Illustration by Mark Summers for Rolling Stone
On July 21st, 2016 – at a time when nearly every political pundit and member of the mainstream media thought that Donald Trump didn't have even a chance of beating Hillary Clinton – Michael Moore went public with his belief that the Republican candidate was going to win. "You are living in a bubble that comes with an adjoining echo chamber where you and your friends are convinced the American people are not going to elect an idiot for president," he wrote in a pleading messages to Americans,...
On July 21st, 2016 – at a time when nearly every political pundit and member of the mainstream media thought that Donald Trump didn't have even a chance of beating Hillary Clinton – Michael Moore went public with his belief that the Republican candidate was going to win. "You are living in a bubble that comes with an adjoining echo chamber where you and your friends are convinced the American people are not going to elect an idiot for president," he wrote in a pleading messages to Americans,...
- 11/16/2017
- Rollingstone.com
When filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky arrived in West Memphis, Arkansas in June 1993, they came with an agenda: to document what looked like a new wave of alienated youth-turned-murderers. A few months earlier, two 10-year-olds in the U.K. had made headlines when they abducted, tortured and murdered a two-year-old, and now the filmmakers had read about the brutal murders of three eight-year-old boys ostensibly committed by teenage Satanists. It seemed like a trend. "We went down to make a film about guilty teenagers, like a real Rivers Edge,...
- 12/14/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Late last week, another long list appeared out of thin air to clue us in to what AMPAS might be up to this year. Here, it was the near record 145 contenders up for nominations in Best Documentary Feature. Below you’ll see all of the 145, but I also want to just point out that the ultimate five nominees could literally be any one of them. Sure, there are some smarter bets, which I’ll address momentarily, but the way the Academy works, it may just come down to which winds wind up getting seen. Oscar will have their say soon, but until then, it’s a guessing game. Still, that’s kind of what I do for a living. As such, let the guessing on my part continue! It can sometimes be hard to figure out which hopefuls turn out to be the frontrunners, but there’s definitely some higher end titles.
- 10/31/2016
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Many of us, during this election cycle, have found us switching from live TV to our Netflix queues in search of escapism. But because the two people currently running for president of the United States have been in the public eye for decades, there’s always a danger that you might be reminded, on-screen or through some clever joke, that November 8 is coming.
By the numbers, odds are pretty good that between the two candidates, the one you’ll see will be Donald Trump. According to IMDb, since 1981 Donald Trump has made over 230 film and television appearances — 219 as “Self” and 20 as an actor usually playing “Donald Trump,” though there may be some overlap between the two.
Read More: Donald Trump: By Roasting Him, We May Have Validated Him
This includes talk shows and news programs, but it’s still more than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who has 196 listed appearances as “Self,...
By the numbers, odds are pretty good that between the two candidates, the one you’ll see will be Donald Trump. According to IMDb, since 1981 Donald Trump has made over 230 film and television appearances — 219 as “Self” and 20 as an actor usually playing “Donald Trump,” though there may be some overlap between the two.
Read More: Donald Trump: By Roasting Him, We May Have Validated Him
This includes talk shows and news programs, but it’s still more than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who has 196 listed appearances as “Self,...
- 10/19/2016
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
‘Stories We Tell,’ ‘Blackfish’ out of the Oscar 2014 race: Academy’s Documentary Branch ‘anti-female’? (Photo: Sarah Polley [with camera] directing ‘Stories We Tell’) Besides Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, among the other glaring Oscar 2014 absentees were Robert Redford and Golden Globe-winning composer Alex Ebert for All Is Lost; Joel and Ethan Coen’s well-received Inside Llewyn Davis from the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay shortlists; Daniel Brühl and his movie, Ron Howard’s Rush, which was completely shut out; two Weinstein Company releases that were also completely shut out, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station, and their respective stars Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, and Michael B. Jordan; Guillermo del Toro-Charlie Hunnam’s Pacific Rim and Marc Forster-Brad Pitt’s World War Z from any of the technical categories; and finally, Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell and Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s...
- 1/22/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
‘Judgment at Nuremberg,’ Martin Luther King Day documentaries, ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’: Library of Congress’ Packard Theater January 2014 movies (photo: Maximilian Schell in ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’) Judgment at Nuremberg, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Roger & Me, Pulp Fiction, and Ella Cinders, five National Film Registry 2013 additions will be screened at the LoC’s Packard Campus Theater in January 2014. Directed by the invariably well-intentioned — at times heavy-handedly so — Stanley Kramer, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) is a surprisingly effective dramatization of the Nazi War Trials. The generally first-rate cast includes Best Actor Academy Award winner Maximilian Schell, Best Actor nominee Spencer Tracy, Best Supporting Actor nominee Montgomery Clift (who reportedly worked for no fee), Best Supporting Actress nominee Judy Garland, Richard Widmark, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, and a pre-Star Trek William Shatner. Mike Nichols’ Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) earned Elizabeth Taylor and Sandy Dennis Oscars, in...
- 12/22/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The 85th Annual Academy Awards took place Sunday in Los Angeles, with "Searching for Sugar Man" taking the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
Malik Bendjelloul directed "Sugar Man," which bested "The Gatekeepers," "5 Broken Cameras," "How to Survive a Plague," and "The Invisible War" for the award.
"Sugar Man," a big pre-awards favorite, tells the nearly unbelievable true story of Sixto Rodriguez. The Detroit native left music behind for construction jobs, all while being a cult figure in South Africa, where his music was revered alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. The rediscovery of Rodriguez -- and his eventual comeback -- provide the base for Bendjelloul's sweetheart documentary.
Rodriguez has since lined up multiple gigs and eagerly made the media rounds since his film saw its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
"5 Broken Cameras" found itself at the center of a firestorm in the week leading up to the Oscars.
Malik Bendjelloul directed "Sugar Man," which bested "The Gatekeepers," "5 Broken Cameras," "How to Survive a Plague," and "The Invisible War" for the award.
"Sugar Man," a big pre-awards favorite, tells the nearly unbelievable true story of Sixto Rodriguez. The Detroit native left music behind for construction jobs, all while being a cult figure in South Africa, where his music was revered alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. The rediscovery of Rodriguez -- and his eventual comeback -- provide the base for Bendjelloul's sweetheart documentary.
Rodriguez has since lined up multiple gigs and eagerly made the media rounds since his film saw its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
"5 Broken Cameras" found itself at the center of a firestorm in the week leading up to the Oscars.
- 2/25/2013
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
On June 3rd, 1993, three teenagers from West Memphis, Arkansas were arrested for the murders of three eight year old boys. Despite their innocence, and a complete lack of evidence, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley became targets for the police investigation, and eventually convicted for the brutal slayings of Christopher Byers, Steven Branch and Michael Moore.
18 years later, Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were finally released from prison. With his newly found freedom, Damien Echols (along with his wife Lorri Davis and supporters of the West Memphis Three) is determined to find the person behind the murders, and finally gain closure. Recently, at a small press conference in Beverly Hills, California, Wamg got the chance to speak with Damien Echols, his wife Lorri Davis, and Director Amy Berg about their new documentary that follows Damien’s fight to save his own life, and their search for the truth. You can read the complete transcript below.
18 years later, Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were finally released from prison. With his newly found freedom, Damien Echols (along with his wife Lorri Davis and supporters of the West Memphis Three) is determined to find the person behind the murders, and finally gain closure. Recently, at a small press conference in Beverly Hills, California, Wamg got the chance to speak with Damien Echols, his wife Lorri Davis, and Director Amy Berg about their new documentary that follows Damien’s fight to save his own life, and their search for the truth. You can read the complete transcript below.
- 12/27/2012
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Director Amy Berg, Damien Echols, Lorri Davis talk West of Memphis In 1993, three 8-year-old boys were found murdered in West Memphis, Ak. Three teens were soon arrested and convicted and one of them was sent to death row. They spent 18 years in prison for crimes, that evidence suggests points to their innocence, before they were released last year. While the case of the “West Memphis Three,” as they were soon to be known as, caught the attention of Hollywood, a new film takes a closer look at what many believe continues to be a great miscarriage of justice in the documentary “West of Memphis.” Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were all convicted on murder counts, against Steven Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, who were found hogtied, naked and dead in a creek in Robin Hood Hills. Echols was sentenced to death. The murders and the ensuing trial...
- 12/25/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Director Amy Berg, Damien Echols, Lorri Davis talk West of Memphis In 1993, three 8-year-old boys were found murdered in West Memphis, Ak. Three teens were soon arrested and convicted and one of them was sent to death row. They spent 18 years in prison for crimes, that evidence suggests points to their innocence, before they were released last year. While the case of the “West Memphis Three,” as they were soon to be known as, caught the attention of Hollywood, a new film takes a closer look at what many believe continues to be a great miscarriage of justice in the documentary “West of Memphis.” Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were all convicted on murder counts, against Steven Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers, who were found hogtied, naked and dead in a creek in Robin Hood Hills. Echols was sentenced to death. The murders and the ensuing trial...
- 12/25/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
West of Memphis, a powerful new Peter Jackson documentary, charts the ongoing fight for justice for three men wrongly convicted as child killers
After his release from prison, Damien Echols found the simplest things hardest. "For 18 years I hadn't walked without chains," he says, "so when I came out I would trip over my feet. It took time just to stop falling over the kerb." He is calling from New York, but still speaks with the accent of the American south – the place where until last year he spent his whole life, half of it jailed as a child killer.
The facts are a tangle of names and dates. On 6 May 1993, the naked, mutilated bodies of three eight-year-old boys – Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers – were found in a water-filled ditch in the Bible belt town of West Memphis, Arkansas. By the following March, three local teenagers had been convicted of the crimes – Echols,...
After his release from prison, Damien Echols found the simplest things hardest. "For 18 years I hadn't walked without chains," he says, "so when I came out I would trip over my feet. It took time just to stop falling over the kerb." He is calling from New York, but still speaks with the accent of the American south – the place where until last year he spent his whole life, half of it jailed as a child killer.
The facts are a tangle of names and dates. On 6 May 1993, the naked, mutilated bodies of three eight-year-old boys – Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers – were found in a water-filled ditch in the Bible belt town of West Memphis, Arkansas. By the following March, three local teenagers had been convicted of the crimes – Echols,...
- 12/21/2012
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
The harrowing new documentary ‘West of Memphis,’ premiered at Florence Gould Hall in New York on Friday night. Written and directed by Amy Berg, the film sheds light on the conviction and release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, who served 18 years in prison for the 1993 murder of three eight-year-old boys — Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore — in West Memphis, Arkansas. The case was made famous by the 1996 HBO documentary “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,’ which showed that the men were convicted based on little evidence. Following the film’s release, Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder, Peter Jackson, and numerous [ Read More ]
The post West Memphis Three Documentary ‘West of Memphis’ Premieres In New York appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post West Memphis Three Documentary ‘West of Memphis’ Premieres In New York appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/10/2012
- by Justine Ashley
- ShockYa
West of Memphis is a 2012 documentary film produced by Peter Jackson and Damien Echols, and directed by Amy J. Berg. Following from the original Paradise Lost film and its two sequels, West of Memphis follows the events of the West Memphis Three, a case in which three teenagersDamien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelleywere arrested for the murders of three 8-year old children Christopher Byers, Steven Branch, and Michael Moore. The West Memphis Three were subsequently convicted of murder and remained in prison for more than 18 years, being released just prior to the third Paradise Lost film. The film just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and you can check out photos from the event below...
- 9/12/2012
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
With two lousy new releases and a handful of mediocre holdovers, the box office reached its lowest point in years this weekend. The Top 12 earned $51.9 million, which is 37 percent below 2012's previous low. It's also the worst gross since this same weekend in 2008 ($50.3 million). External factors like the beginning of the school year and the start of the NFL season surely contributed a bit, but the real issue here is the lack of compelling offerings. This really isn't rocket science: if the content doesn't look worthwhile, people simply aren't going to leave their homes, travel to the theater, and drop $8 a ticket.The Possession repeated in first place with $9.3 million, which is a 48 percent decline from last weekend. That's actually a good hold for a supernatural horror movie, as virtually all of these flicks drop a minimum of 50 percent (and often 60 percent) in their second outings. The Possession has now earned $33.2 million total,...
- 9/9/2012
- by Ray Subers <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
On Wednesday of Oscar Week, the third annual “Docs!” night spotlighted the work of the nominated filmmakers in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories. The program included film clips from all of the nominated documentaries in both categories, followed a panel discussion with each group of nominees. On hand was program host Michael Moore - Oscar-winning director and Documentary Branch governor.
In his intro to the various clips, Moore remarked that nothing compares to watching a film with other fellow Americans in a theater and something that should be experienced together collectively. According to the director, “the public has turned to the documentary genre recently to learn the truth.” I was pleased with his enthusiastic acknowlegement of the Documentary Women filmmakers. “There are more women in the documentary branch than any other branches.”
My personal favorite of the group is God Is Bigger Than Elvis – in 1963 actress Delores Hart,...
In his intro to the various clips, Moore remarked that nothing compares to watching a film with other fellow Americans in a theater and something that should be experienced together collectively. According to the director, “the public has turned to the documentary genre recently to learn the truth.” I was pleased with his enthusiastic acknowlegement of the Documentary Women filmmakers. “There are more women in the documentary branch than any other branches.”
My personal favorite of the group is God Is Bigger Than Elvis – in 1963 actress Delores Hart,...
- 2/23/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The parents of two murder victims have written an open letter to Academy Awards bosses slamming their decision to shortlist a documentary about the horror for an Oscar.
Director Joe Berlinger's Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, about the notorious 'West Memphis Three' case, has been nominated in the Documentary Feature category at the upcoming 2012 ceremony.
The film tells the story of three men - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley - who were convicted of murdering three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas in 1993 but were freed last year over significant doubts about their guilt.
The case has become a cause celebre in the U.S., with many campaigners convinced the accused were victims of a miscarriage of justice.
But the parents of one of the murdered boys - Michael Moore - and the father and stepfather of a second, Stevie Branch, have penned a letter to officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to express their "sadness and outrage" at the decision to nominate the documentary for an Oscar.
The letter adds, "This film should be exposed as a fraud, not rewarded with an Academy Award nomination."
Branch's mother and the parents of the third murdered boy - Christopher Byers - believe the West Memphis Three are innocent of the slayings.
Director Joe Berlinger's Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, about the notorious 'West Memphis Three' case, has been nominated in the Documentary Feature category at the upcoming 2012 ceremony.
The film tells the story of three men - Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley - who were convicted of murdering three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas in 1993 but were freed last year over significant doubts about their guilt.
The case has become a cause celebre in the U.S., with many campaigners convinced the accused were victims of a miscarriage of justice.
But the parents of one of the murdered boys - Michael Moore - and the father and stepfather of a second, Stevie Branch, have penned a letter to officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to express their "sadness and outrage" at the decision to nominate the documentary for an Oscar.
The letter adds, "This film should be exposed as a fraud, not rewarded with an Academy Award nomination."
Branch's mother and the parents of the third murdered boy - Christopher Byers - believe the West Memphis Three are innocent of the slayings.
- 1/25/2012
- WENN
The case of the West Memphis Three is one of the longest-running cases of legal injustice in modern American history. In 1993, three teenagers from White Trash Central, aka West Memphis, Arkansas – Damien Echols, Jesse Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin – were convicted of the brutal rape, torture and murder of three little boys, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers. As depicted in the unforgettable, made-for-hbo documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders of Robin Hood Hills, the West Memphis Three were found guilty of murder mostly because they were black-clad, heavy-metal kids in the middle of a deeply disturbed community desperate to pin such a heartbreaking crime on the a group of obvious misfits. The story continues in Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and now producer Peter Jackson‘s West of Memphis, which premiered at Sundance, introduces three new witnesses to corroborate the Three’s innocence. /Film]
Ever since the first film,...
Ever since the first film,...
- 1/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
I've been following the story of the West Memphis Three for the last ten years. I was hooked when I first saw the HBO documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Since then I've been following everything surrounding the case of with Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley, and like many of the other people that know of this sad tale, I've been waiting for the day of their release... that day has come and gone. With the help of filmmaker Peter Jackson the investigation of these murders were able to continue, and these investigators brought information to light proving that these three men have been wrongly imprisoned for the last 18 years.
This Jackson produced documentary West of Memphis was directed by Amy Berg, and it takes the audience through a frustratingly long journey of how these boys were part of a modern day witch hunt...
This Jackson produced documentary West of Memphis was directed by Amy Berg, and it takes the audience through a frustratingly long journey of how these boys were part of a modern day witch hunt...
- 1/21/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Update: The film’s first screening is still going on, but a release has just been sent out from Echols’ legal team about the new revelations that are in the Amy Berg-directed Peter Jackson produced film and came from a WM3 tipline arranged by the legal team fighting to get the three defendants exonerated. Here is the release:
(Mountain Home, Arkansas – January 20, 2012) Terry Hobbs’ nephew, Michael Hobbs Jr., allegedly told his friends “my uncle Terry murdered those three little boys,” according to declarations under penalty of perjury recently given to Damien Echols’ defense team. The three new witnesses were polygraphed about what they stated Michael Hobbs, Jr. told them.
“One day Michael picked us up in his truck. He was very quiet and upset. Michael then said to us, ‘you are not going to believe what my dad told me today. My Uncle Terry murdered the three little boys.
(Mountain Home, Arkansas – January 20, 2012) Terry Hobbs’ nephew, Michael Hobbs Jr., allegedly told his friends “my uncle Terry murdered those three little boys,” according to declarations under penalty of perjury recently given to Damien Echols’ defense team. The three new witnesses were polygraphed about what they stated Michael Hobbs, Jr. told them.
“One day Michael picked us up in his truck. He was very quiet and upset. Michael then said to us, ‘you are not going to believe what my dad told me today. My Uncle Terry murdered the three little boys.
- 1/20/2012
- by Graham
- City of Films
On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boy scouts -- Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers -- were found dead. One month later, three teenagers -- Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley -- were arrested for the murders, despite a lack of evidence. They spent 18 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit, before being released in August 2011 after taking the Alford Plea deal offered to them.
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel. The third and final installment of the "Paradise Lost" trilogy, "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," premiered on Jan. 12, 2012.
Jason Baldwin, who was just 16 years old when he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, never gave up hope. He believed that everything would work itself out. Little did he know, however, it...
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel. The third and final installment of the "Paradise Lost" trilogy, "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," premiered on Jan. 12, 2012.
Jason Baldwin, who was just 16 years old when he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, never gave up hope. He believed that everything would work itself out. Little did he know, however, it...
- 1/13/2012
- by Crystal Bell
- Huffington Post
After serving more than 18 years in prison for the murders of three boys in West Memphis, Ark., Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- known as the West Memphis Three -- walked free last August.
The three men were allowed to plead guilty to the 1993 murders, and at the same time maintain their innocence, as part of the Alford Plea deal that ultimately set them free.
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing, despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the murders, in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel.
Berlinger and Sinofsky didn't intend to make a documentary about the Arkansas judicial system. They intended to make a film about the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers and their convicted killers. "The media was telling a very different story back then,...
The three men were allowed to plead guilty to the 1993 murders, and at the same time maintain their innocence, as part of the Alford Plea deal that ultimately set them free.
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing, despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the murders, in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel.
Berlinger and Sinofsky didn't intend to make a documentary about the Arkansas judicial system. They intended to make a film about the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers and their convicted killers. "The media was telling a very different story back then,...
- 1/13/2012
- by Crystal Bell
- Huffington Post
After serving more than 18 years in prison for the murders of three boys in West Memphis, Ark., Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. -- known as the West Memphis Three -- walked free last August.
The three men were allowed to plead guilty to the 1993 murders, and at the same time maintain their innocence, as part of the Alford Plea deal that ultimately set them free.
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing, despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the murders, in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel.
Berlinger and Sinofsky didn't intend to make a documentary about the Arkansas judicial system. They intended to make a film about the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers and their convicted killers. "The media was telling a very different story back then,...
The three men were allowed to plead guilty to the 1993 murders, and at the same time maintain their innocence, as part of the Alford Plea deal that ultimately set them free.
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky chronicled the West Memphis Three's 1993 arrests and their sentencing, despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the murders, in the 1996 HBO film, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" and a 2000 sequel.
Berlinger and Sinofsky didn't intend to make a documentary about the Arkansas judicial system. They intended to make a film about the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers and their convicted killers. "The media was telling a very different story back then,...
- 1/13/2012
- by Crystal Bell
- Aol TV.
Chicago – If Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky hadn’t been in West Memphis, Arkansas to track the case of the young men who would become known as the “West Memphis Three,” one of them would almost certainly be dead and the other two would still be in jail. The powerful 1996 HBO doc “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” put the controversial case in a spotlight that burned brightly until the now-not-so-young men were finally released at the end of 2010. No one could have predicted that there would be enough twists and turns to this case that it would take over fifteen years, involve hundreds of people, and support three long feature documentaries, the last of which debuts Thursday, January 12th, 2012 on HBO and has been shortlisted for the Academy Award (and is predicted by most pundits to be a nominee). See one of the best documentaries of...
- 1/10/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Bob Richman/courtesy of HBO A scene from the HBO documentary, “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.”
The Motion Picture Academy has just emerged from another of its throes of rewriting the ground rules involving feature-length documentaries. At stake is a nomination for an Oscar, which can be invaluable. Most new documentaries, even those widely discussed, don’t play in many cities or perhaps even states. An Oscar means more playdates, better business On Demand, and a longer shelf life on video.
The Motion Picture Academy has just emerged from another of its throes of rewriting the ground rules involving feature-length documentaries. At stake is a nomination for an Oscar, which can be invaluable. Most new documentaries, even those widely discussed, don’t play in many cities or perhaps even states. An Oscar means more playdates, better business On Demand, and a longer shelf life on video.
- 1/10/2012
- by Roger Ebert
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
The parents of an Arkansas boy scout bludgeoned to death in 1993 have asked Academy Awards bosses to make sure a documentary about the tragedy is not nominated for a 2012 Oscar.
The murder led to the arrest and conviction of three West Memphis teens, who were released from prison earlier this year after maintaining they did not carry out the slayings of eight-year-old Michael Moore and two of his friends.
Director Joe Berlinger's film Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, which recounts the gruesome murders and the incarceration and release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley - who became known as the West Memphis Three - picked up the Best Documentary prize at the National Board of Review Awards on Thursday.
But Todd and Dana Moore have requested Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officials exclude the film from Oscars contention, claiming the documentary glorifies the men they are still convinced killed their son.
In a letter sent to the Academy, the Moores write, "Michael's killers were unjustly able to enter into a plea agreement, were released from prison and now pose additional threats to society.
"We implore the Academy not to reward our child's killers and the directors who have profited from one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated under the guise of a documentary film."
Berlinger has responded to the letter in the Jonesboro Sun newspaper, stating, "We feel tremendous sorrow for them (parents) and we understand why a film that comes to a different conclusion than they do would make them feel this way... We fervently believe the West Memphis Three are innocent."
The Moores briefly appeared in Berlinger's first film about the killings, 1996's Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, but maintain they were "misled" and "manipulated".
The murder led to the arrest and conviction of three West Memphis teens, who were released from prison earlier this year after maintaining they did not carry out the slayings of eight-year-old Michael Moore and two of his friends.
Director Joe Berlinger's film Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, which recounts the gruesome murders and the incarceration and release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley - who became known as the West Memphis Three - picked up the Best Documentary prize at the National Board of Review Awards on Thursday.
But Todd and Dana Moore have requested Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officials exclude the film from Oscars contention, claiming the documentary glorifies the men they are still convinced killed their son.
In a letter sent to the Academy, the Moores write, "Michael's killers were unjustly able to enter into a plea agreement, were released from prison and now pose additional threats to society.
"We implore the Academy not to reward our child's killers and the directors who have profited from one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated under the guise of a documentary film."
Berlinger has responded to the letter in the Jonesboro Sun newspaper, stating, "We feel tremendous sorrow for them (parents) and we understand why a film that comes to a different conclusion than they do would make them feel this way... We fervently believe the West Memphis Three are innocent."
The Moores briefly appeared in Berlinger's first film about the killings, 1996's Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, but maintain they were "misled" and "manipulated".
- 12/1/2011
- WENN
Title: Addiction Incorporated Directed By: Charles Evans Jr. Written By: Don Whittemore Cast: Victor DeNoble, Paul C. Mele, Walt Bogdanich, Russ Herman, Michael C. Moore, Keith Summa, Henry A. Waxman Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 10/25/11 Opens: December 14, 2011 at New York’s Film Forum Why do people smoke, despite evidence that smoking causes a myriad of fatal diseases, particularly involving the heart and lungs, as well as leaving the smoker with stained and rotting teeth, smelly breath, stained fingernails, general body odor, and an inability to puff up inside some states’ offices, restaurants, airlines and the like? People may start because of peer pressure, though according to the star...
- 10/26/2011
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
2011, USA
The cameras and filmmakers are plainly visible in Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, the third, and likely last, documentary on the West Memphis Three from Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The two previous Paradise Lost films have been a major driving force in galvanizing the movement that has supported Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley since they were convicted of the horrific murders of three young boys in 1993. The documentary itself has become a part of the story, and here the cameras turn on the two filmmakers and their crew, without whom it is safe to say that new evidence would not have come to light that led to the three men being released form prison after 18 years and 78 days.
Paradise 3 begins by taking us back to the murders in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis,...
Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
2011, USA
The cameras and filmmakers are plainly visible in Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, the third, and likely last, documentary on the West Memphis Three from Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The two previous Paradise Lost films have been a major driving force in galvanizing the movement that has supported Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley since they were convicted of the horrific murders of three young boys in 1993. The documentary itself has become a part of the story, and here the cameras turn on the two filmmakers and their crew, without whom it is safe to say that new evidence would not have come to light that led to the three men being released form prison after 18 years and 78 days.
Paradise 3 begins by taking us back to the murders in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis,...
- 10/6/2011
- by Louis Godfrey
- SoundOnSight
The upcoming release of Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, the third and likely final film in Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's award-winning HBO documentary series chronicling the strange case of the West Memphis Three and the circumstances that resulted in their wrongful imprisonment nearly two decades ago, just got a radically different ending.
Today all three members of the group -- Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr., and Jason Baldwin -- were released on suspended sentences with time served after spending seventeen years behind bars. They were convicted in 1994 for the brutal slaying of three 8-year-old Boy Scouts -- Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers -- in the wooded Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas. The killing was said to have been committed as part of a Satanic ritual. Echols, who was 18 years old at the time, was given the death penalty, while Misskelley, 17, was given life imprisonment plus 40 years,...
Today all three members of the group -- Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr., and Jason Baldwin -- were released on suspended sentences with time served after spending seventeen years behind bars. They were convicted in 1994 for the brutal slaying of three 8-year-old Boy Scouts -- Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers -- in the wooded Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas. The killing was said to have been committed as part of a Satanic ritual. Echols, who was 18 years old at the time, was given the death penalty, while Misskelley, 17, was given life imprisonment plus 40 years,...
- 8/20/2011
- by Robert Morgan
- Geeks of Doom
Independent film makers finally have a true partner in distribution with Destiny Image Films.
The Lamp is the second feature film released in less than 10 months from Trost Moving Pictures, The Narrative Television Network and Destiny Image Films.
From the executive producers of 2010′s holiday best-seller, A Christmas Snow, Jim Stovall (best-selling author of The Ultimate Gift) and Tracy Trost have hit another ‘home run’ with The Lamp. The movie is based on the novel by Jim Stovall. The Lamp has been awarded 5 out of 5 Doves from The Dove Foundation and approved for all ages.
The Lamp is a heartwarming story of faith, hope and charity with something special for audiences of all ages. Starring Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman), Jason London (The Man in the Moon and Dazed and Confused), Meredith Salenger (The Journey of Natty Gann), L. Scott Caldwell (Lost, The Net), Sarah Brown (Cold Case,...
The Lamp is the second feature film released in less than 10 months from Trost Moving Pictures, The Narrative Television Network and Destiny Image Films.
From the executive producers of 2010′s holiday best-seller, A Christmas Snow, Jim Stovall (best-selling author of The Ultimate Gift) and Tracy Trost have hit another ‘home run’ with The Lamp. The movie is based on the novel by Jim Stovall. The Lamp has been awarded 5 out of 5 Doves from The Dove Foundation and approved for all ages.
The Lamp is a heartwarming story of faith, hope and charity with something special for audiences of all ages. Starring Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman), Jason London (The Man in the Moon and Dazed and Confused), Meredith Salenger (The Journey of Natty Gann), L. Scott Caldwell (Lost, The Net), Sarah Brown (Cold Case,...
- 8/8/2011
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
The Nicolas Philibert Collection
Last Monday (27th June), a box set was released that contains four brilliant cinematic works. No, it wasn’t the much anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean ‘Quadrilogy’, rushed to DVD before the movie has had time to fail at the cinema. It was in fact a collection of films by French documentary maker Nicolas Philibert. And what wonderful films they are!
I can’t admit to knowing anything about Monsieur Philibert before watching these films but I can certainly say that I now want to see more. I set about choosing which of the four to watch first and somewhat predictably settled on the feature I was most familiar with (i.e. the most recent one that has had at least some press coverage); Nénette.
Nénette (2010)
At 70 minutes, Nénette is the shortest in the collection, but that isn’t to say it is lacking in any area other than length.
Last Monday (27th June), a box set was released that contains four brilliant cinematic works. No, it wasn’t the much anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean ‘Quadrilogy’, rushed to DVD before the movie has had time to fail at the cinema. It was in fact a collection of films by French documentary maker Nicolas Philibert. And what wonderful films they are!
I can’t admit to knowing anything about Monsieur Philibert before watching these films but I can certainly say that I now want to see more. I set about choosing which of the four to watch first and somewhat predictably settled on the feature I was most familiar with (i.e. the most recent one that has had at least some press coverage); Nénette.
Nénette (2010)
At 70 minutes, Nénette is the shortest in the collection, but that isn’t to say it is lacking in any area other than length.
- 7/9/2011
- Shadowlocked
Coming to your TV this week: A much-needed infusion of True Blood, 14 other premieres, and five finales — including what is likely Goren and Eames’ very last case. As but a supplement to the original features and reporting TVLine has coming your way, here are 38 programs to keep on your radar.
Monday, June 20
8 pm Countdown With Keith Olbermann (Current TV) | Premiere: Same opinionator, same show name, new channel. First guests include Michael Moore and Markos Moulitsa. What, myself and Meg Masters don’t merit mention? (Apologies, I popped in on Popper’s Penguins this weekend.)
9 pm Hoarders (A&E) | The Season...
Monday, June 20
8 pm Countdown With Keith Olbermann (Current TV) | Premiere: Same opinionator, same show name, new channel. First guests include Michael Moore and Markos Moulitsa. What, myself and Meg Masters don’t merit mention? (Apologies, I popped in on Popper’s Penguins this weekend.)
9 pm Hoarders (A&E) | The Season...
- 6/20/2011
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Critics' Week has already begun celebrating its 50th anniversary by posting 50 video interviews with directors and actors who've seen their work debut in this section at Cannes. We're celebrating, too. In association with the 4+1 Film Festival, Mubi is presenting a retrospective of some of the greatest films first seen in Critics' Week over the past half-century. And even though the first 1000 views of each of the films will be free to you, the viewer, the rights holders will carry on receiving their duly earned revenue.
The retrospective encompasses over 100 titles in all, but please do keep in mind that rights issues can get complicated and not every film can be available in every country. That said, here's a quick overview of just some of the highlights:
Over in the Garage, a La Semaine Blogathon is already on the roll, starting with Kj Farrington's entry on Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know,...
The retrospective encompasses over 100 titles in all, but please do keep in mind that rights issues can get complicated and not every film can be available in every country. That said, here's a quick overview of just some of the highlights:
Over in the Garage, a La Semaine Blogathon is already on the roll, starting with Kj Farrington's entry on Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know,...
- 5/14/2011
- MUBI
Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming.
Sorry, folks… there are simply too many great films streaming this week to post an image for them all, but that’s a good thing, eh? You’ve got your movie watching work cut out for you, due in great part to Miramax releasing damn near their entire catalog of films on one day!
B. Monkey (1999)
Streaming Available: 05/01/2011
Director: Michael Radford
Synopsis: Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life — and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and...
Sorry, folks… there are simply too many great films streaming this week to post an image for them all, but that’s a good thing, eh? You’ve got your movie watching work cut out for you, due in great part to Miramax releasing damn near their entire catalog of films on one day!
B. Monkey (1999)
Streaming Available: 05/01/2011
Director: Michael Radford
Synopsis: Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life — and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and...
- 4/29/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The ABC/People Magazine special, called The Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time, aired last night and unveiled the best in movies in 10 different categories. Check out the winner's below.
Gone with the Wind was the big winner of the online categories voted by movie lovers across America. The film swept its categories, winning three of the 15.
Hosted by ABC's Tom Bergeron and Cynthia McFadden, ten of the fifteen category winners were revealed on the televised special. The winners of the remaining five best movie categories were revealed online yesterday.
Voters selected the winner from a list of nominees created by a panel of experts in the film industry experts. The list of experts includes Kevin spacey, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Cameron Diaz.
The directors on the panel include, Ivan Reitman, Mel Brooks, Garry Marshall, and Michael Moore.
Here's the list of nominees from...
Gone with the Wind was the big winner of the online categories voted by movie lovers across America. The film swept its categories, winning three of the 15.
Hosted by ABC's Tom Bergeron and Cynthia McFadden, ten of the fifteen category winners were revealed on the televised special. The winners of the remaining five best movie categories were revealed online yesterday.
Voters selected the winner from a list of nominees created by a panel of experts in the film industry experts. The list of experts includes Kevin spacey, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Cameron Diaz.
The directors on the panel include, Ivan Reitman, Mel Brooks, Garry Marshall, and Michael Moore.
Here's the list of nominees from...
- 3/23/2011
- by alyssa@mediavine.com (Alyssa Caverley)
- Reel Movie News
The Town; Devil; The Other Guys; Mary and Max; Jackboots on Whitehall
This year opened on a sad note indeed with the death of Pete Postlethwaite, star of The Usual Suspects, The Lost World and the underrated 90s British gem Brassed Off, whom Spielberg once called "the best actor in the world". A stalwart and often admirably brusque presence, Postlethwaite always brought something special to the screen, even when the films in which he appeared (such generic remakes as Dark Water, The Omen and Clash of the Titans) were unremarkable.
In the Boston-set thriller The Town (2010, Warner, 15), Postlethwaite plays a comparatively small role as sinister florist-cum-crime boss Fergie, whose malign influence seeps through the crime-breeding neighbourhood of Charlestown. Director Ben Affleck, who proved his mettle behind the camera with Gone Baby Gone, stars as disenchanted bank robber Doug MacRay, whose attempts to discover how much a witness (Rebecca Hall) knows...
This year opened on a sad note indeed with the death of Pete Postlethwaite, star of The Usual Suspects, The Lost World and the underrated 90s British gem Brassed Off, whom Spielberg once called "the best actor in the world". A stalwart and often admirably brusque presence, Postlethwaite always brought something special to the screen, even when the films in which he appeared (such generic remakes as Dark Water, The Omen and Clash of the Titans) were unremarkable.
In the Boston-set thriller The Town (2010, Warner, 15), Postlethwaite plays a comparatively small role as sinister florist-cum-crime boss Fergie, whose malign influence seeps through the crime-breeding neighbourhood of Charlestown. Director Ben Affleck, who proved his mettle behind the camera with Gone Baby Gone, stars as disenchanted bank robber Doug MacRay, whose attempts to discover how much a witness (Rebecca Hall) knows...
- 1/23/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
In which Jafar Panahi was jailed and we tried to get in the festive spirit
The big story
The award-winning film-maker Jafar Panahi was jailed for six years after the Iranian authorities found him guilty of "propaganda against the system". A vocal supporter of the green uprising that followed Iran's disputed 2009 election, Panahi has also been banned from directing or producing films for 20-years. Writing on the film blog, Peter Bradshaw paid tribute to Panahi's life and work and called for "a protest retrospective" at the BFI Southbank. Elsehwere cinema organisations posted an online petition, protesting the film-maker's innocence and calling for his immediate release. The likes of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Juliette Binoche and Francis Ford Coppola have already spoken out in Panahi's defence.
Festive round-up
• Blog: your film highlights of 2010
• Video: Jason Solomons and Xan Brooks round-up the year in film
• Pick of the clicks: the year's most...
The big story
The award-winning film-maker Jafar Panahi was jailed for six years after the Iranian authorities found him guilty of "propaganda against the system". A vocal supporter of the green uprising that followed Iran's disputed 2009 election, Panahi has also been banned from directing or producing films for 20-years. Writing on the film blog, Peter Bradshaw paid tribute to Panahi's life and work and called for "a protest retrospective" at the BFI Southbank. Elsehwere cinema organisations posted an online petition, protesting the film-maker's innocence and calling for his immediate release. The likes of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Juliette Binoche and Francis Ford Coppola have already spoken out in Panahi's defence.
Festive round-up
• Blog: your film highlights of 2010
• Video: Jason Solomons and Xan Brooks round-up the year in film
• Pick of the clicks: the year's most...
- 12/23/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
With Tsr Buzz, you’ll find links to articles, videos and other random things that will help you waste your time just a little bit more.
Here’s a couple seconds of the “Lost” clip featuring Ben and Hurley running the island. I can’t wait for the entire thing of the DVD collection.
For all of those Potterheads who can’t wait for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 … I bring you ‘A Very Potter Musical.’
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OepW-ag-Ris
Lightsabers. All of them.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ey3g6BmuTI
Hate Michael Moore? Well then, move to the next item on the list. Otherwise, watch Moore host this panel with Josh Brolin about the upcoming documentary about former NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman and his controversial death. Wanna pretend you’re smart for a few minutes? Me too. Let’s have fun with words,...
Here’s a couple seconds of the “Lost” clip featuring Ben and Hurley running the island. I can’t wait for the entire thing of the DVD collection.
For all of those Potterheads who can’t wait for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 … I bring you ‘A Very Potter Musical.’
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OepW-ag-Ris
Lightsabers. All of them.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ey3g6BmuTI
Hate Michael Moore? Well then, move to the next item on the list. Otherwise, watch Moore host this panel with Josh Brolin about the upcoming documentary about former NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman and his controversial death. Wanna pretend you’re smart for a few minutes? Me too. Let’s have fun with words,...
- 8/19/2010
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Chicago – Some art house films are political polemics disguised as personal stories. “Entre Nos” is not one of them. Though its DVD includes a PSA on immigration reform, and comes packaged with a label exclaiming, “One of Michael Moore’s 20 ‘Best Pictures of 2009,’” the film itself does not have a message to preach. It’s a tale of people rather than ideas, and is all the more effective because of it.
“Entre Nos,” which translates to “Between Us,” marks an impressive feature debut from Paola Mendoza, who serves as co-director, writer and lead actress. The film is largely inspired by the true story of Mendoza’s own mother, a Colombian immigrant who brought up her two children in New York City, after her husband abandoned the family. It’s a simple premise, yet the emotional struggles of the characters are complex, and thankfully not spoon-fed to the audience. Though the...
“Entre Nos,” which translates to “Between Us,” marks an impressive feature debut from Paola Mendoza, who serves as co-director, writer and lead actress. The film is largely inspired by the true story of Mendoza’s own mother, a Colombian immigrant who brought up her two children in New York City, after her husband abandoned the family. It’s a simple premise, yet the emotional struggles of the characters are complex, and thankfully not spoon-fed to the audience. Though the...
- 7/26/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Even execs selling movie claim to be unsure whether 'I'm Still Here' is true documentary or elaborate hoax.
By Eric Ditzian
Joaquin Phoenix
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images
In "I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix," is the actor-turned-purported-rapper channeling Michael Moore or Borat? No one seems to know, which is surely part of the point and is helping to drive intrigue about the project.
The public might soon have a chance to decide for themselves — documentary or mockumentary? — as the film could land in theaters as early as this fall. The Los Angeles Times reports that Magnolia Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire "I'm Still Here."
Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows Phoenix's transition from Oscar-nominated actor to aspiring rapper. While details are still strictly guarded, the footage surely captures Phoenix's many perplexing episodes since early last year, including the actor performing at a club...
By Eric Ditzian
Joaquin Phoenix
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images
In "I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix," is the actor-turned-purported-rapper channeling Michael Moore or Borat? No one seems to know, which is surely part of the point and is helping to drive intrigue about the project.
The public might soon have a chance to decide for themselves — documentary or mockumentary? — as the film could land in theaters as early as this fall. The Los Angeles Times reports that Magnolia Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire "I'm Still Here."
Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows Phoenix's transition from Oscar-nominated actor to aspiring rapper. While details are still strictly guarded, the footage surely captures Phoenix's many perplexing episodes since early last year, including the actor performing at a club...
- 6/18/2010
- MTV Movie News
Even execs selling movie claim to be unsure whether 'I'm Still Here' is true documentary or elaborate hoax.
By Eric Ditzian
Joaquin Phoenix
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images
In "I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix," is the actor-turned-purported-rapper channeling Michael Moore or Borat? No one seems to know, which is surely part of the point and is helping to drive intrigue about the project.
The public might soon have a chance to decide for themselves — documentary or mockumentary? — as the film could land in theaters as early as this fall. The Los Angeles Times reports that Magnolia Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire "I'm Still Here."
Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows Phoenix's transition from Oscar-nominated actor to aspiring rapper. While details are still strictly guarded, the footage surely captures Phoenix's many perplexing episodes since early last year, including the actor performing at a club...
By Eric Ditzian
Joaquin Phoenix
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images
In "I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix," is the actor-turned-purported-rapper channeling Michael Moore or Borat? No one seems to know, which is surely part of the point and is helping to drive intrigue about the project.
The public might soon have a chance to decide for themselves — documentary or mockumentary? — as the film could land in theaters as early as this fall. The Los Angeles Times reports that Magnolia Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire "I'm Still Here."
Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows Phoenix's transition from Oscar-nominated actor to aspiring rapper. While details are still strictly guarded, the footage surely captures Phoenix's many perplexing episodes since early last year, including the actor performing at a club...
- 6/18/2010
- MTV Music News
The Dungeons & Dragons star has spoken. In short, we're all going to die
Silence, believers: a new deity has swept into the Lost in Showbiz pantheon and you will kneel before him. Taking his place next to the likes of Trudie Styler, goddess of flight and couriered truffles, comes a god of awesome logical prowess and mighty self-regard. In hieroglyphic form he is represented as a giant speculum, but in the demotic he is written "Jeremy Irons".
At present, you would probably react to that with the words, "Ah, the actor," – in which case, you are excruciatingly out of date. Know this: the correct incantatory response to hearing the name Jeremy Irons is "Ah, the newly minted green campaigner, whom we must herald as one of the age's most credible ecological thinkers, even though he owns loads of cars, six large houses, and one pink castle."
But we race ahead of ourselves.
Silence, believers: a new deity has swept into the Lost in Showbiz pantheon and you will kneel before him. Taking his place next to the likes of Trudie Styler, goddess of flight and couriered truffles, comes a god of awesome logical prowess and mighty self-regard. In hieroglyphic form he is represented as a giant speculum, but in the demotic he is written "Jeremy Irons".
At present, you would probably react to that with the words, "Ah, the actor," – in which case, you are excruciatingly out of date. Know this: the correct incantatory response to hearing the name Jeremy Irons is "Ah, the newly minted green campaigner, whom we must herald as one of the age's most credible ecological thinkers, even though he owns loads of cars, six large houses, and one pink castle."
But we race ahead of ourselves.
- 5/27/2010
- by Marina Hyde
- The Guardian - Film News
Thanks to a huge Mother's Day bump, documentary Babies opened to $2.16 million, which represented the highest-grossing limited opening in over a year and a half. Holdovers City Island, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Secret in Their Eyes continued their decent limited runs, but new release Mother and Child was so-so and Casino Jack and the United States of Money failed to extort much cash from audiences in its debut. Distributor Focus Features' marketing positioned Babies as a Mother's Day event, and the picture did not disappoint on this front: while Babies fell outside of the Top Ten in its first two days, it experienced a 57 percent increase on Sunday to $1.09 million, which pushed it up to eighth place on the weekend chart. While Babies seems relatively high profile, it only opened at 534 locations, putting it just under the 600 theater threshold separating limited and nationwide releases. Babies's...
- 5/10/2010
- by Ray Subers <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Top Ten Working American Directors
A list like this is tricky to the point of madness. However, I'm going to save you the trouble by saying it right here, right now: Most of the choices on this list are obvious. There's a reason why certain names continually pop up whenever conversation drifts toward great American films. So there. I said it.
Yet, how do you weigh the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, a genius who delivered some of the all-time greatest films, but fizzled out 25 or so years ago, against a filmmaker like Woody Allen who has worked consistently for decades churning out both brilliant gems and disposable time wasters? How do you compare either of these directors against an auteur such as Spike Jonze who has only opened two films so far, but both are masterpieces?
In the end I just went with my gut. I knew there were...
A list like this is tricky to the point of madness. However, I'm going to save you the trouble by saying it right here, right now: Most of the choices on this list are obvious. There's a reason why certain names continually pop up whenever conversation drifts toward great American films. So there. I said it.
Yet, how do you weigh the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, a genius who delivered some of the all-time greatest films, but fizzled out 25 or so years ago, against a filmmaker like Woody Allen who has worked consistently for decades churning out both brilliant gems and disposable time wasters? How do you compare either of these directors against an auteur such as Spike Jonze who has only opened two films so far, but both are masterpieces?
In the end I just went with my gut. I knew there were...
- 10/7/2009
- by David Frank
- Rope of Silicon
Hnr's Michael Stevens reporting from Toronto: Thanks go out to Martin & Ingrid's Tiff 09 Kick-Off Party, Wednesday, September 9th @ the Gat + M.Link Festival headquarters in downtown Toronto's Yorkville, providing select wines from Bryan J. Robertson's Kingsway Brokerage Ltd., on behalf of Wild Bunch, Elle Driver, Celluloid Dreams, Film&Doc, Capri Films, The Works International & UMedia, supporting the following films screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival: Contemporary Cinema : Rabia directed by Sebastian Cordero, will screen a world premiere with Cordero in attendance. "...South American immigrants working in Spain, builder José María and housekeeper Rosa have been together for a few weeks and are very much in love. Rosa's bosses, Señor and Señora Torres, leave their home on a trip, and the volatile José María spends a few days at the run-down mansion, fantasizing about what life with Rosa could be. When a violent confrontation with his foreman results in the other man's death,...
- 9/9/2009
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
Spirit Award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger thinks of himself as a storyteller first and a journalist second, which explains why his documentaries are more cinematic than the norm. With his best friend and frequent collaborator Bruce Sinofsky, Berlinger has co-directed some of the more complex and gripping American docs in recent years, including the bizarre murder-trial exposés "Brother's Keeper" and "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (along with the latter's sequel), and the metalhead therapy session "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster."
But now Berlinger steps out on his own with "Crude," a heartbreaking and compellingly multifaceted epic about the so-called "Amazon Chernobyl" case, in which 30,000 Ecuadorians -- many from the Cofán Indian tribe -- have spent three decades battling Texaco (now Chevron since 2001) for contaminating their water, land and air with a sludgy "death zone" the size of Rhode Island. Advocacy docs can sure sound like homework, but in Berlinger's hands,...
But now Berlinger steps out on his own with "Crude," a heartbreaking and compellingly multifaceted epic about the so-called "Amazon Chernobyl" case, in which 30,000 Ecuadorians -- many from the Cofán Indian tribe -- have spent three decades battling Texaco (now Chevron since 2001) for contaminating their water, land and air with a sludgy "death zone" the size of Rhode Island. Advocacy docs can sure sound like homework, but in Berlinger's hands,...
- 9/3/2009
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
Matt Damon is currently in talks to star in the long awaited Lance Armstrong bio pic from director Frank Marshall. The project had been in had been in the works for years with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star at one time. And as far back as the summer of 2005 the film crew captured Armstrong’s seventh Tour de France victory, hoping to include the footage in the final film. The director promises the film “won’t be a puff piece.” Its adapted Armstrong’s best selling autobiography “It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life.” Frank Marshall is more known for being a highly successful producer for such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark and more recently the Oscar winning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This will be his fifth film as a director in a filmography that includes other true life stories such as 2006’s Eight Below and 1993’s Alive.
- 6/15/2009
- by Anthony Nichols
- SoundOnSight
0:00 - Intro 3:25 - Headlines: R.I.P. David Carradine, The Rock to Star in Commando Remake? 13:35 - Review: Land of the Lost 28:45 - Review: The Hangover 41:30 - Review: The Taking of Pelham 123 1:00:20 - Trailer Trash: Shutter Island, Michael Moore's New Movie 1:07:10 - Greg's Hangover 1:20:15 - Other Stuff We Watched: The Waterboy, Weeds, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, S. Darko, True Blood, My Name is Bruce 1:36:00 - Junk Mail: Drag Me to Hell, 3-D Scam, Bias in Documentaries, Gordon Ramsay Swears at You, Favourite Aussie Films, Top 5 Movies of 2009 So Far 1:58:15 - This Week's DVD Releases 2:00:40 - Outro » Download the MP3 (56 Mb) [1] » View the show notes [2] » Vote for us on Podcast Alley! [3] Subscribe to the podcast feed: [4] [5] [6] [7] [1] http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/media.libsyn.com/media/filmjunk/filmjunk222.mp3 [2] http://www.
- 6/15/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.