Category Archives: Narrative

Actors, Drama, Narrative, On My DVR, Preview

On My DVR: Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)

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Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb):
A drama centered on the romance between Ernest Hemingway and WWII correspondent Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway’s inspiration for For Whom the Bell Tolls and the only woman who ever asked for a divorce from the writer.

Premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival out of competition, Hemingway & Gellhorn began its run on HBO this past May. Following Rabbit Hole (2010), this appears to be another film in the newest string of good Nicole Kidman movies. Since her series of great movies and performances in the early 2000s (culminating in an Oscar win for her performance in The Hours, 2002), I’ve long held that Kidman is one of the best actresses around today. Unfortunately, a slew of bad movies took her out of favor with some people, but she seems to be back and stronger than ever.

Director: Philip Kaufman
Screenwriters: Jerry Stahl, Barbara Turner
Cast: Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Parker Posey, Tony Shalhoub, David Strathairn
Genres: Drama, Romance
Distributor: HBO
Runtime: 155 min.

Comedy, Coming Soon, Documentary, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, New Release, Preview

2012 Top 10 Indie Summer Flicks

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(Re-posted from LimitéMagazine.com)

June 19, 2012

Back for its third year is Limité’s “Top 10 Indie Summer Flicks,” which rank orders the top 10 independent films to keep an eye on this season. As far as seasons go, the summer acts as a bit of a super hero for the film industry. It’s when Hollywood studios bring out their big guns and turn over huge box office receipts. We’ve already seen The Avengers and Men in Black 3, and are looking forward to The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. But unlike the other summer movie guides you’ll see online and in print, our mission is to remind you that the industry’s smaller films are also primed to make a splash—if not financially, then at least critically. If you need a break from the Bourne Legacys and Total Recalls of the big screen, check out some of these gems.

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

by Daniel Quitério

Reminiscent of the storm that ravaged New Orleans seven years ago,Beasts of the Southern Wild takes an introspective glance at a fantastical world in which nature dramatically changes course for those it encounters—but most especially for Hushpuppy. She is a six-year-old girl who is raised by her father Wink in “the Bathtub,” an area of the southern Delta. Wink’s tough style of parenting is only to prepare Hushpuppy for a time when he will no longer be around to protect her. So when a mysterious illness falls upon Wink, Hushpuppy must contend with a world thrown off balance.

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Coming Soon, Drama, Narrative, Preview, Trailer, Western

New Trailer for Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow]
Coming Soon, Drama, Narrative, Preview, Trailer

LES MISÉRABLES Teaser Trailer Released

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This is a film I’m eagerly awaiting and will be one of the definite highlights of the Christmas season. Being a fan of the musical, my first reaction upon watching this (and I’m sure it’s no different from others’) is that Anne Hathaway does not have the vocal chops to pull off this role. Hathaway’s singing ability has been noted, and she does have a nice voice, but I had long questioned whether it’s strong enough to emote the angst and range required to do the emotionally charged character of Fantine justice. This teaser tells me it’s not. Still, I look forward to Tom Hooper’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning The King’s Speech.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7un422Hs8bM]
Actors, Coming Soon, Horror, Narrative, Preview

Images from ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

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Coming June 22 is Timur Bekmambetov’s latest offering, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The horror film follows the sixteenth President as he sets out to eliminate the vampires who are planning to take over the United States. Benjamin Walker stars as the title character. His previous credits include Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and Kinsey (2004). Rounding out the cast are Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess, Alan Tudyk as Stephen A. Douglas, as well as Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie, and Erin Wasson. Here are some images of what to expect:

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Actors, Awards, Drama, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Foreign Film, Independent Film, Narrative, News

Michael Haneke’s AMOUR Claims Coveted Palme d’Or Prize at Cannes Film Festival

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(Re-posted from AceShowbiz.com)

May 28, 2012

The 65th edition of the annual world-class movie festival also names Mads Mikkelsen as the Best Actor, and Cristina Flutur as well as Cosmina Stratan as the Best Actresses.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival has revealed which movie deserved to claim its top prize of Palme d’Or. On Sunday night, May 27, it was announced that Michael Haneke’s highly praised drama Amour has won the prestigious award.
Upon receiving the prize with lead actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, the 70-year-old director said, “I thank my wife, who has been putting up with me for years.” He added, “Thanks to my wonderful actors. They are the essence of it.”
This was the second time the Munich-born moviemaker won the coveted Palme d’Or gong at Cannes. Back in 2009, the Austrian filmmaker took home the same award through his acclaimed work in The White Ribbon.
Animation, Awards, Filmmakers, Narrative, Oscars, Short Film

Short Film: “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”

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This animated short film by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg is this year’s Oscar winner for Best Short Film (Animated). Immediately below the film is Joyce’s and Oldenburg’s acceptance speech.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adzywe9xeIU] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9rme79ptdA]
Actors, Coming Soon, Narrative, News

Fandango Survey Unmasks THE AVENGERS As the Most Anticipated Movie of the Summer

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Fandango, the nation’s leading moviegoer destination, revealed the results of its “Most Anticipated Summer Movie Survey,” in which Marvel’s The Avengers grabbed the top spot among all films picked by both men and women. The poll—which surveyed thousands of moviegoers on their must-see list for the biggest movie season of the year—also revealed that this may be a huge summer for Australian newcomer Chris Hemsworth, who stars in two of the summer’s most anticipated releases.

Male and female moviegoers offer a decidedly different perspective on the can’t-miss films of the summer. While women gravitated to the revisionist Kristen Stewart fairy tale drama Snow White and the Huntsman, men stuck to their guns with action adventures like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, which ranked number one and two on the most anticipated summer movie list.

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Classic Film, Drama, Film Noir, Narrative, On My DVR, Thriller

On My DVR: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

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Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb):
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

This film is on my 170 list, and I did watch it some years ago, but even then I told myself I’d have to re-watch it someday. I must not have been in the proper mindset the first time because I recall not following the story very well. Any film with the notoriety of The Maltese Falcon and with names like John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Peter Lorre attached deserves a second watch. This film came out the same year as Citizen Kane and is the iconic Huston’s directorial debut. It earned three Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Huston), and Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet).

Director: John Huston
Screenwriter: John Huston
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Sydney Greenstreet
Genres: Crime, Noir
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 100 min.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRSCV2qc2IY]
Coming Soon, Drama, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Independent Film, Narrative, Preview

Coming Soon: Sound of My Voice

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The thing about the indie film world is that it does not shy away from material that pushes the boundaries. It likes to challenge viewers and get them to think about things of which they normally wouldn’t. It seems that the latest in these “trending topics” is cult life. Last year, Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene introduced us to a disturbing cult world, perhaps not unlike the one we’ll be exploring next in Fox Searchlight’s newest release, Sound of My Voice. The film, which is directed by Zal Batmanglij (yes, the first six letters of his last name spell “Batman”!), is co-written by the director, himself, and one of indie film’s newest darlings, Brit Marling. In fact, the tri-hyphenate Marling also stars in the film and produced it. (Her last effort as writer-producer-star was last year’s independent triumph Another Earth, which shared a stage at Sundance 2011 with Sound of My Voice.)

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