Articles

TALES FROM THE SCRIPT - REVIEW by Jeff Bock

2010-03-02T20:51:06+00:00

For any aspiring screenwriter, the new film, “Tales from the Script,” is a must-see. The documentary, which interviews dozens of script gurus, is sort of a tell-all perspective of the highs and lows of the industry, from the people who know best….those that get paid to do it.

That’s the big difference between screenwriting “professors” and those who actually are on someone’s payroll to write scripts. The information within the film is more valuable, precisely because as it comes from the lips of successful writers who have navigated the hoops, hoopla, and sometimes shark infested waters of Hollywood.

Aside from the cheesy intro and outro music, Peter Hanson’s doc gives you exactly what you want: war stories from the front lines. As far as entertainment value goes in the film, there’s nothing much more here than talking heads, but the culmination of gathered information and anecdotes, are the real story and that’s the through line for what makes it a compelling watch. For anyone looking to become part of “The Biz,” in any capacity really, well, put this doc on your fast track. The nuggets of information doled out here could be the difference between driving a Bentley and parking one.

Highlights include the grizzled, slightly jaded old veterans, John Carpenter (“Halloween” “Escape From New York”) and Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver” “Raging Bull”) as well as inspiring established writers like Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”), Guinevere Turner (“Go Fish” “American Psycho”) and John August (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” “Go”). But one of the most interesting interviewees is someone you probably wouldn’t recognize unless you are a denizen of video store drudgery: Michael January. His films include “Deadly Target,” which is sometimes referred to as “Fire Zone.” Never heard of that one? How about “Hostile Force,” otherwise known as “The Heist,” or in Germany “Alarm Fur Security 13.” Okay, so none of these films probably made it to your local theatres. He’s as surprised as anyone. It’s very interesting and refreshing to see that side of the business as well as all of the “made” men and women. But what makes them all endearing—for the most part—is the fact that nearly everyone comes off as very down-to-earth and self-effacing. It’s inspiring to see such a colorful cast of characters, young and old, making it in the world of screenwriting. In fact, I for one was ready to dust off all those unproduced screenplays and get crackin’.

Now, if you think getting a screenplay sold is difficult, try getting one made. Consider that Stephen Susco’s first pages that were put to film was “The Grudge,” also the twenty-fifth screenplay he wrote. Talk about dedication to the craft. More than anything, that’s what it seems to take: persistence. Writing is rewriting. And even then, as William Goldman (“The Princess Bride” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”) so aptly puts it: “It’s a crap shoot.” The only thing necessary is structure when it comes to screenplays, according to Goldman, as he goes on to say that “the quality of writing, which is crucial in almost every other form of literature, is not what makes a screenplay work.”

Despite the abundance of snide comments, these often curmudgeonly insights are really a metaphor for the misery you’re apt to encounter if you indeed make screenwriting your profession of choice. Because no matter their level of success, it seems to be a constant struggle to keep their vision and sense of humor intact. Words are the tools they use to fight with…and their words are constantly being rewritten, rearranged, and placed in turnaround. And that’s what’s so inspiring about this film: All the writer’s interviewed seem to write screenplays because on some basic level, they just love movies so much. Don’t we all? Opening up the curtain on all these screenwriters is a real treat for the audience, because, after all, this is where all that movie magic begins.

NOTE: If you want even more insider knowledge, the companion book—Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories—will likely fulfill your wishes.

Click HERE for information about ordering the DVD.

An Interview with Franklin Martin, director of HURRICANE SEASON

2010-02-24T07:19:07+00:00

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, director Franklin Martin went down to New Orleans and made a documentary about a local football team. Watch our recent interview to find out more about the film.

Wednesday, February 24th at 7:30pm

Terry Bradshaw Presents: HURRICANE SEASON

Located just 15 miles west of New Orleans, the tiny town of La Place, escaped the cruel flooding of its neighbor only to suffer a different kind of flood: the overnight influx of 20,000 displaced hurricane victims. Electricity, food, water and shelter become scarce; traffic, unemployment and long lines prevalent. The school system was overrun with 1700 displaced students. Can teenage boys blown together by the winds of Katrina overcome the tragedy of losing their homes and school? Can kids with vastly different racial, economic and religious backgrounds co-exist? Can one-time high schools rivals set aside these differences to band together and lift the spirit of this broken community?

Q&A with the director and special guests will follow the screening.

Majestic Crest Theater
1262 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024
http://www.indiedocs.net

Adults: $13.00
Students: $10.00

Click HERE for tickets and more information.

An Interview with Juanita Wilson (the director of the Oscar nominated short THE DOOR)

2010-02-24T03:14:09+00:00

THE DOOR has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Live Action Short Film Category. The film is about a father’s attempts to come to terms with the devastating effects of the 1865 Chernobly disaster. FilmRadar recently sat down with director Juanita Wilson for a quick chat. Click HERE to see where these shorts are playing in theatres or how to view them online.

What films influence or inspire you creatively?
Many films inspire me in many different ways. I love Spirited Away for its imagination and sheer magic, I love Uzak for its pace and visual poetry, I love Once Were Warriors for its performance and heart, Michael Winterbottom’s Wonderland for its performances and use of music,.. in general, as an approach, I turn to press photography to explore and define a visual style for my films.

What inspired the idea for your short film?
The Door is adapted from a true testimony of Chernobyl. The Ukrainian journalist Svetlana Alexievich compiled a book about people’s direct experiences of Chernobyl and the book is called “Voices of Chernobyl”. One of the testimonies is a short piece written by a man called Nikolai Kalugin who ended up stealing his own front door and driving it on the back of a motorbike through a forest. I couldn’t get this bizarre image out of my head, it just seemed such a strong image. And his experience and how he described it was so moving, I felt compelled to work with it. And so the script more or less wrote itself.

How did you get the funding?
As a first time director, it’s very hard to get financed. You have to find people who are willing to take a chance on you I was lucky that my producer, James Flynn really believed in the story from the start and he also believed in me. But for two years running, we got turned down for funding for the film. So we decided to go ahead and try and make it anyway. And once I met Tim Fleming, the cinematographer, I knew I could make the film because it was a real meeting of minds. Both of these men had a lot more experience than I had and their support and love of the film carried me along. So we decided to go to Minsk and do some location scouting and casting, which was an amazing experience. When we came back having cast the two main actors, the Irish Film Board got behind the project and funded it. Their support has been really great. But all the people who worked on this film helped fund the film by their generosity of time and experience. Designer Susie Cullen and editor, Nathan Nugent all put their blood, sweat and tears into making this film and giving it their incredible commitment. Filmmaking is real team work.

How long did it take to get made?
It took three years to raise the money but in terms of production, it took about six months.

How have you gone about getting the film seen by others?
Fortunately the film has been shown at various festivals around the world and now it is being screened in America. It’s wonderful to get a reaction from audiences in different parts of the world despite all our language differences.

What are your goals and upcoming projects for the future?
I have just shot a feature film based on Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulic’s book “As If I Am Not There” which is about a young woman’s experience of the Bosnian War. After that…who knows?

THE DOOR has won numerous film festival prizes around the world. To learn more about this extraordinary film, log on to http://www.thedoorshortfilm.com.

Bob Newhart At the Aero

2010-02-22T08:22:42+00:00

“This is not Billy Wilder’s life, or Cary Grant. I made a few movies.” -Bob Newhart

While the statement above might seem like a typical example of Bob Newhart’s dry wit, it’s also essentially true. Newhart has had a career that spans five decades, but for most people movies are not the first thing that comes to mind when you mention his name. But Newhart has appeared in an eclectic assortment of films dating back to 1962, when he appeared in Don Siegel’s “Hell is for Heroes.” His more recent credits have included stints opposite Will Ferrell in “Elf” and Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde 2”. But many of Newhart’s most interesting films are rarely screened, and deserve a second look.

Enter the American Cinematheque, who gave a sold out crowd at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica a treat by programming a double bill of “Cold Turkey” (1971) and “Hot Millions” (1968). “Hot Millions” is available on DVD and download from the new Warner Archive site, but “Cold Turkey” has yet to see a DVD release of any sort. “Cold Turkey” also carries the distinction of being the only feature film to be directed by television legend Norman Lear. It’s the kind of movie that Hollywood would never make now, as the plot centers around a small town who’s promised $25 million by a tobacco company if they can quit smoking for 30 days. Considering that the MPAA is practically handing out R ratings to filmmakers who even dare to show a cigarette in a movie these days, “Cold Turkey” seems like a minor miracle.

“Hot Millions” finds Newhart’s paranoid accountant character trying to catch Peter Ustinov in the act of embezzling money from a large American corporation with the aid of their giant computer. Newhart has a lot of funny exchanges with Ustinov in the film, and it’s even funnier to see him shift into lecherous mode as he tries to put the moves on a young Maggie Smith. On a side note, it’s almost uncanny how tricks and mannerisms Ricky Gervais seems to have lifted from Peter Ustinov. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine a remake with Newhart in a cameo.

As entertaining as the two films were, the house was packed to see the man himself, and Newhart didn’t disappoint. Appearing for discussion in between the two films, he took questions from the audience and regaled the crowd with a series of priceless anecdotes from his long show business career. He gave his wife credit for coming up with the idea for the famous final episode of “Newhart” where he wakes up next to Suzanne Pleshette on the set of “The Bob Newhart Show,” and he had hilarious stories about appearing with Frank Sinatra on The Tonight Show, the first time his wife met Don Rickles, and working for Mike Nichols while hung over on the set of “Catch-22.”

The crowd got an unexpected treat when Newhart called Norman Lear out of the audience to join him on stage. Lear seemed very touched by the way “Cold Turkey” had played with the crowd and said he’d never had a chance to see the film with an audience before. He also revealed that he shot the pilot of “All in the Family” three different times before someone finally picked it up. Newhart had some similar problems with CBS when he was doing his show for them in the 90’s and got a big laugh when he turned to Lear and asked “Can you imagine a network being unfair?” A class act if there ever was one, Lear seemed reluctant to steer the spotlight away from Newhart and left the stage after a few minutes.

Now 80, Newhart shows few signs of slowing down. His comedy album “The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” seems as fresh as it did 50 years ago, and Newhart said that he still does about twenty stand-up dates a year. A good comedian always knows his audience, and Bob Newhart wrapped up his American Cinematheque appearance by referencing Billy Wilder once gain. Addressing the question of why he continues to do stand up, Newhart claimed he did it to avoid the alternative: ” Sitting in a dark room on Sunset Blvd. with Erich Von Stroheim bringing me my favorite Newhart episodes.”

MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD

2010-02-08T22:21:30+00:00

MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD

Los Angeles, CA (February 8, 2010)—MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS, a hilariously shocking mockumentary, is now available on DVD in stores at an SRP of $19.98.

The movie, which won bronze in the Heineken Audience Award at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, features five little people and five mascots who battle for $1 million apiece in competitions such as “how few insults does it take to get punched in a bar” and “alligator wrestling.”

With Gary Coleman starring as himself, much of the film is shot guerilla improv style, as the teams surprise unsuspecting bystanders when they crash restaurants, bars, and neighborhoods during outrageous competitions. As described on the Tribeca Film Festival website, the film’s “hilarity and raunch… struck a chord with [Tribeca] audiences” and “is certain to shock and amuse.”

Directed by Ron Carlson with appearances by Jason Mewes, Scottie Pippen, and Ron Jeremy, the film has already generated considerable word-of-mouth and online buzz. At Tribeca, tickets to the film’s initial four screenings at Tribeca sold out in two hours, prompting the Festival to add a fifth showing.

A cross between Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat and Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass, MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS is geared toward 18-34-year-old males. In test screenings, the film’s scores came back 20 percent higher than the average studio comedy. In head to head testing, MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS also beat seven of 10 relevant comedies, including Jackass, Reno 911, Napoleon Dynamite, Bad Santa, Pineapple Express, Clerks, and Harold & Kumar.

Already an online sensation, MIDGETS VS. MASCOTS (www.midgetsvsmascots.com) has logged 50 million media impressions since January 1, 2010, and 800,000 online views of the trailer and clips. The film’s trailer is ranked in the top 1% of trailers/videos on Trailer Addict (www.traileraddict.com).

The critics are already buzzing:

o “Looking for party entertainment that you can pop into the DVD player when everyone is stoned and in a silly mood? Then this is exactly the ticket.”—Jon Bastian, FilmMonthly.com

o “Hilarious, politically incorrect sleeper hit.”—TheBachelorGuy.com

o “Comedy gold guaranteed.”—Dustin Rowles, GoldFishSyndrome.com

o “It’s wild, it’s crazy!”—Danielle Evenson, Entertainment.Comedy.com

o “The must-see movie of the decade is Midgets vs. Mascots.”—blogcatalog.com

Tony Curtis Appears at the Magic Castle

2010-02-08T05:53:22+00:00

Not only is Tony Curtis an exciting and outstanding actor, he also provides generous support to charities he believes in. To fundraise for his Las Vegas based Shiloh Horse Rescue foundation, Curtis appeared at the Magic Castle in Hollywood on Sunday, February 2 following a screening of the classic film comedy, “Some Like It Hot.” Directed by the great Billy Wilder, “Some Like It Hot” focuses on the exploits of two male musicians (Curtis and Jack Lemmon) on the run from Chicago mobsters in 1928, who join an all girl band on their way to Florida, after noticing the delectable charms of lead singer Sugar (Marilyn Monroe). Romance, humor, and suspense ensue.

Following the screening, Curtis appeared on stage to loud applause from the audience. He revealed that he suffered muscle weakness after a long bout with pneumonia several years ago, but appeared indomitable and strong. Displaying his impish sense of humor, he doffed his cowboy hat to reveal he was also bald.

Curtis brought his wife Jill on stage to explain the work of their foundation, Shiloh Horse Rescue, which she and Tony founded about 5 years ago. The organization rescues abandoned, injured, abused, and slaughter bound horses, training them for adoption by loving families, or peaceful and contented retirement on a rural farm outside of Las Vegas. At any time, over 500 horses are stabled at the ranch.

Curtis expressed enormous gratitude for his 56 year long career, before regaling the crowd with several amusing stories. He revealed how much Cary Grant had influenced his career. Curtis stated that Grant “...filled me up with energy,” that imagining he was Grant gave him a sense of who he was, and how to act as a gentleman.

Like Grant in the film “Destination Tokyo,” Curtis served on a submarine during World War II, and attended college on the G. I. Bill following the War. This gave him the chance to make something of himself. At college he began studying acting, which lead to an appearance in the play “Golden Boy.” Discovered by a talent agent in the play, he was signed to an acting contract and sent to Hollywood.

Curtis jokingly told the audience of meeting a well groomed man who invited him up for a talk at his seat in the front of the airplane, appearing interested in his background and future plans. Curtis proudly spoke of his contract with Universal, before the man asked if he needed a lift to his hotel. Once in the limousine, the men introduced themselves, with Curtis discovering he had been talking and joking with Warners Bros. head of production Jack Warner, who went on to become a lifelong friend.

A person in the audience asked about his early acting days. Proud of his time at Universal, Curtis revealed he loved working for the studio in his early years because it gave him roles in a variety of pictures, which provided great experience and training for how to handle himself in all types of situations.

Another questioner asked him what he learned playing real people in movies. Curtis stated that he enjoyed reading and learning about Harry Houdini, an Hungarian Jew like himself, who possessed enormous discipline and knowledge in becoming the world’s greatest magician during the early part of the twentieth century. From Houdini, he learned the attitude, “You don’t act, you be.”

Responding to a question about THE DEFIANT ONES, Curtis explained how he suggested Sidney Poitier as his costar, as well as how he demanded that they share star billing for the film, the first time a black actor’s name had appeared over a film’s title.

He claimed that he met Marilyn Monroe in 1950, very early in their careers, and how they carried on an affair for a while. He believed she was a lovely, sweet woman who unfortunately found herself in situations she couldn’t handle with people who weren’t always looking out for her best interests.

Representatives of the Magic Castle presented him with a proclamation from the city of Los Angeles, as well as sterling silver cufflinks in the shape of Lifesavers (in honor of a funny anecdote from Curtis), and a letter from the rabbi of the largest Jewish temple in Europe, located in Budapest, Hungary. The letter almost moved him to tears, as Curtis revealed he had founded the Emanuel Foundation (named after his father) to help Hungarian Holocaust victims in the United States as well as Europe, giving back as a way to honor his heritage and people.

After his talk, Curtis retired downstairs to sign his book, photos, posters, artwork, and other memorabilia to raise money for Shiloh Horse Rescue.

Sundance Interview with the writer/director of TUB

2010-01-23T05:57:33+00:00

The synopsis alone tells you this will be a short like none other.

Writer/Director Bobby Miller is a 2009 graduate of Columbia University’s MFA Film program. His previous work includes directing a stop motion commercial for VH1, writing for The Onion, and creating the Webby-Award winning variety show The Best Short Films In The World for Next New Networks. His feature film scripts have placed at Slamdance, Scriptapalooza, and the BlueCat Screenplay competition. He’s currently writing his 4th feature length screenplay and writing, directing, hosting, and editing The Reel Good Show for Next New Networks. (TheBobbyMiller.com) TUB was made by Streetwise Pictures Entertainment and produced by Kim Jackson & Richard LeMay.

10 Frequently Asked Questions about “TUB” with answers by Writer/Director Bobby Miller

1.) When was “TUB” conceived?
TUB was originally written back in 2006. I had never worked with a decent budget before and I knew that TUB had to have a certain level of special effects for it to work. So, I applied for many filmmaking grants, but could never get funding. It was depressing. TUB would become my passion project. No matter what I did at film school, my friends would always ask, “When are you going to make TUB?” But, because I never felt like I had the right people involved or the funding in place, it just never happened. In 2009, after working with Eric Levy and Matt Sanchez on a side project, I decided to up and fund the thing myself. Besides: What’s another student loan anyways?

2.) Where the hell did you come up with the idea for “TUB”?
It’s all based on a true story.

3.) What were you trying to accomplish with “TUB”?
I’ve been making short comedy films forever and was dabbling with more dramatic stuff at Columbia University’s graduate film program. I also love traditional special effects and dreamed of making something with a more complex puppet. Instead of, y’know, a sock. TUB was the ambitious fusing of all of my interests into one project. It’s funny in parts, but sometimes dark, dramatic, disturbing or just plain weird. More than anything, I was interested in creating a unique tone with this film and walking the tight rope line between comedy, drama, and goopy special effects. It was easily one of the most satisfying creative experiences of my life.

4.) Where/when was it shot?
TUB was shot in April of 2009. The shoot consisted of two days in a studio and two days on location. The bathroom in the film was not a real bathroom, but rather a bathroom set. All shooting was done in New York City. The apartment location was in Brooklyn. It’s my friend Shivonna’s place. She’s really cool. You should meet her sometime.

5.) How was the baby in the film created?
The baby in the film consists of two versions: A full body silicon puppet and a larger scale stand-alone head. The larger stand-alone head was equipped with animatronic eye-lids, so the baby could blink and appear more lifelike in it’s closeup shots. The baby was designed by Cheryl Gross and sculpted by Monster in My Closet FX, headed by Jeremy Selenfriend. I feel like I interviewed every FX house in NYC for the job of creating the baby and Jeremy and his crew do amazing work.

6.) What was it shot on?
A Sony EX-1 with a Letus35Extreme 35mm lens adapter.

7.) What are your filmmaking influences?
I find I’m attracted to filmmakers with a skewed or absurd look at the world. Terry Gilliam, Spike Jonze, Fellini, PT Anderson, David Cronenberg, David Lynch, Woody Allen…am I boring you yet? I also think Ren and Stimpy screwed with my brain at a young age.

8.) Tub is world-premiering at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, when does it screen? It screens in SHORTS PROGRAM V.
Friday, January 22, 11:30 a.m. Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Saturday, January 23, 5:30 p.m. Library Center Theatre, Park City
Sunday, January 24, 3:45 p.m. Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
Wednesday, January 27, 9:00 a.m. Holiday Village Cinema IV, Park City
Saturday, January 30, 6:00 p.m. Egyptian Theatre, Park City

9.) Where can I find out about all things “TUB”?
That’s funny you should ask that, imaginary question-asker. You can visit: TubMovie.com. Once there, you can download the trailer, poster, photos, and follow us on twitter and facebook! I mean…that’s gotta be exciting, right? ...maybe?

10.) What is next after “TUB”?
I’ve been making short films since the 5th grade and showcasing my work online since web video was possible. (I remember feeling frustrated when my little one minute .mpeg video file took forever to download on a modem.)
For the last two years, I’ve become a one-man-band of sorts: Writing, directing, hosting, and editing a show every week for Next New Networks. All the while, I’ve been slowly building an online audience. (That same audience helped me defeat Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for “Best Variety Show” at the 2009 Webby Awards. More at: DontLetJimmyWin.com)

Amongst all of that, I completed graduate film school at Columbia University, where I wrote 3 feature length screenplays and got the idea for my 4th. I also directed a commercial for VH1. And while all of it has been exciting, there’s one thing that has been lingering over me for a long time…I guess this is a long winded way of saying I’m dying to make a feature film already.

Check out the trailer:

RUSSIAN LESSONS

2010-01-22T00:11:39+00:00

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2010

RUSSIAN LESSONS
World Cinema Documentary Competition

Directors: Olga Konskaya and Andrei Nekrasov
Executive Producer: Giorgi Arveladze Producer: Torstein Grude

An investigation into Russian preparation and execution of the war in Georgia, autumn 2008, with the forgotten ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in 1993 as a backdrop.

Renowned Russian film director Andrei Nekrasov returns to Sundance with his controversial film RUSSIAN LESSONS which tells the story of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war in the context of the two countries’ post-Soviet history. His journey to Sundance this time will be bittersweet. His co-director, partner and wife, Olga Konskaya, a prominent film producer and human rights campaigner, sadly, passed away in May 2009 while finishing the film, at the age of 44.

RUSSIAN LESSONS starts as a journey by two directors-protagonists, Olga Konskaya and Andrei Nekrasov, one on each side of the frontline during the last year’s Russian-Georgia war. A personal take of the two Russians on war, politics, political culture and history focuses first of all on human drama before coming up with assessments. They gradually emerge, however, as the intercut double journey progresses, the two meet on the frontline and return to their native St. Petersburg with the footage they shot during the war. In their cutting room the filmmakers analyze and edit their material, and this process becomes part of the actual film. Using this devise the film strives to integrate hard fact analysis into the narrative of the two filmmakers’ journey through space and time, but also through the minefield of propaganda and emotional manipulation that have surrounded the Russo-Georgian confrontation.

Importantly RUSSIAN LESSONS puts the recent war in the context of the post-Soviet history which has managed to keep its darkest pages away from international public’s attention despite dozens of relevant UN resolutions and OSCE conventions. At the same time as Milosevic and his henchmen were earning the reputation of the biggest evil of the post-communist world, a perfectly comparable, but perhaps even more cruel, campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing was happening in Georgia considered by some as Russia’s sphere of “privileged strategic interests”.

Press & Industry Screening
Wednesday, Jan. 27th, 8:00 p.m. at Holiday Village III - 1776 Park Ave, Park City

Public Screenings:
Tuesday, January 26th, 9:00 p.m. - Holiday Village Cinema IV - 1776 Park Ave, Park City
Wednesday, January 27th, 9:00 a.m. - Yarrow Hotel Theatre 1 - 1800 Park Avenue, Park City
Thursday, January 28th, 10:30 p.m. - Broadway Centre Cinemas IV - 111 E. Broadway, SLC
Friday, January 29th, 3:00 p.m. - Holiday Village Cinema IV - 1776 Park Ave, Park City

OBSELIDIA at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

2010-01-21T23:49:57+00:00

SUNDANCE 2010 FILM FESTIVAL

OBSELIDIA
Written and Directed by Diane Bell
Cast: Michael Piccirilli, Gaynor Howe, Frank Hoyt Taylor
Producers: Chris Bryne. Sheri Davani, Matthew Medlin, Ken Morris

Ever feel like the whole world is disappearing? Species by species, technology by technology-everything you know and love is becoming obsolete.

That’s how George, a lonely librarian feels and why he’s writing The Obselidia, an Encyclopedia of Obsolete Things. He wants to record it all, to catalogue the world before it’s gone.

OBSELIDIA, beautifully written and directed by Diane Bell will captivate critics and audiences. This cinematic little gem will OBSELIDIA tells the story of George Ruben (Michael Piccirilli), a man out of step with the 21st century who is pathologically nostalgic for things that used to be and never will again. George’s obsession with chronicling all things obsolete even believes that love is obsolete. On his quest to catalogue critically endangered occupations, George meets the beautiful Sophie (Gaynor Howe), a cinema projectionist who works at a local art house movie theater. Sophie’s a vivacious free spirit,
who lives life in the moment and rarely stops to look back. She romantically believes that nothing is obsolete so long as someone loves it.

New to LA and a little lonely after breaking up with her long time boyfriend, Sophie pursues a friendship with George. She allows him to interview her about her own work for The Obselidia - and she becomes fascinated by this guy who’s quite unlike anyone she’s ever met. He doesn’t use a computer, he doesn’t own a car, and he seems so earnest and sincere. When Sophie learns that George is planning a trip out to Death Valley, via public transport, in order to interview a maverick scientist, Lewis Fordham (Frank Hoyt Taylor) who is predicting the eminent end of the world, she steps in and insists that she drive him.

With a soundtrack composed using an orchestra of obsolete instruments and sounds, adding to the quirky romantic feeling of the film, OBSELIDIA is a sweet, romantic journey in which two people meet, go on a journey together and are forever changed. Stunning cinematography driven by beautiful storytelling, OBSELIDIA is sure to be one of this year’s little break-out festival gems!

Press & Industry Screening:
Saturday, January, 23rd, 10:00 p.m. - Holiday Village II - 1776 Park Ave, Park City

OBSELIDIA
Public Screenings:
Friday, January 22nd - 2:15 p.m. - Racquet Club - 1200 Little Kate Rd., Park City
Saturday, January 23rd - 12 noon - Broadway Centre Cinemas VI - 111 E. Broadway, SLC
Tuesday, January 26th - 12:15 p.m. - Eccles Theatre - 1750 Kerns Blvd., Park City
Wednesday, January 27th - 5:30 p.m. - Prospector Square Theatre - 2200 Sidewinder Drive, Park City
Friday, January 29th - 12 noon - Egyptian Theatre - 328 Main Street, Park City

http://www.obselidiathemovie.com/

Retaking Your “Wonderful World”

2010-01-11T21:01:35+00:00

“Wonderful World” is a portrait of one man’s actualization of his own negativity. Josh Goldin’s directorial debut really encompasses a lot of what is probably consuming the American psyche right now. The world sucks and there is very little that one man can do to change it. Or can they?

I was dreading sitting down with Josh. I was expecting a flood of corporate conspiracy theories, a nihilistic world view and/or a critique of the MSM. I was expecting a beret, a Che-shirt and possibly a pack of cloves. So I was boweled over when he sauntered into the junket room, clapped his hands and said, “Okay! Who’s ready for the funny interview?”

Huh. His main character ‘Ben Singer’ (Matthew Broderick) is a guy who has lost his will to embrace anything good, except for his nightly blunt. His ex-wife is doing great, giving his daughter a huge home and douchey step-father. Ben shares a one bedroom with his roommate. His once successful career as a children’s song writer has been relegated to occasional jam sessions in the back of a guitar shop. During the day he proofreads copy surrounded by gen-“Z” ers who have yet to be singed by their dreams. What a bunch of suckers. He has grown to accept his hellhole as home.

“(Ben) is very isolated, kind of a hermit.” says Broderick. “He has his one roommate who he kind of talks to. Other than that his world has gotten very small and internalized. I think the fact that he has his daughter is what forces him to get out this rut. He’s beginning to effect her badly. That motivates him to wake up.”

Wait? Matthew Broderick plays this guy?

“I have been friends with Matthew for about twenty years.” adds Goldin “I can actually say for sure that his persona in real life is quite different from his movie personas. Not that he is a curmudgeon but he has a cynical side. I wanted to have a character that had both that curmudgeon quality but when you see Matthew you know that there is something inside that is NOT that. It’s adds a tension because you are waiting for that to come out. “

But ‘Ben’ is in a really dark place. Goldin claims that ‘Ben’ is based on him.

“People will vouch that I am not THAT negative a person. But I think that anyone who lived through the Bush years, anyone who has a brain, has a running commentary of negativity. If you don’t you are not alive. So it was just there in the ether.”

The movie isn’t what you would call a crowd pleaser. At its core, it is about hope and getting back on track. Most flicks show oversimplifies what it takes to do this. The movie is about a journey that takes you from the bottom of the ladder to just one more rung up. This may be painful.. but it can put your life into a better place.