 69) “Paradise: Faith,” Ulrich Seidl CinemAvvenire Award (Diversity) “Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour FEDIC Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo FEDIC Award (Special Mention) “Bellas Mariposas,” Salvatore Mereu Mimmo Rotella Foundation Award “Something in the Air,” Olivier Assayas Future Film Festival Digital Award “Bad 25,” Spike Lee Future Film Festival Digital Award (Special Mention) “Spring Breakers,” Harmony Korine P. Nazareno Taddei Award “Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk P. Nazareno Taddei Award (Special Mention) “Thy Womb,” Brillante Mendoza Magic Lantern Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo Open Award “The Company You Keep,” Robert Redford La Navicella-Venezia Cinema Award “Thy Womb,” Brillante Mendoza Lina Mangiacapre Award “Queen of Montreuil,” Solveig Anspach AIF-FORFILMFEST Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo Mouse d’Oro Award “Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk Mouse d’Argento Award “Anton’s Right Here,” Lyubov Arkus UK-Italy Creative Industries Award “The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo Gillo Pontecorvo-Arcobaleno Latino Award Laura Delli Colli Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Award “Low Tide,” Roberto Minervini Interfilm Award “Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour Giovani Giurati del Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award “The Company You Keep,” Robert Redford Giovani Giurati del Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award (Special Mention) Toni Servillo Primio Cinematografico Award “Terramatta,” Costanza Quatriglio Green Drop Award “The Fifth Season,” Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth
Leave it to Lars von Trier to find a connection between Nazi architect Albert Speer and Rat Pack singer Sammy Davis Jr. The controversy-courting Danish filmmaker has invited the public to reintrepret one or more of six great works of art for a community film project that will be unveiled at the Copenhagen Art Festival. The project is being called Gesamt , which translates to “coming together” or “a joint piece of work,” said director Jenle Hallund, who has the nerve-wracking challenge of creating a cohesive film from fragments of the submissions under some very tight time constraints. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 6, and the finished film is slated to debuty Oct.12, 2012 at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. Hallund, who was a script supervisor on Von Trier’s Melancholia as well as the co-director Limboland (2010) told us Gesamt has the potential to “be a testimony to the health and the soul of civilization. It should show how ordinary people appreciate and interpret big art,” she says. Make that big art that stirs the soul of Von Trier. Participants must base their submissions one or more of six different works of art, and Hallund said that the chosen few “are all pieces of art that [Von Trier] likes.” According to the announcement of the project — which was modestly titled “Lars Von Trier Challenges The People” — by the Danish Agency for Culture, prospective entrants must use as their muse(s): James Joyce’s Ulysses , “which once was banned in the United States because it was seen as obscene and lewd”; August Strindberg’s play The Father , “which still stands as a striking example of a dysfunctional family”; Paul Gaugin’s painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? French composer César Franck’s improvisations; or the music of the late Sammy Davis Jr., “who stepped himself into the hearts of people through song.” Also included among is the Zeppelin Field grandstand in Nuremberg, Germany that Hitler’s main architect Albert Speer created. The choice is sure to generate debate given comments Von Trier made during a press conference at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, when he said: “I understand Hitler, but I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely. … He’s not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him, and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews.” When I asked Hallund if Von Trier, who likes to stir the pot, was referencing the Cannes controversy by including Speer, she replied: “I can’t speak on his behalf, but if you look at some of Speers’ art, it is phenomenal, and I would say that it is possible to appreciate his art independent of the ideology” to which it was attached during the reign of Hitler. “All art can be used toward elitism and propaganda,” Hallund continued, adding, “a lot of religious art has been used for that. Some people will say that the Bible and the Koran are works of art, but they have also been used toward mass murder and genocide and repression on the planet.” “We can’t just close our eyes and say we can never talk about Albert Speers or Nazism,” Hallund concluded. “We make ourselves more prone to repeat the past by ignoring it. Gesamt producer Nadia Claudi told me that six submissions have already been received. One arrived from Germany, she said, and the rest are from Denmark. All but one of the submissions are filmed, and Speers right now is leading the subject matter by a thin margin: Two submissions are based on his work at Zeppelin Field; one deals with Joyce, and another, with Gaugin. She said that one entry takes on all six subjects, while the content of another submission is a bit inconclusive. The deadline for entries is Sept. 6. Everything you need to know about submitting your work can be found at this link. “I just hope that people will be very free in their interpretations of this and show us what they have in their hearts,” Hallund said. “And I would love to hear from Americans.” You heard the lady. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
