Even when I started following the industry obsessively, I always wondered how it came to be that by October or November of each year, there would always be a fairly clear picture of who the Oscar "frontrunners" were, which films were falling out of the race, and sometimes even which movies are "locks" in certain categories I figured the buzz had to start somewhere -- and that to some extent, the tail had to be wagging the dog.
Maybe it starts with glowing advance Hollywood Reporter reviews. Consider Ray Bennett on Meryl Streep in the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!, due July 18th: "Streep is sensationally good in rendering the whole yarn credible and in making dramatically moving songs such as 'Slipping Through My Fingers,' sung to her departing daughter, and 'The Winner Takes It All' to a lost love. It's no stretch to think of her performance in Oscar terms, ranking with previous musical winners such as Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Catherine Zeta-Jones."
So: is this that fabled "Oscar buzz" we keep hearing about, or just one dude sounding off about a movie he liked? Is this the first step toward Streep being a "Best Actress lock" come December? I wouldn't have put Mamma Mia! (or, for that matter, The Dark Knight) on my Oscar shortlist a few months ago -- looks too silly! The release date's all wrong! But I guess now that I've read The Hollywood Reporter, I'm supposed to think it's a contender. Right?
Feel free to tell me I'm wrong here, but I don't ever remember a DVD that carried a director's commentary set entirely to music. Maybe I'm nuts and totally missing a title or five, but I can't imagine this is all that popular. Joss Whedon gave TV Guide an exclusive look at his new musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (which is just the most awesomest title in the history of EVER!), and in an interview with the director, he says the DVD (which he hopes will make a little money so that the people who worked on this thing for nada can get something back) will include "A musical commentary that is a completely original musical, that is all commentary songs, and we're writing that now." He adds, "We're just piling it on. We're like, we're going to make more fun of the idea of extras than anything else."
The musical itself will debut on the internet for free in three chapters (Whedon calls it an "Internet miniseries event"), with Part 1 arriving on July 15, Part 2 on July 17 and Part 3 on July 18. You can view them all over at the film's official site, which is currently hosting a teaser. Check out TV Guide for a mildly spoilerish review, then let us know what you think about this bold, adventurous project. Additionally, check out this 8-page online comic about Dr. Horrible's nemesis, Captain Hammer, written by Zach Whedon.
A musical commentary? Really? What other films deserve a musical commentary?
My friends, I just don't know. Falling in love with a real atrocity is a mystery for me. It's not all about pathetically proving my self-worth by laughing at someone else's failed effort: "better to have never made a feature film at all than to make a monstrosity like this! Haw haw! Oh, I'm so very superior." I know I ought to be saving my limited spare time for masterpieces instead of outlandish dreck. But I still have one particular friend who knows where to find this stuff, and we sit side by side on a couch and laugh ourselves into hypoxia. Companionship is part of the experience. But so is the out of body experience ... it's like my brain is trying to reject the very message the eyeballs are trying to convey to it.
Operating out of a small space on Fairfax, the nightclub Largo quickly became more a legend than a venue. Intimate and loose, part of the appeal of Largo is that you literally never knew (I only use the past tense as the club has moved from its Fairfax location to a larger venue on La Cienega in the past month) what, or who might turn up. Largo's where Jack Black and Kyle Gass did some of their earliest work as Tenacious D; Jackson Browne's dropped in to sing a few songs. John C. Reilly has hosted casual, extemporaneous chat shows there; composer Jon Brion (best known for his work on Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love) has held shows where he alternates constructing songs out of intricately arranged loops of instrumental figures he records live and composes and conducts on-stage with spirited cover versions of requests shouted out from the audience.
Co-directed by Largo manager and co-owner Mark Flanagan and Andrew van Baal, Largorecreates the Largo experience; loose, smart, random and unique. Mixing concert musical performances with snippets of comedy, the final film makes you feel like you've been to Largo, even as the more elegant notes in the black-and-white composition and the vignettes of the club's rhythm and tempo between the acts make it abundantly clear you're watching a film that was constructed and not just a tape that was turned on.
Above, you can check out the sweet-ass new trailer for Repo! The Genetic Opera. Using a little comic book flair, the trailer lays out just what has happened to the world to make it a bloody, repossession nightmare before diving into the music and clips. It looks bloody awesome, and not just for Anthony Head. This collection of clips brings to mind a gory Moulin Rouge, especially when featuring the Repo Man, Nathan Wallace's house, and his daughter, Shilo (Alexa Vega).
When the first footage of the opera was shown during the Spike Awards last year, the flick had an April release date. Now, it is screening at the Fantasia Fest, which Scott just blogged about, but no theatrical release date has been set. (IMDb says August 8, but both the trailer and Maple's release schedule say it's just coming soon.) Hopefully they pick a date soon, because my anticipation is getting the better of me.
Back in May, Jack Black was chillin' in Cannes, talking about Angelina's twins, and then letting loose some surprising news: a script was written for School of Rock 2. He didn't say much else, so it seemed like one of those early Arrested Development rumors -- something that could be great, but was so vague that it could easily be nothing more than a rumor or a hope.
But it's not! Defamer reports that on Sunday, School of Rock writer Mike White was part of a screenwriting panel at LAFF with Catherine Hardwicke and Craig Gillespie. He said: "I actually just completed a draft of what's potentially the sequel [to School of Rock], and I'm still, like, crying as I'm writing the script. I try to come at it from a personal place..."
Wait. A sequel -- a real sequel -- has been written, and it made him cry? He wouldn't say what it's about, but that he just turned it in, and doesn't know if it will even get made. Perhaps they were just tears of personal happiness, but he did go on to discuss his writing process and said: "But at least now I have a better sense of what it was we created -- what worked and what didn't. I can kind of reboot it." Reboot? What!?
What say you? Are you ready for a rebooted School of Rock?
I was already all sorts of excited for 500 Days of Summer, mostly because it stars two of the coolest actors in the business: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Gordon-Levitt has mad talent and a pretty unbeatable taste in projects (though G.I. Joeis an eyebrow-raiser); Deschanel is just all-around wonderful and charming -- yes, even in The Happening. I'd be psyched to watch them in anything, but I'm especially psyched to watch them in an elaborate fantasy musical, which is what 500 Days of Summer has turned out to be.
This is from an MTV story, which has a detailed plot synopsis, and descriptions of some of the film's highlights. Those apparently include a scene with fifteen (15) Zooey Deschanel body doubles, and several choreographed dance numbers led by Gordon-Levitt. The movie is a fractured, stream-of-consciousness narrative about a guy who looks back on his long relationship with the girl who just dumped him (that would be Deschanel's Summer), his reminiscences taking on the flavor of a pop musical.
This is particularly exciting news, since Zooey Deschanel is, among other things, a dynamite singer -- if you haven't checked out She & Him, her wonderful 60's-pop collaboration with indie singer-songwriter M. Ward, you're missing out. She has a sweet, lovely voice, and the songs are killer; try "This is Not a Test." I should also note that Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel worked together before either of them was a Name, in the solid, underseen psych-ward drama Manic.
The IMDb isn't the most reliable source for this sort of information, but it has the movie as being in post-production -- which makes sense since it started shooting in early May. Might it show up at Toronto this September?
OK, so maybe they aren't turning all their movies into Broadway musicals, but it sure seems like it. According to Variety, The Weinstein Co. is out to produce a number of adaptations for the stage, beginning with Finding Neverland, which is expected to hit the stage in 2010 (or re-hit the stage, since the movie was based on a play by Allan Knee). After that, it's a stage version of Pink Floyd's The Wall (apparently adapted from the album, not Alan Parker's 1982 film). Then, other titles in the pipeline include the Miramax hits Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Save the Last Danceand Cinema Paradiso. Wait, a stage musical based on a movie that celebrates moviegoing? That's gotta be one of the dumbest things I've heard.
These certainly aren't the first movies to be exploited adapted for the stage, and they won't even be the first stage productions from the Weinsteins, who also had a hand in Tony-winner "August: Osage County," as well as the hit stage adaptation of The Producers and the soon-to-be-a-film "Frost/Nixon." The Finding Neverland musical is already being written, with book by original playwright Knee and music by "Grey Gardens" composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie. The Wall also is in the works under the care of playwright/screenwriter Lee Hall (Billy Elliot).
So far, it appears TWC is only adapting Miramax films, from back when the Weinsteins were in charge there, but maybe one day we'll get to see "Grindhouse: The Musical" or a stage adaptation of Fanboys(maybe it can even hit the stage before theaters, at the rate it's going).
Plenty of music video directors have gone on to make great films. But what if they were to make a great film based on one of their videos? That's kinda the concept behind a list over at JoBlo.com titled "Music Videos That Should Have Been Movies." Many of my favorites are on there, such as Jamie Thraves' video for Radiohead's "Just," Jonathan Glazer's video for UNKLE's "Rabbit in Your Headlights," and Garth Jennings' video for Blur's "Coffee & TV" (pictured above and watchable after the jump). The last of these is said to be one for the kids, but I'd probably be first in line for a feature-length movie about a milk carton on a mission.
Most of the videos included are quite enigmatic, and JoBlo's Mike Sampson admits that for some he simply wants answers, which could be revealed in the longer format of a narrative feature. Haven't we all wondered what the heck is going on in Mark Romanek's video for Nine Inch Nails' "Closer"? And why's that guy in the "Just" video just lying there? Then there's the more easily adaptable videos, such as Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher". I think they've already somewhat made that movie, titled My Tutor, and there's even a remake on the way, but I'd still be interested in Hot For Teacher: The Movie, directed by Judd Apatow, at Sampson's suggestion.
The movie Be Kind Rewind is being released on DVD today. Even if you didn't see the movie, you probably remember the delightful trailer, in which Jack Black and Mos Def shoot their own low-budget, low-everything versions of blockbusters like Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy. In addition, another movie about the joy of making movies is still playing in some theaters -- Son of Rambow, where two boys are inspired to shoot their own version of Rambo complete with flying dogs, nursing-home residents bribed as actors, and a fabulous French exchange student.
I can think of dozens of enjoyable movies about moviemaking (and a few clunkers, but we'll ignore them for today). But I decided to focus on seven of the most characteristic films. I didn't include films about screenwriters, because I think those would be fun to list another time, or films about moviegoing like Cinema Paradiso. Instead, I focused on the inspired and sometimes crazed filmmakers. Afterwards, you can tell me which of your favorites I left off the list.
I'm not the most knowledgeable man when it comes to dance, but I'm at least a little familiar with Cyd Charisse. As everyone should be. Next to Ginger Rogers, she was possibly the most iconic female dancer in film history. Even those of us cinephiles who skip out on most dance musicals have at least seen her famous number from Singin' in the Rain (above). A few years ago, when Moviefone counted down the Top 10 Best Dance Scenes, it was #2 (just behind Dirty Dancing).
Charisse has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 86, and she's hopefully joining old partners Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly for some of the best dance scenes ever seen up in heaven. With the former, she was paired up in The Band Wagon, Ziegfeld Follies and Silk Stockings (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), and with the latter, she danced in Brigadoon, It's Always Fair Weather, Invitation to Danceand, of course, in Singin' in the Rain.
It started as a joke, became a documentary, and now it's on DVD. Comedian Doug Benson undertook a bold initiative: to smoke marijuana every day for 30 days. Of course, he'd already been smoking pot pretty much every day of his life, so to make things really interesting, he first stopped smoking for 30 days and took a battery of tests so he could later compare the results of smoking vs. non-smoking on his thirty-something body. Super High Me is the result.
The stoner crowd laughed much harder than I did at SXSW, but, as Erik Davis wrote, Super High Me is still "funny as hell," and the doc, directed by Michael Blieden, manages to sneak in plenty of social and political commentary. The DVD doesn't appear to have any extras, but it is available with two different covers. See if you can tell the difference. To quote Erik again, "True stoners, however, will most likely place this film on a shelf among their favorites of all time ... then forget it's up there five minutes later."
One of my SXSW favorites also premieres on DVD today. Following on the heels of Anton Corbjin's biopic Control, Grant Gee's doc Joy Division is a rousing, illuminating peek into the lives of the original members of the band, featuring interviews with almost all of the key players.
Movie-turned-musicals didn't do so well at the Tony Awards last night, but that doesn't mean people are going to stop adapting films for the stage. For instance, according to The Daily Telegraph, John Cleese is turning his hit movie A Fish Called Wandainto a musical. He's currently writing it with his 24-year-old daughter, Camilla, who he claims is even funnier than he is. He also jokes that they're going to attempt to write the songs themselves, but he thinks they're going to be no good, so he'll likely be bringing in a lyricist. For now, in its early stages, Cleese says they're simply working out the story (which shouldn't be too difficult, as it already exists in film form).
The Daily Telegraph somewhat speculates that Cleese is working on the project for two reasons: one, he didn't make any money off Spamalot, because he apparently agreed to waive his royalties, thinking the musical adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grailwouldn't do well; two, he's currently divorcing from his third wife. Tabloid gossip aside, and ignoring the fact that Cleese may have been 'taking the piss', are we ready for A Fish Called Wanda: The Musical? And if that's a success, would a Fierce Creatures: The Musical be not far behind?
I always thought those Fight Club public service announcements were all kinds of awesome -- Ed Norton talking about proper movie etiquette, and the fact that no one has the right to touch us in our bathing suit area, and Brad Pitt discussing the emergency exits and drinking your own urine. Whenever the real movie theater announcements would pop up, I'd wish it was the Ed and Brad versions instead.
But oh, the above clip completely beats the other two. Apparently this has made the rounds before, but I've never heard of it, so in case you haven't either, check out the song above. However, be warned: This is a song about penises, so if you don't want to hear Brad Pitt and Ed Norton singing about them at work, don't click! But it would be such a waste, because it's flipping brilliant. It's definitely the best twist on words that I've heard in a while. (Check out the lyrics after the jump ...)
I haven't read the book, but it sounds like this could make a pretty unique film. The book is a coming of age story, but instead of fictional girls, we're getting three notable female singers. There's King's middle-class upbringing, Mitchell's Canadian farmer grandparents, and Simon's "Manhattan intellectual upper crust." To give you an idea -- on the book link above, to Amazon, you can check out an excerpt from the book, which discusses Carole Klein (King) trying to come up with a new name by scouring the phone book at the age of 14.
Jacobs is hoping to make this for the big screen, rather than television, and I imagine that with the right script, that shouldn't be too hard -- youth mixed with music usually does well. But who could play King, Mitchell, and Simon as teens?
Even when I started following the industry obsessively, I always wondered how it came to be that by October or November of each year, there would always be a fairly clear picture of who the Oscar "frontrunners" were, which films were falling out of the race, and sometimes even which movies are "locks" in certain categories I figured the buzz had to start somewhere -- and that to some extent, the tail had to be wagging the dog..png)
Feel free to tell me I'm wrong here, but I don't ever remember a DVD that carried a director's commentary set entirely to music. Maybe I'm nuts and totally missing a title or five, but I can't imagine this is all that popular. 
Back in May, Jack Black was chillin' in Cannes, talking about Angelina's twins, and then letting loose some surprising news: 
I was already all sorts of excited for 500 Days of Summer, mostly because it stars two of the coolest actors in the business: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. 
OK, so maybe they aren't turning all their movies into Broadway musicals, but it sure seems like it. 
Movie-turned-musicals didn't do so well at the Tony Awards last night, but that doesn't mean people are going to stop adapting films for the stage. For instance, 
In the wake of Chess biopics, Marley docs, and the rest of the musical fare out there, 
