James Caan (1940-2022)

by Nathaniel R

autographed photo -- for sale here

Oscar nominated screen legend James Caan died yesterday evening at the age of 82. The news came via his official twitter account. His uncommonly masculine star persona was often deployed for menace but his charisma read 'leading man' even though that mode happened less often. His career was marked by stratospheric highs, major lows, and some degree of ambivalence; He regularly turned down roles (including several that became iconic for his peers) in both movies and on television. He's best remembered today primarily for two pieces of art, the gangster epic The Godfather (1972) and the fan/artist thriller Misery (1990). They don't paint the whole picture of that expansive career though which began in the early the early Sixties and and will stretch into next year. He completed one picture, set for 2023, a darkly comic crime/action movie starring Pierce Brosnan (with Caan playing his mob boss) based on the novel Gun Monkeys. He also did some filming for a sheriff role in a crime drama called Redemption though we don't know if he had completed his work there. 

After the jump a selection of 10 key roles to understand his career if you'd like to program your own Jimmy Caan film festival at home...

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Björk's "Danish Director" Statement

By Nathaniel R

Catherine Deneuve, Björk, and Von Trier at Cannes (2000)

The floodgates have opened post Weinstein and now everyone wants to speak out. This morning Björk issued a statement about her experience working with "a Danish director," a hilariously coy non-naming of names since she's only starred in one movie, Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark (2000) after which she never appeared in a movie again, unless you count her performance art collaboration with her then-boyfriend Matthew Barney on Drawing Restraint (2009). Which, well, the sexual violence was onscreen in that one with Barney and Björk carving each other up while naked underwater and turning into whales or some such. You know how that happens.

Here is her statement which is worth parsing due to its unexpected Dogville allusion...

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Linkville

Variety Will Hollywood forgive Mel Gibson with Hacksaw Ridge?
Variety Robert Redford to retire from acting. That's a pity. He was just starting to be in movies again regularly. 
MNPP Joe Alwyn eleven times 
Coming Soon Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein in a new series

/Film a new featurette about a Ghost in the Shell set visit
I Like Things That Look Like Mistakes on the resonance of Dogville's revenge fantasy 
Total Verhoeven the Film Society's Verhoeven retrospective just began. I'm anxious to see his Oscar nominated Turkish Delight (1973) for the first time!  
DListed first shot of Johnny Depp (or rather the back of his head) in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2. Can't believe they're already promoting the second one before the first one is in theaters (sigh) 

RIP Because 2016 continues to be the most hateful year ever  
Deadline Robert Vaughn (The Man From UNCLE, The Magnificent Seven)  
Criterion Corner Remembering Leonard Cohen (via McCabe and Mrs Miller) 

In this very difficult week these things gave me teensy moments of solitude or defiant strength
NY Mag Hiking and running into Hillary Clinton
Advocate People of the Year: The survivors of Pulse nightclub
Review "Rules for Survival" under men like Donald Trump 
Pajiba "never forget that Donald Trump is a profoundly stupid person" -perhaps his incompetence will help prevent some of the possible catastrophes
The Matinee "Dear America..."
Towleroad The continually scrappy Elizabeth Warren on Rachel Maddow "we fight back" 
The New Yorker "How to restore your faith in Democracy" 
Gothamist advice for how to protect your fellow citizens from Trump's embolded xenophobic and racist fans if you see bullying taking place

Interview: Jennifer Kent on Her "Babadook" Breakthrough and What She Learned From "Dogville"

It's been a banner year for female directors. Two female directors have continually been in the Best Director Oscar discussion, they continue to make inroads in indie cinema (see the Spirit Award first feature and first screenplay citations!) and in many countries outside of the US. And that's not all. The year's most impressive debut stint behind the camera arguably belongs to Jennifer Kent (pictured left) whose controlled, creepy, beautifully designed and acted Australian horror film The Babadook has been winning raves. After a stint on Direct TV it's just hit US theaters, albeit only three of them. May it expand swiftly to unsettle every city.

When I spoke with Ms. Kent over the phone we were experiencing and ungainly time-lag and accidentally talking over one another. A time-lag also happened when I watched her movie the first time; its unique slow build had me more frightened after the movie finished than while I was watching it. It sticks. The tag line is true

You can't get rid of the Babadook.

I mention that I'm pre-ordering the Babadook book as I'm telling this story about how the movie continues to haunt me. "Then you'd better not," she says laughing as we begin our conversation about debut filmmaking, snobber towards horror films, what she learned from Lars von Trier, and the miracles of Essie Davis' lead performance.

NATHANIEL: Have you had a lot of weird reactions to the film?

JENNIFER KENT: Yeah, I have. I’ve had the gamut of reactions from people seeking a roller coaster ride with jolts and scares. They've been like  'Ripped off. This isn’t a horror film!' to people like yourself. What’s most surprising to me is -- more than a  couple of people have said ‘I really didn’t like but I saw it again.' Why would you see it again?  And then changing their minds about it. [More...]

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anything can happen in the woods... ♪ can i link you?

LA Curbed Character actress extraordinaire Agnes Moorehead's was apparently a wealthy gal. Her former home is going for $19 million. Whoa!
Empire new stills from The Imitation Game which I'm hearing very positive buzz on
HuffPo remembers Batman (1989) with pictures from the original premiere. Such a blast from the past. Remember when Robert Downey Jr and Sarah Jessica Parker were a couple!? Glenn Close looks so young. Anybody know the unnamed woman with Tim Burton?
In Contention Kris Tapley also paid tribute to the film which he says he owes... a lot

Movie Mezzanine Lars von Trier was making movies about "rape culture" before it had a name. Discussion of Dogville & Breaking the Waves
/Film Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience (2009) is becoming a TV series. Lodge Kerrigan who made the disturbing indie Clean, Shaven (1993) and the actress Amy Seimetz are writing and directing.
VF Hollywood Katey Rich on Gary Oldman's angry comments defending Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin's language
Vulture Hollywood's leading men arranged by height with Kevin Hart and Daniel Radcliffe as the tiniest though weirdly they skip the very tallest ones like Hugh Jackman (6'2") and Chris Hemsworth (nearly 6'3") 
Buzzfeed Daniel Radcliffe sorts celebrities into Hogwarts houses. Streep for Gryffindor ("because she's awesome"), Jon Hamm for Hufflepuff, Benedict Cumberbatch for Ravenclaw, etcetera  
In Contention composer Alexandre Desplat to head the Venice Film Festival jury
Sir Ian McKellen he's now "Doctor" Sir Ian McKellen 

Corrections or Damage Control?
Stephen Sondheim has issued a clarifying statement about Into the Woods after all the negative reaction to the changes he said Disney made. Time has passed since he made the comment...

...I had not yet seen a full rough cut of the movie. Coincidentally, I saw it immediately after leaving the meeting and, having now seen it a couple of times, I can happily report that it is not only a faithful adaptation of the show, it is a first-rate movie.

And for those who care, as the teachers did, the Prince's dalliance is still in the movie, and so is "Any Moment."

I'm not sure I trust Sondheim to judge a movie. He also approved damaging changes to the film version of Sweeney Todd and just because you're a genius in one medium, doesn't mean you know what's best or even good in another.

Two Tweets
Yeah, yeah, I'm quoting myself but for those of you who aren't on twitter I'd thought you'd enjoy/relate...

Everytime someone mentions a World Cup match my first thought is "yes, but what are they submitting 4 Best Foreign Film this year?"

— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) June 23, 2014

And my favorite Tweet of the day because it's good lolz

His heart was black. Blacker than midnight, blacker than tar, but not quite as black as Fairuza Balk's eyeliner in The Craft.

— Molly Manglewood (@undeadmolly) June 23, 2014