list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Ballast 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/Ballast/358212/default.aspx Title: Ballast
Year: 2008
Director: Lance Hammer
Plot: The static living arrangement between three lonely souls living in a rural Mississippi Delta township is suddenly shaken up due to a tragic suicide in this intimate family drama from first-time writer/director Lance Hammer. Single mother Marley was barely getting by when her 12-year-old son James fell into a dangerous cycle of drugs and violence. Desperate to escape her current surroundings and save her son from becoming another statistic, Marley seeks safe harbor at a home on the property of Lawrence -- a man with whom she has been locked into a bitter feud ever since the birth of her son. Brought together by circumstance and left with little choice but to work through their hardships, Marley, James, and Lawrence do their best to move beyond the grief that has befallen them, and transform tragedy into the foundation for a new and hopeful future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 2
Number of Lists: 3
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:35:18 GMTBallast2008Lance HammerThe static living arrangement between three lonely souls living in a rural Mississippi Delta township is suddenly shaken up due to a tragic suicide in this intimate family drama from first-time writer/director Lance Hammer. Single mother Marley was barely getting by when her 12-year-old son James fell into a dangerous cycle of drugs and violence. Desperate to escape her current surroundings and save her son from becoming another statistic, Marley seeks safe harbor at a home on the property of Lawrence -- a man with whom she has been locked into a bitter feud ever since the birth of her son. Brought together by circumstance and left with little choice but to work through their hardships, Marley, James, and Lawrence do their best to move beyond the grief that has befallen them, and transform tragedy into the foundation for a new and hopeful future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide2Slightly Tagged (1-5)3622http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s358212.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Ballast/358212/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/10/21/36561.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 10/21/2008 6:01:04 PM
Body: Funny how, in the indie film world, falls from grace tend to begin before you’ve even hit the top. Yesterday, Lance Hammer’s Ballast was nominated for four Gotham Independent Film Awards — the most of any single film — including Breakthrough Director and Best Picture. Meanwhile, the critical darling is, for maybe the first time since its Sundance premiere, provoking sour responses. Armond White wrote a scathing review of the film attacking it as evidence that “African-American life is imprisoned by the art fallacies of Indie filmmaking, controlled by white liberal condescension” — but he’s Armond White, so that was somewhat expected. Somewhat less expected was this Hollywood Elsewhere post, where Jeff Wells pounces on White’s review like it’s the smoking yellow cake that makes the case that Ballast is overrated. After quoting liberally from White’s review, Wells offers a snide, unverified bit of gossip as confirmation of the other critic’s thesis, and then essentially wishes the film good riddance: Hammer is “a rich kid,” a producer friend told me yesterday. It all fits. Today is the final day to see Ballast at Manhattan’s Film Forum. Because of course, Armond White has never fallen for a rich kid’s vision of another culture before. All this, as if Ballast is even going to be seen by enough people to cause any sort of danger with its (to my mind non-existant) “white liberal condescension.” The self-distributed drama won’t even have much time to take advantage of any bump in local interest based on the IFP-awarded nods, because after its two week run at FIlm Forum wraps tonight, it’s scheduled to hop to the somewhat less illustrious Cinema Village for just one week before moving on to other cities. I know nothing of Hammer’s personal finances (other than that he worked in the art department on a handful of Hollywood blockbusters, whatever kind of personal fortune that’s good for), but it seems like smearing a self-distributed indie on the verge of a roll-out, even if that roll-out *is* trustfund funded (and from what I’ve heard, it’s not exactly that simple), is pure bad form. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:01:04 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog10/21/2008 6:01:04 PMFunny how, in the indie film world, falls from grace tend to begin before you’ve even hit the top. Yesterday, Lance Hammer’s Ballast was nominated for four Gotham Independent Film Awards — the most of any single film — including Breakthrough Director and Best Picture. Meanwhile, the critical darling is, for maybe the first time since its Sundance premiere, provoking sour responses. Armond White wrote a scathing review of the film attacking it as evidence that “African-American life is imprisoned by the art fallacies of Indie filmmaking, controlled by white liberal condescension” — but he’s Armond White, so that was somewhat expected. Somewhat less expected was this Hollywood Elsewhere post, where Jeff Wells pounces on White’s review like it’s the smoking yellow cake that makes the case that Ballast is overrated. After quoting liberally from White’s review, Wells offers a snide, unverified bit of gossip as confirmation of the other critic’s thesis, and then essentially wishes the film good riddance: Hammer is “a rich kid,” a producer friend told me yesterday. It all fits. Today is the final day to see Ballast at Manhattan’s Film Forum. Because of course, Armond White has never fallen for a rich kid’s vision of another culture before. All this, as if Ballast is even going to be seen by enough people to cause any sort of danger with its (to my mind non-existant) “white liberal condescension.” The self-distributed drama won’t even have much time to take advantage of any bump in local interest based on the IFP-awarded nods, because after its two week run at FIlm Forum wraps tonight, it’s scheduled to hop to the somewhat less illustrious Cinema Village for just one week before moving on to other cities. I know nothing of Hammer’s personal finances (other than that he worked in the art department on a handful of Hollywood blockbusters, whatever kind of personal fortune that’s good for), but it seems like smearing a self-distributed indie on the verge of a roll-out, even if that roll-out *is* trustfund funded (and from what I’ve heard, it’s not exactly that simple), is pure bad form. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/21/36560.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/21/2008 6:00:52 PM
Body: Funny how, in the indie film world, falls from grace tend to begin before you’ve even hit the top. Yesterday, Lance Hammer’s Ballast was nominated for four Gotham Independent Film Awards — the most of any single film — including Breakthrough Director and Best Picture. Meanwhile, the critical darling is, for maybe the first time since its Sundance premiere, provoking sour responses. Armond White wrote a scathing review of the film attacking it as evidence that “African-American life is imprisoned by the art fallacies of Indie filmmaking, controlled by white liberal condescension” — but he’s Armond White, so that was somewhat expected. Somewhat less expected was this Hollywood Elsewhere post, where Jeff Wells pounces on White’s review like it’s the smoking yellow cake that makes the case that Ballast is overrated. After quoting liberally from White’s review, Wells offers a snide, unverified bit of gossip as confirmation of the other critic’s thesis, and then essentially wishes the film good riddance: Hammer is “a rich kid,” a producer friend told me yesterday. It all fits. Today is the final day to see Ballast at Manhattan’s Film Forum. Because of course, Armond White has never fallen for a rich kid’s vision of another culture before. All this, as if Ballast is even going to be seen by enough people to cause any sort of danger with its (to my mind non-existant) “white liberal condescension.” The self-distributed drama won’t even have much time to take advantage of any bump in local interest based on the IFP-awarded nods, because after its two week run at FIlm Forum wraps tonight, it’s scheduled to hop to the somewhat less illustrious Cinema Village for just one week before moving on to other cities. I know nothing of Hammer’s personal finances (other than that he worked in the art department on a handful of Hollywood blockbusters, whatever kind of personal fortune that’s good for), but it seems like smearing a self-distributed indie on the verge of a roll-out, even if that roll-out *is* trustfund funded (and from what I’ve heard, it’s not exactly that simple), is pure bad form. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:52 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/21/2008 6:00:52 PMFunny how, in the indie film world, falls from grace tend to begin before you’ve even hit the top. Yesterday, Lance Hammer’s Ballast was nominated for four Gotham Independent Film Awards — the most of any single film — including Breakthrough Director and Best Picture. Meanwhile, the critical darling is, for maybe the first time since its Sundance premiere, provoking sour responses. Armond White wrote a scathing review of the film attacking it as evidence that “African-American life is imprisoned by the art fallacies of Indie filmmaking, controlled by white liberal condescension” — but he’s Armond White, so that was somewhat expected. Somewhat less expected was this Hollywood Elsewhere post, where Jeff Wells pounces on White’s review like it’s the smoking yellow cake that makes the case that Ballast is overrated. After quoting liberally from White’s review, Wells offers a snide, unverified bit of gossip as confirmation of the other critic’s thesis, and then essentially wishes the film good riddance: Hammer is “a rich kid,” a producer friend told me yesterday. It all fits. Today is the final day to see Ballast at Manhattan’s Film Forum. Because of course, Armond White has never fallen for a rich kid’s vision of another culture before. All this, as if Ballast is even going to be seen by enough people to cause any sort of danger with its (to my mind non-existant) “white liberal condescension.” The self-distributed drama won’t even have much time to take advantage of any bump in local interest based on the IFP-awarded nods, because after its two week run at FIlm Forum wraps tonight, it’s scheduled to hop to the somewhat less illustrious Cinema Village for just one week before moving on to other cities. I know nothing of Hammer’s personal finances (other than that he worked in the art department on a handful of Hollywood blockbusters, whatever kind of personal fortune that’s good for), but it seems like smearing a self-distributed indie on the verge of a roll-out, even if that roll-out *is* trustfund funded (and from what I’ve heard, it’s not exactly that simple), is pure bad form. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_10_3/216/35686/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/29/2008 1:26:48 PM
Body: The playing cards are shorthand for how good I think these films will be. No sure-thing aces this week, but we've got some face cards... How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has a lot going for it. Director Robert B. Weide's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm has shown he's got the chops for comedy. Plus, the main actor is Simon Pegg, that talented star and co-writer of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. It'll be interesting to watch Pegg's chemistry with the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, and Jeff Bridges. Let's be honest, though -- this is just another film about fatuous asses at a fashion magazine. Looks like The Devil Wears Prada: Part Two. Which is fine as far as it goes, but I feel like seeing something a little more substantial this weekend. Appaloosa -- Reviewers are saying it's "just" a good old traditional western. I don't know about you, but a western can be "just" good and still get under my skin. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen are tough-as-leather lawmen who protect a town from gangster Jeremy Irons. Also, Harris and Mortensen are two sides of a romantic triangle with Renee Zellweger. Why do Westerns keep getting made? I don't know, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I know part of why I keep watching them: Westerns create an atmosphere where it takes courage to do what's right. To me, that atmosphere seems like a symbol of what life is always like. I need courage to stand up for someone; I need perseverance to get up and go to class. If you're interested in a meditation on what's worth risking your life, I recommend 3:10 to Yuma. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- In this Michael Cera vehicle two lonely teens connect over music. Looks kind of sweet, like the younger sibling of Garden State.Flash of Genius -- Drama based on the life of Robert Kearns, who invented something very boring but very useful: the intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns' invention was embraced by automobile manufacturers, but Kearns himself was discarded. Kearns started a long legal battle that no one expected him to win. It appears Kearns wasn't merely self-serving, but was spurred on by the principle that people should be acknowledged for the work they accomplish. Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert is a stand-up comedy show featuring Muslim comedians like Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, and Mo Amer. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Have you seen the clever edit of the scene from Sixth Sense? Religulous -- Bill Maher and director Larry Charles (Borat) team up to humiliate organized religions. SpoutBlog's Karina Longworth takes a look at their dubious interviewing method. This film might be funny in a preaching to the choir kind of way. Who doesn't agree that religious fundamentalism can be dangerous and absurd? Any favorite flicks that satirize religion in way that actually gets people to open their eyes? I thought Talladega Nights was a pretty artful critique of health-and-wealth Christianity. (No, I'm not kidding.)An American Carol -- Airplane! director David Zucker and a Michael Moore lookalike team up in this parody of leftist politics. The trailer for An American Carol makes the film look about as fun as an afternoon at the DMV. LIMITED RELEASE RocknRolla -- Guy Ritchie's third flick is being called a return to form, an equal of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. We know it'll be all style and no substance, so it'll comes down to whether you're a Ritchie fan or not. Rachel Getting Married -- Anne Hathaway gives a great performance in this story about a prodigal daughter's return. Ballast -- A man's suicide makes three people realize they need community. Karina was impressed when she caught it at Sundance.The Pope's Toilet -- (limited release) It's 1988 on the Uruguay/Brazil border. The town of Melo is eagerly anticipating the visit of Pope John Paul II and 50,000 others in his wake. Melo locals such as Bob, a smuggler, are getting entrepreneurial: Bob builds a port-o-potty on his property and charges for its use. Chaos ensues.
]]>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:26:48 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/29/2008 1:26:48 PMThe playing cards are shorthand for how good I think these films will be. No sure-thing aces this week, but we've got some face cards... How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has a lot going for it. Director Robert B. Weide's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm has shown he's got the chops for comedy. Plus, the main actor is Simon Pegg, that talented star and co-writer of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. It'll be interesting to watch Pegg's chemistry with the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, and Jeff Bridges. Let's be honest, though -- this is just another film about fatuous asses at a fashion magazine. Looks like The Devil Wears Prada: Part Two. Which is fine as far as it goes, but I feel like seeing something a little more substantial this weekend. Appaloosa -- Reviewers are saying it's "just" a good old traditional western. I don't know about you, but a western can be "just" good and still get under my skin. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen are tough-as-leather lawmen who protect a town from gangster Jeremy Irons. Also, Harris and Mortensen are two sides of a romantic triangle with Renee Zellweger. Why do Westerns keep getting made? I don't know, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I know part of why I keep watching them: Westerns create an atmosphere where it takes courage to do what's right. To me, that atmosphere seems like a symbol of what life is always like. I need courage to stand up for someone; I need perseverance to get up and go to class. If you're interested in a meditation on what's worth risking your life, I recommend 3:10 to Yuma. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- In this Michael Cera vehicle two lonely teens connect over music. Looks kind of sweet, like the younger sibling of Garden State.Flash of Genius -- Drama based on the life of Robert Kearns, who invented something very boring but very useful: the intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns' invention was embraced by automobile manufacturers, but Kearns himself was discarded. Kearns started a long legal battle that no one expected him to win. It appears Kearns wasn't merely self-serving, but was spurred on by the principle that people should be acknowledged for the work they accomplish. Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert is a stand-up comedy show featuring Muslim comedians like Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, and Mo Amer. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Have you seen the clever edit of the scene from Sixth Sense? Religulous -- Bill Maher and director Larry Charles (Borat) team up to humiliate organized religions. SpoutBlog's Karina Longworth takes a look at their dubious interviewing method. This film might be funny in a preaching to the choir kind of way. Who doesn't agree that religious fundamentalism can be dangerous and absurd? Any favorite flicks that satirize religion in way that actually gets people to open their eyes? I thought Talladega Nights was a pretty artful critique of health-and-wealth Christianity. (No, I'm not kidding.)An American Carol -- Airplane! director David Zucker and a Michael Moore lookalike team up in this parody of leftist politics. The trailer for An American Carol makes the film look about as fun as an afternoon at the DMV. LIMITED RELEASE RocknRolla -- Guy Ritchie's third flick is being called a return to form, an equal of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. We know it'll be all style and no substance, so it'll comes down to whether you're a Ritchie fan or not. Rachel Getting Married -- Anne Hathaway gives a great performance in this story about a prodigal daughter's return. Ballast -- A man's suicide makes three people realize they need community. Karina was impressed when she caught it at Sundance.The Pope's Toilet -- (limited release) It's 1988 on the Uruguay/Brazil border. The town of Melo is eagerly anticipating the visit of Pope John Paul II and 50,000 others in his wake. Melo locals such as Bob, a smuggler, are getting entrepreneurial: Bob builds a port-o-potty on his property and charges for its use. Chaos ensues. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Upcoming_Movies_Week_of_9_5/216/34631/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/1/2008 10:56:40 PM
Body: (Friday, September 5) Mister Foe -- (limited release) I'm looking forward to this one. Hallam Foe, played by Jaime Bell (Billy Elliot!) is a peeping tom looking for love on the rooftops of Edinburgh. The trailer makes this film look funny and invigorating and sad, like Juno's older, more mature Scottish cousin. Bangkok Dangerous -- This trailer shows Cage cutting off a guy's hand with a boat propellor. I can't decide if that's cool, funny, or neither. What do you guys think? If you're fans of Cage's older action flicks like The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, does Bangkok Dangerous look worse? Or is it us that's changed, not the quality of Cage's movies? (I have a soft spot for The Rock myself, and I wonder if I'd ruin that by watching it again.) I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's seen the original Bangkok Dangerous (2000). Did you like it? Are you excited for the remake? Passengers -- Anne Hathaway, grief counselor, is assigned a group of plane crash survivors. Of course she falls for one of them (Patrick Wilson of Hard Candy and upcoming Watchmen) and it appears he's developed ESP. This looks like a mix between Fearless and Lost. My sixth sense says it's skippable. Ping Pong Playa -- (limited release) I like the tagline: "Don't just win. Destroy." The trailer leaves me undecided, though. A comedy about ping-pong and being Asian-American. Everybody Wants to Be Italian -- (limited release) Romantic comedy. A guy's obsessed with a girl who broke up with him 8 years ago. The guy's trying to impress another girl by pretending he's Italian. Could be charming, but I will never find out. Save Me -- (limited release) A gay man enters a religious rehabilitation facility. I read in New York Magazine that it avoids caricature, but it's boring visually and the story's nothing to write home about. Some sources out there are saying Ballast will be released Sept. 4 or 5. To the best of my knowledge, it's not being released until October 1. Anyway, in case it does come out: Ballast -- (limited release) An ex-addict, her 12-year old son, and her brother-in-law (who recently failed a suicide attempt) all realize how helpless they are on their own. Together, they try to become the community that each one of them needs. SpoutBlog writer Karina Longworth reviewed it when it was at Sundance. Director Lance Hammer said in an interview with FilmCouch that he filmed Ballast in the Mississippi Delta because he "fell in love" with the Delta's sadness and authenticity. Two movies I can think of that were filmed in the Delta are also filled with sadness and authenticity. They're the blues documentaries Deep Blues and You See Me Laughin.
]]>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:56:40 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/1/2008 10:56:40 PM (Friday, September 5) Mister Foe -- (limited release) I'm looking forward to this one. Hallam Foe, played by Jaime Bell (Billy Elliot!) is a peeping tom looking for love on the rooftops of Edinburgh. The trailer makes this film look funny and invigorating and sad, like Juno's older, more mature Scottish cousin. Bangkok Dangerous -- This trailer shows Cage cutting off a guy's hand with a boat propellor. I can't decide if that's cool, funny, or neither. What do you guys think? If you're fans of Cage's older action flicks like The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, does Bangkok Dangerous look worse? Or is it us that's changed, not the quality of Cage's movies? (I have a soft spot for The Rock myself, and I wonder if I'd ruin that by watching it again.) I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's seen the original Bangkok Dangerous (2000). Did you like it? Are you excited for the remake? Passengers -- Anne Hathaway, grief counselor, is assigned a group of plane crash survivors. Of course she falls for one of them (Patrick Wilson of Hard Candy and upcoming Watchmen) and it appears he's developed ESP. This looks like a mix between Fearless and Lost. My sixth sense says it's skippable. Ping Pong Playa -- (limited release) I like the tagline: "Don't just win. Destroy." The trailer leaves me undecided, though. A comedy about ping-pong and being Asian-American. Everybody Wants to Be Italian -- (limited release) Romantic comedy. A guy's obsessed with a girl who broke up with him 8 years ago. The guy's trying to impress another girl by pretending he's Italian. Could be charming, but I will never find out. Save Me -- (limited release) A gay man enters a religious rehabilitation facility. I read in New York Magazine that it avoids caricature, but it's boring visually and the story's nothing to write home about. Some sources out there are saying Ballast will be released Sept. 4 or 5. To the best of my knowledge, it's not being released until October 1. Anyway, in case it does come out: Ballast -- (limited release) An ex-addict, her 12-year old son, and her brother-in-law (who recently failed a suicide attempt) all realize how helpless they are on their own. Together, they try to become the community that each one of them needs. SpoutBlog writer Karina Longworth reviewed it when it was at Sundance. Director Lance Hammer said in an interview with FilmCouch that he filmed Ballast in the Mississippi Delta because he "fell in love" with the Delta's sadness and authenticity. Two movies I can think of that were filmed in the Delta are also filled with sadness and authenticity. They're the blues documentaries Deep Blues and You See Me Laughin. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/25/24342.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/25/2008 3:01:19 PM
Body: This FilmCouch is just a glancing blow at everything we want to say about Sundance 2008, so check out all our coverage here. A few categories really stood out for different reasons like: The Unexpected Surprise (Bigger, Stronger, Faster), The Unexpected Let Down (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins), The Came From Nowhere Critics’ Pick (Ballast) and The Agree to Disagree (Be Kind Rewind). FilmCouch 54 Bigger, Stronger, Faster The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins Ballast Be Kind Rewind Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:01:19 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/25/2008 3:01:19 PM This FilmCouch is just a glancing blow at everything we want to say about Sundance 2008, so check out all our coverage here. A few categories really stood out for different reasons like: The Unexpected Surprise (Bigger, Stronger, Faster), The Unexpected Let Down (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins), The Came From Nowhere Critics’ Pick (Ballast) and The Agree to Disagree (Be Kind Rewind). FilmCouch 54 Bigger, Stronger, Faster The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins Ballast Be Kind Rewind Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/1/25/24341.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 1/25/2008 3:00:54 PM
Body: This FilmCouch is just a glancing blow at everything we want to say about Sundance 2008, so check out all our coverage here. A few categories really stood out for different reasons like: The Unexpected Surprise (Bigger, Stronger, Faster), The Unexpected Let Down (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins), The Came From Nowhere Critics’ Pick (Ballast) and The Agree to Disagree (Be Kind Rewind). FilmCouch 54 Bigger, Stronger, Faster The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins Ballast Be Kind Rewind Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul
]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:00:54 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com1/25/2008 3:00:54 PM This FilmCouch is just a glancing blow at everything we want to say about Sundance 2008, so check out all our coverage here. A few categories really stood out for different reasons like: The Unexpected Surprise (Bigger, Stronger, Faster), The Unexpected Let Down (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins), The Came From Nowhere Critics’ Pick (Ballast) and The Agree to Disagree (Be Kind Rewind). FilmCouch 54 Bigger, Stronger, Faster The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins Ballast Be Kind Rewind Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/25/24336.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/25/2008 1:00:47 PM
Body: People may be going home and some may have already filed their festival recaps, but Sundance isn’t over yet. I’ve pretty much run out of real trailers to look at, though. There are technically some out there that I haven’t reviewed, but they’re for movies I really haven’t felt that inclined to highlight. So, on my last day of writing about the (disappointing) marketing of Sundance films, I’m taking a look at two of Sundance Channel’s “Meet the Filmmaker” videos, which kind of serve as unofficial trailers to the two films I’ve become most excited about. The first (above) is for Ballast, which Karina has reviewed. I don’t know if it is her favorite dramatic film of the fest, but she and others have written favorably enough about it that I’m hoping to somehow see it in the “real world”. The little bit of footage doesn’t give us much and director Lance Hammer’s description is also not the best sell, but it hardly matters. This is one film that has garnered my attention through its reception, and so it’s best to leave it to the buzz to get us to see it. Unfortunately, the last scheduled Sundance screening for Ballast was this morning, but if it finds any awards success, it will receive more showtimes this weekend. Otherwise, we non-festival attendees will have to hope for at least some minor theatrical distributor to pick it up. For more of Spout’s coverage of this film, check out our interview with Hammer and the cast. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:00:47 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/25/2008 1:00:47 PM People may be going home and some may have already filed their festival recaps, but Sundance isn’t over yet. I’ve pretty much run out of real trailers to look at, though. There are technically some out there that I haven’t reviewed, but they’re for movies I really haven’t felt that inclined to highlight. So, on my last day of writing about the (disappointing) marketing of Sundance films, I’m taking a look at two of Sundance Channel’s “Meet the Filmmaker” videos, which kind of serve as unofficial trailers to the two films I’ve become most excited about. The first (above) is for Ballast, which Karina has reviewed. I don’t know if it is her favorite dramatic film of the fest, but she and others have written favorably enough about it that I’m hoping to somehow see it in the “real world”. The little bit of footage doesn’t give us much and director Lance Hammer’s description is also not the best sell, but it hardly matters. This is one film that has garnered my attention through its reception, and so it’s best to leave it to the buzz to get us to see it. Unfortunately, the last scheduled Sundance screening for Ballast was this morning, but if it finds any awards success, it will receive more showtimes this weekend. Otherwise, we non-festival attendees will have to hope for at least some minor theatrical distributor to pick it up. For more of Spout’s coverage of this film, check out our interview with Hammer and the cast. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/22/24212.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/22/2008 2:00:53 PM
Body: Lance Hammer’s debut feature Ballast is garnering positive feedback here at Sundance (see Karina’s full review here). The film is a carefully paced drama about suicide, youth, and the emotional successes and failures that bind people together. Hammer’s influence was his setting, the Mississippi Delta. He cast only local actors, most of them with no professional experience. In this interview Hammer and stars Micheal Smith, Tarra Riggs and Johnny McPhail talk about working without a script, the bonds formed on set, and why throwing away the script is the first step toward truth in film. Ballast interviews Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:00:53 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/22/2008 2:00:53 PM Lance Hammer’s debut feature Ballast is garnering positive feedback here at Sundance (see Karina’s full review here). The film is a carefully paced drama about suicide, youth, and the emotional successes and failures that bind people together. Hammer’s influence was his setting, the Mississippi Delta. He cast only local actors, most of them with no professional experience. In this interview Hammer and stars Micheal Smith, Tarra Riggs and Johnny McPhail talk about working without a script, the bonds formed on set, and why throwing away the script is the first step toward truth in film. Ballast interviews Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrugs
Number of films tagged: 1643

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]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:36:00 GMT1643130488Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspxdocumentary
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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:11:06 GMT402127496Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/violence/MemberTagFilms.aspxviolence
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Number of people who tagged: 82

Number of times used: 240

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]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT5392032Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/singleparent/MemberTagFilms.aspxsingleparent
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]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT351716Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/feud/MemberTagFilms.aspxfeud
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]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:42 GMT28567Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hardships/MemberTagFilms.aspxhardships
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]]>Wed, 06 May 2009 13:04:03 GMT18623Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/LAFF/MemberTagFilms.aspxLAFF
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]]>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:58:59 GMT37253Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/interdependence/MemberTagFilms.aspxinterdependence
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]]>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:03:29 GMT6100Tag