Who's Up For Hugo

JA from MNPP here, with a bit of casting news hitting the internet today. Martin Scorsese's gathering up his cast for Hugo Cabret, his adaptation of the apparently popular book by Brian Selznick, and you might recognize one or two of them.

Jude Law. Frances de la Tour. Sacha Baron Cohen. Richard Griffiths. Christopher Lee. Ray Winstone. Ben Kingsley. Asa Butterfield. Helen McCrory. Not pictured is Chloe Moretz of Kick Ass and the unnecessary Let the Right One In remake (but the less I say about her the better).

Hey look, History Boys reunion!

Not that those two haven't already done the Harry Potter thing. They are English actors, after all. Anyway, since I haven't read the book I only have a couple of points to make. Firstly, Martin Scorsese is working with Christopher Lee. Secondly, Martin Scorsese is working with Christopher Lee. Okay I guess that's all I got. It makes this horror-geek's head happy though.

Anybody familiar the book? I'm assuming the chance to fetishize George Méliès it promises is what drew Scorsese to the material, no? Now that he's won his Oscar it's nice seeing Marty loosen up again (even if I wasn't too keen on Shutter Island).
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The Innocents.

Jose here to celebrate one of the greatest acting duets of all time, who today also happen to share a birthday.



In Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence Michelle Pfeiffer (52 today) and Daniel Day-Lewis (53 today) play doomed lovers in 1870's New York City. She's the Countess Olenska, an outcast returning to American society where she's met with quiet hostility and he plays the reserved Newland Archer, who happens to be engaged to the Countess' cousin (Winona Ryder).

Marty fills the movie with nuances that had been uncharacteristic of his work at the time but works his visionary camera moves and Thelma Schoonmaker's vibrant editing seamlessly into a plot that usually would've been done in a less "flashy" style. What we get with this technique is a perfect embodiment of Edith Wharton's tale of repression in contrast with the modern NYC Marty eventually captured in his earlier films.

Never is this repression and stylistic wonder more perfect than in a scene where Newland finally declares his love for Olenska.



After a jealous fit, worthy of a lover, Newland confronts Olenska. As she turns around he begins to kiss her neck.



Soon they embrace, as Olenska sobs and Newland unleashes the "revolutionary" he thinks he is.
Any skeptical people who thought Pfeiffer and Day-Lewis had no spark, would have to eat their words during this moment.



It's only a few seconds later that Marty introduces one of his dazzling stylistic methods. The mood changes from fiery passion to forbidden romance as the camera and cuts become smoother and we only listen to Olenska's words while the images show us the context.



As if we were reading from the book; our imagination providing the images with the aid of narration not limited by the mouth movements of the characters, we listen as Olenska says

You couldn't be happy if it meant being cruel.

If we act any other way I'll be making you act against what I love in you the most and I can't go back to that way of thinking.

Don't you see I can't love you unless I give you up.

The camera then zooms out to reveal them in the kind of embrace Wharton probably dreamt of while writing this scene. Like the ornaments in the Countess' house, this image of them remains frozen in time, a souvenir of the love they never come to fulfill.

Today might be their birthday but The Age of Innocence sure feels like a present made for me.

Do you think Michelle and Daniel are as flawless as I think? What's your favorite thing they've done?

The Link Side of the World

Hollywood News top ten movie stars (using term loosely perhaps? Tina Fey?) to emerge from SNL
Peel Slowly What's that a poster for? Can you guess which movies these Polish movie posters are selling?
Jon Hamm Mad Men Season 4 now filming. Yayyyyy

<--- Did you see that Russell Crowe got his star on the Walk of Fame this week? It's so random, the timing I mean, when stars receive theirs. A listers and D listers alike get them in surprising time frames. You'd think they'd tie this in with the release of Robin Hood (Cannes opening night film -- see the whole lineup) but in fact, it happened just as Tenderness arrives on DVD. No, I'd never heard of that either. Crowe in a straight to DVD release? What's that about? Maybe it did get theatrical release somewhere but it's rare that something with a star that high profile slips by unnoticed.

Cinema Blend Rachel Weisz as Jackie Kennedy. Oscar #2?
Rope of Silicon Martin Scorsese to make The Invention of Hugo Cabret as a 3D film
Roger Ebert kicks Kick-Ass 's ass. I love that he wrote this

Shutter Island and More

Leonardo DiCaprio and master auteur Martin Scorsese have previously collaborated on depictions of brutal 19th century gang violence (Gangs of New York), 30s Hollywood glamor and psychosis (The Aviator) and contemporary Boston crime wars (The Departed). For their fourth duet, they're lighting a match to explore the dark corridors of 50s era insane asylums. Leo is strongest as an actor when he's unraveling -- you can keep the cocky default mode, which plentiful other actors do just as well -- and Scorsese seems to understand this, keeping Leo continually off balance in the creepy Shutter Island. The film opens with a closeup of DiCaprio's seasick terror (sea travel is the only way this federal marshall can get to the island) and he almost never catches a break from there. For the next two hours of his investigation of the disappearing murderess, he'll be sweating, hallucinating, crying, paranoid and beset from all sides by possible dangers as well as his own troubled past.


Read the rest of my weekly column @ Towleroad

Are you seeing Shutter Island this weekend or taking in another new(ish) release. I'm most interested in The Ghost Writer on account of Polanski & Ewan McGregor but Happy Tears? The casting of Parker Posey and Demi Moore as siblings intrigues me. I can see it, looks wise but spiritually speaking, bizarre. right? If you're all anxious for that Celine Dion documentary, please don't tell me! Some things should be kept private.

The Oscars are only three weeks away (!) so soon it'll be 2010 proper, as in New Film Year! We probably haven't seen anything yet that has nominations in its future next year -- though some may hope for some Fish Tank recognition in a year -- but maybe something soon?

Birthday Suits: Giant Sized Edition

11/17 ~ Todays special boys and girls. Are you one of them?

Mischa, Marty and Rachel

1897 Frank Fay, aka Mr. Barbara Stanwyck. The theory goes that their troubled marriage was the basis of A Star is Born. That story is so big it's practically it's own franchise. I can't stop thinking about it today: Stanwyck through the lens of Gaynor, Garland, Streisand. Yummy!) Even if it's only an urban LA legend, I love to think about it. Fay, a popular comedic actor, was also the originator of the Harvey role (on stage) before Jimmy Stewart got to it.
1901 Lee Strasberg, the hugely influential acting teacher that helped popularize "The Method" Students included... well, basically a whose who of late 40s / early 50s giants of the silver screen.
1905 Mischa Auer, very tall actor of oversized comic turns. You'll remember him from the blissfully funny My Man Godfrey and best picture winner You Can't Take It With You (discussed right here).

<--- 70s cheesecake (Lauren) and 50s beefcake (Rock)

1925 Rock Hudson, Giant. In more than just the film title way. Did any actor ever have a better name?
1942 Martin Scorsese, auteur. diminutive only in heighth. supersized in acclaim (recently discussed here)
1943 Lauren Hutton Once Bitten by American Gigolo
1944 Danny DeVito actor/director/short funny guy. My personal favorites: The War of the Roses, Romancing the Stone and Living Out Loud
1944 Lorne Michaels SNL guru
1945 Roland Joffé director of The Mission, The Killing Fields and... oops, The Scarlett Letter
1948 Howard Dean just cuz

1958 Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio 80s actress of The Abyss, Scarface and The Color of Money fame. And Maid Marian in the unfortunate... oh, never mind.
1960 RuPaul At 6'7" the giantess of the list. Oh, Ru. You better work... on getting some more big screen cameos. It's been awhile. You also better work on a second season of Drag Race. That was so fun.
1966 Sophie Marceau Mel Gibson's rebound royal in Braveheart.
1978 Rachel McAdams giant movie star possibly hidden inside resistant actress. Or so the theory goes.
1978 Zoe Bell Death Proof's awesome hood ornament.

Directors of the Decade: Ramin Bahrani

Robert here, continuing my series of the directors that shaped the past 10 years. Glad to see the first installment generated lots of conversation and debate. Sticking with my promise to feature young talent along with legends, this weeks subject is Ramin Bahrani.

Number of Films: Three.
Modern Masterpieces: You could make a case for any of them and I’d be inclined to agree with you.For my money, Chop Shop is the winner.
Total Disasters: None.The term “disaster” seems so intertwined with excesses.
Better than you remember: none, unless you remember any as being bad.
Awards: A handful of awards from small film festivals and a little Independent Spirit recognition.
Box Office: Keeps improving though don’t expect any of his films to make a lot of money.Goodbye Solo is the current champ with just over $800,000
Critical Consensus: Critics love him.Chop Shop and Goodbye Solo duke it out for his best reviewed.
Favorite Actor: Ahmad Razvi from Man Push Cart showing up in Chop Shop (in support) is the only overlap.


Let's talk about:
The American Dream. Ramin Bahrani seems like a fitting director to discuss following Martin Scorsese, as the two have a lot in common.Both are first-generation Americans whose directorial sensibilities are deeply rooted in the classic cinema of their heritage. And while their films aren’t always about the “immigrant experience,” they deal regularly in the lives of outsiders, those with seemingly no place in the world. But here’s where the similarities end: Scorsese loves his outsiders conflicted, alienated, angry. Bahrani’s outsiders are well meaning, hard working, and headed directly for the brick wall of reality. Which brings us back to the “American Dream,” which despite being a cliché and a loaded term, still has enough people aiming for it, that it’s worth exploring. And Bahrani’s films never feel cliché, contrived, or even manipulative. Starting with Man Push Cart, we know relatively soon that Ahmad’s future won’t be bright and joyous. It seems like such a natural assumption, even though it’s based off little else other than the fact that he seems like a nice guy (oh cinematic nice guys, neorealist films be your doom).

Ramin Bahrani

Ahmad is literally an immigrant though Ale, the boy at the center of Chop Shop, may not be (it hardly matters). Ale is far further out of place among the slums of New York’s Iron Triangle (more than a few critics noted how closely it resembles a third-world country). Here Bahrani seems further intent on drawing a line between the hope, represented by Ale who’s saving up money to buy a food cart, and the sad practicality (Ale’s teenage sister, who’s method of making money is more fatalistic) of the American Dream. Their ability, or inability to coexist takes us into another realm of the dream (it’s not all economics, you know), love, familial, or otherwise. It’s almost too much to ask: love and money. But don’t despair. Even though we spend the film hopelessly rooting for Ale and sister Isamar, it’s not a masochistic endeavor.

Finally with Goodbye Solo, Bahrani again separates the hope and despair, this time represented by immigrant Senegalese cab driver Solo and disgruntled senior William who strike up a unique friendship (doesn’t that just sound Hollywood-esque… it’s not). Solo’s future looks brighter than any Bahrani character thus far but he’s naturally headed up against a brick wall, courtesy end-of-his-rope William. Solo is a great character, optimistic, full of life. When, half way through the film, something goes well for him, you might find yourself shocked (considering Bahrani’s record). But as he comes the recognize the inevitable existence of impossible demons near the end of the film, I couldn’t help but ponder how much William represents Solo plus time. Now there’s a depressing thought.

I don’t want to end on a depressing thought, so here’s some good news for you: There’s this young director named Ramin Bahrani who proves that the future of cinema isn’t as bleak as you’re led to believe. Roger Ebert calls him “the new great American director.” He’s right.

Oh and a quick pet peeve. When researching this article, I came across the phrase “Iranian director” more than a few times. Though there’s little doubt that Bahrani has been influenced by the great Iranian New Wave films of Kiarostami and Makhmalbaf (who in turn were influenced by the great Neorealists of Italy who, of course were vital in shaping the work of that other great American director, Martin Scorsese) Mr. Bahrani was born in North Carolina.
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Directors of the Decade: Martin Scorsese

Robert here, with a new series on the filmmakers who've shaped the past ten years. We'll feature new directors who've lent their voice to the cinematic landscape as well as veterans. First up: Martin Scorsese


Number of Films: Six.
Modern Masterpieces: None.
Total Disasters: None
Better than you remember: Gangs of New York
Awards: 9 Oscars for his films (including 1 Best Director and 1 Best Picture)
Box Office: The Departed is his highest grossing at $132 million (though no film he directs makes as much as the A Shark Tale for which he lends his voice talents.)
Critical Consensus: High praise for all. Highest praise for No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Favorite Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio stars in three films.


Let's talk about:
Oscar. It seems pretty obvious that the great Martin Scorsese started off this decade with a clear goal for himself: win an Oscar. Can you blame him? The man was considered by many, America's greatest living director. If I were Martin Scorsese I'd have wanted an Oscar. Not only that, but I'd have been upset that at no time during three decades of masterpieces had the Academy seen fit to give me one. For Scorsese, things weren't looking promising. Coming off of two of his weakest pictures (sorry Kundun fans) it seemed as if he'd join the ranks of Kubrick and Hitchcock. Yes, Martin Scorsese was on his way to becoming one more symbol of how unfortunate The Oscars were.


Martin Scorsese's films during the past decade have been uneven but never uninteresting. And they've demonstrated that Scorsese the man is still committed to exploring the same topics he's always been (namely New York City and the minds of single, conflicted, often desperate men). It seems unfortunate to want to view them primarily through the prism of Oscar, but more than any other filmmaker, it's inevitable. This was Martin Scorsese's Oscar decade. First up, anything but a sure thing: Scorsese directed a period piece about the violent symbolic birth of New York starring that kid from Titanic we were still tired of hearing our little sisters swoon over and Daniel Day Lewis, who himself was coming off two of his weakest pictures (sorry Crucible fans). Gangs of New York ended up a little unfocused and took too much flack. It's surprisingly easy to watch (thanks primarily to Day Lewis) even if it failed to win a single Oscar.

Next attempt: a lavish biopic about one of Hollywood's most interesting characters. The Aviator was a biopic only as Scorsese could make one... big, exhuberant, unexpectedly dark. Howard Hughes easily fit into Scorsese's world of Travis Bickles, Henry Hills and Rupert Pupkins. The film also established Leonardo DiCaprio as the real deal and Scorsese's most solid acting collaborator since Robert DeNiro.



Finally, of course it was Scorsese's least Oscar ready film that eventually won him the prize. The Departed was a modern celebration of crime cinema (more specifically Hong Kong crime cinema) and won, in part thanks to the changing tastes of the Academy (I said, changing, not improving).

A lot of watchers suggested that the lesson here was: "stop trying so hard to win an Oscar" (tell that to Clint Eastwood). And maybe it was. Scorsese heads into the next ten years, unencumbered by any need to win an Oscar. Who knows, maybe he'll win another one.

Ellen's Triple Crowning. And Other Emmy Tales

The first batch of Emmy winners in creative / technical awards and "guest" acting were announced. It's the stuff they can't fit on the air because they have more categories than you could possibly keep track of, but still not so many as the Grammys.

Curiously the cancelled Pushing Daisies, which couldn't ever manage a "best comedy series" nomination beat EMMY's "best drama series" Mad Men in three of their four shared categories (Art Direction, Costume Design, Make-Up) and lost to Mad Men only once (Hairstyling). The lack of technical trophies for Mad Men makes me worried for their chances in the big categories next Sunday night. Not that there's ever a point in "worrying" about who might win EMMYs. It always feels so random.

I was amused to see True Blood taking the "casting" award. Wasn't the process of selecting all the frequently unclothed eye-candy reward enough for those casting directors? The guest spot acting winners were Justin Timberlake and Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live) for comedy and Michael J Fox (Rescue Me) for drama.

After years without a new "Triple Crowner" we got two in 2009:
Geoffrey Rush joined their ranks in June and Ellen in September.

And then there's Ellen Burstyn who joined the esteemed company of the Triple Crowners (Oscar + TONY + Emmy) with a winged trophy for her guest starring work on Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit. Burstyn's girded steel mantleplace has more than paid for itself by now. Add one Emmy to her haul which also includes an Oscar, a TONY, a BAFTA, a Globe, an Indie Spirit, a Satellite, a Genie and numerous critics, film festival and theater honors. As someone who loves the cinema and is none to fond of watching our great actresses vanish or spend their sunset years in procedurals like Law & Order, I'd like to congratulate the wonderful Burstyn but also slap Martin Scorsese. Why can't he (or Darren Aronofsky or William Friedkin for that matter) find another plum role for her? I don't want to say that Scorsese "owes" her for what she did for him in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) but certainly he's been exceedingly generous with other stars [oh, you know who] who didn't give half as much as Ellen in their collaborations. Why didn't he ever work with her again? Attention all filmmakers: She's 76 years old. Time is a wasting. Hand her something incredible soon.

for the complete list of Emmy winners
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16 Years Ago Today...

...the starry The Age of Innocence team celebrated at the Venice Film Festival: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Michelle Pfeiffer and Martin Scorsese. Expected to be a major Oscar contender it came up short in the big six categories with only Winona Ryder snagging a nomination.

Which early festival success this year isn't going to go the distance?

Shuffled Island, Scorsese's Schedules

I neglected to mention the news of Shutter Island's shift to 2010 when it spread across the internet Friday (I swear, if you don't have your laptop grafted onto your body these days...). This shuffling happens to movies every year and everyone (including myself sometimes) acts surprised and put out as if it's never happened before. We have agreed to collective amnesia.

Dennis Lehane's 6th novel Mystic River was on screen two years after it

was published. His 7th, Shutter Island, is taking longer to crossover.

Generally speaking such schedule switcheroos prompt three distinct reactions each year

1. The studio lacks confidence in the movie and/or the movie isn't any good (suggesting that good = Oscar which it doesn't but that's another story)
   
2. This movie wasn't going to be AMPAS's cuppa anyway, no matter when it opened. Might be a good decision financially.
   
3. Yay. Something that's not total garbage is going to open in the early months of the year!

Hollywood is Pavlov and we are the dogs. Each of these groupthink reflexes has been carefully conditioned in us. They've trained us to expect junk in the first quarter, blockbusters and counterprogrammers in the second and third, prestige films in the final. Anything that appears to be in its wrong season -- as if there should be wrong seasons for things as wonderful as movies -- is immediately suspect whether it be an f/x epic, a romantic comedy, or a film from a major auteur.

--> Scorsese at Cannes with his genius editor Thelma Schoonmaker in Cannes in May to celebrate The Red Shoes (directed by Thelma's late husband Michael Powell). Thelma & Marty have made 16 narrative features together, plus documentaries and shorts.

The truth about Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island could lie anywhere. I'm leaning towards #2. I was anxious to see this hallucinatory potboiler, too, but think of the bright side: We've got more time to read the novel before the movie arrives on February 19th, 2010.

And finally, it's worth noting: Scorsese isn't exactly speedy. Who knows what's happening in Post. If the film is complete that doesn't mean he won't decide to tinker. Didn't Gangs of New York even appear in winter magazine previews for 2001 before being pushed back 12 months for December '02? We're always talking about release dates when it comes to Oscar... but what of release dates when it comes to filmmakers? Is there any consistency with Scorsese? Let's look at his 20 narrative features, release dates and Oscar's reaction (Best Picture nominees are in red).

• The Departed | Oct 6th, 2006 | 5 noms, 4 wins
  
• The Aviator | Dec 17th, 2004 | 11 noms, 5 wins
• Gangs of New York | Dec 20th, 2002 | 10 nominations
• Bringing Out the Dead | Oct 22nd, 1999 | ignored
• Kundun | Dec 25th, 1997 | 4 nominations
• Casino | Nov 22nd, 1995 | 1 nomination
• The Age of Innocence | Sept 17th, 1993 | 5 noms, 1 win
• Cape Fear | Nov 13th, 1991 | 2 nominations
• Goodfellas | Sept 19th, 1990 | 6 noms, 1 win
• The Last Temptation of Christ | Aug 12th, 1988 | 1 nomination
• The Color of Money | Oct 17th, 1986 | 4 noms, 1 win
• After Hours | Sept 13th, 1985 | ignored
• The King of Comedy | Feb 18th, 1983 | ignored
• Raging Bull | Dec 19th, 1980 | 8 noms, 2 wins
• New York, New York | June 21st, 1977 | ignored
• Taxi Driver | Feb 8th, 1976 | 4 nominations
• Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Dec 9th, 1974 | 3 noms, 1 win
• Mean Streets | Oct 14th, 1973 | ignored
• Boxcar Bertha | June 14th, 1972 | ignored
• Who's That Knocking At My Door? | Sept 8th, 1968 | ignored
  

Yep, he's an "Autumn" all right... though you can see how much more fluid Hollywood once was with prestige movie scheduling the further back in time you go. His only previous February openings, The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, happen to be my two favorites, no fooling. Does this mean I should be very very very excited for Shutter Island or should I stop being so superstitious about release dates?

How is the move to 2010 sitting with you? Or are you eternally impatient when it comes to Oscar season? I'm guessing you're ready to get the party started. I know I am.
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"You Haven't Taken Any Pills Have You?"

JA from MNPP here. Thank goodness Martin Scorsese finally got that damn Oscar out of the way! This is the Marty I've missed. The Marty who's having some fun. The Marty who had Robert DeNiro hold a bubbling flare in his hand.

If you have no idea what I speak of, the trailer for Shutter Island has finally arrived. If you don't know the plot from Dennis Lahane's book here tis:

"From Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese, “Shutter Island” is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane."

I knew as soon as Leo Dicaprio was given a couple of seconds of weighty dramatic pause before he could finish his setnence saying the hospital which he speaks of is "......... for the criminally insane!" that we were in deliciously lurid Cape Fear territory. You get glimpses of most of the film's sterling cast - Leo, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo (yum), Emily Mortimer (yay!), Michelle Williams (yay!), Elias Koteas and Jackie Earle Haley (both being creeps, yay!), Patty Clarkson (double yay!), Max Von Sydow (woop!)... I always look forward to a new Scorsese but this one is one tailor-made for me, I swear.

You can watch the trailer in at Apple or right here:

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I took some more screen-grabs if you're interested in that; they're over at MNPP. The cinematography by Robert Richardson looks typically gorgeous. What do we think? Shutter Island is out on October 2nd.

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"Van Gock"

"Van Goch! Did you hear that? She said
'Van Goch'. Like an Arab she spoke."
-Woody Allen Manhattan

Today marks the 156th anniversary of the birth of one Vincent Van Gogh. Strangely I've never seen any of the film versions of his life. Neither Robert Altman's Theo and Vincent (1990) nor the César lauded French biopic Van Gogh (1991). Not even the Oscar winning Lust For Life (1956) with Kirk Douglas. Have you? The only time I've seen him portrayed onscreen was by none other than Martin Scorsese in Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990). Kurosawa began as a painter so perhaps the affinity was born there. Dreams was my first Kurosawa and I saw it, believe it or not, in Japanese with Norwegian subtitles. Not that the language barriers mattered with such a visual film... Oh and don't freak -- I've since rectified my former Kurosawalessness.

What were we talking about? Oh, Van Gogh. I'm of the opinion that we don't have enough crazy artists any more... particularly in the movies. Which movie people do you think are crazy enough to cut off an ear?

Some suggestions in the comments include Uwe Boll and Joaquin Phoenix (naturally), Harvey Weinstein (good call!), Terrence Malick's agent (ha!), Brad Pitt (hmmm. even missing an ear the beauty would be undiminished), Kathleen Turner (hey now! Leave my Kathleen alone) and these two...


Paul Outlaw thinks Vincent Gallo might inspire fears for ears. Alexa disagrees. And Wayne B's evil thoughts go straight to Dakota Fanning (?!?)

I could see [her] cutting off an ear as long as it'll guarantee her an Oscar before she turns 20; that way she'll beat Marlee Matlin's record.

Dakota's focus apparently freaks Wayne out. Does it freak him out enough to...

I promise this is the last birthday post of the day. I'm tired of March. I need a fresh start. Be over March! Be over.

We Can't Wait #6 Shutter Island

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Elias Koteas, Jackie Earle Haley and Patricia Clarkson
Synopsis: Marshals Leo & Mark attempt to find murderous Emily! She escaped from Ashecliffe Asylum where Dr. Ben & Max both work!! She might be hiding on Shutter Island!!! (I'm gagging on multiple exclamation points because it sounds like such a pulpy thriller. Wheee)
Brought to you by the novel by Dennis Lehane by way of Paramount Pictures
Expected Release Date October 2nd

In our mad rush to complete the We Can't Wait series, my blog buddies and I zoomed right by Scorsese and Co. So, there's no conversation. Still and all... I doubt you need any convincing. A Scorsese picture is an event and when you combine what sounds like addictive actorly narcotic (insane asylum setting!) and a cinema friendly plot with this enticing cast ... well, it's an embarrassment of (potential) riches, isn't it?

What we have here is a highly anticipated picture but it could also be an Oscar hopeful, too. How sweet would it be to see Mortimer & Clarkson taking up the semi-annual 'two supporting actress nominees from one film' tradition? And how far ahead of myself am I getting!? Too far. Pull it back, pull it back. (whew. it's not time for that yet. April 1st Nathaniel, April 1st)

Ruffalo, Haley, Williams and DiCaprio on set (photos from Just Jared)

Not that Shutter Island (also known by its alternate title Ashecliffe) will have to bear the weight of golden expectations. The Departed finally put that "Give Scorsese the Oscar!!!" cause to rest. Finally we can get back to the more important business of enjoying his mad cinematic skillz. Great movies (and we hope it is one) are their own reward.

On the other hand, aren't we going to run out of Lehane novels to adapt pretty soon?

In case you missed any entries they went like so...
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We Can't Wait:
#1 Inglourious Basterds, #2 Where the Wild Things Are, #3 Fantastic Mr. Fox,
#4 Avatar, #5 Bright Star, #6 Shutter Island, #7 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
#8 Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, #9 Nailed, #10 Taking Woodstock,
#11 Watchmen, #12 The Hurt Locker, #13 The Road, #14 The Tree of Life
#15 Away We Go, #16 500 Days of Summer, #17 Drag Me To Hell,
#18 Whatever Works, #19 Broken Embraces, #20 Nine (the musical)
intro (orphans -didn't make group list)
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Link Ho! Link Ho! Aaja aaja jind shamiyaane ke...

Agent Bedhead Eliza Dushku is the latest PETA target
New Yorker David Denby on Oscar's "Best Pictures"
Times Online Slumdog becomes a charity. Is it uncharitable to wonder if this is a really smart move after reports of the production underpaying poverty stricken child actors? Yes it is. So I shan't wonder.
Coming Soon collects the new film teasers/trailers from the Super Bowl
Defamer reacts to the changes for this year's Oscar ceremony -- courtesy of Larry Mark and writer/director Bill Condon


Film Junk on Kung Fu Panda beating WALL•E at the Annies. I haven't mentioned this because a) I don't understand b) I love Kung Fu Panda so I'm sad that it is already hated because of this and c) The Annie gave the top prize to Cars for Christ's sake. How can they justify no top prize for WALL•E? Yuck
In Contention Frost/ Nixon's graphic design template
Guardian interesting piece on the '59 Cannes winning Black Orpheus (I recommend a viewing) and Barack Obama's take on it
Big Screen Little Screen Scorsese's next project after 2009's Shutter Island. No DiCaprio this time.
Just Jared Jake Gyllenhaal in a fedora and scarf on account of... why not?

And a YouTube classic to send you on your way, Legolas + Enya (sigh -thx omg) I can't be the only one who misses Orlando Bloom's pointy ears



Can I?
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When Eight is Not Enough...

(Nine if you count Shark Tale. But please, for the love of cinema, don't!)


Robert De Niro, he of the often shameless mugging, is planning to reunite with Martin Scorsese. The film will be based on the mafia memoir I Heard You Paint Houses. That might be a good thing since Scorsese could be the one man capable of pulling something great from that Raging Bull again. Their previous credits together (in chronological rather than qualitative order) are rather enviable

1. Mean Streets (1973)
   
2. Taxi Driver (1976)
   
3. New York, New York (1977)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
   
5. King of Comedy, The (1983)
   
6. Goodfellas (1990)
   
7. Cape Fear (1991)
   
8. Casino (1995)
   

Individual opinions may vary as to whether or not it's a good idea to chase this particular double dragon. Sometimes a nostalgia inducing reunion (from Heat to Righteous Kill ??? to stay within DeNiro-land) just ain't a good idea. Sometimes it is. Speaking of which: Can Quentin Tarantino please find a role for UMA in Inglorious Bastards? Maybe she could perform it in drag.
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"You can't smoke grass in school!"

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"All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing! All Killing!"

For the second episode of the new series Best Pictures From The Outside In, Nick, Goatdog and I took a look at a dancing sister act in New York (Broadway Melody, 1929) and those mirrored brother moles in Boston (The Departed, 2006). Though this is an absurd pairing from either end of Oscar's timeline, there are a couple of similar features. Both movies are big on technique: Broadway Melody advertised itself as "All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!" arriving as it did during the death rattle of the late silents (which were hugely superior to the early sound films); The Departed has Martin Scorsese, a showman who loves freeze frames, iris fades and any manner of cinematic tricks.

For those of you unfamiliar with Broadway Melody it's the story of The Mahoney Sisters, Hank (Oscar nominated Bessie Love) and Queenie (Anita Page), a regionally successful vaudeville act trying to make it in the Big Apple. It's very much of its time. The sisters join the "Zanfield" Revue and Queenie has to fight off the advances of movie mogul "Jacques Warriner", so I think you know already (if you know anything about showbiz history) that it was a contemporary inside-showbiz thing. It probably resonated with them back then and the idea of sound pictures was still fresh and super-exciting.

Our first Best Picture match-up (Wings and No Country) had wondrous parallels and both movies were top grade. This time out, it's a massacre. The Departed is a great movie. Broadway Melody is ... not.

Read the entire lively discussion @ Goatdog's blog

Hey, I've Got an Idea: Let's Do the Same Movie Again.

From sequels earlier we move to remakes, only remakes done by the very same director who made the original. Why direct the same film again? I have no idea. Some questions I just don't ask.

Oscar Micheaux: Birthright - 1924 and 1939

Cecil B. DeMille: The Squaw Man - 1914, 1918 AND 1931

Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much - 1934 and 1956

Leo McCarey: Love Affair - 1939 and 1957 (retitled An Affair to Remember

Woody Allen: September - 1987 and 1987. He made the movie first with Maureen O'Sullivan, Charles Durning and Sam Shepard, then made it again with Elaine Stritch, Denholm Elliott and Sam Waterston in their roles. Why? Maybe he was bored.

Michael Haneke: Funny Games - 1997 and 2007

Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas 1990 Casino 1995. Oh, wait a minute...

Minor Scorsese? We Think Not

Two fantastic films---definitely my favorites by Martin Scorsese---are ones which the press continually and callously refer to as "flops", solely based on box-office receipts. Yet, taken on their own terms, each of these films reveals itself to be a meticulous masterpiece with profound emotional impact.

The Age of Innocence (1993), based on the Edith Wharton novel, is much more than the Merchant-Ivory wannabe its detractors would have one believe. Beautifully filmed, the flowers and gowns, ballrooms and dinner tables gleam with a sensual delight that belies the repressed individuals who people this film and its social milieu. Daniel Day-Lewis gives a subtle, mannered, yet ultimately heartbreaking performance. Winona Ryder, still in the bloom of youth and finding her footing as an actress, is used to her best advantage. And Michelle Pfeiffer reminds the world that she is not only a great beauty, but an actress, and a wonderful one at that. The most amazing aspect of this movie is that, for its entire length, not a single person says what they actually mean. It's that which is unsaid that speaks volumes, and in the end it's devastating.

Kundun (1997), obviously made more for personal reasons than to please studio honchos, is just as obviously a labor of love. Telling the tale of Tenzin Gyatso, known to the world as the 14th Dalai Lama, this film, more than most by Scorsese, relies heavily upon imagery to get its point across. The cast, largely of actual Tibetan refugees, most of whom are non-actors, provides an aura of authenticity to the entire project. Warm and majestic cinematography blends seamlessly with the Philip Glass score, to the extent that it's hard to imagine one without the other. (This was also a labor of love for Glass, and the result is some of his finest work.) The final fifteen minutes of the film are virtually wordless; pure sound and vision propel the viewer to its very moving conclusion. And that is what cinema is all about.

via thombeau

20:07 (A New King)

Rupert Pupkin: You know what? Don't tell anybody, but you're looking at The New King of Comedy.
Rita: (laughter)
Rupert: Why not me? Why not?

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