| HOT
Benten Films is Burning
The first distribution label curated and run by film critics, Benten Films is fast becoming the Criterion of independent cinema. This boutique distribution outfit made its name with a few mumblecore releases: Joe Swanberg's LOL, Todd Rohal's The Guatemalan Handshake, Aaron Katz's Dance Party, USA and Quiet City. The discs are gorgeously packaged, loaded with substantial extras and accompanied by insightful critical essays. Their next release for example, Kentucker Audley's Team Picture, includes a director commentary, deleted scenes and a trailer, but also music performances and a short film also by Audley as well as a new epilogue to the film.
Benten aren't afraid to look beyond the American DIY generation. Their latest release, Matthias Glasner's Silver Bear winner, The Free Will (Der Freie Wille), is a three-hour tour-de-force of epic intimacy concerned with the rehabilitation of a serial rapist.
Dork Film's Faves
Dork Film Faves is a YouTube channel dedicated to collating trailers for films screening at the upcoming Toronto and Montreal films festivals. As an attendee, this is a valuable resource, but for anyone who finds it tough to find non-Hollywood trailers, it's also a good place to visit. The film dork in question also blogs at My Freakin Film Page.
The curious case of Alexandre Desplat
Sorry Philip, I am now obsessed with Alexandre, whom Jonathan Glazer describes as "a witchdoctor". The Frenchman's tremendous scores for The Queen, Syriana, Lust, Caution and (my favourite,) Birth, are on heavy rotation at my house. One reason his work wows me is his refusal to musically underline the action on the screen, unlike most American composers. It's also the reason they stand alone as records to listen to in one's living room. Next up: David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, strarring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt - for which the trailer is now up.
Ozploitation: this year's official flashback
The upcoming Melbourne International Film Festival will open with Ozploitation doco Not Quite Hollywood. Expect anecdotes from international filmmakers and aficionados (Tarantino is to film docos what Bono is too music docos: a plague), an infectious love of Ausstralian genre cinema of the '70s and early '80s and plenty of kung-footage (including, hopefully, Sammo Hung fighting Aussie cops atop Ayers Rock in The Man From Hong Kong).
| NOT
Bargain Bin Blues
Such is the state of independent film distribution and exhibition in Australia that it's impossible to see these films on the big screen. Try your local video shop instead as these guys are going straight to DVD.
- Conversations With Other Women - this two-hander features great performances from Arron eckhardt and Helena Bonham Carter.
- Bug - William Friedkin's masterclass in American paranoia.
- Black Water - Australia's answer to Open Water is a suprisingly effective crocodile thriller
- Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens - a portrait of the star photographer by her sister.
- Savage Grace - Julianne Moore shines in this expert dissection of a mother's neurosis.
- Reprise - The freewheeling passion of young Norwegian intellectuals is the subject of this striking debut.
- Retribution - the latest (and last?) J-horror from Japanese master Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
- Angel - Francois Ozon's first English-language feature.
Sequels, TV shows, remakes, spin-offs and more of the same...
Coming up from the so-called dream machine: not a single original idea. It only took 5 years for a remake of The Incredible Hulk... Is it me or are things getting worse?
In the next couple of years, look forward to pre/sequels to Shrek, Madagascar, Ice Age, Cars, Toy Story, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Mummy, Harry Potter, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Austin Powers, Transformers, Hell Boy, Iron Man, Spider Man, Batman, X-Men, The X-Files, Star Trek, Terminator, Lord of the Rings, The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia, Night at the Museum, The Fast and the Furious, Saw, Sin City and, yes, even The Pink Panther.
John Hancock
In the abysmal Hancock, which is on track to bank over a jaw-dropping $100 million this Independence Day weekend, Will Smith plays America, the violent superpower. There's nothing wrong with his policy of preemptive strikes and shock & awe tactics: any PR guy will tell you, the brand just needs a make-over. Is Hancock a two-hour campaign spot for John McCain?
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5 comments:
Er... Ozon's ANGEL was released nationally last November. And because it's a piece of shit it was off screens within a fortnight. Maybe that's why you missed it.
My mistake. I'd have to disagree with you though, not just about the quality of the film, but with the assumption that there's a correlation between a film's quality and how long it stays on our screens.
You will get your Man from Hong Kong, my friend.
I programmed The Man From Hong Kong at one of my festivals last year. We'd invited local producer John Fraser, who was full of juicy anecdotes about the shoot. And LA-based expat Brian trenchard-Smith shot a hilarious video for us, in which he introduces the screening. It's such a fun, politically incorrect film...
I wouldn't mind checking out that Trenchard-Smith vid if you still have it. He's coming out for MIFF you know - not sure if it's public yet though...
Madman are re-releasing MFHK to coincide with NQH. Stone has just been rereleased as a two disc boxset and I guess this film should see a few others follow suit. I'm certainly going to pick up MFHK, maybe Stunt Rock and a few others. Just got a great Mad Max box set a few weeks back too.
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