New Mantra: "Miranda July Heist Movie"

Chris here. If that headline didn't already give you a moment of chrystalline mental clarity, perhaps the fact that it's not just fantasy will. That's right, the multi-hyphenate artist Miranda July will be returning to cinemas for her yet untitled third feature, this time with a genre bent. Those unfamiliar with the indie darling would do well to research her performance art and writing, but her filmography is as good a start as any of her other works. Her first two idiosyncratic films were 2005's whimsically sad Me and You and Everyone We Know ("... forever.") and 2011's The Future, which was narrated by a stray cat. Both films are touching and deeply original, so don't expect standard heist fare.

But maybe this could be her most mainstream film yet given the enticing cast she's already assembled: Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, and Richard Jenkins. Wood will play Old Dolio (!), whose scheming parents (Winger and Jenkins) bring an outsider into their major heist plans, with big ramifications for Old Dolio. Expect something oddly moving and unlike anything else released that year.

Punk In The Suburbs

JA from MNPP here taking a look at some very exciting breaking news for those of us who've worn out our copies of Beginners -- director Mike Mills has finally announced his next project! I guess he couldn't let his wife Miranda July hog all the press this week (her book The First Bad Man just came out on Tuesday). Mills' new movie will be called 20th Century Women and he says...

"The film is an ode to the women who raised me; my mom, my sisters, the girls I was in love with or looked up to at school and in the punk rock scene where I really learned about the world."

It's set in Santa Barbara in the year 1979, and it sounds like there are leading(ish) roles for three actresses; the three women who form the young boy at the film's center - well who doesn't love a good actress triptych? The Hours! The Witches of Eastwick! And Three Women, of course.

You can get a few more details about the plot at the link -- there aren't really enough specifics about the roles to dream-cast this thing but seeing as how I could come up with a thousand answers to the question "What three current actresses would you want to see play off each other in a movie?" and I'm sure you guys could too... what three current actresses would you want to see play off each other in a movie? Just have at it.

Related from the Archives: An interview with Mike Mills about Beginners

We Link Alone

Big Screen
BuzzFeed for your 4th of July Hangover... 18 ways Drop Dead Gorgeous makes you proud to be an American
Vimeo Best Supporting Visual Effects? in The Great Gatsby
Towleroad Tilda Swinton showing solidarity with Russian gays at the Kremlin
Deviant Art Claire Hummal is rethinking Disney Princesses with more period-accurate wear 

Amiresque on The Bling Ring
Under the Radar talks with Pedro and cast on I'm So Excited 
i09 for those who are not spoiler-averse "10 great movies where the heroes are doomed" 
Guardian here's a list topic I've literally never seen before... "the 10 greatest Arab movies"

Small Screen
Gold Derby Can Mad Men ever turn around its Emmy problems?
Vulture why hasn't ABC Family renewed OR cancelled Bunheads? Is there any hope for one of the best shows on TV to return? And if they wanted to capitalize on the acclaim, why on gods green earth didn't they submit it for Emmy consideration? It's all very baffling.

Today's Curiousity
Salon interviews Miranda July on her new celebrity-heavy forwarded email project "We Think Alone" with personal outbox appearances from Kirsten Dunst, Lena Dunham and more.

This 'n' That: Girlz 'N' Games, Depp 'n' Tonto, Kevin 'n' Tilda

Many many years ago I became online friends with Noelle Adams due to our obsessive mutual Pfandom. Now she writes "Girlz 'N' Games". We've heard 2011 described as "Year of the Superhero" and "Year of the Sequel" or the "Year of the Raunchy Comedy".

But Noelle has another idea...

She goes on to explain herself  and it's a persuasive case, right? Or maybe Hal Jordan was such an A-hole that he makes the whole summer douchey? 

Your Movie Buddy interviews Miranda July currently in theaters with The Future. 
Ultra Culture is covering a huge event in London 'Empire Big Screen'. I guess the magazine is hosting a big event? I don't know. I'm confused. But I like this blog and I love a subway getting saloon doors to celebrate Cowboys and Aliens.
Deadline reports that Disney has pulled the plug on the Johnny Depp Lone Ranger movie due to cost. Didn't see that coming, Depp being the billion dollar franchise guy o' choice.  

I Need To Talk About Kevin...
In that... I realize it's weird that I haven't. What blog should be more excited for this movie than The Film Experience? I mean Tilda being a frequent topic and gold medalist and all. And now the movie has got this awesome Rosemary's Baby hued poster that dares to make "Kevin" the big face, and shove Tilda in the corner!? [P.S. I love that he's transparent so that you can see her.]

But as I was thinking about the weirdness of me never talking about this movie last night, I realized that somewhere in the back of the brain I had logged this as 'will read book before seeing movie or watching any clips' And now time is running out. 

Must read it. I'm between books anyway. Keep hearing it's great.

The Ghost Linker

Filmmaker Magazine a brief video interview with Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) on her new project about a couple adopting a cat. EEEEeeee. Adopting a cat sounds like an EPIC story for a movie*. I cannot wait to see this.
Movie|Line Oscar buzz for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) at Sundance. Hey, lots of Oscar hopefuls kick off there. Here's to next year!
In Contention Guy Lodge's dream Oscar ballot. Other than Oscar, I *so* prefer to read people's individual ballots than see group choices.
The Wrap Like Crazy a romantic drama starring Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones sells big at Sundance. Hmmm. Could mean big things for both leads.
Inside TV What the hell is going on with Mad Men? I'm so nervous. Give us that fifth season. With Matthew Weiner.

Ghost Writer keeps showing up in European Awards . Could surprise Oscar noms await?

Finally as much as I lie to myself and pretend that each day has 57 hours in it, I need to face facts that there will never be enough time to do a whole post on the Asian Film Award Nominations or France's Cesar Nominations because they're happening during my own awards (which are running much later than usual -- it was building this damn website!) AND just a few days prior to Oscars. I love movie awards so much but I do so wish the calendars were spread out. Let it suffice to say for now that Of Gods and Men and The Ghost Writer did very well with the Cesars and South Korea's Poetry (which I've already raved about), Japan's Confessions (an Oscar finalist) and Thailand's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (already snubbed by Oscar) did well with the Asian awards nominations.

*It sounds like that to me because I am a crazy cat lady.