Sunday, April 22, 2007
New Line
Posted by Jim Ridley on Sun, Apr 22, 2007 at 6:39 PM
Good news for Nashville horror nuts. After getting begged last night for additional screenings of End of the Line—the scariest movie this horror fanatic has seen in years—the Nashville Film Festival has added another show 10 p.m. Monday.
Word should spread fast. The NaFF audience went wild for this smart, dark-humored and sick satirical shocker about subway passengers under siege by a religious cult on a killing spree—a throwback to '70s horror that will thrill fans of cult faves Rabid, The Crazies, God Told Me To and Raw Meat. Director Maurice Devereaux seemed delighted by the rowdy reception he got: shrieks and cheers throughout, followed by one of the most enthusiastic Q&As thus far at the fest. You'll be hearing more about this one.
Word should spread fast. The NaFF audience went wild for this smart, dark-humored and sick satirical shocker about subway passengers under siege by a religious cult on a killing spree—a throwback to '70s horror that will thrill fans of cult faves Rabid, The Crazies, God Told Me To and Raw Meat. Director Maurice Devereaux seemed delighted by the rowdy reception he got: shrieks and cheers throughout, followed by one of the most enthusiastic Q&As thus far at the fest. You'll be hearing more about this one.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Adrenaline Rush
Posted by Jim Ridley on Sat, Apr 21, 2007 at 10:34 AM
The Nashville Film Festival has added its first demand screening: Robert Archer Lynn and David Alford's Adrenaline. The Nashville-set thriller, shot in one continuous 88-minute take, sold out its one scheduled screening 10 p.m. Sunday; a second has been added for 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Buzz on the film is strong. More than one person on the crowded plaza outside the downstairs Green Hills box office was overheard saying it sets a new benchmark for Nashville filmmakers, and sets it pretty high. Don't be surprised if it nabs one of the festival's top prizes. Word of mouth was also really hot on Kenny, the Aussie mock-doc about a Port-A-Potty maintenance man shot partly in Nashville, which audiences loved.
If attendance holds throughout the weekend, it could set new records for NaFF. Afternoon shows were mostly full, a huge improvement over previous years, and the crowds got bigger as the night went on. There were full houses for producer Lawrence Bender, the world premiere of Ray McKinnon's Randy and the Mob, and the world premiere of Craig Brewer's short film "Steppin' in the Hood," written by and starring kids from Nashville's Preston Taylor Boys and Girls Club YMCA.
Seen last night at Green Hills: Film Comment contributing editor Chuck Stephens, one of the world's hottest writers on Asian cinema (and a new Nashvillian); Variety scribe and longtime indie cinema chronicler Joe Leydon; Craig Brewer, Julie Alexander, Mike Quinones and Memphis rapper Al Kapone; indieWIRE's Steve Ramos; On the Grind director Monteon Jones with his brother and StreetLaw Records partner Danny Dunlap; the Belcourt's Scott Manzler, James Wilson, Jason Shawhan and F. Clark Williams; "Steppin' in the Hood" stars Shay Moore, Victor Davis, Carlos Brown and Davontae Rucker Jr.; Mark Levine; local filmmakers Molly Secours (basking in the glow of her "College on the Brain" premiere), Stephen and Suzie Lackey, Tony Dancy, Will Akers, Loree Gold and Mitchell Galin; and MEAC's Michael Catalano.
Coming up today: the Matthew Kennedy doc (sure to sell out); Manufactured Landscapes; producer Rob Hardy and Motives 2; and the horror film End of the Line.
Buzz on the film is strong. More than one person on the crowded plaza outside the downstairs Green Hills box office was overheard saying it sets a new benchmark for Nashville filmmakers, and sets it pretty high. Don't be surprised if it nabs one of the festival's top prizes. Word of mouth was also really hot on Kenny, the Aussie mock-doc about a Port-A-Potty maintenance man shot partly in Nashville, which audiences loved.
If attendance holds throughout the weekend, it could set new records for NaFF. Afternoon shows were mostly full, a huge improvement over previous years, and the crowds got bigger as the night went on. There were full houses for producer Lawrence Bender, the world premiere of Ray McKinnon's Randy and the Mob, and the world premiere of Craig Brewer's short film "Steppin' in the Hood," written by and starring kids from Nashville's Preston Taylor Boys and Girls Club YMCA.
Seen last night at Green Hills: Film Comment contributing editor Chuck Stephens, one of the world's hottest writers on Asian cinema (and a new Nashvillian); Variety scribe and longtime indie cinema chronicler Joe Leydon; Craig Brewer, Julie Alexander, Mike Quinones and Memphis rapper Al Kapone; indieWIRE's Steve Ramos; On the Grind director Monteon Jones with his brother and StreetLaw Records partner Danny Dunlap; the Belcourt's Scott Manzler, James Wilson, Jason Shawhan and F. Clark Williams; "Steppin' in the Hood" stars Shay Moore, Victor Davis, Carlos Brown and Davontae Rucker Jr.; Mark Levine; local filmmakers Molly Secours (basking in the glow of her "College on the Brain" premiere), Stephen and Suzie Lackey, Tony Dancy, Will Akers, Loree Gold and Mitchell Galin; and MEAC's Michael Catalano.
Coming up today: the Matthew Kennedy doc (sure to sell out); Manufactured Landscapes; producer Rob Hardy and Motives 2; and the horror film End of the Line.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Your Entertainment Smorgasbord
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Apr 20, 2007 at 3:43 PM
OK, there's the Nashville Film Festival (see below) for cinematic riches this weekend. Then there's the Samurai Festival 2 at the Belcourt, represented by Hideo Gosha's Three Outlaw Samurai:
No, no, don't thank me for the French subtitles. But if that's not enough to sate your bloodlust, take I-40 to Watertown, where the Stardust Drive-In is playing Grindhouse. If you haven't seen the movie, but you want to click on the trailer below...DON'T!
No, no, don't thank me for the French subtitles. But if that's not enough to sate your bloodlust, take I-40 to Watertown, where the Stardust Drive-In is playing Grindhouse. If you haven't seen the movie, but you want to click on the trailer below...DON'T!
Shit Happens
Posted by Pithmaster on Fri, Apr 20, 2007 at 3:32 PM
I've been getting a lot of questions about the mishap at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's concert Thursday at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Near the end of Stephen Dankner's The World of Yesterday, the NSO under guest conductor Klauspeter Seibel came to a screeching halt. After a few awkward seconds of silence and fumbling around, the orchestra got back on track and played the piece to a brilliant conclusion. What happened? Apparently, a percussionist missed a critical cue, which brought the whole performance to a stop. More importantly, though, is what didn't happen: Seibel and the rest of the orchestra didn't mess up. That's why they were able to recover so quickly and end brilliantly.
The NSO will play Dankner's lovely neo-Romantic work again Friday and Saturday night, and you can be sure there will no mistakes this time around (or else heads will likely roll). You should go and and listen to it politely, and also clap for the Mozart flute and harp concerto, and then get down to the serious business of the night—listening to Mahler's Symphony No. 4. Here's where you can get tickets.
The NSO will play Dankner's lovely neo-Romantic work again Friday and Saturday night, and you can be sure there will no mistakes this time around (or else heads will likely roll). You should go and and listen to it politely, and also clap for the Mozart flute and harp concerto, and then get down to the serious business of the night—listening to Mahler's Symphony No. 4. Here's where you can get tickets.
NaFF: Ten Picks
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Apr 20, 2007 at 12:56 PM
So many movies, so little time. Where to start? Here are 10 movies you shouldn't miss at this year's Nashville Film Festival—now underway at Green Hills through next Thursday—whether for entertainment, importance or an event you won't see duplicated anywhere else.
Excerpts from our capsule reviews (and in some cases, trailers) are included after the jump. Full coverage and more recommendations are available in the cover package in this week's Scene. For tickets, check the festival box office downstairs at Green Hills.
Excerpts from our capsule reviews (and in some cases, trailers) are included after the jump. Full coverage and more recommendations are available in the cover package in this week's Scene. For tickets, check the festival box office downstairs at Green Hills.
Friday's Hot Type
Posted by Sarah Kelley on Fri, Apr 20, 2007 at 10:44 AM
How about banning theme sweaters while you're at it?
In this case, teaching by example is not advised.
So much for kissing and making up.
Change? Who needs to change when you can simply shell out thousands for a published apology.
If we're lucky, this ship will sink very early in its voyage.
In this case, teaching by example is not advised.
So much for kissing and making up.
Change? Who needs to change when you can simply shell out thousands for a published apology.
If we're lucky, this ship will sink very early in its voyage.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
(Not) Only The Lonely
Posted by Jim Ridley on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 at 5:37 PM
Mister Lonely, the new film directed by part-time Nashvillian Harmony Korine (and co-written with his brother Avi), was announced today in the "Un Certain Regard" section of next month's Festival de Cannes, the world's most prestigious film festival. All anyone knows is that the plot supposedly concerns a community of celebrity impersonators and the cast is amazing: Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant, Diego Luna, magician David Blaine and directors Werner Herzog and Leos Carax.
It's part of the strongest Cannes lineup in years, featuring new films from Wong Kar-wai (My Blueberry Nights), Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), Bela Tarr (The Man from London), Catherine Breillat (Une Vielle Maitresse), Michael Moore (Sicko), Olivier Assayas (Boarding Gate) and Abel Ferrara (Go Go Tales) and the stand-alone longer cut of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.
It's part of the strongest Cannes lineup in years, featuring new films from Wong Kar-wai (My Blueberry Nights), Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), Bela Tarr (The Man from London), Catherine Breillat (Une Vielle Maitresse), Michael Moore (Sicko), Olivier Assayas (Boarding Gate) and Abel Ferrara (Go Go Tales) and the stand-alone longer cut of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.
The Vision Thing
Posted by Bruce Barry on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 at 5:36 PM
The campaign of mayoral candidate Bob Clement today issued a news release announcing Clement's intention to pursue a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games (if Chicago doesn't land the 2016 games). The release calls it a "truly visionary proposal" that would represent "the ultimate opportunity for our community."
More like the ultimate publicly-financed indulgence. We learned just a few days ago that the 2012 Olympics in London will cost British taxpayers $18 billion (yes, billion), which is three times the original estimate. As part of its 2016 bid, Chicago's city council has ponied up a $500 million guarantee to cover possible cost overruns. In Nashville budgetary terms, that's close to an entire year's budget for the school system. The state of Illinois has said it's good for another $150 million in losses. Even the process of just developing a bid involves tens of millions of dollars: Vancouver, for instance, spent $34 million (Canadian) back in 2002 to bid for the 2010 winter games.
Today's campaign release quotes Clement asserting that "now is the time to dream big." Clement's dream sounds suspiciously like a big-time taxpayer nightmare.
More like the ultimate publicly-financed indulgence. We learned just a few days ago that the 2012 Olympics in London will cost British taxpayers $18 billion (yes, billion), which is three times the original estimate. As part of its 2016 bid, Chicago's city council has ponied up a $500 million guarantee to cover possible cost overruns. In Nashville budgetary terms, that's close to an entire year's budget for the school system. The state of Illinois has said it's good for another $150 million in losses. Even the process of just developing a bid involves tens of millions of dollars: Vancouver, for instance, spent $34 million (Canadian) back in 2002 to bid for the 2010 winter games.
Today's campaign release quotes Clement asserting that "now is the time to dream big." Clement's dream sounds suspiciously like a big-time taxpayer nightmare.
Syndromes and a Censor
Posted by Jim Ridley on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 at 3:39 PM
At the Nashville Film Festival 2 p.m. Sunday, audiences will get to see Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Syndromes and a Century uncut and intact—which is more than viewers in the director's native Thailand can say. Controversy flared last week when the Thai Board of Censors demanded four scenes be cut from the film, causing the director to cancel its release.
Making the story even stranger is the whimsical nature of the cuts. According to the Bangkok Post via the Limitless Cinema site, the controversial scenes show "a young monk playing a guitar, a group of doctors drinking whisky in a hospital basement, a doctor kissing his girlfriend in a hospital locker room, and two monks playing with a radio-controlled flying saucer." Slap that sucker with an NC-17 for sure.
Typical of the thinking behind the cuts is this quote from a medical-council representative who voiced physicians' misgivings about the movie. "Drinking whisky in a hospital is not proper conduct by medical professionals," Supawat Pothong told the Post.
Weerasethakul's website, Kick the Machine, contains a "Free Thai Cinema" petition to the Thai government and the National Legislative Assembly asking that a ratings system comparable to the U.S.'s replace the current censorship board. An excerpt:
"I, a filmmaker, treat my works as my own sons or my daughters. When I conceived them, they have their own lives to live. I don't mind if people are fond of them, or despise them, as long as I created them with my best intentions and efforts. If these offspring of mine cannot live in their own country for whatever reasons, let them be free. Since there are other places that warmly welcome them as who they are, there is no reason to mutilate them from the fear of the system, or from greed. Otherwise there is no reason for one to continue making art."
UPDATE: Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul sends a message via email to those attending the Nashville Film Festival: "I appreciate your support, and so happy the film will show there. I wish the screening in Nashville best of success. I [wish] I could go! I am in L.A., I haven't seen much of America and would always love to drive around.... Please have a good time with the festival."
Thursday's Hot Type
Posted by Steve Haruch on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Just in time for NaFF: (63,200 square feet of) action!
You call these nominees?
Eight, misbehavin'.
So, does a "loft style office condo" have a cubicle kitchen?
The fallout goes on and on.
The Chinese are coming! So is Ricoh. And, because their CEO lives here, so is Cogent (registration required).
Finally, it didn't happen in Nashville, but Mark Buehrle threw a no-no last night.
You call these nominees?
Eight, misbehavin'.
So, does a "loft style office condo" have a cubicle kitchen?
The fallout goes on and on.
The Chinese are coming! So is Ricoh. And, because their CEO lives here, so is Cogent (registration required).
Finally, it didn't happen in Nashville, but Mark Buehrle threw a no-no last night.
