We are pleased to present the trailer and poster premiere for The Evil That Men Do, an action thriller that looks bruising. Fans of 1980s films should note that this Evil is not connected in any way to the film of the same title starring Charles Bronson and directed by J. Lee Thompson. Still, the trailer suggests desperate criminals in desperate times. It hails from Spain and is presented in English and Spanish, and will be released via various VOD platforms on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. Official synopsis: "Two soldiers of a powerful Mexican cartel, having lost their link to humanity, spend their time cutting people into little pieces and sending the parts to their enemies. Their lives are changed forever with the arrival of...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/5/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Millennium Films announced today that Rod Lurie (Straw Dogs, Nothing but the Truth) has been tapped to direct Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson’s (The Fighter) adaption of Jake Tapper’s The Outpost: An Untold Story Of American Valor.
Paul Merryman developed the script, which Tamasy and Johnson co-wrote, and will produce alongside Tamasy and Marc Frydman under their Battle Plan Productions banner. Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Les Weldon, and Matt O’Toole are also producing for Millennium Films, with John Thompson, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, and Yariv Lerner executive producing.
Based on CNN news correspondent Jake Tapper’s bestselling book, The Outpost tells the epic true story of the 50 soldiers who battled a force of over 400 Taliban in Northeastern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Originally built to engage the locals in community development projects and help the spread of democracy, Outpost Keating faced a constant threat of being attacked by the Taliban,...
Paul Merryman developed the script, which Tamasy and Johnson co-wrote, and will produce alongside Tamasy and Marc Frydman under their Battle Plan Productions banner. Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Les Weldon, and Matt O’Toole are also producing for Millennium Films, with John Thompson, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, and Yariv Lerner executive producing.
Based on CNN news correspondent Jake Tapper’s bestselling book, The Outpost tells the epic true story of the 50 soldiers who battled a force of over 400 Taliban in Northeastern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Originally built to engage the locals in community development projects and help the spread of democracy, Outpost Keating faced a constant threat of being attacked by the Taliban,...
- 7/21/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I’m not sure what it would take for me to get solidly behind a war movie these days. There’s certainly a fatigue component from the unending wars we seem to be fighting in real life, full of drama and heartbreak in their own kind. It’s also very hard to get anything new out of the genre right now. Perhaps because so many fantastic directors have made big important war movies, or maybe just because we seem to get three to five every year. I would need either a fantastic take on the themes I’ve seen a thousand times (and I think you’re about to fall well short of that with Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan) or some fantastic new way of telling a story in the backdrop. The Wall is an attempt at doing the latter; this is a horror/thriller movie set in the Iraqi desert,...
- 5/16/2017
- by Arthur Martinez-Tebbel
- Comicmix.com
Plot: Two soldiers on duty in Iraq find themselves the target of a mysterious sniper. Review: Doug Liman is no stranger to action. Edge Of Tomorrow, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and of course The Bourne Identity all managed to give audiences an exciting time at the movies. In his latest, The Wall, he takes on the very serious subject of war. Much like other feature films that examine the horrors... Read More...
- 5/12/2017
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
Though Doug Liman has built much of his blockbuster filmography on memorable action set-pieces, from The Bourne Identity all the way through Edge of Tomorrow, his earlier work (Swingers, Go) speaks to a more efficient, character-driven filmmaker. His new picture The Wall feels like a little bit of both. We got a chance to chat with the director about the film, the intricate design of the titular wall and how he deals with his short attention span while making movies.
You’ve worked on a decent amount of action thrillers. What jumped out to you when you read this script?
The reason why I’m drawn to making action movies is because I love pinning characters down in impossible situations and then seeing how they survive. And, you know, I’ve created some pretty outrageous situations; spies with amnesia or aliens and time travel in Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow.
You’ve worked on a decent amount of action thrillers. What jumped out to you when you read this script?
The reason why I’m drawn to making action movies is because I love pinning characters down in impossible situations and then seeing how they survive. And, you know, I’ve created some pretty outrageous situations; spies with amnesia or aliens and time travel in Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow.
- 5/11/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
The lineup for the 2016 Cannes Critics' Week has been announced.Opening FilmIn Bed with Victoria (Justine Triet): Victoria Spick, a criminal lawyer in a total sentimental void, meets at a wedding her friend Vincent and Sam, a former drug dealer she got out business. The next day, Vincent is accused of attempted murder by his girlfriend. The victim's dog is the only witness. Reluctantly, Victoria accepts to defend Vincent, while she hires Sam as an au pair. This is just the beginning of troubled times for Victoria.CompetitionAlbüm (Mehmet Can Mertoğlu): A couple in their late 30’s sets out to prepare a fake photo album of a pseudo pregnancy period in order to prove their biological tie to the baby they’re planning adopt.Diamond Island (Davy Chou): Bora, an 18-year-old, leaves his village to work on the construction sites of Diamond Island, a project for an...
- 4/18/2016
- by Notebook
- MUBI
The 2015 St. Louis International Film Festival, also known as Sliff, has begun. Even though Alex Winter couldn’t bring Freaked in town, he did bring his two great tech documentaries, Downloaded and Deep Web – in addition to being awesome to us and presenting Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Sliff has a robust schedule full of independent and foreign cinema along with some mainstream affair like Legend starring Tom Hardy and some possible future Oscar contenders like Carol. However, since we are a horror website, we are going to highlight some films that should definitely be on your radar!
Feature Films
The Nameless
Filmed in “The Exorcist House” here in St. Louis, which most of you might have seen last weekend during Discovery Channel’s laughable Exorcism: Live!, this thriller borrows from the premise that The Exorcist was based out of by having a main character, Amy, return to the house...
Feature Films
The Nameless
Filmed in “The Exorcist House” here in St. Louis, which most of you might have seen last weekend during Discovery Channel’s laughable Exorcism: Live!, this thriller borrows from the premise that The Exorcist was based out of by having a main character, Amy, return to the house...
- 11/8/2015
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Tangerines Trailer. Zaza Urushadze‘s Tangerines (2013) movie trailer stars Lembit Ulfsak, Elmo Nüganen, Giorgi Nakashidze, Misha Meskhi, and Raivo Trass. Tangerines‘ plot synopsis: “Set in 1992, during the growing conflict between Georgia and Abkhazian separatists in the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, this compassionate tale focuses on two Estonian immigrant farmers [...]
Continue reading: Tangerines (2013) Movie Trailer: Farmer Promotes Peace to Two Soldiers...
Continue reading: Tangerines (2013) Movie Trailer: Farmer Promotes Peace to Two Soldiers...
- 3/21/2015
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Jamie Dornan ("50 Shades of Grey") and Cillian Murphy ("Sunshine") are to lead the cast of Sean Ellis' WWII thriller "Anthropoid".
Much like "Valkyrie," the title refers to the code-name for an Allied operation to assassinate a key Nazi official. In this case Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the SS and one of the main architects of the Holocaust.
Two soldiers (trained by British forces) from Czechoslovakia’s army-in-exile were parachuted into their homeland to lead a mission against the Nazi nicknamed “The Butcher of Prague”.
Ellis helms from a script he co-wrote with Anthony Frewin. Leonard Glowinski, Anita Overland and Chris Curling will produce. Filming gets underway in Prague in July.
Source: Screen...
Much like "Valkyrie," the title refers to the code-name for an Allied operation to assassinate a key Nazi official. In this case Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the SS and one of the main architects of the Holocaust.
Two soldiers (trained by British forces) from Czechoslovakia’s army-in-exile were parachuted into their homeland to lead a mission against the Nazi nicknamed “The Butcher of Prague”.
Ellis helms from a script he co-wrote with Anthony Frewin. Leonard Glowinski, Anita Overland and Chris Curling will produce. Filming gets underway in Prague in July.
Source: Screen...
- 3/2/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Growth charts? Check! Infection maps? Check! Weapons checklist? Check! Concept Art? New images? Double Check! Yep, we have lots of new Monsters: Dark Continent eye candy for you to look at! Dig it!
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
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Subscribe to the Dread Central YouTube Channel!
Face monsters in the comments section below!
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Subscribe to the Dread Central YouTube Channel!
Face monsters in the comments section below!
- 9/8/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Protagonist Pictures has released the first teaser one-sheet for its giant monster movie sequel Monsters: Dark Continent. Don't get too excited though. This is as bare bones as it gets and really is just more of a glorified title treatment. Still, we know you like to see everything...
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
- 9/5/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Protagonist Pictures has unveiled the second trailer for its giant monster movie, a sequel to a film genre fans really dug back in 2010. Read on for your next and newest look at Monsters: Dark Continent.
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Get excited by digging the new Monsters: Dark Continent trailer below!
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Subscribe...
Tom Green takes the helm of Monsters: Dark Continent while the original film's director, Gareth Edwards, assumes the role of executive producer along with Scoot McNairy.
Get excited by digging the new Monsters: Dark Continent trailer below!
Synopsis
Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the Infected Zones have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Subscribe...
- 9/2/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Vertigo Films has debuted an all-new trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent, the anticipated sequel to 2010’s beloved cult hit that is due to release later this year.
With Gareth Edwards’ upcoming directing slate brimming with blockbuster projects, Vertigo Films has passed the directing torch over to relative newcomer Tom Green — who previously worked on hit UK TV show, Misfits. And, in order to whet the appetites of eager fans, the studio also posted a brief synopsis for the upcoming sci-fi continuation.
“Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that fighting the monsters is just the beginning of their war.”
Clearly, much has changed since that ill-fated and wayward Nasa probe crash-landed in the Mexican desert. In fact, Monsters: Dark Continent is set to take...
With Gareth Edwards’ upcoming directing slate brimming with blockbuster projects, Vertigo Films has passed the directing torch over to relative newcomer Tom Green — who previously worked on hit UK TV show, Misfits. And, in order to whet the appetites of eager fans, the studio also posted a brief synopsis for the upcoming sci-fi continuation.
“Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that fighting the monsters is just the beginning of their war.”
Clearly, much has changed since that ill-fated and wayward Nasa probe crash-landed in the Mexican desert. In fact, Monsters: Dark Continent is set to take...
- 9/2/2014
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
The handiwork of a debutant director, Tom Green, and shot on location, in Jordan, with a small cast and big ambitions, Monsters: Dark Continent shares many things with Gareth Edwards’ original film. That DNA extends, of course, to the tentacle-y aliens themselves, flaunted in all their extra-terrestrial magnificence in the movie’s new trailer.Set ten years after Monsters, the Edwards exec-produced ‘continuation’ heads east, where a new strain of alien sand bugs have taken up icky residence. Combat troops Noah (Johnny Harris), Frankie (Joe Dempsie) and Michael (Sam Keeley) are in on the bug hunt across Arabian deserts and into the maws of death.With a whole mess of years elapsed since that Nasa probe crash-landed in Latin America, the aliens have adapted efficiently to their new environment. Environments, actually. There are now infected zones dotted across the globe and the idea of harmonious co-existence, touched on in the first film,...
- 9/2/2014
- EmpireOnline
Just as its creator's latest, Godzilla, hits the big screen, a first proper look at where Gareth Edwards' Monsters go next with the teaser trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent arriving online. Set ten years after Monsters, the Edwards exec-produced "continuation" heads east, where a new strain of alien sand bugs have taken up icky residence. Combat troops Noah (Johnny Harris), Frankie (Joe Dempsie) and Michael (Sam Keeley) are in on the bug hunt across Arabian deserts and into the maws of death. With a whole mess of years elapsed since that Nasa probe crash-landed in Latin America, the aliens have adapted efficiently to their new environment. Environments, actually. There are now infected zones dotted across the globe and the idea of harmonious co-existence, touched on in the first film, has clearly long since been jettisoned in favour of the Starship Troopers approach to extra-terrestrial management.Reads the synopsis: "Two soldiers...
- 5/16/2014
- EmpireOnline
The giant monster movie on everyone’s mind right now is undoubtedly Gareth Edwards’ gritty blockbuster take on Godzilla, which opens in theaters tonight following about a week of steadily strong reviews (including ours). So, in that sense, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Protagonist Pictures to release the first trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent, a sequel to the indie monster movie that put Edwards on the map.
Sadly, given his commitment to Godzilla, Edwards was unable to return for the follow-up, so Joe Green (Channel 4′s Misfits) is taking over behind the camera. Green is working from a script by the largely unproven Jay Basu (little-seen The Dinosaur Project), with a cast that includes Joe Dempsie (HBO’s Game of Thrones, BBC America’s The Fades), Johnny Harris (The Fades, Snow White & the Huntsman) and Sofia Boutella (Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming The Secret Service).
Though none...
Sadly, given his commitment to Godzilla, Edwards was unable to return for the follow-up, so Joe Green (Channel 4′s Misfits) is taking over behind the camera. Green is working from a script by the largely unproven Jay Basu (little-seen The Dinosaur Project), with a cast that includes Joe Dempsie (HBO’s Game of Thrones, BBC America’s The Fades), Johnny Harris (The Fades, Snow White & the Huntsman) and Sofia Boutella (Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming The Secret Service).
Though none...
- 5/16/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
The military thriller Drones opens in cinemas and on VOD on June 27. We have been given a series of exclusive key set stills to share with you. Drones stars Eloise Mumford (50 Shades of Grey) and Matt O'Leary (the upcoming Xyz Films creature feature Stung). The thriller was directed by Rick Rosenthal (Halloween II and Halloween Resurrection) and written by Matt Witten. Two soldiers are tasked with deciding the fate of a terrorist with a single push of a button. As the action plays out in real time, their window to use a deadly military drone on the target slowly closes. With time running out, the soldiers begin to question what the real motives are behind the ordered lethal attack.Both Rosenthal and Witten have long histories...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/3/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Jonathan Mallory Sinus is credited as the “folklorist” responsible for the vignettes that follow at the beginning of “Go Down Death." What follows is a beautiful woman applying makeup and a man on guitar. Some of the world’s greatest filmmakers would argue that these are the only elements one needs to make a great film. The picture continues through its opening credits, introducing us to a doctor that over-shares with a kind-eyed boy, and a double-amputee emphasizing liberation from his own legs as if his body were originally a vessel for a lie. Director Aaron Schimberg’s credit appears over the screams of a woman trapped inside a car, fighting for her life. This is a filmmaker with a very specific sensibility with regard to mortality. The picture slowly reveals itself as existing in a limbo between life and death, with a cast of characters waiting out what feels...
- 3/28/2014
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
Two soldiers - British colonel Wynter (Richard Todd) and American Captain Parker (Robert Taylor) - reminisce about their separate love affairs with the same woman as they prepare for the carnage on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. Don't expect heroics in The Longest Day or Saving Private Ryan mould - this is old-fashioned romance set against the backdrop of an imminent, world-changing conflict.
- 3/3/2014
- Sky Movies
Though Monsters helmer Gareth Edwards rode the success of his tiny budget giant monster movie straight to a gig directing giant budget giant monster movie Godzilla, his departure has not meant the end of the Monsters story. No, hidden away largely out of sight director Tom Green - best known for hit UK television series Misfits - has been working away on a sequel and the first teaser has just arrived.Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the 'Infected Zones' have spread worldwide. Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/26/2013
- Screen Anarchy
FrightFest in association with Horror Channel will be screening nine specially selected short films, all World Premieres, at this year’s August event at the Empire Cinema, Leicester Sq. From James Moran’s sickly slick serial killer tale and Dominic Brunt’s ghastly vision of war time Hell, to Will Gilbey’s hard-boiled noir cop thriller and Mike Mort’s even harder puppet cop hero Chuck Steel, the line-up represents a rich tapestry of talent, with casts that include Hannah Tointon, Neil Maskell, Ed Speleers, Alfie Allen & Jack Gordon.
Paul McEvoy, Co-director of FrightFest & Horror Channel programme co-ordinater said: “This year’s brilliant and insane mix of shorts includes outstanding World Premieres from some FrightFest favourites and some exciting new cinematic blood. Behold and enjoy!”
Programme
Main Screen
Friday Aug 23
16:15 Crazy For You (World Premiere)
Director: James Moran. Cast: Arthur Darvill, Hannah Tointon. UK. 2013. 10 mins
It’s difficult to...
Paul McEvoy, Co-director of FrightFest & Horror Channel programme co-ordinater said: “This year’s brilliant and insane mix of shorts includes outstanding World Premieres from some FrightFest favourites and some exciting new cinematic blood. Behold and enjoy!”
Programme
Main Screen
Friday Aug 23
16:15 Crazy For You (World Premiere)
Director: James Moran. Cast: Arthur Darvill, Hannah Tointon. UK. 2013. 10 mins
It’s difficult to...
- 7/24/2013
- by Ed Doyle
- SoundOnSight
Picture it: Sicily (well, at least Italy,) 1922. BC. (Okay, actually it’s more like 68 BC, but you see where I am heading with this.) A small group of Roman soldiers huddle around a fire. Their leader grouses that they have only one rabbit to eat amongst them. Guess his portion didn't include the foot because suddenly, out of the night, a flaming arrow pierces him through the gut. Hmm.
Perspective. It’s all about perspective. And, in many ways, this penultimate episode of Spartacus is about perspective as well. Beautifully, the episode takes a good long glance backward before the series hurtles inevitably toward its bittersweet conclusion. We spend time remembering old friends and go back to where this all started—back to the sands, back to fighting gladiator to gladiator, as if we never left them at all.
Attacking this small group of Roman soldiers is Spartacus and company.
Perspective. It’s all about perspective. And, in many ways, this penultimate episode of Spartacus is about perspective as well. Beautifully, the episode takes a good long glance backward before the series hurtles inevitably toward its bittersweet conclusion. We spend time remembering old friends and go back to where this all started—back to the sands, back to fighting gladiator to gladiator, as if we never left them at all.
Attacking this small group of Roman soldiers is Spartacus and company.
- 4/6/2013
- by mgmc
- The Backlot
Vol. I Issue 10 February 2013
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
__________________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
__________________________________________________________________________________
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.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb 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.
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As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
__________________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
__________________________________________________________________________________
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.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb 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.
- 2/28/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
I didn't forget about my page 12 sharing in honor of 2012 but the year slipped away from me. Let's resume, at least in brief, for a moment from Lincoln as scripted by Tony Kushner based in part on two chapters from "A Team of Rivals" (a book I'm continually hearing great things about).
Tony Kushner speaking about Lincoln at Harvard
Two soldiers fasten a flag to the halyards. Lincoln moves into places; as the crowd applauds, he takes a sheet of paper from inside his hat and glances at it. Then he looks up.
Lincoln
The part assigned to me is to raise
the flag, which, if there be no
fault in the machinery, I will do,
and when up, it will be for the
people to keep it up.
He puts the paper away. The audience waits, expecting more.
Lincoln (Cont'd)
That's my speech.
He smiles at them. They applaud,...
Tony Kushner speaking about Lincoln at Harvard
Two soldiers fasten a flag to the halyards. Lincoln moves into places; as the crowd applauds, he takes a sheet of paper from inside his hat and glances at it. Then he looks up.
Lincoln
The part assigned to me is to raise
the flag, which, if there be no
fault in the machinery, I will do,
and when up, it will be for the
people to keep it up.
He puts the paper away. The audience waits, expecting more.
Lincoln (Cont'd)
That's my speech.
He smiles at them. They applaud,...
- 1/8/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
All-purpose man Aaron Schneider — his credits range from director, to editor, to cinematographer and beyond — won the Best Short Film, Live Action Oscar in 2004 for Two Soldiers, but, for all intents and purposes, he didn’t truly burst onto the scene until 2009′s acclaimed Get Low, his feature-length directorial debut. At the time, many speculated that this film would bring Robert Duvall (and perhaps even Bill Murray in peak supporting form) his first Oscar nomination of the new century.
Alas, though, the film fell through the Academy cracks, probably in most part due to the film’s middle-of-the-year theatrical run — a time frame in which a subdued, quiet character study like this one is especially vulnerable to being overshadowed by prestige titles later in the year. Nevertheless, Schneider proved his Oscar was no fluke, creating a film that, despite, I’d argue, an uninventive screenplay, managed to survive on crisp...
Alas, though, the film fell through the Academy cracks, probably in most part due to the film’s middle-of-the-year theatrical run — a time frame in which a subdued, quiet character study like this one is especially vulnerable to being overshadowed by prestige titles later in the year. Nevertheless, Schneider proved his Oscar was no fluke, creating a film that, despite, I’d argue, an uninventive screenplay, managed to survive on crisp...
- 11/18/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
One of my favorite indie films that did not break out last year was Get Low, the period drama starring Robert Duvall as a Tennessee hermit who wanted to attend his own funeral (here is my review). If you haven't seen it yet, it's on Netflix and is worth watching. The film was the feature directorial debut of Aaron Schneider, a cinematographer-turned-filmmaker who also won an Oscar in 2004 for his short film Two Soldiers. Schneider has apparently been picky about his follow-up to Get Low, but Deadline reports he has said yes and is set to direct The Conscientious Objector for Walden Media, a story about a WWII medic. The Conscientious Objector, from a script written by Robert Schenkkan (The Quiet American, "The Pacific", Pulitzer-winning play The Kentucky Cycles), tells the true story of Desmond Doss, the only conscientious objector in American history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
- 11/17/2011
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Aaron Schneider is set to direct a new film for Walden Media. Deadline reports that he will direct The Conscientious Objector, which tells the true story of "Desmond Doss, the only conscientious objector in American history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Doss served in WWII, joining the army as a medic. He was ostracized by his fellow soldiers because of his refusal to kill or even carry a gun. He proved his courage, saving 75 men at the Battle of Okinawa."
Pulitzer-prize-winner playwrite, Robert Schenkkan penned the sccript. He also wrote the scripts for The Pacific and The Quiet American. Bill Mechanic, David Permut and Terry Benedict (who directed the 2004 documentary bearing the same title) are set to produce the movie. Schneider is an Oscar winner for his short Two Soldiers, and this marks his second feature film.
I have not seen Get Low, but This sounds like a...
Pulitzer-prize-winner playwrite, Robert Schenkkan penned the sccript. He also wrote the scripts for The Pacific and The Quiet American. Bill Mechanic, David Permut and Terry Benedict (who directed the 2004 documentary bearing the same title) are set to produce the movie. Schneider is an Oscar winner for his short Two Soldiers, and this marks his second feature film.
I have not seen Get Low, but This sounds like a...
- 11/17/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Get Low helmer Aaron Schneider has been set to direct The Conscientious Objector for Walden Media. The film tells the true story of Desmond Doss, the only conscientious objector in American history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Doss served in WWII, joining the army as a medic. He was ostracized by his fellow soldiers because of his refusal to kill or even carry a gun. He proved his courage, saving 75 men at the Battle of Okinawa. Script was written by Robert Schenkkan, who wrote the Pulitzer-winning play The Kentucky Cycles and whose script credits include The Pacific and The Quiet American. The film is a co-production between Pandemonium and Permut Presentations, and is being produced by Bill Mechanic, David Permut and Terry Benedict (who directed the 2004 documentary bearing the same title). Steve Longi is co-producer. Schneider, the veteran cinematographer who won the Oscar for his short film Two Soldiers,...
- 11/17/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
When Captain America throws his mighty shield, all those licensed games that chose to oppose his shield must yield. Captain America: Super Soldier blends strong fighting mechanics with acrobatic platforming to deliver one of Sega’s top games in 2011. Although this is a licensed game, it doesn’t suffer from the insane pitfalls that most games timed to movie releases fall into. For instance, fighting is actually fun and once you get to use your invincible-boomerang shield it’s downright addictive. The story, however, is lacking something in the way of intrigue. If it were not a Captain America story, you would probably gloss over most of the details. The cut scenes and dialogue moments do little to draw you into this adventure. Yet, the gameplay is just so compelling that you won’t want to put down this shield-throwing, bullet-deflecting fight fest. Super Soldier opens up in World War II.
- 8/6/2011
- by Bags H.
- BuzzFocus.com
Death turns up at the front door in The Messenger, an exceptional and harrowing drama about the Iraq war that never strays outside the suburbs of New Jersey. Its centrepiece is a scene, reprised six times in slightly different ways. Two soldiers in severely smart military rig knock at the door of a house and, in tones of grave sympathy, tell the answering parent, or spouse, that their loved one has just been killed on active duty. The reaction to this appalling news is generally one of convulsive shock, but in the course of the film we also register accompanying degrees of rage, violence, disbelief, breakdown. The next of kin know what the arrival of these emissaries means, even if they briefly pretend not to – their son or their daughter is dead, and now something in them will die, too.
- 6/16/2011
- The Independent - Film
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Black Lightning" (2009)
Directed by Dmitriy Kiselev and Aleksandr Voytinskiy
Released by Universal Studios
"Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov produced this Russian action flick about a man and his flying car, using the same effects team that worked on all of his previous films including "Night Watch." A Russian trailer is here since where we're going, we don't need to understand words.
"7th Hunt" (2010)
Directed by Jon Cohen
Released by Vanguard Cinema
A motley group of young adults are abducted and forced to fend for their survival at an abandoned military training center in the middle of nowhere in Jon Cohen's thriller.
"Alien Vs. Ninja" (2010)
Directed by Seiji Chiba
Released by Funimation
A selection of last year's New York Asian Film Festival, Seiji Chiba's crazy genre mashup may just be "the best and wittiest movie ever to air at 2am on the SyFy Channel" in the future,...
"Black Lightning" (2009)
Directed by Dmitriy Kiselev and Aleksandr Voytinskiy
Released by Universal Studios
"Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov produced this Russian action flick about a man and his flying car, using the same effects team that worked on all of his previous films including "Night Watch." A Russian trailer is here since where we're going, we don't need to understand words.
"7th Hunt" (2010)
Directed by Jon Cohen
Released by Vanguard Cinema
A motley group of young adults are abducted and forced to fend for their survival at an abandoned military training center in the middle of nowhere in Jon Cohen's thriller.
"Alien Vs. Ninja" (2010)
Directed by Seiji Chiba
Released by Funimation
A selection of last year's New York Asian Film Festival, Seiji Chiba's crazy genre mashup may just be "the best and wittiest movie ever to air at 2am on the SyFy Channel" in the future,...
- 2/21/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
I suppose Aaron Schneider knows a thing or two about how to make a cold gray stark wintry movie look even more Great Depression-y: washing out the colors, tweeding everyone up, getting lots of sad browns and golds on the screen. Schneider’s a cinematographer, see, making his feature debut as a director with Get Low (though did win an Oscar for his 2003 just-short-of-feature-length short “Two Soldiers”), and if there’s something Get Low has in spades, it’s atmosphere: the film is visually cold and spare, and agreeably so, while at the same time it’s emotionally warm and expressive. The look comes via cinematographer David Boyd, who also shot the Depression-set Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, as well as Joss Whedon’s short-lived TV series Firefly, which had a similar palette. The story comes via screenwriters Chris Provenzano (TV’s Mad Men), C. Gaby Mitchell (Blood Diamond), and Scott Seeke,...
- 8/19/2010
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Note: This interview was originally published on February 18th, 2010.
In 2003, Aaron Schneider won an Academy Award for his short film Two Soldiers. Now Schneider is back with his first full-length feature Get Low, starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. I would not be surprised if Schneider heard Oscar calling him again come next year, as Get Low is a dark and heavy drama featuring some of the best work both Robert Duvall and Bill Murray have done, not to mention the rest of the cast.
Read more on Sundance 2010 Video Interview: Director Aaron Schneider (Get Low)…...
In 2003, Aaron Schneider won an Academy Award for his short film Two Soldiers. Now Schneider is back with his first full-length feature Get Low, starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. I would not be surprised if Schneider heard Oscar calling him again come next year, as Get Low is a dark and heavy drama featuring some of the best work both Robert Duvall and Bill Murray have done, not to mention the rest of the cast.
Read more on Sundance 2010 Video Interview: Director Aaron Schneider (Get Low)…...
- 8/13/2010
- by James Wallace
- GordonandtheWhale
Chicago – The legend of a 1930s country hermit – part folk tale, part exaggeration and some truth – comes to life through director Aaron Schneider and the great Robert Duvall in the new film “Get Low.” Also featuring Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek, this character driven drama is a pastiche of secrets, regrets and redemption.
Robert Duvall is Felix Bush, a reclusive hermit in a log cabin amidst the emerging 20th Century of the 1930s. He causes a stir one day when he rides into the main town and wants to pay for his funeral. Funeral director Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) is willing to accommodate the old man, including his unusual request to conduct the funeral while he still lives. As word spreads of the odd arrangement, people start to emerge from Bush’s past, including an old love named Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek). The mystery of the old man starts to surface.
Robert Duvall is Felix Bush, a reclusive hermit in a log cabin amidst the emerging 20th Century of the 1930s. He causes a stir one day when he rides into the main town and wants to pay for his funeral. Funeral director Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) is willing to accommodate the old man, including his unusual request to conduct the funeral while he still lives. As word spreads of the odd arrangement, people start to emerge from Bush’s past, including an old love named Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek). The mystery of the old man starts to surface.
- 8/4/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Robert Duvall is one of the most iconic American actors of the last century, delivering a wide range of diverse performances that span all over the gamut of cinema. In Get Low, he whole-heartedly embodies the spirit and persona of old curmudgeon Felix “Bush” Breazeale, a true-life legend who attracted national attention when he threw himself a funeral party while he was still alive in 1938 Tennessee.
Lovingly re-creating a rich and authentic atmosphere of the rural south, debut director Aaron Schneider wrangles an all-star cast, including Sissy Spacek, Bill Cobbs and Bill Murray, to perform a balancing act of melodrama and humor. And though said performances may be nuanced and impressive (not to mention the film’s vivid cinematography) Get Low never really seems to prove its weight.
One of the biggest strengths in the film are the seasoned pros, in particular Duvall, who shines brilliantly as a guilt-ridden grump with a secret past.
Lovingly re-creating a rich and authentic atmosphere of the rural south, debut director Aaron Schneider wrangles an all-star cast, including Sissy Spacek, Bill Cobbs and Bill Murray, to perform a balancing act of melodrama and humor. And though said performances may be nuanced and impressive (not to mention the film’s vivid cinematography) Get Low never really seems to prove its weight.
One of the biggest strengths in the film are the seasoned pros, in particular Duvall, who shines brilliantly as a guilt-ridden grump with a secret past.
- 7/30/2010
- by Raffi Asdourian
- The Film Stage
Robert Duvall in Get Low
Photo: Sony Pictures Classics Set in the late 1930s, Get Low is based on an American folk tale, which is itself based on the true story of a hermit named Felix "Bush" that decides to throw himself a funeral party while he's still alive just "to hear what the preacher had to say about [him]." Screenwriter Chris Provenzano ("Mad Men"), with co-writer C. Gaby Mitchell (Blood Diamond), took that idea and went a bit further with it, searching for Felix's motivation. Why would someone hide themselves away for 40 years only to come out of hiding for a funeral party? Get Low has those answers and, thanks to sensational performances, tells one hell of a story.
Robert Duvall's performance here as Felix Bush has been talked about for almost a year now after the film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009. Oscar...
Photo: Sony Pictures Classics Set in the late 1930s, Get Low is based on an American folk tale, which is itself based on the true story of a hermit named Felix "Bush" that decides to throw himself a funeral party while he's still alive just "to hear what the preacher had to say about [him]." Screenwriter Chris Provenzano ("Mad Men"), with co-writer C. Gaby Mitchell (Blood Diamond), took that idea and went a bit further with it, searching for Felix's motivation. Why would someone hide themselves away for 40 years only to come out of hiding for a funeral party? Get Low has those answers and, thanks to sensational performances, tells one hell of a story.
Robert Duvall's performance here as Felix Bush has been talked about for almost a year now after the film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009. Oscar...
- 7/30/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
While studying engineering at Iowa State, director Aaron Schneider realized he longed to do something more creative and tangible. A chance encounter with Billy Crystal while vacationing in Florida changed his life. He spotted the comedian, and on the advice of his mother, asked him for career advice. Crystal advised him to go to film school and Schneider promptly complied. After several years working as a cinematographer, Schneider broke into directing by winning an Academy Award in 2004 for his short, Two Soldiers. And again, by chance, he ran into Crystal who was the show's host. On his first feature film, Get Low, Schneider teamed up with Dean Zanuck, son of the legendary producer Richard Zanuck. Get Low, which stars Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, and Sissy Spacek, is based on the true story of a 1930s Tennessee hermit who staged his own funeral to hear what folks had to say about him.
- 7/21/2010
- by maint
- Film Independent
Keri Hilson co-stars as Trey's wife sent off to war in tragic clip.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Keri Hilson and Trey Songz in "Yo Side of the Bed"
Photo: Atlantic
Trey Songz usually leaves the ladies hot and bothered with his steamy videos, but the "I Invented Sex" singer tugs at his fans' hearts in a different way with his new clip, "Yo Side of the Bed," which premiered Wednesday (May 26) on Essence.com.
The tearjerker co-stars Keri Hilson as his wife and the mother of his infant daughter.
The clip opens with a question about how long the two have been together. "Well, if you count the time it took to get her on a date with me," Trey replies, "three years and seven or eight months."
The video then flashes back to when they met: Hilson is jogging by Trey, who is seated on a park bench. Hilson is...
By Jayson Rodriguez
Keri Hilson and Trey Songz in "Yo Side of the Bed"
Photo: Atlantic
Trey Songz usually leaves the ladies hot and bothered with his steamy videos, but the "I Invented Sex" singer tugs at his fans' hearts in a different way with his new clip, "Yo Side of the Bed," which premiered Wednesday (May 26) on Essence.com.
The tearjerker co-stars Keri Hilson as his wife and the mother of his infant daughter.
The clip opens with a question about how long the two have been together. "Well, if you count the time it took to get her on a date with me," Trey replies, "three years and seven or eight months."
The video then flashes back to when they met: Hilson is jogging by Trey, who is seated on a park bench. Hilson is...
- 5/26/2010
- MTV Music News
Last August we brought word of a new post-apocalyptic actioner by visionary director Shaun Rana (Warren Lich) called Days of Victory. The story about two enemy soldiers stranded on a dead planet sounded a lot like Barry B. Longyear's "Enemy Mine" and we were struck by the amazing concept art which showed to futuristic soldiers facing off on the rubble of war torn planet earth.
Now we've got two new pieces of artwork courtesy of Rana's team that you should really check out. They are even better than the first (which is also included in this post.)
Synopsis:
In the aftermath of the rise and fall of the New World Order, World Wars 3 & 4 have laid bare a post-apocalyptic world. The Muslim world and the West are locked in hatred toward one another. WW5 erupts. Two soldiers from each side of the conflict, sworn enemies, face off in an air strike over a desolate,...
Now we've got two new pieces of artwork courtesy of Rana's team that you should really check out. They are even better than the first (which is also included in this post.)
Synopsis:
In the aftermath of the rise and fall of the New World Order, World Wars 3 & 4 have laid bare a post-apocalyptic world. The Muslim world and the West are locked in hatred toward one another. WW5 erupts. Two soldiers from each side of the conflict, sworn enemies, face off in an air strike over a desolate,...
- 5/3/2010
- QuietEarth.us
I remembering hearing some positive things about the film Get Low back when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, and the buzz was apparently good enough for Sony Pictures Classics to pick it up. Now they will finally release it in select theatres this July, and an official trailer has arrived online. It's a little hard to tell what exactly we're going to get with this movie, but it has something to do with the true story of a mysterious old hermit from Tennessee in the 1930s who decided to hold a funeral party for himself before he died. It seems a bit humourous, perhaps due to the presence of Bill Murray, but the trailer also has a hint of dread to it (the man was rumoured to have killed people with his bare hands). It's the kind of movie that you will take a risk...
- 4/19/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
New York – The ninth annual Tribeca Film Festival will include a new movie from Neil Jordan, a documentary on Joan Rivers and a Southern folk tale starring Robert Duvall.The New York festival announced the bulk of its lineup Monday, including selections in its Discovery, Encounters, Cinemania and Spotlight programs.Making its U.S. premiere will be Neil Jordan's "Ondine," which stars Colin Farrell as a fisherman who reels in a mermaid.Duvall stars in "Get Low," a folk tale set in 1930s Tennessee and directed by Aaron Schneider, who won an Oscar in 2004 for his short film "Two Soldiers."The documentary selections include films about comedian and fashion pundit Rivers ("Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"), Canadian rock band Rush ("Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage") and hairstylist Vidal Sassoon ("Vidal Sassoon: The Movie").Alex Gibney, whose "Taxi to the Dark Side" won the Oscar for best documentary...
- 3/15/2010
- backstage.com
Two soldiers from a civil war re-enactment stumble upon a body during their feud. They argue about whether or not the body is a yankee or a confederate. Really that’s what they argue about, I guess they must be used to seeing a skeleton in the middle of the re-enactment.
Cam, Dr. Brennan & Mr. Nigel-Murray are examining the remains when she screams for her life. Spiders come out of the remains and scare Cam. Apparently she doesn’t really like spiders, which is great, neither do I. Dr. Brennan is not really bothered by spiders, is she not afraid of anything?
The victim is a dentist by the name of Dan Pineard. Lucas Pickford is Danny’s contractor and is found in the house. He seems shocked to find out that he is dead. He informs Booth & Brennan that he & his ex Chris had a really bad breakup. They...
Cam, Dr. Brennan & Mr. Nigel-Murray are examining the remains when she screams for her life. Spiders come out of the remains and scare Cam. Apparently she doesn’t really like spiders, which is great, neither do I. Dr. Brennan is not really bothered by spiders, is she not afraid of anything?
The victim is a dentist by the name of Dan Pineard. Lucas Pickford is Danny’s contractor and is found in the house. He seems shocked to find out that he is dead. He informs Booth & Brennan that he & his ex Chris had a really bad breakup. They...
- 1/29/2010
- by Monica
- TVovermind.com
Sundance-bound and tired of flipping through each film individually on the schedule? Staying comfortably home, but don't want to be left out of the conversation about the indies likely to dominate the discussion for the next year? Well, we've got a guide for you.
We've put together the ultimate cheat sheet to this year's Sundance Film Festival. Although it's useful as a preview to the 113 features this year's fest (every title links to its respective Sundance page), consider it a living, breathing document with Facebook and Twitter links to follow filmmakers and our own Matt Singer (@mattsinger) and Alison Willmore (@alisonwillmore) as they negotiate the snowy slopes and occasionally treacherous festivalgoing experience that Park City has to offer, not to mention our constantly updated Sundance home page.
Sections: [Spotlight] [Next] [U.S. Dramatic Competition] [U.S. Documentary Competition] [World Cinema Dramatic Competition] [World Cinema Documentary Competition] [New Frontier] [Park City at Midnight]
Sundance Premieres
"Abel" (IMDb)
The Cast: José María Yazpik, Karina Gidi, Carlos Aragon, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza
Director: Diego Luna
The Gist:...
We've put together the ultimate cheat sheet to this year's Sundance Film Festival. Although it's useful as a preview to the 113 features this year's fest (every title links to its respective Sundance page), consider it a living, breathing document with Facebook and Twitter links to follow filmmakers and our own Matt Singer (@mattsinger) and Alison Willmore (@alisonwillmore) as they negotiate the snowy slopes and occasionally treacherous festivalgoing experience that Park City has to offer, not to mention our constantly updated Sundance home page.
Sections: [Spotlight] [Next] [U.S. Dramatic Competition] [U.S. Documentary Competition] [World Cinema Dramatic Competition] [World Cinema Documentary Competition] [New Frontier] [Park City at Midnight]
Sundance Premieres
"Abel" (IMDb)
The Cast: José María Yazpik, Karina Gidi, Carlos Aragon, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza
Director: Diego Luna
The Gist:...
- 1/22/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Our Photo Gallery has been updated with new photos from “Get Low“. You can check out bigger versions of each by clicking them below.
Robert Duvall as Felix Bush, Lucas Black as Buddy and Bill Murray as Frank Quinn in Get Low. Photo taken by Sam Emerson © 2009, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
“Get Low” Synopsis: For the past forty years, Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has lived as a hermit deep in the Tennessee woods. His clothes tattered, his manner rough and his expressions buried behind a massive white beard, he’s an unnerving figure when he stalks into town with his mule, shotgun in hand. Some say he’s killed men with his bare hands.
One day Bush walks into the local funeral parlour and announces to Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), “‘Bout time for me to get low. Down to business. I need a funeral.” More importantly, he wants a funeral party,...
Robert Duvall as Felix Bush, Lucas Black as Buddy and Bill Murray as Frank Quinn in Get Low. Photo taken by Sam Emerson © 2009, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
“Get Low” Synopsis: For the past forty years, Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has lived as a hermit deep in the Tennessee woods. His clothes tattered, his manner rough and his expressions buried behind a massive white beard, he’s an unnerving figure when he stalks into town with his mule, shotgun in hand. Some say he’s killed men with his bare hands.
One day Bush walks into the local funeral parlour and announces to Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), “‘Bout time for me to get low. Down to business. I need a funeral.” More importantly, he wants a funeral party,...
- 12/31/2009
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Rough Justice: Zimbabwean soldiers escorting a group of illegal gem panners after their October 2009 arrest in the Marange diamond fields. Prisoners are typically held for one to three days before release to an uncertain fate.
Snared: An MP watches over an illegal diamond panner at a detention center in Marange, October 2009.
Zimbabwe's newfound diamond fields could have helped lift the country from its misery. Instead, they've fueled a cycle of government-sanctioned rape, murder, and thievery -- and pushed the place still closer to collapse.
Scarred For Life: Elizabeth (not her real name) once sold blankets and other staples to miners in the Marange fields; during a government assault in late 2008, she says, she and other women were beaten and raped by soldiers.
Ali Moussa and his partner, Shahab Hamdan, are peripatetic veterans of the blood-diamond trade. For 15 years, they based themselves in Bo and Kenema, in Sierra Leone, near the...
Snared: An MP watches over an illegal diamond panner at a detention center in Marange, October 2009.
Zimbabwe's newfound diamond fields could have helped lift the country from its misery. Instead, they've fueled a cycle of government-sanctioned rape, murder, and thievery -- and pushed the place still closer to collapse.
Scarred For Life: Elizabeth (not her real name) once sold blankets and other staples to miners in the Marange fields; during a government assault in late 2008, she says, she and other women were beaten and raped by soldiers.
Ali Moussa and his partner, Shahab Hamdan, are peripatetic veterans of the blood-diamond trade. For 15 years, they based themselves in Bo and Kenema, in Sierra Leone, near the...
- 12/8/2009
- by Joshua Hammer
- Fast Company
- T minus two. Nothing to report on, except I ran into a pair of poster one sheets of films I'll be covering that obviously caught my eye. The first we have the one sheet for (a smaller, clearer version of it can be found on IMDb) Aaron Schneider's feature length film debut. A cinematographer by trade, Schneider's last short actually won him the Oscar and this lifts from the short. Written by Chris Provenzano, C. Gaby Mitchell and Scott Seeke, Get Low is based on the winning short Two Soldiers and based on the true story of Felix "Bush" Breazeale. Set in the depression-era 1930s Tennessee, when a man with a shady past (Robert Duvall) tries to find redemption through witnessing his own funeral as part of a funeral home’s promotional stunt. Sissy Spacek plays a woman from his past and Bill Murray makes a rare appearance
- 9/8/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Polish composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, who won the Oscar for his Finding Neverland score in 2005, hs composed the original score for Get Low, a drama from director Aaron Schneider (Two Soldiers) which will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Produced by Zanuck Independent and co-produced by Polish company Tvn, the film tells the story about a man in a small town who is trying to solve an old murder ...
- 9/4/2009
- by moviescore
- MovieScore Magazine
- An indication that Atom Egoyan's Chloe will most definitely find a competition slot in Venice, Tiff has uncharacteristically went with a foreign English language title as the film festival's opening night selection. The spot usually reserved for a Canadian film went to Jon Amiel's unsold Creation which will have its world premiere on the 10th of September. Today's announcement of 23 titles confirms the a.) red carpet presence and early seat sale interest with names/faces like Matt Damon, Ricky Gervais, Clive Owen and Michael Douglas, b.) the latest from Bruno Dumont, Niki Caro, Neil Jordan and Tim Blake Nelson will not be receiving comp slots in Venice but will be part of the Special Presentations at Tiff instead, and c.) a sampling of adult fair titles (Solitary Man, Valhalla Rising, The Boys Are Back, Mao’s Last Dancer, Moloch Tropical, Cracks) that were perhaps not ready or
- 7/14/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Excellent news for the day after Groundhog Day: Bill Murray is doing another movie! Especially since the comedian's last movie was the disappointing City of Ember, and he's barely making a movie a year these days, it's great to see him moving forward. He and Lucas Black have signed on to co-star with Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek in Get Low, a dramatic thriller about a Tennessee recluse who plans his own funeral while he's alive to enjoy it. It sounds more like a premise for a silly comedy, but hey, what do I know. Variety reports that Black and Murray will play partners at the funeral home who are faced with planning the funeral for the living. Aaron Schneider, who directed the Oscar-winning short Two Soldiers, will direct the screenplay by Gaby Mitchell and Chris Provenzano.
- 2/3/2009
- cinemablend.com
Ah yes, Bill Murray, one of favorite actors who never gets enough work these days. Murray is the latest to join Get Low alongside of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black. The film is based on the true story of Felix "Uncle Bush" Breazeale, a resident of Roane, Tennessee, who planned and attended his own funeral in 1938 while he was still alive so that he could enjoy it. This is being described as a "dramatic thriller", which seems a bit confusing because I'd imagine this would be much better off as a comedy. Aaron Schneider, who won an Oscar for his short film Two Soldiers, will be making his directorial debut. The screenplay was originally written by Chris Provenzano ("Mad Men"), with revisions by C. Gaby Mitchell (Blood Diamond) and Aaron Schneider. Bill Murray and Lucas Black will play partners at the funeral home, while Robert Duvall will play...
- 2/3/2009
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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