Legendary auteurs, they’re just like us! When iconic filmmaker Ingmar Bergman passed away in 2007, he left behind one of the greatest bodies of work known to cinema — and a vast, meticulously catalogued VHS collection, the subject of the upcoming Swedish documentary Bergman’s Video . Among his tapes, somewhere between the Bunuel and the Tarkovsky: Jurassic Park , Ghostbusters , and The Blues Brothers , which at least partially explains the ghosts and Jake/Elwood-esque sibling dynamic in Fanny and Alexander . The dinosaurs, not so much. [ Cineuropa via Movie City News ]
There’s a movie for every special occasion/holiday, but when it comes to Easter you’ve got a lot of very, very different viewing options. Why go the traditional bunnies and kiddies route (a la Hop ) or take a more pious tack ( Passion of the Christ , anyone?) when there are so many other, less predictable ways to celebrate? I’ll start with a few to whet your whistle as you dip into the chocolate basket this Sunday… Easter Parade (1948) Fred Astaire + Judy Garland + hats make Easter about winning that special guy/gal’s heart and not about, you know, Jesus. — Critters 2: The Main Course (1988) Those aren’t Easter Eggs — they’re Critter eggs! Hunt carefully. — Mallrats (1995) “You know what?? THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY!” Thanks a lot, Kevin Smith. — Resurrection (1999) “All the victims were 33 years old — the same age as Christ when he died.” This forgotten gem stars Christopher Lambert — who also co-wrote the script! MAKE YOUR EASTER SUNDAY A HORROR EASTER SUNDAY! — Chocolat (2000) Because Easter –> chocolate –> Chocolat ! Mmm, chocolate. It’s what Easter’s all about, right? — Donnie Darko (2001) Make it a double feature with 1950’s Harvey (like the Aero’s doing this weekend in Los Angeles) and you’ll get enough freaky life-sized bunny action to last you until next year. Got any other suggestions? Leave ’em below.
You don’t need me to explain to you how Harvey Weinstein is half huckster-genius and half megalomaniac witch doctor (even though I have, again and again and again ). Find all the evidence you need in Thursday’s announcement that Bully — the “controversial” documentary chronicling America’s bullying epidemic — would finally receive the PG-13 rating it so conspicuously sought from the MPAA. The best part: It won’t even have to trim the offending scene at the heart of all the publicity to date. Surprise! Suckers. The MPAA won’t even insist on the customary 90-day window between R- and PG-13-rated versions. Great! No one will ever accuse them of making it up as they go along ever again ! From a Weinstein Company press release: The Weinstein Company aided by the guidance and consultation from attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, announced today that the MPAA has lowered the R rating, given for some language, for BULLY to a PG-13 in time for the film’s April 13th expansion to 55 markets. The scene that has been at the forefront of the battle with the MPAA, the intense scene in the film that shows teen Alex Libby being bullied and harassed on a bus, has been left fully intact and unedited. BULLY director Lee Hirsch felt editing the scene was not an option, and subsequently refused to do so, since it is too important to the truth and integrity behind the film. Also a victory is the exception the MPAA made by allowing the film to be released with the new rating before 90 days, which is the length of time their policy states a film must wait to be in theaters after a rating change to avoid confusion or inconvenience for moviegoers. This decision by the MPAA is a huge victory for the parents, educators, lawmakers, and most importantly, children, everywhere who have been fighting for months for the appropriate PG-13 rating without cutting some of the most sensitive moments. Three uses of the ‘F word’ were removed from other scenes, which ultimately persuaded the MPAA to lower the rating. Hirsch made the documentary with the intent to give an uncensored, real-life portrayal of what 13 million children suffer through every year. The new rating, which came about with the great support from MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, grants the schools, organizations and cities all around the country who are lined up and ready to screen BULLY, including the National Education Association and the Cincinnati School District, the opportunity to share this educational tool with their children. Of course, the latter organizations always had that option , but what good is accepting parental permission slips without the prospect of getting the full ticket price as a result? Sigh. I know this is a “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown” moment if ever there was one, but to come to work every day and see so many otherwise smart, savvy and skeptical industry observers and pundits just pass along such cynical, craven marketing spin for months without ever communicating Harvey’s obvious calculations to their readers — to treat the Bully ratings saga as a legitimate cause — is a just a total failure. It’s a total embarrassment . Taking nothing away from the film or the consequences of bullying, what kind of a complacent creep do you have to be to smilingly shovel so much of these people’s bullshit? Or to keep taking the MPAA at its grotesque face value? Or to accept some bullied teenager(s) carrying the banner for a movie on behalf of the most notorious bully of the modern Hollywood era? Or to pull a paycheck every day for publicizing such bald-faced lies? Puke. Anyway, the entertainment industrial complex wins again. Whatever. So much for Good Friday. [via Deadline ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Sony debuted the first poster for Rian Johnson’s Looper , which feels like its been in the works for something close to ever but nevertheless has nearly six months remaining before it comes to theaters on Sept. 28. In the meantime, here are its stars doing their best playing-card imitation. Jack of hearts? King of clubs? Enh, forget it. Also: Wouldn’t What to Expect When You’re Expecting benefit from this kind of more… painterly Photoshop? Just throwing that out there. [ /film ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Because despite all indications otherwise , Gary Ross has reportedly walked away from Lionsgate’s blockbuster sequel Catching Fire . Let’s come up with plan B! Via The Playlist : Though recent trade reports have spun the story as being an issue mostly about money, that’s pretty much a small part of the motivation. Ross has never been a filmmaker that repeats himself (going from satire in Pleasantville to horse racing drama in Seabiscuit and action in Hunger Games ) and we’re told the burning desire simply isn’t there to spend another couple of years with Katniss in the Capitol (evidently, he also liked the first book best). And while the lowball salary offer probably didn’t help, Ross already has a fairly lucrative career as a screenwriter (and rewriter) and money isn’t really the issue. Simply put, the filmmaker is looking to change things up for this next effort. Mazel tov, Gary Ross. But damn this creative vacuum. Who to call on as his replacement? What’s that guy who made Safe House up to next? My money’s on him. Or Paul Greengrass. The shakier the camera, the better. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The Triplets development saga just gets better, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I can see a poster… A billboard with us three. ‘They found another one!’ ‘ Triplets !’ ‘Only their mother can tell them apart!’ I would do that in two seconds, because that’s real entertainment. You come out with that movie for Christmas, like December 5th or something like that, and you’re home free.” [ Coming Soon ]
Steve Wozniak isn’t really selling me on the most pressing casting issue of our day : “I look at the casting agencies and directors who are experts at casting. I trust that they considered all the relevant factors and made the best selection. The fear that many might have is that Ashton was selected because he’s ‘hot’ right now. But I feel that his selection was done in the most professional manner. And I’m glad that he’s onboard. I think he’ll put a lot into it and that he cares about this particular subject. It’s almost too bad that Steve Jobs is gone. His opinions and guidance, as to the story and film crew and cast would have been invaluable.” [ TMZ ]
Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti’s films speak for introverted individual concerns at work in a group dynamic. In Dear Diary , a 40 year-old Moretti rides around Rome on his motorcycle trying to figure out just how much of a part he wants in a society where legendary poet/filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini has died and soap operas are insanely popular. Similarly, his latest film, We Have a Pope (a.k.a. Habemus Papum ), concerns a reluctant cardinal (an excellent performance by Michel Piccoli) elected to be the next pope but is too nervous to assume the role. Pope , which opens Friday in limited release, originally screened in competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival — to which Moretti is planning his return next month as the president of this year’s competition jury. Talk about group dynamics. Moretti’s history as a competitor and juror at Cannes Film Festival (he previously served on the jury in 1997; he won the 2001 Palme d’Or for The Son’s Room ) makes him an ideal head juror. But with regard to his new film, it’s his outsider status as an atheist that Moretti feels makes his representation of the papal conclave so unique. “I don’t know what really happens in a conclave,” Moretti told Movieline last week. “But I wanted my conclave to be different from the ones we have seen in movies and TV, with cardinals that not only didn’t represent themselves as candidates but were afraid to become the pope. I’m not a believer. I have a lot of distance from the Catholic Church. So I can give, as a gift, humanity to a pope, a cardinal or a conclave.” Meanwhile, when it comes to being arguably the most influential film festival juror on the planet, Moretti says that there’s not really much you can do to prepare beyond perhaps buying some new suits, losing weight and brushing up on your English. “I won’t be able do do any of these things,” Moretti joked. “The suits, yes, but the English and the weight, no.” Still, Moretti plans to bring his specific — even unusual — philosophy to the role. To wit, he’s not looking for a unanimous vote. “I believe that’s a mistake on the part of juries,” he said. “You’re trying to give a prize because not everybody’s film is great. Every juror has to have a vote, which has to have the same importance as every other jurors’. And all of the films need to be seen and judged with the same amount of attention.” Moretti went on to add that he’s very much committed to the idea of rewarding singular excellence, no matter how divisive it may be. “It’s not the average film that should win — not the film that everyone agrees on but doesn’t make anyone happy. It should be the film that gains the majority of the votes; the film, or the actor or the actress. The jurors aren’t conditioned by the directors or the spectators or by the people running the festival. It’s just single jury members’ opinions that count.” Check back later this week for Movieline’s full, updated review of We Have a Pope. Simon Abrams is a NY-based freelance film critic whose work has been featured in outlets like The Village Voice, Time Out New York, Vulture and Esquire. Additionally, some people like his writing, which he collects at Extended Cut . [Top photo: Getty Images]
This fall, secret agent James Bond will ditch his famous shaken martini in favor of a cold, frosty bottle of… Heineken. Hey, if sports cars and watches and swimming pools are up for product placement deals, why not 007’s drink of choice? Ad Age reports: “Bond, played by Daniel Craig , will star in a Heineken ad. The spot, which will run globally, is by brand agency-of-record Wieden & Kennedy, Amsterdam, and directed by Fredrik Bond. In the movie, Bond will swap his trademark martini for a sip of the brew — at least in one scene.” Will this change everything — or anything — about the Bond we know and love and take drinking cues from? [ Ad Age via Movie City News ]
Some guy who should probably be running the space program instead focused his efforts on producing a time-lapse video of the goings-on in Rear Window , as seen from the eponymous vantage point in Jimmy Stewart’s apartment. I don’t really have any words for this beyond that. Just stop what you’re doing and have a look. Even the music is perfect! I’d like to nominate creator Jeff Desop for a Genius Grant, if anyone out there can help with that. [ Vimeo via AICN ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
