People Places Things director James C. Strouse Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Jim Strouse's sleeper summer hit features an agile, very funny Jemaine Clement sparring with Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Michael Chernus (of Noah Baumbach's Mistress America), Regina Hall, Gia Gadsby and Aundrea Gadsby.
Virginia and Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man, playwrights Will Eno and Alan Ayckbourn with a touch of Alain Resnais and a John Singer Sargent portrait, form a frame to our conversation. I connect Jim's composer Mark Orton (out of Alexander Payne's Nebraska) to Walter Slezak in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Silence De La Mer, Marlene Dietrich in Stanley Kramer's Judgement at Nuremberg and Madeline Kahn in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, and he connects Chernus and Clement to Men In Black 3.
Jemaine Clement as Will Henry: "He is very present and open…"
People Places Things, a sly comedy of parental manners,...
Jim Strouse's sleeper summer hit features an agile, very funny Jemaine Clement sparring with Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Michael Chernus (of Noah Baumbach's Mistress America), Regina Hall, Gia Gadsby and Aundrea Gadsby.
Virginia and Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man, playwrights Will Eno and Alan Ayckbourn with a touch of Alain Resnais and a John Singer Sargent portrait, form a frame to our conversation. I connect Jim's composer Mark Orton (out of Alexander Payne's Nebraska) to Walter Slezak in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Silence De La Mer, Marlene Dietrich in Stanley Kramer's Judgement at Nuremberg and Madeline Kahn in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, and he connects Chernus and Clement to Men In Black 3.
Jemaine Clement as Will Henry: "He is very present and open…"
People Places Things, a sly comedy of parental manners,...
- 8/13/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Christian Dior and Coco Chanel calligraphy dresses with a clip from Zhang Yimou's Hero edited by Wong Kar Wai Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
With the John Singer Sargent exhibition, Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends, organised by the National Portrait Gallery, London in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art opening today, here is the second half of my conversation with Gay Talese on the seduction of fashion and film at China: Through The Looking Glass.
Myrna Loy, Anna May Wong, Callot Soers, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Mila Parély in Jean Renoir's The Rules Of The Game, Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar, Cesar Romero, Tyrone Power, Vincente Minnelli's Meet Me in St. Louis plus Ziegfeld Follies, Fred Astaire and the Duke of Windsor were conjured up. Gay told me about meeting Gene Kelly, Marcello Mastroianni and Federico Fellini during La Dolce Vita and we discussed tailoring while strolling...
With the John Singer Sargent exhibition, Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends, organised by the National Portrait Gallery, London in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art opening today, here is the second half of my conversation with Gay Talese on the seduction of fashion and film at China: Through The Looking Glass.
Myrna Loy, Anna May Wong, Callot Soers, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Mila Parély in Jean Renoir's The Rules Of The Game, Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar, Cesar Romero, Tyrone Power, Vincente Minnelli's Meet Me in St. Louis plus Ziegfeld Follies, Fred Astaire and the Duke of Windsor were conjured up. Gay told me about meeting Gene Kelly, Marcello Mastroianni and Federico Fellini during La Dolce Vita and we discussed tailoring while strolling...
- 6/30/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The smart money's on Tilda Swinton's 80-year-old Madame D. from "The Grand Budapest Hotel," but all three Oscar-nominated makeup/hairstyling teams are worthy contenders. It's about creative transformation in one form or another. 1. Frances Hannon ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"): "I did the research how Tilda should look, aging her teeth and eyes and the makeup and hair. Mark Coulier applied it for me and I made her up on top, using my mother as a bit of a reference point for the wonky lipstick and how a lady of her years makes herself up. The hair was perfect, a combination of the plumpness of Toulouse-Lautrec, the style of John Singer Sargent and the waves of Queen Mary. And the color came from a line where Gustave says he prefers blonds, so I used natural blond hair that had gone white with age. Some poor old lady had sold her hair,...
- 2/12/2015
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
I support this new NYC Film Fest which a lot of our friends attended and also support. I went to their inaugural event in NYC a few weeks back and it felt good and I certainly like their Indie lineup. The following is from a recent press release:
Celebrating first-time filmmakers with a grand prize of theatrical distribution, hosted by the historic Players Club, First Time Fest also had additional participants to this year's unique event.
Harry Belafonte, Gay Talese, Michael Shannon & Ellen Burstyn have joined Christine Vachon, Fred Schneider, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, Barbara Kopple, Scott Foundas, Eric Kohn, Emily Russo, Jenny Lumet, Darren Aronofsky, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley, Peter Saraf, Nancy Savoca, Amy Ryan And Martin Scorsese participated In First Time Fest.
Belafonte & Shannon appeared onstage in the Ftf’s “Stand Alone! – Conversations With The Outstanding” series, one-on-one interview with notable cinema artists. Renowned author Gay Talese joined Christine Vachon and the B-52s Fred Schneider as another of the Ftf’s five jurors (the entire live audience at each of the 12 competition films was the 5th juror). Together, the jury and audience ultimately selected Grand Prize winner, Sal, a modern-day Western by Argentinian writer-director Diego Rougier which was offered theatrical distribution and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio.
Acclaimed actress Ellen Burstyn, who worked with both Scorsese and Aronofsky served as the host of the Ftf Closing Night Awards program. As part of that festive evening, Martin Scorsese added his illustrious presence and belief in the art of cinema, presenting the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky. John Huston was one of the most prolific and versatile directors in the history of cinema. And with his mesmerizing debut film, Pi – made independently on black-and-white 16mm film – Darren Aronofsky was instantly recognized as a uniquely gifted new talent. His subsequent films: Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler and Black Swan, have more than fulfilled that promise.
In addition, Ftf had a special presentation of Andy Grieve and Lauren Lazin’s documentary about the band The Police, Can't Stand Losing You, featuring Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.
On an exciting party note, and in conjunction with Ftf’s presentation of the Australian/Mongolian documentary Mongolian Bling, First Time Fest and Hip Hop Saves Lives presented “Project Haiti,” an album release party for Zing Experience at Webster Hall.
Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, Ftf presented a dozen Competition Films, which were judged by a panel of industry luminaries and the Ftf audience. All competition screenings were followed by “hot-seat” discussions between the jury and filmmakers, and all audience members then voted on the films. It was truly a contest of the best emerging filmmakers competing for the Ultimate Audience Award.
Competition Films – (please visit here for competition films & descriptions).
In addition to the Competition Films, Ftf presented First Exposure, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers. Joining the line-up - and mostly attending the fest - was the exciting Opening Night presentation of Sofia Coppola with The Virgin Suicides, Todd Solondz with Welcome to the Dollhouse, Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, Barbara Kopple with Harlan County, USA, Melvin Van Peebles with The Story of a Three-Day Pass, Pi from Darren Aronofsky, The Maltese Falcon from director John Huston, Poison from Todd Haynes, Jack Goes Boating from director Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley’s The Unbelievable Truth, and True Love from Nancy Savoca.
First Exposure Films – (please visit here, for First Exposure descriptions)
First Exposure also includes a 60th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s The Little Fugitive, a cinema vérité classic from 1953 that was shot on Coney Island and has inspired countless filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to the Coen brothers. The tribute included a panel hosted by film historian Foster Hirsch including Mary Engel, daughter of Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, and James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies. In addition there was a Special Presentation of Everardo Gout’s thrillingly over-the-top action thriller Days Of Grace (Dĺas De Gracia), which won the Mexican Academy of Film’s prestigious Ariel Award for Best First Feature and was nominated for the Camera d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
First Time Fest included a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers moderated filmmaking case studies and spotlighted some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.
First Time Fest is a four-day, multi-faceted event hosted in New York City’s Gramercy Park by the celebrated Players (16 Gramercy Park South), the club founded by Edwin Booth, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind whose membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists receive high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players. The Players was the location for all Ftf panels and events as well as the Filmmaker and VIP Lounge. First Time Fest’s screenings were all held at the Loews Village VII on Third Avenue (on 11th St. & 3rd Ave).
Among the Fest’s terrific sponsors is the delicious Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. "The forward-thinking Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte draws its inspiration from the call of ‘faraway lands.’ One of the youngest and most fashionable Champagne brands, Nicolas Feuillatte has captured the world's imagination by sharing its passion for creativity and arts in a record 37 years, becoming the #1 Champagne in France. In its role as discoverer of talent, the brand awards its prestige cuvée Palmes d'Or to First Time Fest's winners to complement the celebration in style."
Other terrific sponsors of the fest include Brooklyn Brewery, Moscot, Marquis Vodka and Technicolor Postworks.
For additional Festival Information - Visit The Festival Website at www.FirstTimeFest.com
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward are the co-founders of First Time Fest. As an accomplished philanthropist, actor and social entrepreneur, as well as the daughter of singer Tony Bennett, Johanna Bennett has immersed herself within the entertainment and artistic community her entire life. Mandy Ward has worked in the film industry for the past decade in varied capacities, namely as a film producer of several projects. Mitch Levine, CEO of The Film Festival Group, is producing the festival. Through his company, Mitch offers consulting services and expertise to film festivals, film commissions, distribution companies and filmmakers around the world, and was formerly the CEO and Executive Director of the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival’s Director of Programming is David Schwartz, the Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image.
Celebrating first-time filmmakers with a grand prize of theatrical distribution, hosted by the historic Players Club, First Time Fest also had additional participants to this year's unique event.
Harry Belafonte, Gay Talese, Michael Shannon & Ellen Burstyn have joined Christine Vachon, Fred Schneider, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, Barbara Kopple, Scott Foundas, Eric Kohn, Emily Russo, Jenny Lumet, Darren Aronofsky, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley, Peter Saraf, Nancy Savoca, Amy Ryan And Martin Scorsese participated In First Time Fest.
Belafonte & Shannon appeared onstage in the Ftf’s “Stand Alone! – Conversations With The Outstanding” series, one-on-one interview with notable cinema artists. Renowned author Gay Talese joined Christine Vachon and the B-52s Fred Schneider as another of the Ftf’s five jurors (the entire live audience at each of the 12 competition films was the 5th juror). Together, the jury and audience ultimately selected Grand Prize winner, Sal, a modern-day Western by Argentinian writer-director Diego Rougier which was offered theatrical distribution and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio.
Acclaimed actress Ellen Burstyn, who worked with both Scorsese and Aronofsky served as the host of the Ftf Closing Night Awards program. As part of that festive evening, Martin Scorsese added his illustrious presence and belief in the art of cinema, presenting the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky. John Huston was one of the most prolific and versatile directors in the history of cinema. And with his mesmerizing debut film, Pi – made independently on black-and-white 16mm film – Darren Aronofsky was instantly recognized as a uniquely gifted new talent. His subsequent films: Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler and Black Swan, have more than fulfilled that promise.
In addition, Ftf had a special presentation of Andy Grieve and Lauren Lazin’s documentary about the band The Police, Can't Stand Losing You, featuring Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.
On an exciting party note, and in conjunction with Ftf’s presentation of the Australian/Mongolian documentary Mongolian Bling, First Time Fest and Hip Hop Saves Lives presented “Project Haiti,” an album release party for Zing Experience at Webster Hall.
Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, Ftf presented a dozen Competition Films, which were judged by a panel of industry luminaries and the Ftf audience. All competition screenings were followed by “hot-seat” discussions between the jury and filmmakers, and all audience members then voted on the films. It was truly a contest of the best emerging filmmakers competing for the Ultimate Audience Award.
Competition Films – (please visit here for competition films & descriptions).
In addition to the Competition Films, Ftf presented First Exposure, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers. Joining the line-up - and mostly attending the fest - was the exciting Opening Night presentation of Sofia Coppola with The Virgin Suicides, Todd Solondz with Welcome to the Dollhouse, Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, Barbara Kopple with Harlan County, USA, Melvin Van Peebles with The Story of a Three-Day Pass, Pi from Darren Aronofsky, The Maltese Falcon from director John Huston, Poison from Todd Haynes, Jack Goes Boating from director Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley’s The Unbelievable Truth, and True Love from Nancy Savoca.
First Exposure Films – (please visit here, for First Exposure descriptions)
First Exposure also includes a 60th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s The Little Fugitive, a cinema vérité classic from 1953 that was shot on Coney Island and has inspired countless filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to the Coen brothers. The tribute included a panel hosted by film historian Foster Hirsch including Mary Engel, daughter of Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, and James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies. In addition there was a Special Presentation of Everardo Gout’s thrillingly over-the-top action thriller Days Of Grace (Dĺas De Gracia), which won the Mexican Academy of Film’s prestigious Ariel Award for Best First Feature and was nominated for the Camera d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
First Time Fest included a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers moderated filmmaking case studies and spotlighted some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.
First Time Fest is a four-day, multi-faceted event hosted in New York City’s Gramercy Park by the celebrated Players (16 Gramercy Park South), the club founded by Edwin Booth, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind whose membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists receive high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players. The Players was the location for all Ftf panels and events as well as the Filmmaker and VIP Lounge. First Time Fest’s screenings were all held at the Loews Village VII on Third Avenue (on 11th St. & 3rd Ave).
Among the Fest’s terrific sponsors is the delicious Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. "The forward-thinking Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte draws its inspiration from the call of ‘faraway lands.’ One of the youngest and most fashionable Champagne brands, Nicolas Feuillatte has captured the world's imagination by sharing its passion for creativity and arts in a record 37 years, becoming the #1 Champagne in France. In its role as discoverer of talent, the brand awards its prestige cuvée Palmes d'Or to First Time Fest's winners to complement the celebration in style."
Other terrific sponsors of the fest include Brooklyn Brewery, Moscot, Marquis Vodka and Technicolor Postworks.
For additional Festival Information - Visit The Festival Website at www.FirstTimeFest.com
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward are the co-founders of First Time Fest. As an accomplished philanthropist, actor and social entrepreneur, as well as the daughter of singer Tony Bennett, Johanna Bennett has immersed herself within the entertainment and artistic community her entire life. Mandy Ward has worked in the film industry for the past decade in varied capacities, namely as a film producer of several projects. Mitch Levine, CEO of The Film Festival Group, is producing the festival. Through his company, Mitch offers consulting services and expertise to film festivals, film commissions, distribution companies and filmmakers around the world, and was formerly the CEO and Executive Director of the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival’s Director of Programming is David Schwartz, the Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image.
- 3/11/2013
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Martin Scorsese will present the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofksy at the First Time Fest, which will take place in New York from March 1-4. The freshman festival, which celebrates first-time filmmakers, was co-founded by Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward and will be hosted by The Players, the club founded by actor Edwin Booth, author Mark Twain and artist John Singer Sargent in 1847 and located at Gramercy Park. Events will take place at the club, while screenings will be held at Loews Village VII on Third Avenue. The festival will
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- 2/22/2013
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From Beijing to Berlin, a roundup of some of the events that have been wowing the crowds around the world this year
Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan's first female rapper, musicians from nine countries, and the premiere of Oscar-shortlisted drama Buzkashi Boys drew hundreds to Sound Central, an international music festival held in a city more used to hosting military or aid conferences. For the mostly young crowd, it was a rare chance to let their hair down: there is little entertainment here beyond picnics, visits to friends or video games and films watched at home.
Sri Lankan band Paranoid Earthling brought music from another country that has endured years of bitter civil war. A day with only female performers gave hundreds of women, often barred from mingling with men, a chance to enjoy the music and art. And Buzkashi Boys, shot in Afghanistan with an all-Afghan cast, premiered to an enthusiastic...
Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan's first female rapper, musicians from nine countries, and the premiere of Oscar-shortlisted drama Buzkashi Boys drew hundreds to Sound Central, an international music festival held in a city more used to hosting military or aid conferences. For the mostly young crowd, it was a rare chance to let their hair down: there is little entertainment here beyond picnics, visits to friends or video games and films watched at home.
Sri Lankan band Paranoid Earthling brought music from another country that has endured years of bitter civil war. A day with only female performers gave hundreds of women, often barred from mingling with men, a chance to enjoy the music and art. And Buzkashi Boys, shot in Afghanistan with an all-Afghan cast, premiered to an enthusiastic...
- 12/6/2012
- by Emma Graham-Harrison, Jason Farago, Tania Branigan, David Smith, Tom Kington, Kate Connolly
- The Guardian - Film News
John Singer Sergeant is not a solo project. And yet, it’s not a full-band side-project, either. For John Dufilho (of I Love Math, The Deathray Davies and The Apples in Stereo), John Singer Sergeant is the culmination of years of hard work—writing, recording, playing all instruments, arranging and mixing. Except for the vocals. He enlisted his friends to do those. And judging by the musical guests that appear on the 14-track album, Dufilho has some pretty talented pals. Will Johnson, Ben Kweller, Sir Earl Toon, Sarah Jaffe and Chris Walla are just some of the featured vocalists on John Singer Sergeant, but the record itself feels like it was made for personal fulfillment, rather than with commercial intent.
- 4/18/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
In conjunction with La Furia Umana, Notebook is very happy to present Ted Fendt's original English translation of Luc Moullet's "Rockefeller's Melancholy," on Michelangelo Antonioni. Moullet's original French version can be found at La Furia Umana. Our special thanks to Mr. Moullet, La Furia Umana and Ted Fendt for making this possible.
Above: "John D. Rockefeller" (1917) by John Singer Sargent.
Drifting is the fundamental subject of Antonioni’s films. They are about beings who don’t know where they are going, who constantly contradict themselves, and are guided by their momentary impulses. We don’t understand what they feel or why they act as they do.
Psychological cinema could be defined in this way: it is psychological when you don’t understand the motivation of emotions and behaviors. If you understand, it means it’s easy, immediately, at a very superficial level... The filmmaker must therefore let it be...
Above: "John D. Rockefeller" (1917) by John Singer Sargent.
Drifting is the fundamental subject of Antonioni’s films. They are about beings who don’t know where they are going, who constantly contradict themselves, and are guided by their momentary impulses. We don’t understand what they feel or why they act as they do.
Psychological cinema could be defined in this way: it is psychological when you don’t understand the motivation of emotions and behaviors. If you understand, it means it’s easy, immediately, at a very superficial level... The filmmaker must therefore let it be...
- 4/2/2012
- MUBI
With guests like Chris Walla, Ben Kweller and Rhett Miller, John Dufilho’s (Apples in Stereo) _John Singer Sergeant: The Music and Words of John Dufilho_ is notably a buzzworthy album. Before its release on April 10, Dufilho has given us a taste with the first song off of the album, featuring vocals from Will Johnson (Monsters of Folk, New Multitudes, Centro-matic).
- 3/26/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
It seems like Apples in Stereo’s John Dufilho is joining the ranks of Don Henley, ?uestlove and Dave Grohl, in terms of drummers-turned-songwriters. For his newest project, John Singer Sergeant (which was an homage to the 19th Century American painter), Dufilho wrote a number of songs and enlisted his singer friends to contribute vocals to the tracks. John Singer Sargent: The Music and Words of John Dufilho will be released April 10.
- 3/23/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Playing the parent of a satanic child brought back some disturbing memories for Tilda Swinton. As We Need To Talk About Kevin hits the screen, she talks to Kira Cochrane
In a genteel Soho dining room, with morning tea-drinkers clinking and murmuring all around us, I ask Tilda Swinton if she has ever felt monstrous. She tilts her wholesome head-boy face, with its short flop of blond hair. "Does one ever feel it," she says, "or is one simply monstrous? I mean, I've been monstrous, I think." Until recently, she says, she had a reputation in her family for having saved her younger brother's life as a child, when she had actually intended to kill him.
"I was going to kill him because he was a boy, naturally," she says, "and I already had two brothers, and that was just too much to bear." She was four and a half when she entered his room,...
In a genteel Soho dining room, with morning tea-drinkers clinking and murmuring all around us, I ask Tilda Swinton if she has ever felt monstrous. She tilts her wholesome head-boy face, with its short flop of blond hair. "Does one ever feel it," she says, "or is one simply monstrous? I mean, I've been monstrous, I think." Until recently, she says, she had a reputation in her family for having saved her younger brother's life as a child, when she had actually intended to kill him.
"I was going to kill him because he was a boy, naturally," she says, "and I already had two brothers, and that was just too much to bear." She was four and a half when she entered his room,...
- 10/12/2011
- by Kira Cochrane
- The Guardian - Film News
With a starring role alongside Tom Cruise in next year’s Rock of Ages, things are looking good for newcomer Diego Boneta. To make matters even better, Variety tells us that, after being rumored about a week ago, he’s “in final negotiations” for the part of Adam in Paradise Lost. The Alex Proyas-directed adaptation of John Milton‘s poem has pulled together an eclectic and strong ensemble, featuring Bradley Cooper, Casey Affleck, Djimon Hounsou, Ben Walker, Camilla Belle Callan McAuliffe, and Dominic Purcell.
Anyone who isn’t up on their Bible studies would be well-off knowing that Adam, a.k.a. the first man, was exiled from the Garden of Eden after Eve ate that darn forbidden fruit; I’m willing to guess that you already knew this, however. This is the basic gist of their tale, but Milton‘s poem presents them as complex individuals who commit...
Anyone who isn’t up on their Bible studies would be well-off knowing that Adam, a.k.a. the first man, was exiled from the Garden of Eden after Eve ate that darn forbidden fruit; I’m willing to guess that you already knew this, however. This is the basic gist of their tale, but Milton‘s poem presents them as complex individuals who commit...
- 10/10/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The art of Vincent Desiderio hinges between the frailty of life and the depth of the human spirit. He presents us with tragedy, beauty, bliss, and befuddlement, with unrestrained passion and supreme technique, and we are spellbound. There is quietness too, often in moments of truth, where freedom or failure hangs in the balance.
When looking at how Desiderio represents certain secondary and tertiary details in paint, we see a substantive push toward abstraction. In the background of “Spiegel im Spiegel” (2010), and in areas such as the lower left corner of “I Liberate” (2011), Desiderio challenges the limits of representation without losing hold of the facts.
He braces us with poignant narratives, with stark realities, and then hits us with a cacophony of luminous and lively marks in roofing tar, shellac and oil paint that break down the elements into a more subconscious impression of the world around us. This push...
When looking at how Desiderio represents certain secondary and tertiary details in paint, we see a substantive push toward abstraction. In the background of “Spiegel im Spiegel” (2010), and in areas such as the lower left corner of “I Liberate” (2011), Desiderio challenges the limits of representation without losing hold of the facts.
He braces us with poignant narratives, with stark realities, and then hits us with a cacophony of luminous and lively marks in roofing tar, shellac and oil paint that break down the elements into a more subconscious impression of the world around us. This push...
- 9/27/2011
- by ddlombardi
- www.culturecatch.com
She had cut off her family and communicated mostly with her dolls over the past 20 years while living in almost total secrecy in several New York hospital rooms before her death last month at 104. Now, it appears reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark has cut her family out of her will, too, leaving most of her fortune, its value newly pegged at $400 million, to charity and to her nurse and close friend, Hadassah Peri. The will, filed Wednesday in Manhattan court, sheds some light on the exact contents of the Clark estate, reports The New York Times. Related: Huguette Clark Was a Generous & 'Quirky' Person,...
- 6/23/2011
- by Tim Nudd
- PEOPLE.com
Please excuse my ignorance if you have heard of avant-garde artist Robert Wilson and his Voom portraits before, but I was just today made aware of their existence, and I must say it's one of the coolest things I've seen in some time, at least that is if looked at with the right perspective.
I'm not at all familiar with Wilson outside of stumbling onto his Voom portraits today so I won't attempt to give you some grandiose, all-knowing background piece on him, but I did search out some information on just what exactly these portraits are and how they came about and found a Vanity Fair piece from 2006 titled "The Subject as Star" that gives more than enough information on what I've featured below.
Described by Vanity Fair's Bob Colacello as the "king of the avant-garde", Wilson's Voom portraits are commissioned by private clients, asking for life-size, high-definition-video renditions of themselves.
I'm not at all familiar with Wilson outside of stumbling onto his Voom portraits today so I won't attempt to give you some grandiose, all-knowing background piece on him, but I did search out some information on just what exactly these portraits are and how they came about and found a Vanity Fair piece from 2006 titled "The Subject as Star" that gives more than enough information on what I've featured below.
Described by Vanity Fair's Bob Colacello as the "king of the avant-garde", Wilson's Voom portraits are commissioned by private clients, asking for life-size, high-definition-video renditions of themselves.
- 11/3/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Top: animating The Great God Porno ("Flesh Gordon" 1972) Bottom: Jim within the "Planet of Dinosaurs" (1978)
Jim Aupperle (pronounced “Aw-pearl”) is one of the most respected technical artists of his generation; he’s made the crucial task of lighting visual-effects shots his specialty. Jim has worked with the best, and he successfully made the transition from traditional techniques to CGI some years back. He regularly contributes to online forums about the field and is a historian of the craft. FM was delighted to have a chance to speak with Jim.
—
FM: Please tell us about your connections to Forrest J Ackerman and “Famous Monsters of Filmland.”
Ja: My first connection, and what got me started, was Issue #24.I saw it on the newsstand in 1963 when I was 11 years old. I was already a fan of horror films but I had no idea how they were made, and I was incredibly excited.
Jim Aupperle (pronounced “Aw-pearl”) is one of the most respected technical artists of his generation; he’s made the crucial task of lighting visual-effects shots his specialty. Jim has worked with the best, and he successfully made the transition from traditional techniques to CGI some years back. He regularly contributes to online forums about the field and is a historian of the craft. FM was delighted to have a chance to speak with Jim.
—
FM: Please tell us about your connections to Forrest J Ackerman and “Famous Monsters of Filmland.”
Ja: My first connection, and what got me started, was Issue #24.I saw it on the newsstand in 1963 when I was 11 years old. I was already a fan of horror films but I had no idea how they were made, and I was incredibly excited.
- 2/17/2010
- by Steve
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
The New York Times reports on a controversy surrounding the New York Theater Workshop production of Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter whose central character John Singer is a deaf and mute man in the novel. Playwright Rebecca Gilman adapted the fictional work to the stage and included a spoken opening and closing monologue for Singer. Now deaf actors and activists are protesting the decision made by the director to cast a hearing man to play the part. Says Linda Bove, the deaf actress who is familiar to many from Sesame Street, "A hearing actor playing a deaf character is tantamount to putting a white actor in blackface." The director Doug Hughes feels that because the monologues are spoken, only a hearing actor would work for the part. There are several issues raised by this...
- 10/15/2009
- by Lennard Davis
- Huffington Post
The New York film scene is getting a new jewel in its crown: Princess Pictures.
The Tribeca-based production company, led by president Pamela Fielder and senior vp development and production Amy Dean Kennedy, is launching with four literary adaptations and an original romantic comedy.
The slate includes a screen version of Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman's satirical novel "Wolves in Chic Clothing," in which three Park Avenue heiresses try to make over an outsider for sport, only to discover they've picked the wrong girl.
"Wolves" is being adapted by CAA and Rain Management-repped Mimosa Jones, who wrote the original Princess screenplay "3 Carats in 30 Days." In that romantic comedy, a book publicist uses one of her client's "How To" books in an attempt to get him to propose marriage.
Also on the slate:
-- Mike Gayle's No. 1 British best-seller "My Legendary Girlfriend" (adapted for the screen by Mike Glock) centers on a prep school teacher who self-imposes a deadline to get over his girlfriend, who haunts his every move three years after their breakup. "Girlfriend" is set to be first out of the gate, with the producers aiming for a spring start.
-- "Strapless," from author Deborah Davis (wife of ThinkFilm head Mark Urman), tells the scandalous true story of John Singer Sargent and the subject of his famed "Madame X" painting, set against the backdrop of the Parisian "La Belle Epoque" period of the late 19th century. Icm-repped David Grimm is adapting the book.
-- Marc Wortman's book "The Millionaires' Unit: The Aristocratic Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented American Airpower" is out to writers. The project will tell the true story of four wealthy Yale undergrads who helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Air Force during World War I.
Fielder said she's looking to develop a slate of sophisticated and uplifting romantic comedies and dramas, with a touch of satire, aimed at an upscale audience. Most of the $5 million-$20 million films will be financed with private equity, but the company will look for studio partners on bigger projects like "Millionares."
Kennedy, in charge of developing the slate, began her career at Jerry Bruckheimer Films in Los Angeles. She later became the head of development for Lary Simpson Prods., developing film projects from the Simpson/Bruckheimer library. She moved to New York to develop a slate of original movies and scripted series for the Oxygen network which, like Princess films, targets a primarily female audience.
The Tribeca Film Center-housed outfit also intends to hire New York talent and produce many of its projects (like "Girlfriend") in the city.
Princess is repped by Sloss Eckhouse Brennan Law (formerly known as Sloss Law).
The Tribeca-based production company, led by president Pamela Fielder and senior vp development and production Amy Dean Kennedy, is launching with four literary adaptations and an original romantic comedy.
The slate includes a screen version of Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman's satirical novel "Wolves in Chic Clothing," in which three Park Avenue heiresses try to make over an outsider for sport, only to discover they've picked the wrong girl.
"Wolves" is being adapted by CAA and Rain Management-repped Mimosa Jones, who wrote the original Princess screenplay "3 Carats in 30 Days." In that romantic comedy, a book publicist uses one of her client's "How To" books in an attempt to get him to propose marriage.
Also on the slate:
-- Mike Gayle's No. 1 British best-seller "My Legendary Girlfriend" (adapted for the screen by Mike Glock) centers on a prep school teacher who self-imposes a deadline to get over his girlfriend, who haunts his every move three years after their breakup. "Girlfriend" is set to be first out of the gate, with the producers aiming for a spring start.
-- "Strapless," from author Deborah Davis (wife of ThinkFilm head Mark Urman), tells the scandalous true story of John Singer Sargent and the subject of his famed "Madame X" painting, set against the backdrop of the Parisian "La Belle Epoque" period of the late 19th century. Icm-repped David Grimm is adapting the book.
-- Marc Wortman's book "The Millionaires' Unit: The Aristocratic Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented American Airpower" is out to writers. The project will tell the true story of four wealthy Yale undergrads who helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Air Force during World War I.
Fielder said she's looking to develop a slate of sophisticated and uplifting romantic comedies and dramas, with a touch of satire, aimed at an upscale audience. Most of the $5 million-$20 million films will be financed with private equity, but the company will look for studio partners on bigger projects like "Millionares."
Kennedy, in charge of developing the slate, began her career at Jerry Bruckheimer Films in Los Angeles. She later became the head of development for Lary Simpson Prods., developing film projects from the Simpson/Bruckheimer library. She moved to New York to develop a slate of original movies and scripted series for the Oxygen network which, like Princess films, targets a primarily female audience.
The Tribeca Film Center-housed outfit also intends to hire New York talent and produce many of its projects (like "Girlfriend") in the city.
Princess is repped by Sloss Eckhouse Brennan Law (formerly known as Sloss Law).
- 8/8/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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