All posts by Dan Quitério

Movie lover who rarely posts. Check out my Film Log for a list of every movie I've seen in a theatre.
Actors

2011 Young Hollywood—Part 2: The Actors

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(Re-posted from limitémagazine.com)

In this second and final installment of the “Young Hollywood” series, we explore some of film’s young actors under the age of 30.

Please feel free to add on to the conversation by posting a comment on others you feel should be added onto this list.

(Click here to check out Young Hollywood — Part 1: The Filmmakers.)

Elle Fanning

by Curtis John, with contributions by Daniel Quitério

Age: 13

From: Conyers, GA

Credits: Super 8 (2011), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

While JJ Abrams’s Super 8 wasn’t the blockbuster that many were expecting, the true success of it is that it put Elle Fanning squarely on the Hollywood map. It’s not as if she hasn’t appeared in other flicks or that we don’t look twice at her surname and realize that her sister Dakota has the coolest of movie credits to her name at only age 17.

It’s not that.

It’s that a look in her doe-like eyes tells us that there is still innocence and no (at least not yet) annoying precociousness that imbues many young Hollywood actresses.

In her still young career, Fanning has managed to step out of her older sister’s shadow, taking on some demanding parts and proving herself as a formidable actress, in her own right. Among them is the title role in 2008’s Phoebe in Wonderland, in which she starred opposite Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman, and Bill Pullman as a troubled girl in a school play. Two years later, she starred in Sofia Coppola’s fourth feature, Somewhere (2010).

As she continues to build her career, let us enjoy the skill with which young Elle amuses us and treasure its pureness, and hope that she can be the star she’s destined to be as she appears next in Twixt with Val Kilmer and We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon, both of which are slated to release later this year.

Continue reading 2011 Young Hollywood—Part 2: The Actors →

Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Poster, Preview

New Poster Released for DRIVE

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Below is the new domestic poster, just released for Nicholas Winding Refn’s action/thriller Drive, which is slated to bow in theatres on September 16. The film stars Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. (Synopsis after the jump)

Continue reading New Poster Released for DRIVE →

Filmmakers

Cake, Presents, and … Muuuurder?!

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How could I let August 13th go by without recognizing the fact that today would have been my favorite filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s 112th birthday? In 1979, Hitch was presented with the AFI Life Achievement Award. One of the salutes that night came from my favorite actor and Hitchcock regular Jimmy Stewart. (Hitch died the following year.)

Below are Stewart’s salute and Hitch’s acceptance speech.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh0h8Eg_PPw&feature=fvsr]

Though he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1968 Academy Awards, Hitch never won a competitive Oscar, despite five nominations for Best Director. A travesty. In fact, only one of his films, Rebecca (1940), went on to win Best Picture. Though the film is good, it’s by no means his best.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5VdGCQFOM&feature=relmfu]

My favorite Hitchcock films (in order of release):

Rope (1948)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

*Rear Window (1954)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

*Vertigo (1958)

*North by Northwest (1959)

*Psycho (1960) (This was my first Hitchcock film, and remains my favorite.)

*The Birds (1963)

*Denotes a film that appears on the 170 list. 

Filmmakers, Independent Film

2011 Young Hollywood—Part 1: The Filmmakers

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(Re-posted from limitémagazine.com)

For our second year, Limité presents its two-part “Young Hollywood” series, which honors filmmakers under the age of 35 and actors under the age of 30. The talented individuals featured here bring Limité back to its roots — as a forum for presenting what’s next in the world of popular and underground culture. In this series, we present you with some of the youngest and freshest talent making its mark in film. Some names are established, while others are on their way up. These are the people who will shape the future of film. It’s worth remembering their names and faces.

The film industry is bursting with fresh, young talent. We encourage you to add to this list by leaving a comment, describing which young talent you think deserves recognition.

Richard Ayoade

by Stephanie Dawson

Age: 34

From: London, England

Credits: Submarine (2011), The IT Crowd (TV)

British comedian, actor, writer, and director Richard Ayoade is best known in the UK for his role as Maurice Moss on The IT Crowd, a sitcom based on the trials and tribulations of an under-valued computer technology staff. Ayoade studied law at Cambridge, but his love of performing lead him to Footlights, the University’s famed drama club, for which he served as president for one year. He acted and wrote many shows while there.

Ayoade co-wrote the stage show Garth Marenghi’s Fright Knight and its sequel Garth Marenghi’s Netherhead, which won a Perrier award in 2001. In 2004, the UK’s Channel 4 aired Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, a continuation of the character Ayoade and his partners originated. Ayoade directed and performed in that series, as well as the short-lived The Mighty Boosh.

Ayoade directed music videos for Arctic Monkeys, Super Furry Animals, Vampire Weekend, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. His live concert video for Arctic Monkeys’ At the Apollo won Best DVD at the New Musical Express.

Submarine is Richard Ayoade’s feature directorial debut and is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. Ayoade also wrote the screenplay for the coming-of-age comedy. While the independent film had a modest box office return, it gained some critical acclaim for Ayoade’s imaginative, visionary directing. Ayoade is a multi-threat and definitely one to watch in the coming years.

Continue reading 2011 Young Hollywood—Part 1: The Filmmakers →

Drama, Hit & Miss, In Theatres, Independent Film, Narrative, Review, Sci-Fi, War

Hit & Miss: Another Earth, The Devil’s Double

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I’m usually a pretty good judge of movies before even watching them. I can often tell whether I think a movie is going to be good or bad based on the trailer, logline, filmmaker, cast, or any other factor. Of course, this is not unique to me. Many of us have this super power. But every now and then, my senses go awry and I find myself in disbelief. Here are a couple of recent examples:

Hit

ANOTHER EARTH

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hEwMMDtFY]

Going In: I’m not much for sci-fi, and after having seen the trailer, I just had a feeling—this is not going to be a good movie. And that’s a shame, because Fox Searchlight is my favorite distributor—but hey, even Fox Searchlight is entitled to a not-so-great movie once in a while. (Has anyone seen The Tree of Life?) Another Earth looked sleepy, boring, quiet, and any other number of synonyms that describe bland.

Stepping Out: BEST. MOVIE. OF. THE. YEAR. (so far) I can’t believe how wrong I was with this one. Brit Marling. Remember that name. She wrote, produced, and stars in this micro-budget indie that was directed by Mike Cahill. Nearly everything about this film is perfect. The dynamic performances. The breathtaking cinematography. The mesmerizing music. And most especially, the complex characters in a simple, original story. It just goes to show you, a film’s budget is no barometer for how good a movie is. The writing is (among other things). You can go into space with a tight script. And this film is proof.

Miss

THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auE1FAGP1Kc]

Going In: The true story of the man who was forced to act as Uday Hussein’s double. (That’s Saddam’s son, folks.) I was easily intrigued, quite simply because I hadn’t seen anything like this before. And speaking of something I haven’t seen before, (based on the trailer) it looked like Dominic Cooper was turning in a performance unlike any other he’s done. I’m sold.

Stepping Out: WTF! Sure, there is gory violence, but this film isn’t nearly as gritty as I thought it would be. Sure, Cooper’s performance is solid, but that’s pretty much all this Lee Tamahori-helmed film has going for it. It’s glitzy, golden visuals are clearly implied in the trailer and poster, but I was mostly going into this film with the overall concept in mind. Clearly, I wasn’t paying close enough attention. This film resembled more of a flashy music video than any film worth my time. (I was actually expecting something on par with The Hurt Locker, in style and substance.) Mind you, I didn’t hate it—and “not hating it” is the best compliment I can offer.

Awards, Documentary, Independent Film, On My DVR, Oscars

On My DVR: GasLand (2010)

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Currently on my DVR is the 2010 Sundance award-winning documentary GasLand. This HBO film was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar this past year and is currently nominated for four Primetime Emmys in nonfiction programming categories, including directing, writing, and cinematography. I’m not sure how a film that has both theatrical and television distribution can be eligible for the top prizes in both media, but I’m sure it’s got to be great. Here’s the synopsis from the film’s IMDb page:

It is happening all across America—rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. Reason? The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas.” Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground—a hydraulic drilling process called “fracking”—and suddenly America finds itself on the precipice of becoming an energy superpower. (Written by Sundance Film Festival)

Director: Josh Fox
Screenwriter: Josh Fox
Producers: Trish Adlesic, Josh Fox, Molly Gandour
Cast: Josh Fox
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: HBO Documentary Films
Runtime: 107 min.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8]
Comedy, Foreign Film, Independent Film, Narrative, Short Film

Short Film: “Signs” by Patrick Hughes

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I first watched this short a couple of years ago and loved it. Watching it again, I like it, but it doesn’t have the magic that I seemed to remember the first time.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY]
Actors, Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Preview

DRIVE Goes Full Throttle at Comic-Con

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Fresh off its run at Cannes and a presence at 2011 Comic-Con, filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn brings his latest feature, Drive, to theatres on September 16. This Ryan Gosling-starring vehicle also stars Bryan Cranston (TV’s Breaking Bad), Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks (TV’s Mad Men), Albert Brooks, and Ron Perlman. Here’s the official trailer, synopsis, and photos from Comic-Con.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eup3tFOgbk&feature=channel_video_title]
Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, New Release, Preview, Sci-Fi

New Web Series: Death’s Door

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My friend Stephanie just produced a new web series called Death’s Door, which will be premiering next month. Check out the trailer and synopsis below. Also, be sure to stop by the YouTube page, where you can watch exclusive interviews with the filmmakers and cast.

The first time Marcus died, he thought his life was destroyed. The second time, he discovered what life is. Death’s Door is a 10-part sci-fi web series that starts August 7. New episodes will release weekly on Sundays at 8pm.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81LMpuCJDls]
Coming Soon, Narrative, Preview, Trailer

Official Trailer: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo

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Not even Martin Scorsese is above the lure of 3D. This Thanksgiving, his latest offering Hugo hits theatres, and it looks to be a family friendly piece of eye candy with heart. This is Scorsese’s first feature narrative in nine years to not star Leonardo DiCaprio.

I think famed production designer Dante Ferretti might need to clear some space off his mantle for another Oscar. (He’s already won twice for The Aviator [2004] and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [2007].)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-kP-olcpM]