I love Christopher Guest, both as an actor as a director, so I was intrigued when I heard he’d be shooting a series of viral commercials to help promote the U.S. Census (Huh?). One of the ads aired last night during the Super Bowl, costing taxpayers $2.5 million (a fact which has caused some consternation). Hit the jump to see all the commercials.
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Posted on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 by David Chen
The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss Chloe Moretz’s upbringing, continue their discussion about classic movies, and explain why the Memento DVD is one of the most annoying pieces of home media ever created. Steve Weintraub from Collider joins us for this episode.
You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next Monday at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST at Slashfilm’s live page as we review From Paris with Love.
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Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our coverage of Sundance 2010. There still may be a few more Sundance-related pieces kicking around in the near future but in the meantime, I thought I might share some of the things I learned from my very first year at Sundance. I’ve always dreamed of going, and for the most part, I can say that it lived up to all my expectations. That said, hit the jump for some of the things I learned at Sundance 2010. Those of you who have already been - and some that haven’t - may find these observations stunningly obvious, but they’re new to me. [Note: All of the photographs in this post were taken by me using my iPhone, and edited using iPhone apps]
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Posted on Friday, February 5th, 2010 by David Chen
The Tobolowsky Files is a new podcast from the people who brought you the /Filmcast, featuring a series of stories about life, love, and the entertainment industry, as told by legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky. In this episode, Stephen and Beth return from France and experience some unexpected changes in their world.
You can always e-mail Stephen at stephentobolowsky(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or you can e-mail David at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com. You can also follow Stephen on Twitter or follow David on Twitter. Please let us know what you think of the show! You can find every episode of the podcast at http://www.tobolowskyfiles.com!
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Posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 by David Chen
In this week’s episode of the /Filmcast, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss the art of the new Wall Street teaser, reflect on the business of indie cinema, and offer some of their favorite films and disappointments from Sundance 2010. Special guest Steve Weintraub (AKA Frosty) from Collider joins us this evening.
You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next week on Monday night at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST at Slashfilm’s live page as we review From Paris with Love.
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Posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 by David Chen
Documentary filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady have previously demonstrated their ability to present controversial issues and people in an even-handed way. Their 2006 film, Jesus Camp, which documented a Pentacostal summer camp for children, was praised for the way it revealed the indoctrination of children by the religious right. But that film’s subjects actually stated that they had no problems with they way they were depicted, a testament to Grady and Ewing’s efforts towards verisimilitude.
The pair had a new film at Sundance this year called 12th & Delaware, which chronicles the people who work at an abortion clinic in Florida and the local religious members that try to thwart them (the title refers to a street corner where the abortion clinic and a church clinic are located opposite each other). The footage that Ewing and Grady were able to get is remarkable, and while they successfully capture the fervor on both sides of 12th & Delaware, it’s the footage of the clients that is truly stunning, as they were able to film people in the process of making one of the most potentially important decisions of their lives. As with their previous films, 12th & Delaware is illuminating and infuriating in equal parts, but always a movie that feels both well-made and fair.
After the break, my interview with Grady and Ewing, in which we talk about how they made 12th & Delaware, the reception of Jesus Camp, and their exciting next project.
Posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 by David Chen
Director Vincenzo Natali won plaudits for his low-budget 1997 film, Cube, in which he demonstrated an ability to create a moody, atmospheric thriller. This year, his sci-fi film Splice screened at Sundance. Having won some acclaim already at Sitges 2009, Splice was one of my most anticipated movies of the fest. Hit the jump to hear some of my thoughts on the film and watch a video discussion of the film with the guys at the blogger condo.
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Posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 by David Chen
The annual success of the Saw films has proven that there’s a huge market out there for torture-porn films, or films whose primary function is to allow viewers to revel in the physical destruction of the human body. But what would happen if you took a torture-porn film, made it using classical filmmaking techniques, populated it with talented actors, used a well-written script, and injected a healthy dose of moral ambiguity into it for good measure? You might get a movie like Daniel Grou’s 7 Days.
7 Days (originally “Les Sept Jours Du Talion”) tells the story of Bruno, a man whose daughter is raped and murdered. Torn apart by grief and burning with rage, Bruno seeks out his daughter’s killer, captures him, and proceeds to torture him over the course of a week, using increasingly brutal methods. The film is graphic and intense, using torture not only as an end in and of itself, but as a way to ask the audience whether or not torture/revenge can ever serve a productive or meaningful purpose. As Bruno’s punishment escalates, he begins to realize the implications of his actions.
I’d recommend 7 Days to anyone who likes movies that are challenging to watch and thought-provoking in nature. It’s a torture-porn film with a brain. Better yet, 7 Days is part of the Sundance Selects program, meaning you can watch the movie on video-on-demand right now. I spoke with director Daniel Grou (AKA Podz) about the process of making 7 Days and about the role of films featuring torture. Hit the jump for the interview.
Posted on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 by David Chen
David Michôd has had a pretty big year at Sundance. Hesher, which he wrote along with director Spencer Susser, was one of the most anticipated films of the festival (read Peter’s review here). He also directed Animal Kingdom, an Australian crime drama starring Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, and newcomer James Frecheville. I have no compunction about saying that Animal Kingdom was one of my most favorite films of Sundance. Hit the jump for some of my thoughts, as well as a video review I recorded with members of our blogger condo.
Posted on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 by David Chen
When I hear the name John Wells, I think of paramedics hurriedly rushing onto the scene of an accident, arriving just in time to barely save someone’s life. I fondly recall verbose walk-and-talks in the halls of the Bartlett White House. And I remember following the romantic lives of skilled doctors in a Chicago E.R. In short, this man is partly responsible for some of the most thought-provoking, thrilling television ever produced.
Wells directed a movie called The Company Men that premiered at Sundance this year. With an all-star cast featuring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, and Tommy Lee Jones, The Company Men follows the lives of three men as their company is torn apart amidst a recession. The film is a personal portrait of job loss, and while its scope is relatively small, the talent of the performances is not. Affleck, Cooper, and Lee Jones all manage to cpature the pain and humiliation of economic struggle with pathos and humor. The stories feel personal and subtle, even to a fault; few things particularly “dramatic” happen during the movie, and while the film can occasionally feel aimless, its depiction of joblessness also feels deeply rooted within vagaries of our reality. Thus, while there were no helicopter crashes or gun-shot wounds in The Company Men, Wells proves that as a director, he can smoothly make the transition to film (a medium he’s already very familiar with as a producer) and tell a story with nuance and skill. You can click here to hear a couple more thoughts about the film or watch the film’s trailer.
After the break, I chat with John Wells about what inspired him to make The Company Men, true stories of job loss, and whether or not The Company Men is really an independent film.
