list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Youth Without Youth on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Youth_Without_Youth/269940/default.aspx Title: Youth Without Youth
Year: 2007
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Plot: Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola returns to the director's chair after a ten-year hiatus with this adaptation of Romanian author Mircea Eliade's tome detailing the arduous journey of a professor whose life is thrown into chaos as World War II looms ominously on the horizon. When the seventy year-old scholar is stricken by lightning, his age begins to reverse as his mind grows infinitely more brilliant. Now determined to understand the origins of language and consciousness, the fugitive professor leads authorities on a wild chase through Romania, Switzerland, Malta, and India. Tim Roth, Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Marcel Iures star in an ambitious low-budget drama trumpeted by Zoetrope as a "return to personal filmmaking" for the revered Godfather director. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 8
Number of Lists: 12
Number of blog posts: 78
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:39:41 GMTYouth Without Youth2007Francis Ford CoppolaLegendary director <a href="/players/P____85868/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Francis Ford Coppola</a> returns to the director's chair after a ten-year hiatus with this adaptation of Romanian author Mircea Eliade's tome detailing the arduous journey of a professor whose life is thrown into chaos as World War II looms ominously on the horizon. When the seventy year-old scholar is stricken by lightning, his age begins to reverse as his mind grows infinitely more brilliant. Now determined to understand the origins of language and consciousness, the fugitive professor leads authorities on a wild chase through Romania, Switzerland, Malta, and India. <a href="/players/P____61768/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tim Roth</a>, <a href="/players/P____25786/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bruno Ganz</a>, <a href="/players/P___270677/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alexandra Maria Lara</a>, and <a href="/players/P___196385/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Marcel Iures</a> star in an ambitious low-budget drama trumpeted by Zoetrope as a "return to personal filmmaking" for the revered <a href=/films/240937/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Godfather</a> director. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide8Taggedy Taggged (6-10)127812http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s269940.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Youth_Without_Youth/269940/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/atacta/archive/2008/8/20/34213.aspx Post By: atacta
Post To: atacta Blog
Post Date: 8/20/2008 11:34:35 PM
Body: Youth Without Youth starts as a visual spectacle and I had my doubts about 30 minutes in if the story was going to keep up. Bruno Ganz, Wim Wender's muse, plays along side Roth as the mad scientist. He actually says something like "you are the most valuable specimen on the face of the earth. Come, have your chicken." Its based on a story by Mircea Eliade and tells the tale of an older man struck by lightning who reverts to young age and becomes blessed with powers including telekinesis. He re-meets his bride (played very nicely by the beautiful Alexandra Maria Lara, also infected by the lightning) and gets another stab at the relationship only to find out the Nazis are interested in his powers, forcing him to flee his native Hungary. This also has something to do with Theology and certainly is based in the history of Philosophy and probably appeals to those types.It is beautiful to watch, and certainly on the Blu-Ray. But for me, its a total mess.
]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:34:35 GMTatactaatacta Blog8/20/2008 11:34:35 PMYouth Without Youth starts as a visual spectacle and I had my doubts about 30 minutes in if the story was going to keep up. Bruno Ganz, Wim Wender's muse, plays along side Roth as the mad scientist. He actually says something like "you are the most valuable specimen on the face of the earth. Come, have your chicken." Its based on a story by Mircea Eliade and tells the tale of an older man struck by lightning who reverts to young age and becomes blessed with powers including telekinesis. He re-meets his bride (played very nicely by the beautiful Alexandra Maria Lara, also infected by the lightning) and gets another stab at the relationship only to find out the Nazis are interested in his powers, forcing him to flee his native Hungary. This also has something to do with Theology and certainly is based in the history of Philosophy and probably appeals to those types.It is beautiful to watch, and certainly on the Blu-Ray. But for me, its a total mess. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/7/33699.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/7/2008 2:00:31 PM
Body: We’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part. Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years. Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear. 10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother. 9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes. 8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio. 7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically. 6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is. 5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made. 4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only). 3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits. 2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league. 1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00:31 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/7/2008 2:00:31 PMWe’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part. Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years. Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear. 10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother. 9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes. 8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio. 7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically. 6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is. 5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made. 4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only). 3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits. 2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league. 1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/11/27/22234.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/27/2007 5:01:11 PM
Body: Some of these links still date back to before the weekend. What can I say? It took a couple of days to make it all the way through my feeds. Only freshies tomorrow, I promise. John Brownlee offers a sneak peak at Ghostbusters 3, the videogame-only continuation of the saga, featuring a script by Dan Ackroyd and the voices of Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. “Will Ghostbusters 3 be a worthy successor to the franchise? It’s still too early to say, but early game footage of Ghostbusters 3 has leaked out, and it looks incredible.” That footage is embedded above. We’re sure Ronnie Bronstein is very excited about his Spirit Award nomination, but Frownland is also up for an award at the Gothams, the New York-centric film awards put on by Find Independent’s former parent company, IFP, which takes place tonight. And as if the stakes weren’t high enough already, Michael Tully has declared, “if Frownland doesn’t win the Gotham tonight I will eat my iPod.” Of course, we’d rather see Ronnie win, but should the iPod eating actually go down, I’ll try to get photo evidence. What’s this? High praise for Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth Without Youth, which was almost universally dismissed at the Rome Film Festival? Hmmm. Jurgen Fauth says: “I know, I know ??? there???s nothing duller than listening to other people???s dreams. And yet??? the shared fantasy Coppola created from Mircea Eliade???s novella weaves a strange magic, mysterious, playful, philosophical, and loopy with romance. I???d like to hold on to that gossamer enchantment for just a little while longer, privately, before it???s time to take out the stainless steel critical apparatus and cut this one open.” Speaking of Coppola, The Playlist weighs in on FFC’s One From the Heart: “This neon, highly stylized break-up film might be a failed experiment, but man, is it one of the most pretty failures to look at ever.” Ray Pride passes along exciting news: David Cronenberg is writing a novel. Says Nicole Winstanley, the Penguin Editor who nabbed the rights, “I wrote David Cronenberg several months ago to inquire about whether or not he???d consider writing a novel. His films demonstrate a deep understanding of the human condition that could translate into fiction brilliantly.” “Noah Baumbach is one relentlessly bleak filmmaker, and that???s not a compliment,” writes Daniel Carlson at Pajiba. “It???s not that his films are necessarily evil, or even completely off-target; rather, one of the things that makes Baumbach so slippery is his habit of stumbling onto moments of slight emotional truth in the middle of a film completely devoid of it.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:01:11 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/27/2007 5:01:11 PM Some of these links still date back to before the weekend. What can I say? It took a couple of days to make it all the way through my feeds. Only freshies tomorrow, I promise. John Brownlee offers a sneak peak at Ghostbusters 3, the videogame-only continuation of the saga, featuring a script by Dan Ackroyd and the voices of Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. “Will Ghostbusters 3 be a worthy successor to the franchise? It’s still too early to say, but early game footage of Ghostbusters 3 has leaked out, and it looks incredible.” That footage is embedded above. We’re sure Ronnie Bronstein is very excited about his Spirit Award nomination, but Frownland is also up for an award at the Gothams, the New York-centric film awards put on by Find Independent’s former parent company, IFP, which takes place tonight. And as if the stakes weren’t high enough already, Michael Tully has declared, “if Frownland doesn’t win the Gotham tonight I will eat my iPod.” Of course, we’d rather see Ronnie win, but should the iPod eating actually go down, I’ll try to get photo evidence. What’s this? High praise for Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth Without Youth, which was almost universally dismissed at the Rome Film Festival? Hmmm. Jurgen Fauth says: “I know, I know ??? there???s nothing duller than listening to other people???s dreams. And yet??? the shared fantasy Coppola created from Mircea Eliade???s novella weaves a strange magic, mysterious, playful, philosophical, and loopy with romance. I???d like to hold on to that gossamer enchantment for just a little while longer, privately, before it???s time to take out the stainless steel critical apparatus and cut this one open.” Speaking of Coppola, The Playlist weighs in on FFC’s One From the Heart: “This neon, highly stylized break-up film might be a failed experiment, but man, is it one of the most pretty failures to look at ever.” Ray Pride passes along exciting news: David Cronenberg is writing a novel. Says Nicole Winstanley, the Penguin Editor who nabbed the rights, “I wrote David Cronenberg several months ago to inquire about whether or not he???d consider writing a novel. His films demonstrate a deep understanding of the human condition that could translate into fiction brilliantly.” “Noah Baumbach is one relentlessly bleak filmmaker, and that???s not a compliment,” writes Daniel Carlson at Pajiba. “It???s not that his films are necessarily evil, or even completely off-target; rather, one of the things that makes Baumbach so slippery is his habit of stumbling onto moments of slight emotional truth in the middle of a film completely devoid of it.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/10/18/20945.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/18/2007 3:37:29 PM
Body: Francis Ford Coppola accuses Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Jack Nicholson of being old, rich, and lazy. While opening up another bottle of wine on his estate and noodling with his first film in ten years. Hannah Takes the Stairs is playing the London Film Festival. Xan Brooks has a mixed review: “Hannah Takes the Stairs is a film that showcases much of what is good about independent American cinema: its naturalistic, free-form rush comes embroidered with the sort of casual epiphanies that a bigger production would have either ironed out or ignored altogether. But it is also prey to much that is bad.” Ang Lee has trimmed “7 or 8 minutes” from the version of Lust, Caution set for Chinese release, but the film has yet to pass that country’s censorship board, and the longer the release is delayed, the greater the potential damage from piracy. A release date and title for the Wolverine spinoff has been set. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to be directed by Rendition/Tsotsi helmer Gavin Hood, comes out May 1, 2009. Three new scribes have joined the exclusive New York Film Critics Circle: Melissa Anderson (Time Out New York), Elizabeth Weitzman (NY Daily News) and Steven Snyder (New York Sun). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog's blog
]]>Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:37:29 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/18/2007 3:37:29 PM Francis Ford Coppola accuses Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Jack Nicholson of being old, rich, and lazy. While opening up another bottle of wine on his estate and noodling with his first film in ten years. Hannah Takes the Stairs is playing the London Film Festival. Xan Brooks has a mixed review: “Hannah Takes the Stairs is a film that showcases much of what is good about independent American cinema: its naturalistic, free-form rush comes embroidered with the sort of casual epiphanies that a bigger production would have either ironed out or ignored altogether. But it is also prey to much that is bad.” Ang Lee has trimmed “7 or 8 minutes” from the version of Lust, Caution set for Chinese release, but the film has yet to pass that country’s censorship board, and the longer the release is delayed, the greater the potential damage from piracy. A release date and title for the Wolverine spinoff has been set. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to be directed by Rendition/Tsotsi helmer Gavin Hood, comes out May 1, 2009. Three new scribes have joined the exclusive New York Film Critics Circle: Melissa Anderson (Time Out New York), Elizabeth Weitzman (NY Daily News) and Steven Snyder (New York Sun). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog's blog http://www.spout.com/blogs/achance42/archive/2007/10/9/20528.aspx Post By: achance42
Post To: Weasel Words on Film
Post Date: 10/9/2007 12:16:27 PM
Body: Fall is my favorite time of year. Not just because it's the time of year when New York City is at its most beautiful, thus reminding us all why we continue in this abusive relationship with it, but because the movies start to get good again after the onslaught of big-budget blockbusters that are only occasionally watchable. People seem to think that, with each passing year, the movies get worse and worse. Well, if you're looking at crap like Transformers (the new nadir of megahit blockbuster quality), then yeah. But there's a whole crop of ambitious, interesting films that come out every fall and - even if they end up being bad - you have to give them credit for trying. Unlike Transformers. So here's my list of 15 films that I am dying to see this fall. Some are already out (and I'm negotiating with my wife to be able to find the time to see them) and some I still wait in painful anticipation for: 15. American Gangster - Ridley Scott might have actually done something he hasn't done in a long LONG time... make a great movie. I'm not talking about just a good movie, okay? I got news. Gladiator? Not "great." Just "good." Alien is "great." The director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven? Very good. Not great. And I'm not even bothering to mention Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men (could that movie have been any more obvious?). The trailer for American Gangster caught me instantly, if for no other reason than the re-pairing of Virtuosity stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and it looks like it could be Ridley Scott's first great movie in... 25 years? Can it really be 25 years now since... 14. Blade Runner: The Final Cut - OK, despite my rabid love for this film, it's low on my list for two reasons. First, I've seen a different version of this film before. Four different versions, actually, counting the TV edit. THIS is not only A great Ridley Scott film, it's his masterpiece. Every science fiction film or TV show in the last 25 years that has had call to borrow from Blade Runner HAS borrowed from Blade Runner. It's visually stunning even now and as perfect an example of genre mixing (in this case, sci-fi and film noir) as anyone can ask for. But do we really need six versions of the film, counting the TV edit? Let's hope so because I'll call bullshit if this "final cut," which Scott shot new footage for as recently as last year (my second reason for putting it so low on the list), doesn't deliver the goods. But I'll be first in line at the Ziegfeld. [EDIT: I was first in line at the Ziegfeld last week and my GOD, it was amazing! More on that in a later post.] 13. (tie) Juno/Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Judd Apatow, for the umpteenth time, is comedic gold. Everything he's been responsible for in the last few years has been successful critically or financially, usually both. This year alone, he's responsible for two of the year's funniest movies (Knocked Up and Superbad) and is writing and producing what looks to be a third. Walk Hard, a spoof of singer biopics such as Walk the Line and Ray, looks like a rare thing in the parody genre: genuinely funny. Honestly, any comedy with John C. Reilly in a starring role has my money. And whether it was intended or not (likely not), Apatow's sensibilities are being tapped into in a film like Jason Reitman's Juno, which will likely be described as "Knocked Up meets Superbad." Whether or not that is an accurate description, I don't know, but considering it's about a girl who gets pregnant by her best friend and considering that the best friend in question is Michael Cera - the Mozart of comedic timing who also stars in Superbad - this is almost certainly how the movie will be sold to you. 12. Cassandra's Dream - I'm hoping that Woody Allen is going to doing a "bad/good/good" alternation with his films. Anything Else was bad. Melinda and Melinda and Match Point were good. Scoop was bad. If the pattern continues, then this crime drama starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell should be a good one. I'm hoping so. On one hand it's got Ewan McGregor; on the other hand, it's got Colin Farrell (but he was good in The New World). Pretty much the entirety of Woody's output this decade has been called into question by even his most ardent fans but I have faith. He's 71 and working as hard as he ever did; you have to admire that. 11. John Rambo - I know, I know. But screw you for judging me. The trailer that popped up on youtube was the single greatest thing I have EVER seen Stallone take part in, and yes, I am counting Rocky IV. In a post-9/11 world, if you're gonna do a Rambo 4, it's got to be the most balls-out movie you've ever seen or no one's gonna care. The people want blood and lots of it. It looks like Stallone heard the people and is giving them what they want. Though I'm not sure why he's still fighting the Vietcong. [EDIT: It looks like this is being pushed back to January. I wept upon hearing the news.] 10. Southland Tales - Richard Kelly has become, with only one film released to date, the most hyperbolized director of the decade. Most people either think he's a genius or think he's a hack. I really like Donnie Darko a lot but it's too soon to tell. With Southland Tales' less-than-enthusiastic premiere at Cannes last year, the Kelly-haters felt vindicated and wasted no time in denouncing a film that they hadn't seen and knew almost nothing about. A year and a half later, and with a 15 minute trim, the movie is finally coming out. The trailer is interesting but I can't help but wonder if Kelly is going to be to apocalypse-minded sci-fi what M. Night Shyamalan is to the twist ending. I'm not trying to fool myself but still, an interesting misfire will always be better than a piece of shit that hits the mark. 9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Or the slow, thoughtful movie that everyone but the geekiest film geeks will hate with a passion right out of the Bible. Previous winners of this award include Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and The New World, as well as Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris (which gets none of the respect it deserves). 2 hours and 40 minutes of slow-moving Western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck? I am SO IN! 8. The Golden Compass - Not much to say here except I can't wait for the Christian protests of this over its atheist overtones, and Eva Green... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. 7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Basquiat is one of my favorite films of the 1990s. It captured a time and place, not so much of when the film was set as when it was made. If you want a great example of American independent filmmaking in its golden age, Basquiat is one of the first ones I would recommend. It made me a lifelong fan of director Julian Schnabel and I eagerly await every film he makes. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is his latest film - only his third, after Basquiat and 2000's Before Night Falls - and it seems like Schnabel has a thing for biopics of people no one else would ever make biopics about. This time, the subject is Jean-Dominique Bauby, a magazine editor who suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, with the exception of his left eye. This performance might be a little bit harder of an Oscar sell than Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (at least he could move his body some) but if anyone can make this into a compelling film without submitting to sap, Schnabel can. 6. I'm Not There - The last time Todd Haynes made a movie about rock & roll, it was Velvet Goldmine. And he turned it into a glam rock take on Citizen Kane. I have no idea what he's going to do with Bob Dylan's life story besides casting several actors, including Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett, but whatever crazy shit it sounds like Haynes has planned, I have no doubt it will be effective. After all, this is the guy who started his career by making a Karen Carpenter biography exclusively with Barbie dolls. 5. The Darjeeling Limited - I think Wes Anderson is the Woody Allen of my generation. Think about it. He makes talky, quirky films; is an acquired taste; has been accused of making the same movie over and over; and no one can quite copy the formula that makes him so distinct. Darjeeling is Wes' fifth film and unfortunately, the bulk of the reviews refer to co-star Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt. 4. No Country For Old Men - I actually liked The Ladykillers. There. I said it. I liked it a lot actually. It's not one of the Coen Brothers' best movies but if you're going to make a bad movie in comparison to the rest of your work, then that's the way to do it. This new one was considered a dark horse for the Palme D'Or this year (it didn't win though) and is already one of the best reviewed films of the year. If the Coens have truly returned to form with No Country, it's going to be one of the best films of the decade. 3. Lust, Caution - If you really think that Brokeback Mountain won all those awards because of political correctness and a push from the "gay mafia," then I don't want to know you. Seriously. If your homophobia keeps you from being affected by that movie, then you're just beyond help, plain and simple. Ang Lee, just like his Taiwanese brethren Hou Hsiao-hsien and the late great Edward Yang, is a master of putting real human emotion on film without exploiting his characters or manipulating his audience, unlike a certain unworthy film about racism that stole the Oscar from Brokeback. 2. There Will Be Blood - It's been five years since Punch-Drunk Love. Five years. Paul Thomas Anderson may be setting himself up to be the new Kubrick and, as long as the product justifies the wait, I'm okay with that. In the two-and-a-half minute trailer that has been posted on the internet, it's obvious that everything we knew about PTA is out the window, with the exception of quality filmmaking. It just screened a couple of days ago and already it's being hailed as a masterpiece. So I can't read anything more about it until its release for fear of it being overhyped for me. 1. Youth Without Youth - So how can a movie I've waited five years for be topped? By a movie I've waited TEN years for. Francis Ford Coppola is back! Sadly, it's not with Megalopolis, his ambitious project that A) would likely have been deemed a colossal failure had he actually made it; B) would, in actuality, have been the most important science fiction film since Blade Runner; C) that is, if it didn't kill him first, so; D) he decided to shelve it in favor of his winery. But now, ten years after The Rainmaker (which was much better than people realize), he's returned to the business of directing. From the sound of it, he has made the sort of personal project that he hasn't had an opportunity to do in over 20 years. Word is it's not an easy film to watch but I remain firmly committed to the idea that, when someone like Coppola makes a film that is "difficult," it's up to the audience to find the film, not the film to find the audience. And it's Coppola's first foray into HD (well, the last time he made a movie, George Lucas was still shooting on film, so...) and it will be interesting to see how that visually affects his work.
]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:16:27 GMTachance42Weasel Words on Film10/9/2007 12:16:27 PMFall is my favorite time of year. Not just because it&#39;s the time of year when New York City is at its most beautiful, thus reminding us all why we continue in this abusive relationship with it, but because the movies start to get good again after the onslaught of big-budget blockbusters that are only occasionally watchable. People seem to think that, with each passing year, the movies get worse and worse. Well, if you&#39;re looking at crap like Transformers (the new nadir of megahit blockbuster quality), then yeah. But there&#39;s a whole crop of ambitious, interesting films that come out every fall and - even if they end up being bad - you have to give them credit for trying. Unlike Transformers. So here&#39;s my list of 15 films that I am dying to see this fall. Some are already out (and I&#39;m negotiating with my wife to be able to find the time to see them) and some I still wait in painful anticipation for: 15. American Gangster - Ridley Scott might have actually done something he hasn&#39;t done in a long LONG time... make a great movie. I&#39;m not talking about just a good movie, okay? I got news. Gladiator? Not &quot;great.&quot; Just &quot;good.&quot; Alien is &quot;great.&quot; The director&#39;s cut of Kingdom of Heaven? Very good. Not great. And I&#39;m not even bothering to mention Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men (could that movie have been any more obvious?). The trailer for American Gangster caught me instantly, if for no other reason than the re-pairing of Virtuosity stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and it looks like it could be Ridley Scott&#39;s first great movie in... 25 years? Can it really be 25 years now since... 14. Blade Runner: The Final Cut - OK, despite my rabid love for this film, it&#39;s low on my list for two reasons. First, I&#39;ve seen a different version of this film before. Four different versions, actually, counting the TV edit. THIS is not only A great Ridley Scott film, it&#39;s his masterpiece. Every science fiction film or TV show in the last 25 years that has had call to borrow from Blade Runner HAS borrowed from Blade Runner. It&#39;s visually stunning even now and as perfect an example of genre mixing (in this case, sci-fi and film noir) as anyone can ask for. But do we really need six versions of the film, counting the TV edit? Let&#39;s hope so because I&#39;ll call bullshit if this &quot;final cut,&quot; which Scott shot new footage for as recently as last year (my second reason for putting it so low on the list), doesn&#39;t deliver the goods. But I&#39;ll be first in line at the Ziegfeld. [EDIT: I was first in line at the Ziegfeld last week and my GOD, it was amazing! More on that in a later post.] 13. (tie) Juno/Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Judd Apatow, for the umpteenth time, is comedic gold. Everything he&#39;s been responsible for in the last few years has been successful critically or financially, usually both. This year alone, he&#39;s responsible for two of the year&#39;s funniest movies (Knocked Up and Superbad) and is writing and producing what looks to be a third. Walk Hard, a spoof of singer biopics such as Walk the Line and Ray, looks like a rare thing in the parody genre: genuinely funny. Honestly, any comedy with John C. Reilly in a starring role has my money. And whether it was intended or not (likely not), Apatow&#39;s sensibilities are being tapped into in a film like Jason Reitman&#39;s Juno, which will likely be described as &quot;Knocked Up meets Superbad.&quot; Whether or not that is an accurate description, I don&#39;t know, but considering it&#39;s about a girl who gets pregnant by her best friend and considering that the best friend in question is Michael Cera - the Mozart of comedic timing who also stars in Superbad - this is almost certainly how the movie will be sold to you. 12. Cassandra&#39;s Dream - I&#39;m hoping that Woody Allen is going to doing a &quot;bad/good/good&quot; alternation with his films. Anything Else was bad. Melinda and Melinda and Match Point were good. Scoop was bad. If the pattern continues, then this crime drama starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell should be a good one. I&#39;m hoping so. On one hand it&#39;s got Ewan McGregor; on the other hand, it&#39;s got Colin Farrell (but he was good in The New World). Pretty much the entirety of Woody&#39;s output this decade has been called into question by even his most ardent fans but I have faith. He&#39;s 71 and working as hard as he ever did; you have to admire that. 11. John Rambo - I know, I know. But screw you for judging me. The trailer that popped up on youtube was the single greatest thing I have EVER seen Stallone take part in, and yes, I am counting Rocky IV. In a post-9/11 world, if you&#39;re gonna do a Rambo 4, it&#39;s got to be the most balls-out movie you&#39;ve ever seen or no one&#39;s gonna care. The people want blood and lots of it. It looks like Stallone heard the people and is giving them what they want. Though I&#39;m not sure why he&#39;s still fighting the Vietcong. [EDIT: It looks like this is being pushed back to January. I wept upon hearing the news.] 10. Southland Tales - Richard Kelly has become, with only one film released to date, the most hyperbolized director of the decade. Most people either think he&#39;s a genius or think he&#39;s a hack. I really like Donnie Darko a lot but it&#39;s too soon to tell. With Southland Tales&#39; less-than-enthusiastic premiere at Cannes last year, the Kelly-haters felt vindicated and wasted no time in denouncing a film that they hadn&#39;t seen and knew almost nothing about. A year and a half later, and with a 15 minute trim, the movie is finally coming out. The trailer is interesting but I can&#39;t help but wonder if Kelly is going to be to apocalypse-minded sci-fi what M. Night Shyamalan is to the twist ending. I&#39;m not trying to fool myself but still, an interesting misfire will always be better than a piece of shit that hits the mark. 9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Or the slow, thoughtful movie that everyone but the geekiest film geeks will hate with a passion right out of the Bible. Previous winners of this award include Terrence Malick&#39;s The Thin Red Line and The New World, as well as Steven Soderbergh&#39;s remake of Solaris (which gets none of the respect it deserves). 2 hours and 40 minutes of slow-moving Western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck? I am SO IN! 8. The Golden Compass - Not much to say here except I can&#39;t wait for the Christian protests of this over its atheist overtones, and Eva Green... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. 7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Basquiat is one of my favorite films of the 1990s. It captured a time and place, not so much of when the film was set as when it was made. If you want a great example of American independent filmmaking in its golden age, Basquiat is one of the first ones I would recommend. It made me a lifelong fan of director Julian Schnabel and I eagerly await every film he makes. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is his latest film - only his third, after Basquiat and 2000&#39;s Before Night Falls - and it seems like Schnabel has a thing for biopics of people no one else would ever make biopics about. This time, the subject is Jean-Dominique Bauby, a magazine editor who suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, with the exception of his left eye. This performance might be a little bit harder of an Oscar sell than Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (at least he could move his body some) but if anyone can make this into a compelling film without submitting to sap, Schnabel can. 6. I&#39;m Not There - The last time Todd Haynes made a movie about rock &amp; roll, it was Velvet Goldmine. And he turned it into a glam rock take on Citizen Kane. I have no idea what he&#39;s going to do with Bob Dylan&#39;s life story besides casting several actors, including Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett, but whatever crazy shit it sounds like Haynes has planned, I have no doubt it will be effective. After all, this is the guy who started his career by making a Karen Carpenter biography exclusively with Barbie dolls. 5. The Darjeeling Limited - I think Wes Anderson is the Woody Allen of my generation. Think about it. He makes talky, quirky films; is an acquired taste; has been accused of making the same movie over and over; and no one can quite copy the formula that makes him so distinct. Darjeeling is Wes&#39; fifth film and unfortunately, the bulk of the reviews refer to co-star Owen Wilson&#39;s recent suicide attempt. 4. No Country For Old Men - I actually liked The Ladykillers. There. I said it. I liked it a lot actually. It&#39;s not one of the Coen Brothers&#39; best movies but if you&#39;re going to make a bad movie in comparison to the rest of your work, then that&#39;s the way to do it. This new one was considered a dark horse for the Palme D&#39;Or this year (it didn&#39;t win though) and is already one of the best reviewed films of the year. If the Coens have truly returned to form with No Country, it&#39;s going to be one of the best films of the decade. 3. Lust, Caution - If you really think that Brokeback Mountain won all those awards because of political correctness and a push from the &quot;gay mafia,&quot; then I don&#39;t want to know you. Seriously. If your homophobia keeps you from being affected by that movie, then you&#39;re just beyond help, plain and simple. Ang Lee, just like his Taiwanese brethren Hou Hsiao-hsien and the late great Edward Yang, is a master of putting real human emotion on film without exploiting his characters or manipulating his audience, unlike a certain unworthy film about racism that stole the Oscar from Brokeback. 2. There Will Be Blood - It&#39;s been five years since Punch-Drunk Love. Five years. Paul Thomas Anderson may be setting himself up to be the new Kubrick and, as long as the product justifies the wait, I&#39;m okay with that. In the two-and-a-half minute trailer that has been posted on the internet, it&#39;s obvious that everything we knew about PTA is out the window, with the exception of quality filmmaking. It just screened a couple of days ago and already it&#39;s being hailed as a masterpiece. So I can&#39;t read anything more about it until its release for fear of it being overhyped for me. 1. Youth Without Youth - So how can a movie I&#39;ve waited five years for be topped? By a movie I&#39;ve waited TEN years for. Francis Ford Coppola is back! Sadly, it&#39;s not with Megalopolis, his ambitious project that A) would likely have been deemed a colossal failure had he actually made it; B) would, in actuality, have been the most important science fiction film since Blade Runner; C) that is, if it didn&#39;t kill him first, so; D) he decided to shelve it in favor of his winery. But now, ten years after The Rainmaker (which was much better than people realize), he&#39;s returned to the business of directing. From the sound of it, he has made the sort of personal project that he hasn&#39;t had an opportunity to do in over 20 years. Word is it&#39;s not an easy film to watch but I remain firmly committed to the idea that, when someone like Coppola makes a film that is &quot;difficult,&quot; it&#39;s up to the audience to find the film, not the film to find the audience. And it&#39;s Coppola&#39;s first foray into HD (well, the last time he made a movie, George Lucas was still shooting on film, so...) and it will be interesting to see how that visually affects his work. http://www.spout.com/groups/Telluride_Film_Festival_2008/Re_What_do_you_think_will_be_on_the_Telluride_pro/144/17717/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: tadiv
Post To: Telluride Film Festival 2008
Post Date: 8/9/2007 5:35:30 PM
Body: Here is another possible film - mentioned last year during the Walter Murch tribute, Youth Without Youth, Francis Ford Coppola's most recently completed project (also edited by Murch) seems a strong candidate for Telluride. It has listings already for screening at the RomaCinemaFest in October and US release in November.
]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:35:30 GMTtadivTelluride Film Festival 20088/9/2007 5:35:30 PMHere is another possible film - mentioned last year during the Walter Murch tribute, Youth Without Youth, Francis Ford Coppola&#39;s most recently completed project (also edited by Murch) seems a strong candidate for Telluride. It has listings already for screening at the RomaCinemaFest in October and US release in November. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/7/12/13730.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/12/2007 12:00:59 PM
Body: I've spent much of the morning noodling around on the website for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film, Youth Without Youth***. Sony Classics bought distribution rights to Coppola's first film in a decade last March; at the time, Anne Thompson offered this description: Inspired by his daughter Sofia to make a low-budget personal film, Coppola opted not to take the festival route, preferring to fly under the radar. The indie-financed film, which Coppola shot last year in Romania, is set during World War II and stars Tim Roth as a 70-year-old professor who is struck by lightning, suddenly turns 40 and becomes brilliant. (He also sprouts a doppelganger.) His quest is to discover the origin of language and consciousness. By movie’s end he and his lady love (Alexandra Maria Lara) speak in tongues—sans subtitles...The movie has been compared to an arty Raiders of the Lost Ark. In keeping with Coppola's apparent desire to keep the project personal, the web site functions as a kind of scrapbook documenting his inspirations for making the film. There are snapshots of his actors rehearsing, black and white photos of Bucharest, a bio of Mircea Eliade (the author of the novella on which the film is based) and, perhaps most significantly, three "diary entries" through which Coppola works through both his need to return to personal filmmaking, and his desire to reclaim a youthful exuberance for life and work. The diary entries are dated September 2005, so if they're genuine (in this day and age, no one is above suspicion when it comes to doctored bloggery), they were generated 4-6 weeks before Youth went into production. In one entry, Coppola explains how he was begrudgingly goaded into inflating one Godfather film into three: Originally, I didn't intend to make more than one Godfather film; yet economic forces at the studio were insistent: "Francis, you have the formula for Coca-Cola; are you not going to make more?" But the first film expended most of the arrows in my quiver or, more aptly, the slugs in my revolver. So, the second film had to stretch into new and more ambitious territory to show a few more; otherwise, it would have been weaker than the first. By the time the third arrived, the basic ideas that made the first fresh and excited were all but used up. The diary is basically a manifesto. Coppola describes his predicament as typical for any aging artist--the temptation to keep draining the well that brought past success is too great, economic safety is too attractive to risk doing anything new. He decides that the only way to break that vicious cycle "is to become young again, to forget everything I know and try to have the mind of a student. To re-invent myself by forgetting I ever had any film career at all, and instead to dream about having one." I'm not sure I buy the idea of the bright-eyed student risking it all to make a picture about an old man reclaiming his youth, but for the time being, I'll give Frank the benefit of the doubt. Considering the fact that he could very easily while away his final years living off his wine fortune, you've got to throw him a bone for refusing to go down without a fight. Youth Without Youth is currently scheduled to play at the Rome Film Festival in October, before opening here on December 14. ***Not to be confused with The Best of Youth, the six-hour Italian TV miniseries that, when released theatrically in the States in 2005, became the best reviewed film of that year (it swept me up, too, although for the first couple of hours, it was hard to fight the nagging suspicion that I was watching the Italian Forrest Gump.) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/12/2007 12:00:59 PM I've spent much of the morning noodling around on the website for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film, Youth Without Youth***. Sony Classics bought distribution rights to Coppola's first film in a decade last March; at the time, Anne Thompson offered this description: Inspired by his daughter Sofia to make a low-budget personal film, Coppola opted not to take the festival route, preferring to fly under the radar. The indie-financed film, which Coppola shot last year in Romania, is set during World War II and stars Tim Roth as a 70-year-old professor who is struck by lightning, suddenly turns 40 and becomes brilliant. (He also sprouts a doppelganger.) His quest is to discover the origin of language and consciousness. By movie’s end he and his lady love (Alexandra Maria Lara) speak in tongues—sans subtitles...The movie has been compared to an arty Raiders of the Lost Ark. In keeping with Coppola's apparent desire to keep the project personal, the web site functions as a kind of scrapbook documenting his inspirations for making the film. There are snapshots of his actors rehearsing, black and white photos of Bucharest, a bio of Mircea Eliade (the author of the novella on which the film is based) and, perhaps most significantly, three "diary entries" through which Coppola works through both his need to return to personal filmmaking, and his desire to reclaim a youthful exuberance for life and work. The diary entries are dated September 2005, so if they're genuine (in this day and age, no one is above suspicion when it comes to doctored bloggery), they were generated 4-6 weeks before Youth went into production. In one entry, Coppola explains how he was begrudgingly goaded into inflating one Godfather film into three: Originally, I didn't intend to make more than one Godfather film; yet economic forces at the studio were insistent: "Francis, you have the formula for Coca-Cola; are you not going to make more?" But the first film expended most of the arrows in my quiver or, more aptly, the slugs in my revolver. So, the second film had to stretch into new and more ambitious territory to show a few more; otherwise, it would have been weaker than the first. By the time the third arrived, the basic ideas that made the first fresh and excited were all but used up. The diary is basically a manifesto. Coppola describes his predicament as typical for any aging artist--the temptation to keep draining the well that brought past success is too great, economic safety is too attractive to risk doing anything new. He decides that the only way to break that vicious cycle "is to become young again, to forget everything I know and try to have the mind of a student. To re-invent myself by forgetting I ever had any film career at all, and instead to dream about having one." I'm not sure I buy the idea of the bright-eyed student risking it all to make a picture about an old man reclaiming his youth, but for the time being, I'll give Frank the benefit of the doubt. Considering the fact that he could very easily while away his final years living off his wine fortune, you've got to throw him a bone for refusing to go down without a fight. Youth Without Youth is currently scheduled to play at the Rome Film Festival in October, before opening here on December 14. ***Not to be confused with The Best of Youth, the six-hour Italian TV miniseries that, when released theatrically in the States in 2005, became the best reviewed film of that year (it swept me up, too, although for the first couple of hours, it was hard to fight the nagging suspicion that I was watching the Italian Forrest Gump.) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/amazing/MemberTagFilms.aspxamazing
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]]>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:02:27 GMT5900Tag