The Guild of Music Supervisors has unveiled its summer panel series lineup featuring many of the top musical tastemakers and composers working across television and streaming platforms today.
The first panel kicks off with music supervisors from HBO’s lineup: Kier Lehman from “Insecure,” Jen Malone from “Euphoria,” Liza Richardson from “Watchmen” and Blake Leyh from “The Plot Against America.” Guild founding member Jonathan McHugh will moderate the panel on June 11. Register here.
June 18’s panel focuses on the working relationships of composers and music supervisors on Apple TV Plus shows. Moderated by Variety Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay, speakers include Zach Cowie and Michael Brook (“Little America”), DeVoe Yates, Ian Hultquist and Sofia Hultquist (“Dickinson”) and Liza Richardson and Carter Burwell (“The Morning Show”). Register here.
The Netflix panel on June 25 looks at the diverse offerings of shows where music features as a character. Matt Biffa of “Sex Education,” Nora Felder...
The first panel kicks off with music supervisors from HBO’s lineup: Kier Lehman from “Insecure,” Jen Malone from “Euphoria,” Liza Richardson from “Watchmen” and Blake Leyh from “The Plot Against America.” Guild founding member Jonathan McHugh will moderate the panel on June 11. Register here.
June 18’s panel focuses on the working relationships of composers and music supervisors on Apple TV Plus shows. Moderated by Variety Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay, speakers include Zach Cowie and Michael Brook (“Little America”), DeVoe Yates, Ian Hultquist and Sofia Hultquist (“Dickinson”) and Liza Richardson and Carter Burwell (“The Morning Show”). Register here.
The Netflix panel on June 25 looks at the diverse offerings of shows where music features as a character. Matt Biffa of “Sex Education,” Nora Felder...
- 6/10/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
VI Issue II
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
The Invisible War written and directed by Kirby Dick
The Invisible War is a documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem— the film claims that today a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The filmmakers’ state that the Department of Defense estimates there were 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011, that 20% of all active‐duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted and that female soldiers aged 18 to 21 account for more than half of the victims.
Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of rape victims, The Invisible War suggests a systemic cover-up of military sex crimes by the military. The film chronicles women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice within and outside the military and features interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long history, and suggests what can be done to bring about much-needed change.
Oscar and Emmy nominated director Kirby Dick (Outrage, This Film Is Not Yet Rated), found the inspiration for The Invisible War from a 2007 Salon.com article about women serving in Iraq entitled “The Private War of Women Soldiers,” by Columbia University journalism professor Helen Benedict. When Dick and Emmy-nominated producing partner Amy Ziering (Outrage) read Benedict's piece, they were astounded by the prevalence of sexual assault in the military.
This film is beautifully made, shot, directed and produced. It is one of the strongest films of the year. It shows that rape and other sexually based harassment seems to be wide spread in our military and that the military is unwilling to adjust its culture to effect the necessary change to provide a safe work environment for all of its members. The filmmakers make excellent choices in terms of who they interview, whose stories they tell. This is a strong advocacy film that can make a difference and start pushing the civilians who control our military to demand to make the necessary changes to protect the men and women who serve from each other. Frankly, it has to have a zero tolerance for any kind of harassment. With the striking of “don’t ask, don’t tell” the armed services are on their way to addressing this. The film was short listed for the documentary feature Academy Award.
Credits:
Director/Writer: Kirby Dick
Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow
Cinematography: Thaddeus Wadleigh, Kirsten Johnson
Music Supervisor: Dondi Bastone, Gary Calamar/Go
Editor, Associate Producer: Doug Blush
Executive Producer for Itvs: Sally Jo Fifer Cinedigm and Docurama Films
Revolution Reykjavík a short film by Isold Uggadottir
Gudfinna, a successful 58-year old mid-level employee of the Icelandic bank Landsbankinn, finds herself a victim of the economic failure, not only losing her job, but her lifesavings as well. Proud and independent, she struggles to shield her dire circumstances from her family members and friends. But as tensions in Icelandic society grow, so does her inner turmoil. She finds that she cannot deal with her increasingly desperate financial concerns and her ideas of self-worth. Slowly, Gudfinna, much like the Icelandic economy, finds herself metamorphosed into the utterly helpless being she never could have foreseen becoming.
Revolution Reykjavík is one of the outstanding short films of the 2011/12 year. One of the few works to screen at both New Directors and Telluride and dozens of other festivals, it is evident that Isold Uggadottir, while not yet a known name as a director, is tremendously talented. Watching Gudfinna fall apart is deeply moving. Her inner struggles are evident by the nuanced direction of a subtle performance. The film is nicely shot, edited and at 19 minutes it becomes a metaphor for the 2008 Icelandic banking disaster that wiped out tens of thousands of Icelanders and three of the major banks. It caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and created a political crisis for the country. Few portfolio works try for nuanced and subtle performances but are in-your-face testosterone fueled action works. This film is a keeper.
Director/ Writer’s Bio:
Isold Uggadottir is an Icelandic writer/director. Her four short films have been invited to over 120 international film festivals, including Telluride, Sundance and New Directors/New Films hosted by Lincoln Center & MoMA. Two of her films (Clean and Committed) have been honored with Icelandic Academy Awards for Best Short Film in 2010 and 2011, while Revolution Reykjavík and Family Reunion received nominations in 2012 and 2006. Additionally, Isold has received multiple international awards, most recently in Spain and Greece.
Isold holds an Mfa in writing and directing from Columbia University in New York, where she was honored with the Adrienne Shelly Award for Best Female Director. Screen International named her “one of the rising stars of Icelandic film.”
Credits:
Written and Directed: Isold Uggadottir
Producers: Snorri Thórisson, Isold Uggadottir
Director of Photography: Óskar Thór Axelsson
Editor: Isold Uggadottir
Academy announces 11 short films shortlisted for the Short Film Nomination
Because of a voting tie the Academy short listed 11 dramatic/fiction short films instead of 10. Culled from 125 submitted films, it is perhaps the best group of films entered in the last 30 years. These films range from a thesis work from Columbia’s University’s graduate film program to When You Find Me, directed by Bryce Howard, filmmaker Ron Howard’s 31 year old daughter, to the Danish 61 year old director Anders Walther with short film Oscar winner (and nominee) producer Tivi Magnusson for 9 Meter.
Following screenings in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December, Branch members will select three to five nominees from among the 11 semi-finalists. It will be challenging for the committees to find the five best in this really impressive group of films. It is an embarrassment of solid filmmaking from a global group of filmmakers. Please note: I have not seen two of the short listed films and I am relying on others for their synopses to be accurate.
Below is an alphabetical listing of the short listed films, the key filmmakers, the country of production and a link to a clip. Take a look and make up your own mind:
A Fábrica (The Factory), Aly Muritiba, director (Grafo Audiovisual)
“An inmate convinces his mother to take a risk smuggling a cell phone for him into the penitentiary.
Length: 15 min.
Language: Portuguese
Country: Brazil
“Asad,” Bryan Buckley, director, and Mino Jarjoura, producer (Hungry Man)
A Somali boy must choose either the life of a pirate or that of a fisherman
Length: 17 min.
Language: Somali with English subtitles.
Country: USA
“Buzkashi Boys,” Sam French, director, and Ariel Nasr, producer (Afghan Film Project)
Two young boys dream of a better life. One is without parents and the other the father wants him to follow into his blacksmithing.
Length: 30 min.
Language: Pashto
Country: Afghanistan, USA Production
“Curfew,” Shawn Christensen, director (Fuzzy Logic Pictures)
A suicidal New Yorker, Richie’s attempt to end his life is interrupted by a call from his estranged sister asking him to babysit his niece for the evening.
Length: 20 min
Language: English
Country: USA
“Death of a Shadow” (Dood van een Schaduw),” Tom Van Avermaet, director, and Ellen De Waele, producer(Serendipity Films)
This highly produced sci-fi fantasy work is about a dead Wwi soldier stuck in the limbo between life and death who has to collect shadows to regain a second chance at life.
Length: 20 min.
Language: German
Country: Belgium
“Henry,” Yan England, director (Yan England) Henry, a concert pianist, has his life thrown into turmoil the day the love of his life mysteriously disappears. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 21 min.
Language: English
Country: Canadian
“Kiruna-Kigali,” Goran Kapetanovic, director (Hepp Film Ab)
This tour‐de‐force Swedish short begins in a mist of frost and snow. A woman is driving to the hospital in Kiruna, the northernmost city of Sweden. Under the scorching sunlight of Kigali, Rwanda,another woman is being carried to the hospital on a stretcher. The two single mothers‐to‐be are on the verge of giving birth to a baby are thousands of miles apart, but share the same fear of entering the unknown world of motherhood. I think this is the film to beat.
Length: 15 min.
Language: Swedish/ Kinyarwanda
Country: Swedish/Rwanda
“The Night Shift Belongs to the Stars,” Silvia Bizio and Paola Porrini Bisson, producers (Oh! Pen LLC)
The story of Matteo (Enrico Lo Verso), a passionate mountain climber, and Sonia (Nastassja Kinski), a married woman, also in love with mountain, as they set out to climb a peak on the Dolomites, in Trentino, Italy. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 24 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
“9 meter,” Anders Walther, director, and Tivi Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions A/S)
A boy tries to set a new record in the long jump as his mother fights her illness. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 18 min.
Language: Danish
Country: Danish
“Salar,” Nicholas Greene, director, and Julie Buck, producer (Nicholas Greene)
In an isolated Bolivian village, on the edge of the vast Uyuni salt flats, two lives collide. This powerful film is my favorite of the 11 short listed films.
Length: 18 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
“When you find me,” Ron Howard, executive producer, and Bryce Dallas Howard, director (Freestyle Production Company)
This Cannon sponsored film looks at the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy that they were too young to understand at the time.
Length: 29 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
"Poster Girl," produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the "Best" Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series "Carrier,” a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
_______________________________________________________
©2012Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited. All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
The Invisible War written and directed by Kirby Dick
The Invisible War is a documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem— the film claims that today a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The filmmakers’ state that the Department of Defense estimates there were 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011, that 20% of all active‐duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted and that female soldiers aged 18 to 21 account for more than half of the victims.
Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of rape victims, The Invisible War suggests a systemic cover-up of military sex crimes by the military. The film chronicles women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice within and outside the military and features interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long history, and suggests what can be done to bring about much-needed change.
Oscar and Emmy nominated director Kirby Dick (Outrage, This Film Is Not Yet Rated), found the inspiration for The Invisible War from a 2007 Salon.com article about women serving in Iraq entitled “The Private War of Women Soldiers,” by Columbia University journalism professor Helen Benedict. When Dick and Emmy-nominated producing partner Amy Ziering (Outrage) read Benedict's piece, they were astounded by the prevalence of sexual assault in the military.
This film is beautifully made, shot, directed and produced. It is one of the strongest films of the year. It shows that rape and other sexually based harassment seems to be wide spread in our military and that the military is unwilling to adjust its culture to effect the necessary change to provide a safe work environment for all of its members. The filmmakers make excellent choices in terms of who they interview, whose stories they tell. This is a strong advocacy film that can make a difference and start pushing the civilians who control our military to demand to make the necessary changes to protect the men and women who serve from each other. Frankly, it has to have a zero tolerance for any kind of harassment. With the striking of “don’t ask, don’t tell” the armed services are on their way to addressing this. The film was short listed for the documentary feature Academy Award.
Credits:
Director/Writer: Kirby Dick
Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow
Cinematography: Thaddeus Wadleigh, Kirsten Johnson
Music Supervisor: Dondi Bastone, Gary Calamar/Go
Editor, Associate Producer: Doug Blush
Executive Producer for Itvs: Sally Jo Fifer Cinedigm and Docurama Films
Revolution Reykjavík a short film by Isold Uggadottir
Gudfinna, a successful 58-year old mid-level employee of the Icelandic bank Landsbankinn, finds herself a victim of the economic failure, not only losing her job, but her lifesavings as well. Proud and independent, she struggles to shield her dire circumstances from her family members and friends. But as tensions in Icelandic society grow, so does her inner turmoil. She finds that she cannot deal with her increasingly desperate financial concerns and her ideas of self-worth. Slowly, Gudfinna, much like the Icelandic economy, finds herself metamorphosed into the utterly helpless being she never could have foreseen becoming.
Revolution Reykjavík is one of the outstanding short films of the 2011/12 year. One of the few works to screen at both New Directors and Telluride and dozens of other festivals, it is evident that Isold Uggadottir, while not yet a known name as a director, is tremendously talented. Watching Gudfinna fall apart is deeply moving. Her inner struggles are evident by the nuanced direction of a subtle performance. The film is nicely shot, edited and at 19 minutes it becomes a metaphor for the 2008 Icelandic banking disaster that wiped out tens of thousands of Icelanders and three of the major banks. It caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and created a political crisis for the country. Few portfolio works try for nuanced and subtle performances but are in-your-face testosterone fueled action works. This film is a keeper.
Director/ Writer’s Bio:
Isold Uggadottir is an Icelandic writer/director. Her four short films have been invited to over 120 international film festivals, including Telluride, Sundance and New Directors/New Films hosted by Lincoln Center & MoMA. Two of her films (Clean and Committed) have been honored with Icelandic Academy Awards for Best Short Film in 2010 and 2011, while Revolution Reykjavík and Family Reunion received nominations in 2012 and 2006. Additionally, Isold has received multiple international awards, most recently in Spain and Greece.
Isold holds an Mfa in writing and directing from Columbia University in New York, where she was honored with the Adrienne Shelly Award for Best Female Director. Screen International named her “one of the rising stars of Icelandic film.”
Credits:
Written and Directed: Isold Uggadottir
Producers: Snorri Thórisson, Isold Uggadottir
Director of Photography: Óskar Thór Axelsson
Editor: Isold Uggadottir
Academy announces 11 short films shortlisted for the Short Film Nomination
Because of a voting tie the Academy short listed 11 dramatic/fiction short films instead of 10. Culled from 125 submitted films, it is perhaps the best group of films entered in the last 30 years. These films range from a thesis work from Columbia’s University’s graduate film program to When You Find Me, directed by Bryce Howard, filmmaker Ron Howard’s 31 year old daughter, to the Danish 61 year old director Anders Walther with short film Oscar winner (and nominee) producer Tivi Magnusson for 9 Meter.
Following screenings in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December, Branch members will select three to five nominees from among the 11 semi-finalists. It will be challenging for the committees to find the five best in this really impressive group of films. It is an embarrassment of solid filmmaking from a global group of filmmakers. Please note: I have not seen two of the short listed films and I am relying on others for their synopses to be accurate.
Below is an alphabetical listing of the short listed films, the key filmmakers, the country of production and a link to a clip. Take a look and make up your own mind:
A Fábrica (The Factory), Aly Muritiba, director (Grafo Audiovisual)
“An inmate convinces his mother to take a risk smuggling a cell phone for him into the penitentiary.
Length: 15 min.
Language: Portuguese
Country: Brazil
“Asad,” Bryan Buckley, director, and Mino Jarjoura, producer (Hungry Man)
A Somali boy must choose either the life of a pirate or that of a fisherman
Length: 17 min.
Language: Somali with English subtitles.
Country: USA
“Buzkashi Boys,” Sam French, director, and Ariel Nasr, producer (Afghan Film Project)
Two young boys dream of a better life. One is without parents and the other the father wants him to follow into his blacksmithing.
Length: 30 min.
Language: Pashto
Country: Afghanistan, USA Production
“Curfew,” Shawn Christensen, director (Fuzzy Logic Pictures)
A suicidal New Yorker, Richie’s attempt to end his life is interrupted by a call from his estranged sister asking him to babysit his niece for the evening.
Length: 20 min
Language: English
Country: USA
“Death of a Shadow” (Dood van een Schaduw),” Tom Van Avermaet, director, and Ellen De Waele, producer(Serendipity Films)
This highly produced sci-fi fantasy work is about a dead Wwi soldier stuck in the limbo between life and death who has to collect shadows to regain a second chance at life.
Length: 20 min.
Language: German
Country: Belgium
“Henry,” Yan England, director (Yan England) Henry, a concert pianist, has his life thrown into turmoil the day the love of his life mysteriously disappears. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 21 min.
Language: English
Country: Canadian
“Kiruna-Kigali,” Goran Kapetanovic, director (Hepp Film Ab)
This tour‐de‐force Swedish short begins in a mist of frost and snow. A woman is driving to the hospital in Kiruna, the northernmost city of Sweden. Under the scorching sunlight of Kigali, Rwanda,another woman is being carried to the hospital on a stretcher. The two single mothers‐to‐be are on the verge of giving birth to a baby are thousands of miles apart, but share the same fear of entering the unknown world of motherhood. I think this is the film to beat.
Length: 15 min.
Language: Swedish/ Kinyarwanda
Country: Swedish/Rwanda
“The Night Shift Belongs to the Stars,” Silvia Bizio and Paola Porrini Bisson, producers (Oh! Pen LLC)
The story of Matteo (Enrico Lo Verso), a passionate mountain climber, and Sonia (Nastassja Kinski), a married woman, also in love with mountain, as they set out to climb a peak on the Dolomites, in Trentino, Italy. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 24 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
“9 meter,” Anders Walther, director, and Tivi Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions A/S)
A boy tries to set a new record in the long jump as his mother fights her illness. (Confession, I have not seen this film.)
Length: 18 min.
Language: Danish
Country: Danish
“Salar,” Nicholas Greene, director, and Julie Buck, producer (Nicholas Greene)
In an isolated Bolivian village, on the edge of the vast Uyuni salt flats, two lives collide. This powerful film is my favorite of the 11 short listed films.
Length: 18 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
“When you find me,” Ron Howard, executive producer, and Bryce Dallas Howard, director (Freestyle Production Company)
This Cannon sponsored film looks at the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy that they were too young to understand at the time.
Length: 29 min.
Language: English
Country: USA
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
"Poster Girl," produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the "Best" Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series "Carrier,” a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
_______________________________________________________
©2012Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited. All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 12/20/2012
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
The folks over at "True Blood" had the ingenuity to combine Nick Cave with Neko Case for one of the show's songs before, and so music supervisor Gary Calamar tried to step up to the plate again for another masterful combo, and with an original song to boot. The result is rock legend Iggy Pop and Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino combining for "Let's Boot and Rally," for the episode "Boot and Rally" airing on July 8 this weekend. Sexy vampires will be able to do what sexy vampires do to the strains of more Iggy and less Best Coast, but that's...
- 7/6/2012
- Hitfix
Los Angeles public radio station Kcrw is premiering “Let’s Boot and Rally”, a duet by Iggy Pop and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, which was recorded for the July 8 episode of HBO’s True Blood. The track, co-written by James Combs and Kcrw DJ and True Blood music supervisor Gary Calamar, can be heard right now on Kcrw’s Music Blog....
- 7/5/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
I don't know if you guys would've ever heard of it, but there's this pretty cool show on HBO called True Blood—it's got vampires and Anna Paquin and a lot of sex and some pretty cool music. Probably not anything you'd be interested in. Anyways, the show's music supervisor just happens to be Kcrw DJ Gary Calamar and he recently got the opportunity of a lifetime: to co-write a new song for an upcoming episode performed by none other than Iggy Pop and Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino. I know, you've probably never heard of either of them either. Just go with me on this.
Be sure to follow our True Blood Ology for all the latest TB news, recaps, rumors and reactions!
The song is called "Let's Boot And Rally" and you can catch on air this Sunday (July 8), download it from iTunes now or give it a listen over at Kcrw.
Be sure to follow our True Blood Ology for all the latest TB news, recaps, rumors and reactions!
The song is called "Let's Boot And Rally" and you can catch on air this Sunday (July 8), download it from iTunes now or give it a listen over at Kcrw.
- 7/5/2012
- by Brett Warner
- TVology
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino and Iggy Pop have paired together for “Let’s Boot and Rally,” a song that will be featured in the July 8 episode of HBO’s “True Blood.” The tune, co-written by “True Blood’s” music supervisor Gary Calamar and James Combs, will premiere on Santa Monica’s Kcrw (where Calamar also DJs) on July 5 at 10:20 a.m. Not much word on how it sounds yet, other than Kcrw calls it a “punk rock duet.” Cosentino expressed her excitement over recording with Iggy Pop on Best Coast’s twitter feed, while Iggy Pop said in a statement, “I’ve always liked to...
- 6/26/2012
- Hitfix
Country super star Taylor Swift is all grown up, ignoring the advice of her management and calling the shots when it comes to her song being used for a sexy scene on ‘True Blood!’
There’s no doubting that 21-year-old Taylor Swift is the epitome of a wholesome country girl that just so happens to be mega-famous, truly talented and ridiculously beautiful. Her image is something her handlers want to preserve, and were up in arms when asked by the producers of the HBO’s True Blood if they could use Tay’s song, “Haunted,” for a mature audience-only scene in an upcoming episode.
True Blood music supervisor Gary Calamar told Rolling Stone “Haunted” will be part of “a racy, sexy scene.” However, it wasn’t an easy battle to get the a-okay. Apparently, Taylor’s team was strongly opposed to the idea.
We can understand the worry her team might have,...
There’s no doubting that 21-year-old Taylor Swift is the epitome of a wholesome country girl that just so happens to be mega-famous, truly talented and ridiculously beautiful. Her image is something her handlers want to preserve, and were up in arms when asked by the producers of the HBO’s True Blood if they could use Tay’s song, “Haunted,” for a mature audience-only scene in an upcoming episode.
True Blood music supervisor Gary Calamar told Rolling Stone “Haunted” will be part of “a racy, sexy scene.” However, it wasn’t an easy battle to get the a-okay. Apparently, Taylor’s team was strongly opposed to the idea.
We can understand the worry her team might have,...
- 8/19/2011
- by AimeeCurran
- HollywoodLife
Are you a Taylor Swift fan? And perhaps you might be a "True Blood" devotee? You're in luck, as those two worlds collide in the episode to air Sunday (Aug. 21). The HBO show's music supervisor Gary Calamar told Rolling Stone that the track "Haunted" would be playing under a "racy, sexy scene." He said that the show wasn't initially allowed to use it, but the pop-country crossover act herself made it know she wanted it to happen. "Haunted" is culled from Swift's most recent album, "Speak Now." Calamar also gave away some hints about the season finale, "And When I Die,"...
- 8/19/2011
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
WaterTower Music has announced the upcoming release of True Blood – Music from the HBO Original Series – Volume 3 due in stores and online this fall. The follow-up to the first two Grammy-nominated soundtracks will consist of new songs from the upcoming fourth season of the acclaimed HBO drama as well as music from the show’s wildly successful third season.
Music is an essential element in developing the tone and atmosphere on the hit television series. The sexy, supernatural world of Bon Temps comes to pulsating life through the edgy songs, and Seasons Three and Four are no exception. An exceptional duet recorded by Neko Case and Nick Cave will be the first track from the collection to make its debut. Case and Cave have recorded a new version of The Zombies’ classic “She’s Not There,” which was made available at all digital retailers on June 26th after the Season Four premiere episode.
Music is an essential element in developing the tone and atmosphere on the hit television series. The sexy, supernatural world of Bon Temps comes to pulsating life through the edgy songs, and Seasons Three and Four are no exception. An exceptional duet recorded by Neko Case and Nick Cave will be the first track from the collection to make its debut. Case and Cave have recorded a new version of The Zombies’ classic “She’s Not There,” which was made available at all digital retailers on June 26th after the Season Four premiere episode.
- 6/29/2011
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The last time I spoke with HBO's "True Blood" music supervisor, Gary Calamar, he was talking about where he gets the inspiration for the series' hot soundtrack known for its bedeviled swamp blues and spooky southern jangle jams -- though no genre is off limits. Music plays such a prominent role in the show, that each episode is named after a key song featured in it. Last season's premiere was titled after a Beck song it featured called "Bad Blood." The finale before that was "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," after the Bob Dylan song they used in it of the same name, and so on. This coming June 26th season premiere, is titled "She's Not There," after The Zombie's song.
Pitchfork reports, that Nick Cave is teaming up with Neko Case for a special "True Blood" cover of the classic song that will play at the end of the episode.
Pitchfork reports, that Nick Cave is teaming up with Neko Case for a special "True Blood" cover of the classic song that will play at the end of the episode.
- 5/5/2011
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
Part 2 of a conversation with music supervisor Gary Calamar. Part 1 can be found here.
Creatively speaking, where do you draw from other than the script itself, do you have a wall of records you talk to or how do you generate your ideas?
Yes. Sometimes I actually do that. My last resort, I just stand next to the wall of music and just sort of close my eyes and hope for a miracle. But, yeah after I read the script and we see a rough cut, different scenes just kind of reach out and kind of call out for different types of music. You know, a fight going on at Merlotte's or if there's some sort of party at Lafayette's or whatever it happens to be. I have that idea of what the overall sound of "True Blood" is so I... find the right songs. Then I'll play them for...
Creatively speaking, where do you draw from other than the script itself, do you have a wall of records you talk to or how do you generate your ideas?
Yes. Sometimes I actually do that. My last resort, I just stand next to the wall of music and just sort of close my eyes and hope for a miracle. But, yeah after I read the script and we see a rough cut, different scenes just kind of reach out and kind of call out for different types of music. You know, a fight going on at Merlotte's or if there's some sort of party at Lafayette's or whatever it happens to be. I have that idea of what the overall sound of "True Blood" is so I... find the right songs. Then I'll play them for...
- 9/17/2010
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
HBO's "True Blood" is great TV for many reasons, not least of which is it's music, and the dangerous, swampy vibe it often amplifies. Much of the music compliments the show's main location, and music supervisor Gary Calamar even employs local musicians from Louisiana like Allen Toussaint and C.C. Adcock to lend the show an authentic regional sound. When not working on the soundtrack for "True Blood," Calamar, who also was behind the music of "Six Feet Under," music supes for other shows like "Men of a Certain Age," and "House M.D." He's also a working DJ who has had a nighttime show on Kcrw for something like 13 years, spinning pop, roots rock, blues, and soul. As you can imagine, he gets a lot of soundtrack ideas for his day job, during his night job. He's a busy man, but he found the time to get down with me recently...
- 9/16/2010
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
Warm up your listless glamour slave, the season finale of "True Blood" is coming up this Sunday September, 12th. In anticipation of this I sought out music supervisor Gary Calamar, who is the force behind "True Blood's" incredible music.
It's not a secret, but many people don't know that each episode of "True Blood" is titled after a song that's featured in that episode. So last season's finale, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" is titled after the Bob Dylan song of the same name, which is used in the episode. This season's premiere was "Bad Blood," after a Beck song of the same title, and so on.
These title and song ideas grow out of the writing at early stages and it's not always an easy task to have all the pieces fall into place in the end. But Calamar, veteran music supe of "Weeds," "Six Feet Under," "House M.D." and others,...
It's not a secret, but many people don't know that each episode of "True Blood" is titled after a song that's featured in that episode. So last season's finale, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" is titled after the Bob Dylan song of the same name, which is used in the episode. This season's premiere was "Bad Blood," after a Beck song of the same title, and so on.
These title and song ideas grow out of the writing at early stages and it's not always an easy task to have all the pieces fall into place in the end. But Calamar, veteran music supe of "Weeds," "Six Feet Under," "House M.D." and others,...
- 9/10/2010
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
If I were the music supervisor for HBO's "True Blood," I'd want to stay away from pop for the most part and amp up the creepy swamp vibe with bayou blues and dirty soul, complimenting the show's location. Music supervisor Gary Calamar, veteran of "Weeds," and "Six Feet under," has done exactly that, often employing musicians from Louisiana like Allen Toussaint and C.C. Adcock to lend the series a kick with authentic regional sound.
The show's music has teeth. Everyone knows Jace Everett's "Bad Things" now, the series theme song. Cobra Verde's cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire" was cool too, though I would still prefer the original. Perhaps it was a budget choice.
"HBO gives us a nice budget but it isn't unlimited," Calamar said in an interview with True Blood-Online. "We always need to keep an eye on the finances. So far I think we have a nice balance.
The show's music has teeth. Everyone knows Jace Everett's "Bad Things" now, the series theme song. Cobra Verde's cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire" was cool too, though I would still prefer the original. Perhaps it was a budget choice.
"HBO gives us a nice budget but it isn't unlimited," Calamar said in an interview with True Blood-Online. "We always need to keep an eye on the finances. So far I think we have a nice balance.
- 8/3/2010
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
With the Oscars behind us and the second quarter of the new year beginning, it's the perfect time to burden you with one last top ten list for 2009. Below are the most outstanding film-music moments of the year, as dictated by Boombox Serenade where we've just never been interested in score, and instead favor directors who know how to use real music (yep, I said it) in original and powerful ways. As usual, we start with the tenth best moment and build up to number one. Lloyd #10 goes to Director Alan Ball, Music Supervisor Gary Calamar, and Sammy...
- 4/4/2010
- by Shannon Coulter
- Boombox Serenade
The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music Conference took a stroll down memory lane Fridy on Day 2 with an Ascap-sponsored panel that explored how the creative team behind the recent remake of the 1980 hit "Fame" updated the project for a new generation.
Director Kevin Tancharoen and composer Mark Isham discussed the pressure they felt to live up to the original Alan Parker film, which focused on the dreams of a diverse group of teens attending the New York City High School for the Performing Arts.
"I hold the original film on such a pedestal," Tancharoen said. "The fact that it wasn't a direct remake helped me. If we literally tried to replicate Parker's film, it would have been a mistake. Alan Parker made that movie perfectly."
Later, the creative team behind Fox's musical primetime phenom "Glee" discussed the pressures of living up to the past, albeit in a totally different context.
Director Kevin Tancharoen and composer Mark Isham discussed the pressure they felt to live up to the original Alan Parker film, which focused on the dreams of a diverse group of teens attending the New York City High School for the Performing Arts.
"I hold the original film on such a pedestal," Tancharoen said. "The fact that it wasn't a direct remake helped me. If we literally tried to replicate Parker's film, it would have been a mistake. Alan Parker made that movie perfectly."
Later, the creative team behind Fox's musical primetime phenom "Glee" discussed the pressures of living up to the past, albeit in a totally different context.
- 11/1/2009
- by By Kevin Cassidy
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On September 8, Varése Sarabande releases a CD from Nathan Barr's original score to the hit series True Blood. Now there's already a True Blood CD out there, but don't confuse the two - the disc by Elektra/Warner Bros. contains only the songs from the show and nothing from Barr's music. The new disc (pictured on the right) finally changes the situation and will feature 45 minutes of the Southern swampy tunes by the composer, not to mention to highly demanded songs: "Take Me Home" and "Sancto Erico", both of which underscore crucial scenes in the series. In the following interview you get to know all about Barr's music, his collaboration with Lisbeth Scott on the songs and a recent epidemic that's plagueing the world of television composers - namely not receiving any money from the online viewed episodes of your favourite television shows.
Your previous best-known credits are horror...
Your previous best-known credits are horror...
- 9/5/2009
- Daily Film Music Blog
Well, Gary Calamar and Alan Ball have done it again. The "New World in My View" episode of True Blood contains a moment that has everyone talking, and it comes at the very end. By that point the town of Bon Temps is in real peril with Maryann's minions plunging ever deeper into violent Bacchanalian trance, and Bill has set out to seek help from unseen vampire queen. As he strides toward her villa, the irresistible and mysterious song "New World In My View" fades in (from which the episode gets its name). It's hugely portentous—a moment that not only...
- 8/26/2009
- by Shannon Coulter
- Boombox Serenade
Major U.S. City Loses Battle Against Vampires!
August 14th - 16th - Los Angeles
On August 14th a major milestone in humankind's history will reach critical mass: Vampires Will Invade And Capture A Major U.S. City! And if you are adverse to having the life sucked from your body, you might want to avoid the following zip-codes from August 14–16 (or, wear your best chastity scarf!): 90036 and 90028 (Los Angeles, CA). That, my friends, is Ground Zero for what is being billed as the world’s first full-out, fangs-in-your-face convention entirely devoted to Vamp-Pop culture. Vampire-con! [look for staff horrorphile Gary Deocampo's highlight reports from the field]
First off, let's clarify what Vampire-Con is not: a zombie walk. Rather, it's a family reunion of sorts for those other creatures of the night who have seen a marked renaissance of late in everything from graphic novels to major Hollywood movies. The convention boasts a fully stocked film festival, bloody curated panels,...
August 14th - 16th - Los Angeles
On August 14th a major milestone in humankind's history will reach critical mass: Vampires Will Invade And Capture A Major U.S. City! And if you are adverse to having the life sucked from your body, you might want to avoid the following zip-codes from August 14–16 (or, wear your best chastity scarf!): 90036 and 90028 (Los Angeles, CA). That, my friends, is Ground Zero for what is being billed as the world’s first full-out, fangs-in-your-face convention entirely devoted to Vamp-Pop culture. Vampire-con! [look for staff horrorphile Gary Deocampo's highlight reports from the field]
First off, let's clarify what Vampire-Con is not: a zombie walk. Rather, it's a family reunion of sorts for those other creatures of the night who have seen a marked renaissance of late in everything from graphic novels to major Hollywood movies. The convention boasts a fully stocked film festival, bloody curated panels,...
- 8/4/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (LATIN HORROR)
- Latin Horror
Is there any more enduring horror icon than the vampire? Sure, zombies have their fans, but overall vamps seem to rule the day. So it makes perfect sense they finally have a convention all their own: Vampire-Con, running August 14th–16th, 2009, in Hollywood, CA.
Here's the lowdown straight from the press release: The Vam-Pop culture weekend is going to kick off with a two-day film festival (schedule to be announced shortly) on Friday and Saturday at the New Beverly Cinema featuring some of the best vampire movies out there. On Sunday Vampire-Con flies over to The Music Box @ Fonda for a day of panel discussions, vampire history, contests, and more. Things really get pumping when the sun goes down for the 21+ vampire rave that goes on into the night with special performances by The Lucent Dossier Experience and sets by DJ Gary Calamar, music supervisor of HBO's "True Blood".
For...
Here's the lowdown straight from the press release: The Vam-Pop culture weekend is going to kick off with a two-day film festival (schedule to be announced shortly) on Friday and Saturday at the New Beverly Cinema featuring some of the best vampire movies out there. On Sunday Vampire-Con flies over to The Music Box @ Fonda for a day of panel discussions, vampire history, contests, and more. Things really get pumping when the sun goes down for the 21+ vampire rave that goes on into the night with special performances by The Lucent Dossier Experience and sets by DJ Gary Calamar, music supervisor of HBO's "True Blood".
For...
- 6/10/2009
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Vampire Culture is hot again. For the romantics there's Twilight and True Blood; for the hardcore there's The Strain; and soon Vamps will be biting into the Fall TV lineup when The Vampire Diaries makes it's debut.
For all the Fangbangers, bloodsuckers, and anyone even remotely interested in Vampiric activities from Dracula to New Moon, there's a place for you at the First Annual Vampire-con.
Vampire-Con 2009, the world’s first convention devoted to Vam-Pop culture swoops into Hollywood, CA for a weekend-long event, August 14 – 16. In association with Harris Publications, Vampire-Con will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sexy comic-book icon Vampirella ®.
The weekend kicks off with a Vampire Film Festival at The New Beverly Cinema on Friday, August 14th and Saturday, August 15th. The fest will feature celebrity guests, contests and a program of your favorite vampire flicks both classic and new.
On Sunday, August 16th, Vampire-Con takes wing to...
For all the Fangbangers, bloodsuckers, and anyone even remotely interested in Vampiric activities from Dracula to New Moon, there's a place for you at the First Annual Vampire-con.
Vampire-Con 2009, the world’s first convention devoted to Vam-Pop culture swoops into Hollywood, CA for a weekend-long event, August 14 – 16. In association with Harris Publications, Vampire-Con will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sexy comic-book icon Vampirella ®.
The weekend kicks off with a Vampire Film Festival at The New Beverly Cinema on Friday, August 14th and Saturday, August 15th. The fest will feature celebrity guests, contests and a program of your favorite vampire flicks both classic and new.
On Sunday, August 16th, Vampire-Con takes wing to...
- 6/9/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (FANGORIA.com)
- Fangoria
More Toronto fest news
TORONTO -- U.S. music supervisors at the Toronto International Film Festival descended on the third annual Canadian Music Cafe on Tuesday as they looked for emerging Canadian acts for film and TV scores.
Los Angeles-based Gary Calamar ("Six Feet Under") said he's scouting for Canadian artists for two Showtime series -- "Weeds" and "Dexter" -- as well as Alan Ball's new HBO series, "True Blood".
"It's more a coffee than a beer vibe," he said of the daytime showcase of promising talent at the Rivoli, which included performances by Great Lake Swimmers, United Steel Workers of Montreal, Lily Frost, Justin Rutledge and Die Mannequin.
Calamar used Canadian artist Kreesha Turner's "Bounce With Me" on HBO's "Entourage and hopes to snag additional local talent this week.
"I'm always hungry for new music and new things to play on my (KCRW) radio show and TV shows," he said.
Past deals in Toronto at the Canadian Music Cafe include music supervisor Matt Kierscht's licensing of Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Rose Ranger's "Soul Sisters" for Christopher Rowley's "Bonneville". And last year, U.S.
TORONTO -- U.S. music supervisors at the Toronto International Film Festival descended on the third annual Canadian Music Cafe on Tuesday as they looked for emerging Canadian acts for film and TV scores.
Los Angeles-based Gary Calamar ("Six Feet Under") said he's scouting for Canadian artists for two Showtime series -- "Weeds" and "Dexter" -- as well as Alan Ball's new HBO series, "True Blood".
"It's more a coffee than a beer vibe," he said of the daytime showcase of promising talent at the Rivoli, which included performances by Great Lake Swimmers, United Steel Workers of Montreal, Lily Frost, Justin Rutledge and Die Mannequin.
Calamar used Canadian artist Kreesha Turner's "Bounce With Me" on HBO's "Entourage and hopes to snag additional local talent this week.
"I'm always hungry for new music and new things to play on my (KCRW) radio show and TV shows," he said.
Past deals in Toronto at the Canadian Music Cafe include music supervisor Matt Kierscht's licensing of Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Rose Ranger's "Soul Sisters" for Christopher Rowley's "Bonneville". And last year, U.S.
- 9/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What with last year's "Boogie Nights" and "The Ice Storm", the big 1970s nostalgia-fest continues in style with "Slums of Beverly Hills", a bracingly funny, knowing, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy set during a time when success was measured by the height of one's brown shag carpeting.
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell, Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell, Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/14/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What with last year's "Boogie Nights" and "The Ice Storm", the big 1970s nostalgia-fest continues in style with "Slums of Beverly Hills", a bracingly funny, knowing, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy set during a time when success was measured by the height of one's brown shag carpeting.
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell,
Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell,
Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 5/22/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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