The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
Late last year while interviewing Yves Belanger on his lensing of Wild (2014) and his ongoing working relationship with Jean Marc Vallee I noticed he had a non-Vallee project on his forthcoming filmography called Brooklyn. He spoke highly of the experience, an about face from Wild's all natural light mandate. He said it was much more stylized lighting, an 'old fashioned romantic drama'. He hoped people still wanted to see that sort of thing.
If the reaction at Sundance is any indication (and a word of caution: Sundance fever is 50/50 for the real world at best) the people will welcome it with open arms... and tear ducts.
The 64th Annual Berlinale began today and though The Film Experience can't be there (we're still recovering from Sundance) we are watching from afar. The events began early today with jury introductions and the press conference for Opening Night Gala film Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel. The conference was fun if not exactly informative. Wes Anderson kept getting questions about the aspect ratio (it's apparently square like a 30s movie) and questions about his influences and where his ideas spring from that he didn't really answer but for generalities. He watched a lot of Ernst Lubitsch for this one and admitted that he loves Stanley Kubrick and his "systems", too, whatever that means. I wouldn't have ever grouped Lubitch and Kubrick, myself, but I'm pleased that someone out there can alchemize them.
In Contention talks to Saoirse Ronan about Grand Budapest Hotel, How I Live Now and acting for Ryan Gosling DP/30 Chiwetel Ejiofor from 12 Years a Slave Instagram James Franco's 'all the kids are doing it' selfie. (I love seeing celebrity mirror shots because that's how they see themselves. Ever notice how different you look in photos -how other people see you- versus how you look to yourself in the mirror?) The Hollywood Reporter TIR wins the top prize and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) and Scarlett Johansson (Her) the acting awards at the Rome Film Festival
In Contention doublestuffed Oscar season coming at'cha Pajiba on the highest grossing black directors. I expect Lee Daniels will keep moving up this list since he's prolific. Coming Soon the German trailer to a new animated Tarzan
Off-Cinema Playbill Carol Channing and Justin Bond for a little Hello Dolly 50th anniversary special? YES PLEASE Salon are confused earnest celebrities the best at Twitter? Variety Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark will (finally) close on Broadway in early 2014 Television BlendArrow could lead to The Flash getting his own tv series. (I wish I liked this show but I've given it more than a fair try and it's dull/lame.) Towleroad Warren & The Bening's son Stephen is so adorable (and totally looks like a blend of them if you ask me). Good for him becoming a reliable trans activist these past couple of years.
Today's Watch The artist Anders Ramsell has "paraphrased" Blade Runner (his words) with 12,597 paintings.
It's been ages since I had a moment for a link & news roundup so here you go. If you've already read some of these I apologize for my tardiness. If not, enjoy them.
Big Screen Huffington Post I have to give Peggy Siegal's Oscar Diary pride of place because if you haven't yet read it -- it debuted a few days ago -- you must. Peggy is fabulous and after which movie stars show at her parties here in NYC the thing I'm always most intrigued to see is what she'll be wearing. MovieLine a sequel to The Host is now more than a little unlikely and it won't be the next Twilight. That's OK because we didn't want Saoirse tied up with a franchise for aeons. NPR Saoirse Ronan loves Clueless. See, she's just a regular teenager. (as if!)
Encore's World a fun appreciation of Anne Baxter in The Ten Commandments In Contention rule changes for the documentaries at the Oscars MNPP Gregory Peck Or... His Grandson? Deadline Sally Hawkins joins the cast of Godzilla in an apparently big role. /Film ...reports the same news but oddly calls Sally Hawkins an Oscar Nominee. IF ONLY! Cinema Blend and a million other sites are breathlessly excited about the photo of Beast that Bryan Singer tweeted for X-Men Days of Future Past. Everyone is all "which actor is it????" but it seems pretty clear to me that that's a concept drawing and not Kelsey Grammar or Nicolas Hoult. Nerd Approved Disney Princesses as Sith Lords? Guardian can Josh Trank (Chronicle) save Fox's Fantastic Four franchise? Empire Allison Janney may play Melissa McCarthy's mom in the comedy Tammy
Miscellania /Film alerted us to this Prada Candy commercial from Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
It's always nice to see Léa Seydoux -- love the shot of her munching on popcorn so cheekily -- and for directors to have a little fun paying homage to the classics. In this case that's Jules et Jim. i09 the 20 most epic beards and moustaches in the multiverse... a fun list given that hairy Game of Thrones has returned Gawker "what the hell is going on with Amanda Bynes: A treatise"
Small Screen PopWatch who will replace Matt Lauer and what was his television crime? Great piece by Mark Harris Variety TV's Hannibal didn't take much of a bite out of the ratings. But time will tell whether the latest movie to series effort becomes a hit. E.T. Teen Wolf Season 3 Details. No Colton Hayne? Uproxx Elisabeth Moss plays "fuck, marry, kill" with the men of Sterling Cooper and makes the correct choices with those Mad Men
Ebert RIPs Movie City News David Poland remembers his friends hosting passion and group nights out at Ebertfest Press Play has a video tribute to Siskel & Ebert's sparring chemistry
I am devastated by the loss of my love, Roger -- my husband, my friend, my confidante and oh-so-brilliant partner of over 20 years. He fought a courageous fight. I've lost the love of my life and the world has lost a visionary and a creative and generous spirit who touched so many people all over the world. We had a lovely, lovely life together, more beautiful and epic than a movie. It had its highs and the lows, but was always experienced with good humor, grace and a deep abiding love for each other."
I love that line "more beautiful and epic than a movie" because I've always been curious what it was like for Chaz to be married to the movies; Roger Ebert had to have been a package deal since he was so synonymous with the cinema.
JA from MNPP here - having had their way with the Snow White story (to great financial success one time, and notsomuch the other), Hollywood is setting its sights upon her downtrodden floor-scrubbing slash mouse-touching sister-princess next - Cinderella is going to be turned into a live-action whirylgig by the director Mark Romanek, from a script by Chris Weitz.
I'm a big fan of Romanek's (I am not one of the poor unfortunate souls who found Never Let Me Go anything less than terribly impressive, but I've loved him way back to his videos for Nine Inch nails) and while I'd rather he not get sucked back into the big Hollywood machinery again (trying to make a movie out of Wolf Man wasted several years of possible output from him)... well, I can't say no to the cast that's circling this thing, now can I? Cate Blanchett is talks to play the Wicked Stepmother, while there are three girls mentioned by Variety as being up for the role of the glass-slipper gal, including Saoirsie Ronan - Hanna reunion!
Hanna was basically a fairy tale itself - Red Riding Hood with head-shots. So much that I can't help but fill out Cinderella's cast with all of Hanna's featured players. Eric Bana as the King! (As long as this King goes swimming in his long-johns too, of course.) Olivia Williams as the Fairy Godmother! Michelle Dockery and Jessica Barden as the Evil Stepsisters! Tom Hollander and his co-thugs as the mice! Okay this really needs to happen, I have convinced myself.
Monday, February 2, 2015 at 9:00PM 
