During a press conference for his upcoming movie "Australia," star Hugh Jackman detailed how he won this year's Sexiest Man Alive designation from People magazine:
"We ran, I think, a very strong campaign. I'm not proud of it, I can admit it now, but we were the first to run a negative campaign. We spent years bringing Clooney, Pitt, Damon, McConaughey all down to size."
Addressing another subject, parenting, Jackman got a little more serious about the honor. Well, a little more honest, anyway.
"Children are just the most pure reflection of the truth at any given moment. For example - not that I'm trying to bring it up - but I was just labeled with something that, trust me, I never thought would happen. My son, Oscar, who is eight, he goes: 'You? You've gotta be kidding me!'
"I thought, there's the truth!"

Posted by Bob Strauss at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

Before Saturday night's butt-numbing, L.A. premiere od Steven Soderbergh's two-part, four-plus hourlong biopic "Che," the director cracked that he had this in common with the Latin American revolutionary and t-shirt icon: "I really wish people would do the hell what I want them to."
Then he made a joke about his cinematic effort - in which Benicio Del Toro trudges around Cuba and Bolivia with a lot of equally hairy co-stars who rarely come into distinctive characterizations - maybe being a little bit masturbatory.
If his goal was to immerse us in the day-to-day details of life in scruffy rebel armies, Soderbergh hit the bullseye (except for the part about not really getting to know comrades you lived, worked and fought alongside for months and years in the jungle). But he made the onanism reference, not me.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

I'm not going to mention every lame group that wants to be part of the overcrowded movie awards bore-fest we'll be subjected to for the next four months. But IDA's choices for feature documentaries seem quite astute, and these films need all the publicity that they can get. So, herewith, the official announcement; and remember, folks, it's an honor just to get nominated:

LOS ANGELES, October 28, 2008 -- The nominees for the International Documentary Association's 2008 IDA Documentary Awards competition were announced today, including many of the year's most buzzed-about titles and festival favorites. Winners will be feted on December 5th at the Directors Guild, in a ceremony hosted by Academy Award® nominated documentary filmmaker and star Morgan Spurlock.

"Innovative storytelling, digital editing and sophisticated audiences have opened up the playing field of what a documentary can be. So, in choosing a master of ceremonies for this year's event, no one better exemplifies that renegade creative spirit than Morgan Spurlock," said IDA's Interim Executive Director Eddie Schmidt. Spurlock, known for SUPERSIZE ME, 30 DAYS, and WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?, will take a brief sojourn from postproduction on the upcoming FREAKONOMICS to handle hosting duties.

The five nominated films for Distinguished Documentary Achievement in IDA's feature category are: KASSIM THE DREAM, the powerful story of Ugandan-born World Champion boxer Kassim "The Dream" Ouima, who must confront his difficult past as a child soldier while training for his next world title; MAN ON WIRE, an evocative chronicle of tightrope walker Philippe Petit's high-wire (and highly illegal) routine between New York's former Twin Towers, circa 1974; STRANDED: I HAVE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS, the harrowing tale of the famous 1972 Andes plane crash, as told by its survivors today; WALTZ WITH BASHIR, an unprecedented animated documentary examining the consequences of war by unraveling the memories of Ari Folman and other Israeli soldiers who fought in the 1982 Lebanon conflict; and, finally, YOUNG@HEART, a warm and human look at a Massachusetts chorus of senior citizens who perform rock songs with camaraderie and gusto.

The five nominated short films are: KICKS LIKE A GIRL, LA CORONA, REDEMPTION STONE, SMILE PINKI, TONGZHI IN LOVE. LA CORONA was nominated for last year's Best Documentary Short Academy Award®, while SMILE PINKI and TONGZHI IN LOVE currently reside on this year's Oscar shortlist. KICKS LIKE A GIRL played in this year's IDA Docuweek program.

In the Limited Series category, the four nominees are: CNN PRESENTS: GOD'S WARRIORS, THE JEWISH AMERICANS, THE WAR, and SIN CITY LAW. Continuing Series nominees are NOVA, AMERICAN MASTERS, THIS AMERICAN LIFE and WIDE ANGLE.

Other IDA competition categories include the Alan Ett Music Award (now in its second year), the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, the ABC News Video Source Award, for best use of television news footage as an integral component, as well as the Pare Lorentz Award, presented to the filmmaker whose documentary best represents the activist spirit and lyrical vision of the acclaimed Pare Lorentz. For a complete list of nominees and finalists (in some categories), please see the attached.

In addition to competitive awards for the year's current crop of outstanding documentaries, IDA also acknowledges exemplary creative contributions to the genre at large. This year's IDA Career Achievement honoree, to be celebrated during December's event, was previously announced as ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD and GRIZZLY MAN director Werner Herzog.

Other career awards to be handed out at the ceremony include: the Pioneer Award, to groundbreaking filmmaker Rob Epstein (THE CELLULOID CLOSET; THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK), the Preservation & Scholarship Award, to beloved UCLA professor, author, and filmmaker Marina Goldovskaya (THE PRINCE IS BACK), and the inaugural Avid Excellence in Editing Award, sponsored by the digital editing giant, to master editor and filmmaker Sam Pollard (WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS; 4 LITTLE GIRLS).

The Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Filmmaker Award will go to helmer Stefan Forbes, whose prescient and provocative BOOGIE MAN: THE LEE ATWATER STORY, is currently in theatrical release.

Finally, 2008 heralds a brand new Audience Award, where all IDA members can vote for their favorite doc from a wide-ranging list of the year's nonfiction features simply by logging on to www.documentary.org where there is also a write-in option for additional titles. The Audience Award winner will be tabulated by votes accumulated on the site beginning today and lasting over the next several weeks. The winner will be announced the night of the show.

This year's program, featuring a catered reception by Border Grill/Ciudad, is sponsored by HBO Documentary Films, Magic Rock Entertainment, the Directors Guild of America, Heineken, Sort this Out Cellars, and Aquarius Oxygen Water. Tickets are available for purchase now at www.documentary.org/awards08 .

Posted by Bob Strauss at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)

Why anyone would want to sit through even one is beyond me, but for the addicted (or should that be afflicted?) it sounds like a pretty good deal.

The press release, with a list of all the participating theaters so the rest of us will know where to stay away from:

AMC ENTERTAINMENT® OFFERS GUESTS A "CUTTING" EDGE VALUE:

"SAWFEST" MOVIE MARATHON ON THURSDAY, OCT. 23

An Experience Not for the Faint of Heart:

See Saw I, II, III, IV and V--For $15

Kansas City, Mo. (October 20, 2008) - In a move to challenge serious horror movie buffs, AMC Entertainment Inc., a worldwide leader in theatrical exhibition and out-of-home entertainment, today announces details of Sawfest: a marathon of Lionsgate® and Twisted Pictures' four previously-released "Saw" movies leading up to the midnight show of the newest installation, "Saw V," all for just $15.

For a second year in a row, Sawfest will take place Thursday, Oct. 23, at 42 participating AMC theatres in 25 U.S. markets. The marathon will begin at 4 p.m. with short intermissions between each film, culminating in the 12:01 a.m. release of "Saw V." Seating is limited and tickets are available today at all participating AMC theatres and at AMCTheatres.com.

The "Saw" film series is a popular horror film franchise created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, beginning in 2004 and continuing to the present. The franchise is produced for Lionsgate by Mark Burg and Oren Koules, founders of Twisted Pictures.

The series' main plot revolves around the Jigsaw Killer, a vigilante who kidnaps victims and places them in deadly traps to test them and see if they are deserving of the life they have abused. The victims, almost always chosen because they have taken their lives for granted, are usually linked to each other in one way or another. The films tend to conclude with a twist ending that wraps things up, but also creates more questions to be answered in the following film.

Guests who attend Sawfest are free to come and go throughout the duration of the series, but will need to keep and produce their ticket stub to ensure re-admission into the Sawfest auditorium. Due to the "R" ratings of each of the films, guests under 17 will not be admitted without a parent or guardian.

AMC "SAWFEST" PARTICIPATING THEATRES

STATE MARKET THEATRE

Arizona Phoenix AMC Mesa Grand 24

Arizona Phoenix AMC Deer Valley 30 with IMAX

California Los Angeles AMC CityWalk 19 with IMAX

California Los Angeles AMC 30 at The Block

California Los Angeles AMC Burbank 16

California Los Angeles AMC Ontario Mills 30

California Los Angeles AMC Norwalk 20

California Los Angeles AMC Del Amo 18

California San Diego AMC Mission Valley 20

California San Diego AMC Palm Promenade 24

California San Jose AMC Mercado 20

California San Francisco AMC Metreon 16 with IMAX

California San Francisco AMC Bay Street 16

Colorado Denver AMC Westminster Promenade 24

District of Columbia Washington AMC Hoffman Center 22

Florida Miami AMC Sunset Place 24

Florida Miami AMC Aventura 24

Florida Orlando AMC Loews Universal Cineplex 20

Florida Orlando AMC Pleasure Island 24

Florida Tallahassee AMC Tallahassee Mall 20

Georgia Atlanta AMC Southlake Pavilion 24

Illinois Chicago AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield 20

Illinois Chicago AMC Crestwood 18

Missouri Kansas City AMC BarryWoods 24

Maryland Baltimore AMC Loews White Marsh 16

Massachusetts Boston AMC Loews Boston Common 19

Michigan Detroit AMC Star Southfield 20

New Jersey Clifton AMC Clifton Commons 16

New Jersey New Brunswick AMC Loews New Brunswick 18

New Jersey Elizabeth AMC Loews Jersey Gardens 20

New York New York City AMC Empire 25

New York New York City AMC Loews Palisades Center 21

Ohio Cincinnati AMC Newport on the Levee 20

Ohio Columbus AMC Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX

Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Neshaminy 24

Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24

Pennsylvania Pittsburgh AMC Loews Waterfront 22

Texas Dallas AMC The Parks at Arlington 18

Texas Dallas AMC Mesquite 30

Texas Houston AMC Gulf Pointe 30

Virginia Norfolk AMC Hampton 24

Washington Seattle AMC Loews Alderwood 16

Posted by Bob Strauss at 9:54 PM | Comments (0)

Here's the official information on a festival honoring women in film:

LA FEMME FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS

2008 HONOREES AND TICKET SALES

FESTIVAL COMES TO LOS ANGELES OCTOBER 16-19TH, 2008

MEDIA ALERT: As of October 16, 2008.

WHAT: LA Femme Film Festival announced today that tickets are open for sale for this year's festival.

WHO: LA Femme Film Festival highlights commercially viable films written, directed or produced by women for everyone. Now in its fourth year, the festival is dedicated to creating an environment that nurtures and helps distribute films from emerging filmmakers of all ages.

The Festival will be honoring Celebrity guests for an Awards Show and giving special awards to "A-List" top industry professionals on October 19th at 7:00pm at the Fine Arts Theatre

WHEN: Go to www.lafemme.org for information on tickets and event times.

VIP Pass $150, Individual Film Tickets $10, Seminars $20, Awards Ceremony and party $35

WHERE: Festival October 16, 17, 18, 19 in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles

Tickets can be purchased now at www.lafemme.org

Awards Ceremony at the Fine Arts Theatre Oct 19th at 7PM-9PM

8556 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills CA 90211

2008 HONOREES:

Vivica A Fox- Image Award

Erica Gimpel-Innovative Award

Daphne Zuniga-New Establishment Award

Lorraine Toussaint- Visionary Award

Tippi Hedren-Thespian Award

CONTACTS: For Festival questions, please call 310-441-1645 info@lafemme.org

PAST HONOREES:

Rosanna Arquette, Lea Thompson, Martha Coolidge, Sara Risher, Marisol Nichols, Maria Conchita Alonso, Julie Davis, Susan Seidelman, Angela Bromstad, Lauren Zalaznick, Jacqueline Bisset, Sally Kirkland, Penelope Spheeris, Henry Jaglom, Patricia Cardoso

Beverly Hills, CA, October 16, 2008... LA Femme Film Festival's Founder Leslie LaPage announced today that the 2008 festival will kick off on October 16th. The festival will run from October 16th -19th and include independent features, shorts, music videos, commercials, special screenings and seminars. The four day event will be held at the: Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills at 8556 Wilshire Blvd. and the Wilshire Screening Room at 8670 Wilshire Blvd. The festival includes screenings, seminars, networking events, an awards ceremony LA Femme is dedicated to creating opportunities for female filmmakers to access the Hollywood's A-List. The festival highlights emerging artists and their films to a wide audience of theatre audiences.

Our festival winners have gone on to achieve full theatrical distribution, domestic cable, representation and development deals at the major studios: "Green Street Hooligans" open in over 2,000 theaters nationwide "The Colt" aired on The Hallmark Channel. "Moondance Alexander" limited domestic theatrical, "Christian" international theatrical distribution, "Beautiful Dreamer" cable distribution, "Draco y el Teatro" shown on MTV and more.

LA Femme Film Festival is open to the general public and tickets are available on the website www.lafemme.org or by calling (310) 441-1645. Tickets for individual films are $10.00, seminars are each $20.00, at the door on a first come basis, while a VIP pass for all events is $150.00 VIP passes include all screenings, parties, seminars, and the Closing Night Awards Ceremony; Entertainment Union Guild passes are available for $59.99 with Union ID. Students with a current ID are welcome to attend the seminars only for FREE. Single tickets are available for the awards ceremony at ($35). The full schedule is available at: www.lafemme.org.

Media Inquiries: To register press credentials for the Festival or to schedule an interview with Leslie LaPage, contact Leslie LaPage at 310-441-1645. For more information see the events schedule on the website.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 2:17 PM | Comments (0)

Mark Wahlberg continues to speak out about Andy Samberg's parody of him on October 4th's "Saturday Night Live." Some people say that the former Marky Mark should learn to take a joke. But at a press conference for his upcoming (and, admittedly, humorless) movie "Max Payne" earlier today, I thought the Markster was pretty funny.
"You know what? It's flattering," he conceded. "It wasn't, obviously, as funny as the Tina Fey Sarah Palin thing, so . . . I dunno, maybe it's a little jab because I've refused to do the show so many times.
"But it was funny, y'know? 'Say hi to your mother for me' is my new catchphrase, even though I never really said that before. But I'll take it and run with it. And it was not as funny as 'Hot Rod: The Movie.' But he's gotta do what he's gotta do to make a living. I ain't knocking it."

Posted by Bob Strauss at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)

It's L.A.'s biggest and best film festival. The whole line-up is revealed in the press release below:

AFI FEST 2008 PRESENTED BY AUDI
ANNOUNCES COMPLETE FESTIVAL LINEUP

PROGRAMMING INCLUDES TRIBUTES TO DANNY BOYLE AND TILDA SWINTON

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

LOS ANGELES (October 7, 2008)--AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival announces that director Danny Boyle and Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, will each receive tributes at this year's Festival. Sponsored by the Skirball Cultural Center, Boyle's tribute event will preceed a special screening of his film, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Swinton's tribute will feature an hour-long film clip retrospective of her career, followed by a Q&A session with the actress. Both tributes will take place at ArcLight Hollywood and will include a first time teaming of AFI FEST with the American Cinematheque that will include additional programming at the Egyptian Theater.

Also announced is the complete schedule for AFI FEST. In it's 22nd year, the Festival's programming includes an impressive selection of films reflecting exciting trends and emerging filmmakers from around the globe, including Argentina, Uganda, Spain and Kazakhstan. Thought provoking non-linear and experimental works, international filmmaking icons, artistic statements from some of the most provocative directors, as well as a salute to exemplary artists who died during the past calendar year are planned. In addition, 37 of the features in official selection at AFI FEST will be represented by distributors at the American Film Market, unfolding concurrently with AFI FEST from November 5 - November 12.

Commenting on this year's lineup, Artistic Director Rose Kuo said, "This year's selection of international films shows a commitment to cinematic innovation and a renewal of a tradition of realism in cinema. This sometimes takes the form of dealing with urgent topical issues and sometimes takes the form of expanding the nature of and sense of cinematic form. This is true of work by masters and by first time filmmakers."

Associate Director of Programming Shaz Bennett adds, "One of the most exciting things about going to a film festival is opening yourself up to a larger range of filmmakers. Many of the films at AFI FEST this year haven't yet received the full attention they deserve, so it's a chance to see the work of bold new innovative artists that are on the cusp of becoming household names. It's also exciting to note that we have 23 first time filmmakers and 27 women directors this year, which is greater than in previous years."

Senior Programmer Lane Kneedler says, "The films selected this year are more challenging and more original than the types of film we have chosen in the past. In so doing, we are trying to reflect the increased sophistication of our audiences and the continued innovation of the global filmmaking community. Also we felt like it was time for the Festival to evolve a bit. In the past we have always shown incredibly unique and talented fare, but as audiences become more evolved and sophisticated so must we."

The Tribute to Tilda Swinton will take place at ArcLight Hollywood on Wednesday, November 5, 2007.

Swinton began her career with a year at the Royal Shakespeare Company before tackling some gender-bending roles, such as the composer Mozart in Pushkin's Mozart and Salieri, and as a working class woman impersonating her dead husband during World War II, in Karges' Man to Man.

In 1985 the actress began a professional association with gay experimental director Derek Jarman. She continued to live and work with Jarman for the next nine years, developing seven critically acclaimed films. Their alliance would produce stark turns, such as Turner-prize nominated CARAVAGGIO (1986), THE LAST OF ENGLAND (1988), THE GARDEN (1990), EDWARD II (1991), and WITTGENSTEIN (1993) until Jarman succumbed to complications from AIDS in 1994.

For the title role in ORLANDO (1992), her nobleman character lives for 400 years while changing sex from man to woman. The film, which Swinton spent years helping writer/director Sally Potter develop and finance, continues to this day to have a worldwide devoted fan following. Over the years she has preferred art to celebrity, opening herself to experimental projects with new and untried directors and mediums, delving into the worlds of installation art and cutting-edge fashion. Consistently off-centered roles in FEMALE PERVERSIONS (1996), LOVE IS THE DEVIL: STUDY FOR A PORTRAIT OF FRANCIS BACON (1998), TEKNOLUST (2002), YOUNG ADAM (2003), BROKEN FLOWERS (2005) and A LONDON FERFI (2007) have only added to her mystique. Hollywood too has picked up on this notoriety and, since the birth of her twins in 1997, she has successfully moved between the deep-left-field art-house and quality Hollywood blockbusters. The thriller THE DEEP END (2001), earned her a number of critic's awards and her first Golden Globe nomination. Swinton also delivered singular performances in THE BEACH (2000/I) with Leonardo DiCaprio, CONSTANTINE (2005) with Keanu Reeves, her Oscar-winning role in MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) alongside George Clooney and her iconic 'White Witch' in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (2005).

This year, her career momentum seems to have no limit with her turns in BURN AFTER READING and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN soon to be followed with upcoming releases JULIA and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.

The Tribute to Danny Boyle will take place at ArcLight Hollywood on Friday, November 7.

Boyle's SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE focuses on a penniless, 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who finds himself one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's ''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. Determined to get to the bottom of his story, a jaded Police Inspector spends the night probing his incredible past, from his riveting tales of the slums where he and his brother survived by their wits to his hair-raising encounters with local gangs to his heartbreak over the unforgettable girl he loved and lost. When the new day dawns and the orphan returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and 60 million viewers are about to find out what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?

Danny Boyle's first feature, SHALLOW GRAVE, earned him the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs, as well as a host of other accolades including Best Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival, The Empire Award for Best Director and Best British Film and the London Critics' Circle Film Award for Best British Newcomer.

Boyle's second feature, TRAINSPOTTING, is one of the highest grossing British films of all time. The critically acclaimed film won four Empire Awards including Best Director and Best Film and was nominated for a BAFTA Alexander Korda Award.

In 2002 Boyle made the smash hit horror film 28 DAYS LATER. The film earned Boyle a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Boyle's other feature films include MILLIONS starring James Nesbit, Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon, THE BEACH, starring Leonardo Di Caprio, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, starring Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz, ALIEN LOVE TRIANGLE and SUNSHINE starring Cillian Murphy. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is his eighth international theatrically released film and recently won the People's Choice Award at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

His work in television includes producing Alan Clark's controversial ELEPHANT, and directing STRUMPET, VACUUMING COMPLETELY NUDE IN PARADISE and the series MR. WROE'S VIRGINS for which he received a BAFTA nomination. Boyle's career started in the theatre with Howard Barker's Victory, Howard Brenton's The Genius and Edward Bond's Saved, which won the Time Out Award. Boyle has also directed five productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

"The intersection between American and an increasingly globalized world film culture is reflected in both of our tributes reflect that as well," noted Kuo. "Danny Boyle is a filmmaker who started making low budget English films and has produced his strongest work in Hindu (and English) about contemporary 21st century Indian culture. Tilda Swinton is a performer who started doing avant garde theater and video work and most recently won an Academy Award in a mainstream Hollywood film. Her most recent work is directed by a French director inspired by Cassavetes. It is uniquely appropriate that we fete them both at AFI FEST this year."

Six films will be making their world premiere at AFI FEST 2008. Those films include: DEFIANCE, THE SOLOIST, POUNDCAKE, PLAYING COLUMBINE, PARADISE and THE WORLD WE WANT.

17 films will make their North American premieres. That group includes: BIRDSONG (EL CANT DELS OCELLS), THE CHASER, DIVIZIONZ, THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, WORLDS APART (TO VERDENER), BLOOD APPEARS (LA SANGRE BROTA), PERFECT LIFE (WAMMEI SHENHUO), BETTER THINGS, THE DESERT WITHIN (DESIERTO ADENTRO), THE HIGHER FORCE, INVOLUNTARY (DE OFRIVILLIGA), LAKE TAHOE (TE ACUERDAS DE LAKE TAHOE), NILOOFAR, NIRVANA, THE REST OF THE NIGHT, IMAGINADORES, UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US,

18 films will make their U.S. premieres. Those films are: SUGAR, TWO LOVERS, ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE (ACHILLES TO KAME), REVANCHE, SKIN, THREE BLIND MICE, TWO-LEGGED HORSE (ASBE DU-PA), WAITING FOR SANCHO, LION'S DEN (LEONORA), LIVERPOOL, PLASTIC CITY (DANGKOU), NATIVE DANCER, 3 WOMEN (SE ZAN), ACNE, PROPER EYES (POR SUS PROPIOS OJOS), INTIMACIES OF SHAKESPEARE AND VICTOR HUGO, THE LAST DAYS OF SHISHMAREF, BEFORE THE FALL (3 DIAS)

Continuing its unique and successful association with the American Film Market, the following films are among those that will participate in the market as well as screen at the festival: 24 CITY, ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE, ADAM RESURRECTED, BEFORE THE FALL, BETTER THINGS, BLOOD APPEARS, THE CHASER, THE CLASS, DIVIZIONZ, EVERLASTING MOMENTS, GACHI BOY WRESTLING WITH A MEMORY, A GOOD DAY TO BE BLACK & SEXY, THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, HUNGER, LION'S DEN, NATIVE DANCER, NILOOFAR, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, PLASTIC CITY, LA RABIA, SKIN, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, SUGAR, THREE BLIND MICE, TIME CRIMES, TOKYO!, TWO LOVERS, WENDY AND LUCY, WORLD'S APART, THE WRESTLER.

This year's AFI FEST will include films with AFI Conservatory alumni filmmakers such as; ADAM RESURRECTED (DIR Paul Schrader), A NECESSARY DEATH (DIR/SCR Daniel Stamm), (DP Zoltan Honti), (ED David Kashevaroff), (PROD Brian Udovich), BUCKETS (DIR Nick Simon), (PROD/SCR Todd Serlin), (DP Patrick Russo), (ED Michael Griffin), (SCR ED Elizabeth Chase), THE CHASER (SCR Shinho Lee), (PROD Sujin Kim), DEADGIRL (DP Harris Charalambous), DEFIANCE (DIR/SCR/PROD Edward Zwick), (EXEC PROD Marshall Herskovitz), (PROD Pieter Jan Brugge), (ED Steven Rosenblum), (PA Scott Jacobs), THE DESERT WITHIN (EXEC PROD German Mendez), (ED Ana Garcia), DOWNTOWN LA (DIR Nick Higgins), I'M GONNA EXPLODE (DIR/SCR/PROD Gerardo Naranjo), (DP Tobias Datum),
THE SOLOIST (SCR Susannah Grant), WORLD'S APART (EXEC PROD Kim Magnusson), THE WRESTLER (DIR/PROD Darren Aronofsky)

AFI FEST 2008's overall lineup will showcase a total of 100 features (79 narrative, 21 documentary) and 48 shorts (39 narrative, 9 documentary) for a total of 148 films from 38 different countries.

The breakdown by section is Galas (5), Special Presentations (10), International Feature Competition (12), International Documentary Competition (14), World Cinema (2y), Showcse on Argentina (5), Showcase on Kazahkstan (3), Homage to XStream (4), Showcase on Arnaud Desplechin (3 - at AFI FEST, 5- at LACMA), Alt_Cinema (7), Milestones (5) and International Shorts Competition (46).

The FEST is headquartered at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where most of the international Festival's activities will take place. Most screenings will be held at Arclight Hollywood, with additional screenings taking place at Grauman's Chinese and the Mann 6 in Hollywood.

AFI FEST will run October 30 to November 9. Passes are now on sale, and individual film and event tickets go on sale on Friday, October 10. To order passes, tickets and for more information visit AFI.com/AFIFEST, or call 1.866.AFI.FEST.

The best way to guarantee admission to the Tributes to Tilda Swinton and Danny Boyle--as well as the previously announced Opening Night Gala THE SOLOIST, Centerpiece Galas CHE and THE WRESTLER and Closing Night Gala DEFIANCE, or to assure a seat at any of the 134 narrative, documentary and short films screening at the 11 day festival--is to buy a pass.

AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi's complete lineup follows:

GALAS
Opening Night Gala - THE SOLOIST (World Premiere) Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Rachael Harris DIR: Joe Wright PROD: Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff EXEC PROD: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jeff Skoll, Partricia Whitcher USA

Centerpiece Galas -

CHE Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Elvira Minguez DIR: Steven Soderbergh PROD: Laura Bickford, Benicio Del Toro EXEC PROD: Frederic W. Brost, Gregory Jacobs, Alvaro Augustin, Belen Atienza, Alvaro Longoria, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval, Philip Elway USA/Spain

THE WRESTLER Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood DIR/PROD: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin EXEC PROD: Vincent Maraval, Agnes Mentre, Jennifer Roth USA

Closing Night Gala - DEFIANCE (World Premiere) Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos DIR: Edward Zwick PROD: Edward Zwick, Pieter Jan Brugge, Roland Tec, Troy Putney, Alisa Katz USA

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
A showcase for high profile films boasting acclaimed actors and directors. Special Presentations feature highly anticipated films from around the world.

ADAM RESURRECTED Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer, Moritz Bleibtreu DIR: Paul Schrader PROD: Ehud Bleiberg, Werner Wirsing EXEC PROD: Ulf Israel, Marion Forster Bleiberg Germany/USA

THE BROTHERS BLOOM Cast: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane DIR: Rian Johnson PROD: Ram Bergman, James D. Stern EXEC PROD: Wendy Japhet, Douglas Hanssen USA

A CHRISTMAS TALE Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Amalric, Melvil Poupaud, Chiara Mastroianni, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Cosigny DIR: Arnaud Desplechin PROD: Pascal Caucheteux EXEC PROD: France

HOT DOG DIR: Bill Plympton PROD: Pascal Caucheteux USA

IDIOTS AND ANGELS DIR: Bill Plympton PROD: Bill Plympton EXEC PROD: Biljana Labovic USA

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD DIR: Mark Hartley PROD: Michael Lynch, Craig Griffin EXEC PROD: Bruno Charlesworth, Jonathan Shteinman, Paul Weigard, Nick Batzias Australia

SUGAR DIR: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck PROD: Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof, Jeremy Kepp Walker EXEC PROD: Anna Boden USA

TOKYO! DIR: Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, Bong Joon-Ho PROD: Kenzo Horikoshi EXEC PROD: Yuji Sadai, Hiroyuki Negishi France/Japan/Germany/South Korea

TWO LOVERS DIR: James Gray PROD: Donna Gigliotti, Anthony Katagas, James Gray EXEC PROD: Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan, Agnes Mentre USA

WENDY AND LUCY DIR: Kelly Reichardt PROD: Neil Kopp. Anish Savjani, Larry Fessenden EXEC PROD: Todd Haynes, Phil Morrison, Rajen Savjani, Joshua Blum USA

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

FOOD FIGHT DIR/PROD: Chris Taylor PROD: Mark Rossen

TRUTH IN 24 DIR: Keith Cossrow, Bennett Viseltear PROD: Charles Besser, Chuck Johnsen, Matthew Goldfine, Alan Brown, Jared Hilbert

THE WORLD WE WANT DIR/PROD: Patrick Davidson

WORLD CINEMA
This section presents new works by the world's most established and renowned filmmakers. While it often features work from prominent European filmmakers, it also includes important new films from less-recognized filmmaking communities.

ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE Cast: Beat Takeshi, Kanako Higuchi, Yurei Yanagi, Kumiko Aso, Akira Nakao, Masatoh Ibu, Reo Yoshioka, Mariko Tstusui, Ren Ohsugi, Aya Enjouji, Eri Tokunaga, Nao Omori DIR: Takeshi Kitano PROD: Masayuki Mori, Takio Yoshida Japan

AFTERSCHOOL Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Paul Sparks, Emory Cohen, Ezra Miller, Michael Stuhlbarg DIR: Antonio Campos PROD: Josh Mond, T. Sean Durkin EXEC PROD: Rose Ganguzza USA

BIRDSONG Cast: Mark Peranson, Montse Triola, Victoria Aragones, Lluis Serrat Batile, Lluis Carbo DIR: Albert Serra PROD: Lluis Minarro EXEC PROD: Montse Triola Spain

THE CHASER Cast: Kim Yun-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Young-hee, Koo Bon-woong DIR: Na Hong-jin PROD: Sujin Kim, Yon In-beom EXEC PROD: Cheong Eui-seok, Kim Sun-yong, Jhung Seung-koo South Korea

THE CLASS Cast: Francois Begaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baguela, Cherif Bounaidja Rachedi DIR: Laurent Cantet PROD: Carole Scotta, Caroline Benjo, Barbara Letellier, Simon Arnal France

DIVIZIONZ Cast: Kyagulanyi "Bobi Wine" Ssentamu, Bugembe "Buchaman" Mark, Catherine "Scarlet" Nakyanzi, Olem 'Lot' Bonny, Katsigire Patrick DIR: Donald Mugisha, James Tayler PROD: Donald Mugisha, James Tyler Uganda

EVERLASTING MOMENTS Cast: Maria Heiskanen, Mikael Persbrandt, Jesper Christensen DIR: Jan Troell PROD: Thomas Stenderup Sweden/Denmark

FINALLY, LILLIAN AND DAN Cast: Gretchen Akers, Jason Kean, Lucy Quinn, Timothy Blevins, Sarah Augusta, Mary DiCamillo, Ellen DiCamillo, Karen Uptegrove, Tim Howard, Casey Engels, Susan Turman DIR: Mike Gibisser PROD: Mike Gibisser USA

GOMORRAH Cast: Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abruzzese, Maria Nazionale DIR: Matteo Garrone PROD: Domenico Procacci Italy

A GOOD DAY TO BE BLACK & SEXY Cast: Chonte Harris, Marcuis Harris, Mylika Davis, Jerome Hawkins DIR: Dennis Dortch PROD: Layla Sewell EXEC PROD: Dennis Dortch USA

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD Cast: Lee Byeong-heon, Jung Woo-sung, Jeong Woo-seong, Song Kang-ho DIR: Kim Jee-woon PROD: Choi Jae-won, Kim Jee-Woon, Kim Joo-sung, Chang Yong-woon EXEC PROD: Miky Lee South Korea

HUNGER Cast: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Liam McMahon DIR: Steve McQueen PROD: Laura Hastings-Smith, Robin Gutch EXEC PROD: Jan Younghusband, Peter Carlton, Linda James, Edmund Coulthard, Iain Canning United Kingdom

I'M GONNA EXPLODE Cast: Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Maria Deschamps, Juan Pablo de Santiago, Rebecca Jones, Martha Claudia Moreno DIR: Gerardo Naranjo PROD: Pablo Cruz, Gerardo Naranjo, Hunter Gray, Alain de la Mata EXEC PROD: Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Tyler Brodie, Alex Orlovsky, Rafael Ley, Hector ley, Geminiano Pineda, Kyzza Terrazas Mexico

KISSES Cast: Kelly O'Neill, Shane Curry, Stephen Rea, Neili Conroy, Paul Roe DIR: Lance Daly PROD: Macdara Kelleher EXEC PROD: Les Kelly Ireland

A NECESSARY DEATH Cast: Gilbert John, Matt Tilley, Valerie Hurt, Michael Traynor, Konima Parkinson-Jones DIR: Daniel Stamm PROD: Brian Udovich, GJ Echternkamp USA

O'HORTEN Cast: Espen Skjonberg, Bard Owe, Ghita Norby, Bjorn Floberg DIR: Bent Hammer PROD: Bent Hamer France/Germany

A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE Cast: Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cy Carter, Jimmi Simpson, Charlie Day, Melanie Lynskey, Michael O'Neill, Lucy Devito DIR: Mo Perkins PROD: Tamara May Moloney, Angela Sostre EXEC PROD: USA

REVANCHE DIR: Götz Spielmann PROD: Mathias Forberg, Heinz Stussak, Sandra Bohle, Gotz Spielmann EXEC PROD: Hal Haberman Germany

SKIN Cast: Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill, Alice Krige DIR: Anthony Fabian PROD: Margaret Matheson, Genevieve Hofmeyr, Anthony Fabian, Phumi Mashigo EXEC PROD: Simon Fawcett, Robbie Little, Laurence Paltiel, Alasdair MacCuish, Moses Silinda, Hellen Kalenga South Africa

SUMMER HOURS Cast: Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, Edith Scob DIR: Olivier Assayas PROD: Charles Gilibert, Marin Karmitz, Nathanaël Karmitz EXEC PROD: Claire Dornoy France

THREE BLIND MICE Cast: Ewan Leslie, Toby Schmitz, Matthew Newton, Tina Bursill, Brendan Cowell, Alex Dimitriades, Bob Franklin, Marcus Graham, Jody Kennedy DIR: Matthew Newton PROD: Ben Davis EXEC PROD: Michael Favelle, Ben Ferris Australia

TWO-LEGGED HORSE Cast: Ziya Mirza Mohamad, Haron Ahad, Gol Gotai Karimi, Khojeh Nader DIR: Samira Makhmalbaf PROD: Mehrdad Zonnour Iran

VISIONEEERS Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Judy Greer, Mia Maestro, James LeGros, Missi Pyle, Fay Masterson, Matthew Glave, Chris Coppola, Aubrey Morris, John Paulsen, John Keister, Pat Cashman DIR: Jared Drake PROD: Jory Weitz, James Henney, Henry Capanna EXEC PROD: Kurt Dalton, Henry Lowenfels USA

WAITING FOR SANCHO Featuring: Albert Serra Juanola, Montse Triola Teixidor, Lluís Carbo, Lluís Serrat Masanellas, Lluís Serrat Batlle, Victoria Aragonés DIR: Mark Peranson PROD: Mark Peranson Canada/Spain

WALTZ WITH BASHIR Cast: Ari Folman, Ori Sivan, Roni Dayg, Shmuel Frenkel DIR: Ari Folman PROD: Yael Nahlieli, Serge Lalou, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul France/Germany

WELLNESS Cast: Paul Mahaffy, Jeff Clark DIR: Jake Mahaffy PROD: Jake Mahaffy, Jeff Clark USA

WORLD'S APART Cast: Rosalinde Mynster, Pilou Asbaek, Jens Jorn Spottag, Sarah Boberg DIR: Neils Arden Oplev PROD: Thomas Heinesen EXEC PROD: Kim Magnusson Denmark

ARGENTINE SHOWCASE

BLOOD APPEARS (LA SANGRE BROTA) Cast: Guadalupe Docampo, Stella Galazzi, Ailin Salas DIR: Pablo Fendrik PROD: Juan Pablo Gugliotta, Claire Lajoumard, Ole Landsjoassen EXEC PROD: Juan Pablo Gugliotta, Claire Lajoumard, Ole Landsjoassen Argentina

HEADLESS WOMAN (LA MUJER SIN CABEZA) Cast: Maria Onetto, Ines Efron, Cesar Bordon, Claudia Cantero, Daniel Genoud, Guillermo Arengo, Maria Vaner DIR: Lucrecia Martel PROD: Pedro Almodovar, Augustin Almodovar, Esther Garcia, Veronica Cura, Enrique Pineyro, Lucrecia Martel, Marianne Slot, Vieri Razzini, Cesare Petrillo, Tilde Corsi EXEC PROD: Veronica Cura Argentina/Spain

IMAGINADORES DIR: Daniela Fiore EXEC PROD: Norberto A. Pelliccioni Argentina

LA VIE DES MORTS (plays with L'AIMEE) DIR: Arnaud Desplechin PROD: Pascal Caucheteux, Anne Defume

LION'S DEN (LEONERA) Cast: Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro, Laura Garcia DIR: Pablo Trapero PROD: Pablo Trapero, Young-joo Suh EXEC PROD: Martina Gusman Argentina

LIVERPOOL Cast: Juan Fernandez, Giselle Irrazabal, Nieves Cabrera DIR: Lisandro Alonso PROD: Lisandro Alonso, Ilse Hughan, Marianne Slot, Luis Minarro Argentina

RABIA (LA RABIA) Cast: Analia Couceyro, Javier Lorenzo, Victor Hugo Carrizo, Nazarena Duarte, Gonzalo Perez DIR: Albertina Carri PROD: Pablo Trapera EXEC PROD: Martina Gusman Argentina

DESPLECHIN RETROSPECTIVE
LACMA and AFI FEST 2008 team up to present the work of director Arnaud Desplechin - thrilling, unpredictable mélanges of exuberant comedy, alert realism, philosophical probing, behavioral drama, Greek tragedy and breathless technique.

KINGS AND QUEEN (2004)

MY SEX LIFE ... OR HOW I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT (1996)

LA SENTINELLE (1992)

ESTHER KAHN (2000)

All screenings will take place at LACMA and are open to AFI FEST Passholders. For more information: http://www.lacma.org

HOMAGE TO XSTREAM

24 CITY Cast: Joan Chen, Zhao Tao, Chen Jianbin, Lu Liping DIR: Jia Zhangke PROD: Jia zhang-ke, Shozo Ichiyama, Wang Hong EXEC PROD: Chow Keung, Ren Zhonglun, Tang Yong

PERFECT LIFE (WAMMEI SHENHUO) Cast: Yao Qianyu, Cheng Taisheng, Jenny Tse DIR: Emily Tang PROD: Chow Keung, Jia Zhang-ke, Li Xiudong

PLASTIC CITY (DANGKOU) Cast: Joe Odagiri, Anthony Wong, Huang Yi, Tainá Müller, Jeff Chen DIR: Yu Lik-wai PROD: Fabiano Gullane, Caio Gullane, Chow Keung, Jia Zhang-ke, Yuji Sadai, Tsui Siu Ming EXEC PROD: Caio Gullane, Rui Pires, André Montenegro, Tom Cheung

KAZAKHSTAN SHOWCASE

CHOUGA Cast: Aidos Sagatov, Alnur Turgambayeva DIR: Darezhan Omirbaev

NATIVE DANCER Cast: Nesipkul Omarbekova, Farkhat Amankulov, Tolepbergen Baisakalov, Almat Ayanov, Asel Abutova DIR: Guka Omarova

TULPAN Cast: Askhat Kuchinchirekov, Samal Yeslyamova, Ondasyn Besikbasov, Tulepbergen Baisakalov, Bereke Turganbayev DIR: Sergei Dvortsevoy PROD: Karl Baumgartner

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION
This category includes first and second time filmmakers making their World, North American or U.S. Premiere.

3 WOMEN Cast: Niki Karimi, Pegah Ahangarani, Babak Hamidian, Maryam Bubani, Reza Kianian, Atila Pesiani, Saber Abar, Shahrokh Forutanian, Nazanin Ahmadi DIR: Manijeh Hekmat PROD: Manijeh Hekmat, Jalai Shamsian Iran

ACNE Cast: Alejandro Tocar, Julia Catala, Gustavo Melnik, Belen Pouchan DIR: Federico Veiroj PROD: Fernando Epstein EXEC PROD: Fernando Epstein Uruguay/Argentina/Spain/Mexico

BETTER THINGS Cast: Rachel McIntyre, Emma Cooper, Liam McIlfatrick, Che Corr, Freddie Cunliffe DIR: Duane Hopkins PROD: Samm Haillay, Rachel Robey EXEC PROD: United Kingdom

THE DESERT WITHIN Cast: Mario Zaragoza, Diego Catano, Memo Dorantes, Eileen Yanez, Luis Fernando Pena, Jimena Ayala, Katia Xanat Espino, Dolores Heredia, Angelina Pelaez, Martin Zapata, Alan Chavez DIR: Rodrigo Pla PROD: Hubert Barrera EXEC PROD: Germán Méndez Mexico

THE HIGHER FORCE Cast: Petur Johann Sigfusson, Eggert Thorleifsson, Stefan Schaefer, Ingvar E. Sigurdsson, Ilmur Kristjansdottir DIR: Olaf de Fleur PROD: Olaf De Fleur, Helgi Sverrisson Iceland

INVOLUNTARY Cast: Cecilia Milocco, Villmar Bjorkman, Linnea Cart-Lamy, Leif Edlund, Sara Eriksson DIR: Ruben Ostlund PROD: Erik Hemmendorff EXEC PROD: Gunnar Carlsson, Tomas Eskilsson Sweden

LAKE TAHOE Cast: Yemil Sefani, Diego Catano, Juan Carlos Lara, Daniela Valentine DIR: Fernando Eimbcke PROD: Christian Valdelièvre EXEC PROD: Fernando Eimbcke Mexico

NILOOFAR Cast: Roya Nownahali, Shahab Hosseini, Hengameh Ghaziani, Mobina Ayenedar, Amir Aghai, Sadegh Safai, Fatemeh Motamed Aria DIR: Sabine El Gemayel PROD: Jean Brehat, Rachid Bouchareb France/Iran/Lebanon

NIRVANA Cast: Olga Sutulova, Mariya Shalayeva, Arthur Smolyaninov, Mikhail Evlanov DIR: Igor Voloshin PROD: Sergei Selyanov Russia

POUNDCAKE Cast: Jay O. Sanders, Kathleen Quinlan, Troy D. Hall, Deshja Driggs-Hall, Kevin Logie, Rob Bogue, Marisa Coughlan DIR: Rafael Monserrante, Mridu Chandra PROD: Troy Hall, Kevin Logie EXEC PROD: Paul Kelly USA

PROPER EYES Cast: Ana Carabajal, Luisa Nunez, Maximiliano Gallo, Mara Santucho DIR: Liliana Paolinelli PROD: Paula Grandio EXEC PROD: Paula Grandio, Cristina Fasulino, Sol Martorell Argentina

THE REST OF THE NIGHT Cast: Sandra Ceccarelli, Aurelien Recoing, Stefano Cessetti, Laura Vasiliu DIR: Francesco Munzi PROD: Donatella Botti Italy

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best and brightest of challenging, thrilling documentary filmmaking from around the world, as chosen by the AFI FEST Programming Staff.

ALONE IN FOUR WALLS DIR: Alexandra Westmeier PROD: Alexandra Westmeier, Inigo Westmeier Germany

IMAGINADORES DIR: Daniela Fiore EXEC PROD: Norberto A. Pelliccioni Argentina

INTIMACIES OF SHAKESPEARE AND VICTOR HUGO DIR: Yulene Olaizola PROD: Rosa Elena Carvajal, Florencia Vega Moctezuma Mexico

KASSIM THE DREAM DIR: Kief Davidson PROD: Kief Davidson, Liz Silver EXEC PROD: Joshua A. Green, Luke Thornton, Forest Whitaker, Keisha Whitaker Uganda/USA

THE LAST DAYS OF SHISHMAREF DIR: Jan Louter PROD: Juul Kappelhof EXEC PROD: Renske Meertens Netherlands

PINDORAMA - THE TRUE STORY OF THE SEVEN DWARVES DIR: Roberto Berliner, Lula Queiroga, Leo Crivellare EXEC PROD: Rodrigo Letier, Danielle Hoover Brazil

UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US DIR: Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell PROD: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites EXEC PROD: Gill Holland Norway

DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
This documentary section includes highly anticipated films from established masters and new faces.

AGILE, MOBILE, HOSTILE: A YEAR WITH DIR: Tricia Todd, Eric Matthies PROD: Eric Matthies EXEC PROD: AJ Schnack USA

GOGOL BORDELLO NON-STOP Featuring: Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Sergey Ryabtsev, Jurij Lemeshev, Eliot Ferguson DIR: Margarita Jimeno PROD: Margarita Jimeno, Darya Zhuk, Munir Maluf Raad EXEC PROD: Ramon Jimeno USA

HI MY NAME IS RYAN DIR: Paul Eagleston, Stephen Rose PROD: Paul Eagleston, Stephen Rose EXEC PROD: Michael Dana USA

OF ALL THE THINGS Featuring: Dennis Lambert DIR: Jody Lambert PROD: Taylor Williams EXEC PROD: Joel Wilson, Suzi Wilson USA

PLAYING COLUMBINE Featuring: Jack Thompson, Tracy Fullerton, Danny Ledonne, Ian Bogost, Joel Kornek, Melissa Fuller, David Kociemba, Aaron Ruby, Tim Winter, Peter Baxter, Brian Flemming, Sam Roberts DIR: Danny Ledonne PROD: Audrey Brohy EXEC PROD: Gerard Ungerman, Audrey Brohy, Francois Brohy USA

PRODIGAL SONS DIR: Kim Reed PROD: Kim Reed, John Keitel EXEC PROD: Robert Hawk, Gail Silva USA

WITCH HUNT DIR: Don Hardy, Dana Nachman PROD: Dana Nachman, Don Hardy EXEC PROD: Sean Penn USA

ALT_CINEMA
Home to alternative filmmaking, this section provides a platform for filmmakers who attempt to push the boundaries of technology, culture and cinema itself; they revel in the explosive power of film to plumb society's anxieties or to explore the ecstatic heights of a truly artistic experience.

BEFORE THE FALL Cast: Victor Clavijo, Eduard Fernandez, Marilou Munoz, Mariana Cordero DIR: F. Javier Gutiérrez PROD: Antonio Perez, José Ibáñez EXEC PROD: Antonio P. Perez, Antonio Meliveo Spain

DEADGIRL Cast: Candice Accola, Michael Bowen, Noah Segan, Shiloh Fernandez DIR: Marcel Sarmiento, Gadi Harel PROD: Marcel Sarmiento, Gadi Harel EXEC PROD: Chris Webster, Rob Hickman USA

GACHI BOY WRESTLING WITH A MEMORY Cast: Osamu Mukai, Saeko, Ryuta Sato, Riisa Naka DIR: Norihiro Koizumi PROD: Masahiko Oda, Chikahiro Ando, Naomi Akashi EXEC PROD: Chihiro Kameyama, Shuji Abe, Yoshishige Shimatani Japan

THE JUCHE IDEA Cast: Lee Jung Yoon, Daniela Kostova, Jim Finn DIR: Jim Finn PROD: Jim Finn USA

PARADISE DIR: Michael Almereyda PROD: Antonio Russo Merenda USA

STILL ORANGUTANS Cast: Karina Kazue, Lindon Shimizu, Kayode Da Silva, Janaina Kremer, Renata De Lelis DIR: Gustavo Spolidoro PROD: Cristiane Oliviera, Fabiano De Souza, Gilson Vargas, Milton Do Prado, Gustavo Spolidero Brazil

TIME CRIMES Cast: Nacho Vigalondo, Barbara Goenaga, Karra Elejalde DIR: Nacho Vigalondo PROD: Eduardo Carneros, Esteban Ibarretxe, Javier Ibarretxe, Santi Camunas, Jorge Gomez, Jordi Rediuc, Norbert Llaras Spain

MILESTONES
In the past year, the worldwide cinematic community has lost some of its best-loved members. The filmmakers and actors represented in this section produced truly remarkable work, while advancing the art of cinema.

THE HUSTLER (1961) (Paul Newman MILESTONE)

MAJOR DUNDEE (1965) (Charlton Heston MILESTONE)

NED KELLY (2003) (Heath Ledger MILESTONE)

ROUTINE PLEASURES (1986) (Manny Farber MILESTONE)

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999) (Anthony Minghella MILESTONE)

THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY (1969) (Sydney Pollack MILESTONE)

INTERNATIONAL SHORTS COMPETITION
Comprised of short documentary, experimental, animated and narrative films, these screenings are often some of the most dynamic and unexpectedly challenging films presented.

ALT_Shorts (Program One):

CLAY HEAD DIR: Thomas Barndt USA

ENERGY! DIR: Thorsten Fleisch Germany

FLOK DIR: Andrew Mausert-Mooney USA

HORSE TERRITORY DIR: Ramon Bloomberg USA

LEZZIEFLICK DIR: Nana Swiczinsky Austria

MUGS DIR: Ronnie Cramer USA

NINETY THREE DIR: Kevin Everson USA

OBSERVANDO EL CIELO DIR: Jeanne Liotta USA

PURIFY DIR: Hester Schuwater Netherlands

SUN AND THE MOON DIR: Ioana Uricaru USA

SUPER SMILE DIR: Effie Wu Germany

Adults Only Cartoon Show (Program Two):

CUTECUTECUTE DIR: Clemens Kogler Austria

DAY AT THE BEACH DIR: Veronique Courtois USA

HIDDEN LIFE OF THE BURROWING OWL DIR: Mike Roush USA

KANIZSA HILL DIR: Evelyn Lee USA

RUN DIR: Melanie Mandl USA

SHHH DIR: Ben Slotover United Kingdom

TEAT BEAT OF SEX DIR: Signe Baumane Latvia

Documentary (Program Three):

THE APOLOGY LINE Dir: James Lees United Kingdom

BUSCO PERSONAS: THE FACES OF COLOMBIA'S WAR Dir: Lagan Sebert, Sandra Sampayo Colombia

DOWNTOWN LA Dir: Nick Higgins USA

EVERYDAY PEOPLE Dir: Enda Hughes United Kingdom

IN THE THEME Dir: Olga Popova Russia

JOLANDA 23 Dir: Pim Zwier Netherlands

LOST GIRL Dir: Ali Taleb Iraq

MR. MUSTACHE Dir: Ørjan Jensen Norway

TOMMY Dir: Tora Martens Sweden

Amuse Bouche (Program Four):

ALEX AND HER ARSE TRUCK DIR: Sean Conway United Kingdom

CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE DIR: Jason Stutter New Zealand

CARPET DIEM DIR: Trevor Anderson Canada

DRIFT DIR: Kelly Sears USA

EX-BULLY DIR: Joey Garfield USA

LAST MEAL DIR: Mark Stern USA

TANAREXIA DIR: Jean-Pierre Caner USA

Worldviews (Program Five):

BUCKETS DIR: Nick Simon USA

JERRYCAN DIR: Julius Avery Australia

I THINK I THOUGHT DIR: Matthew Modine USA

LEGLESS BOY CANNOT DANCE DIR: Michel Lipkes Mexico

MAKE MY DAY DIR: Pelle Møller Denmark

MEGATRON DIR: Marian Crisan Romania

PALESTINE EN SOLIARIDAD DIR: J.M. Aragón USA

Posted by Bob Strauss at 2:49 PM | Comments (0)

It's L.A.'s first, believe it or not, and it looks mighty comprehensive. Below is all the official information.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE IRISH FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES

The Irish Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFF) will take place on Thursday, October 2 through Sunday,October 5 at the Clarity Theater in Beverly Hills, including the Opening Night Film and Closing Night Event. The Irish Film Festival of Los Angeles is the first stand-alone Irish Film Festival to be presented in the city. Tickets are available on www.lairishfilm.com.

Festival Director Lisa McLaughlin-Strassman said, "I am pleased to announce that we have secured "Eden" as our Opening Night Film courtesy of the US distributor, Liberation Entertainment. Declan Recks is an extremely talented director and I am proud to kick-off the festival with the west coast premiere of such a wonderful film."

"Eden," directed by Declan Recks, is a new film from the producers of the Irish box office sensation, "Once". The film follows a married couple in a picturesque Irish town as they prepare for their 10th anniversary and confront their fears of the future. A vivid portrayal of marriage and the vulnerability of love, the film features tour-de-force performances by Eileen Walsh (Best Actress, Tribeca Film Festival) and Aidan Kelly. "Eden" is written by Eugene O'Brien, and adapted from his play of the same name.

The Closing Night Special Event will include two rare Irish silent films accompanied by live music with an original contemporary score composed by Eimear Noone, composer and conductor.

The festival will screen "Kings," from director Tom Collins, the first Irish-language film ever submitted in the Best Foreign Language category for the Academy Awards. "Kings" was nominated for a record 14 Irish Film and Television Awards in 2008 and won five IFTA Awards. A universal story of disenfranchisement and search for identity, "Kings" tells the past and present stories of six ambitious Irishmen who dreamed of making their fortunes in the construction industry of 1970s London. The film stars Colm Meaney, Donal O'Kelly, Brendan Conroy, Barry Barnes and Donncha Crowley.

The festival will also showcase the 'Jewish-Irish Experience,' with the west coast premiere of "Grandpa.... Speak to Me in Russian" directed by Louis Lentin and "Shalom Ireland" directed by Valerie Lapin. In his personal film, "Grandpa .....Speak to Me in Russian," director Lentin uncovers the inspiring story of his family and the lost world of the Jewish shtetl, reconstructing the life of his paternal grandfather, Kalman Solomon Lentin. In "Shalom Ireland," director Valerie Lapin reveals Ireland's small but vibrant Jewish community, focusing on three Irish-Jewish families, a community whose existence takes many by surprise, with a soundtrack that fuses traditional Irish music and Klezmer music.

The festival will present a newly-formatted HD version of John Ford's great silent epic-scale western shot in Nevada, "The Iron Horse" (1924). A treasure from archives of American cinema, "The Iron Horse" is about the building of the transcontinental railroad. The film was one of Ford's first major successes and was hugely influential on outdoor films that followed.

The festival will also screen "The Pride" directed by Gerard Hurley, which takes place in a small Irish traveler (gypsy) community in up state New York. Mickey Reilly (Gerard Hurley) returns from prison determined to win back his estranged wife Sarah (Nancy McNulty). After years of a complex bitter sweet relationship and an episode of domestic violence, Sarah struggles to leave with their new born daughter for a safer world.
The festival will feature the documentary film "Learning Gravity" (aka "The Undertaking") directed by Cathal Black an award-winning documentary about Irish-American poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch.

The festival will present a rare screening of the only print available of "The Luck of Ginger Coffey" (1964), starring Robert Shaw ("Jaws") and Mary Ure. An early film from director Irvin Kershner ("Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back") the film is based on the late Belfast-born writer and Malibu resident, Brian Moore's ("Black Robe," "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne") autobiographical novel of the same name. Winner of the Canadian Film Award for Best Feature Film, the film is an extremely well-crafted, sombre portrait of an Irish emigrant dreamer longing for personal freedom.

On Sunday, October 5 at 4pm, the festival will host a panel discussion entitled "Shooting the Green: Funding and shooting in the Republic of Ireland". The panel will focus on how to tap into Ireland's rich tax incentives for co- production with the participation of Jonathan Loughran, VP, Irish Film Commission US, Louise Levinson, Financial & Co-production Consultant & Tara Halloran of the UK Film Council, moderated by veteran international film and television financing attorney Bill Grantham of Greenberg Traurig, introduced by educator and producer, Gabrielle Kelly.

The festival will also premiere "Dick Dickman P.I." directed by Barry O'Neill, featuring the cream of Irish comedy.

The Clarity Theater is located at 100 N. Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills. $3 parking at the theater is available through the entrance on Crescent Drive (one block north of Wilshire).
For tickets and more details about the Los Angeles Irish Film Festival please visit www.lairishfilm.com
or email lairishfilm@gmail.com

About the Los Angeles Irish Film Festival

The first Los Angeles Irish film festival is a non-competitive film festival that will provide a launch pad to bring more visibility within the Hollywood community to recent productions out of Ireland and to expose rare classics to audiences in a communal, distinctive setting.
Feature films, documentaries and short films will be shown throughout this four-day festival, interspersed with panels and other special events. Directors, producers and cast will be invited to present their films in person and participate in discussions with the audience in a relaxed, creative atmosphere. The festival's goal is to showcase the richness of Irish culture through its cinema at is most diverse and celebrate Ireland's recent artistic revolution.

Festival directors, Lisa McLaughlin-Strassman, program directors Niall McKay & John Lyons and festival producer Judith Black are joined by an advisory board that includes film directors Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan and Mary McGuckian, International Editor of the Hollywood Reporter, Steve Brennan, screenwriter and critic, F.X. Feeney and producer Katy Haber among others.

SCHEDULED PROGRAM

Thursday, October 2

Opening Night short & Feature Film commences at 7pm

7pm: BUA directed by directed by Sonya Gildea and produced by Kirsten Sheridan- 13 minutes

A young girl drives her horse at full gallop, but when, if ever, will she reach freedom?

Followed by Opening Night Feature Film:

EDEN directed by Declan Recks - 84 minutes (West Coast premiere)

"Eden," directed by Declan Recks, is a new film from the producers of the Irish box office sensation, "Once". The film follows a married couple in a picturesque Irish town as they prepare for their 10th anniversary and confront their fears of the future. A vivid portrayal of marriage and the vulnerability of love, the film features tour-de-force performances by Eileen Walsh (Best Actress, Tribeca Film Festival) and Aidan Kelly. "Eden" is written by Eugene O'Brien, and adapted from his play of the same name.

Opening Night Gala Reception featuring live music and performance from dancer-comedienne Máire Clerkin with excerpts from her show,"The Bad Arm - Confessions of a Dodgy Irish Dancer".

Sunday, October 5

Closing Night Special Event - commences at 7pm

7pm: Orchestral Live Event with Contemporary Music composition by Eimear Noone.

Total Program 60 minutes

THE LAD FROM OLD IRELAND - B & W - Silent - directed by Sidney Olcott (1910)

The film is the story of a boy who emigrated to America to escape destitution in Ireland. After success in America, he returns to Ireland to save his betrothed just as her family is being evicted from their land.

IN THE DAYS OF ST. PATRICK - B & W - Silent- directed by Norman Whitten (1920)

The film tells the story of 4th Century Saint Patrick- the prince who became a slave, the slave who became a priest, the priest who converted a nation.

Closing Night Reception with live orchestra performance.

For updated film descriptions, schedule and ticket information visit: www.lairishfilm.com or email: lairishfilm@gmail.com.

FILM PROGRAM

Friday, October 3, 2008

THE PRIDE directed by Gerard Hurley - 82 minutes - 4:00PM

The story takes place in a small Irish traveler (gypsy) community in up state New York. Mickey Reilly (Gerard Hurley) returns from prison determined to win back his estranged wife Sarah (Nancy McNulty). After years of a complex bitter sweet relationship and an episode of domestic violence, Sarah struggles to leave with their new born daughter for a safer world.

Q & A with Gerard Hurley

KINGS directed by Tom Collins - 88 minutes - 6:30PM

A universal story of disenfranchisement and search for identity. In the mid 1970s, a group of six young men left their homes in the West of Ireland, took the boat out of Dublin Bay and sailed across the sea to England in the hope of making their fortunes and returning home. Thirty years later only one, Jackie Flavin, makes it home - but does so in a coffin. Jackie's five friends reunite at his wake where they are forced face up to the reality of their alienation as long term emigrants who no longer have any real place to call home.

Q & A with Tom Collins

DICK DICKMAN P.I. directed by Barry O'Neill - (US Premiere) - 9:00PM

Dick Dickman P.I. is the story of a hapless private detective who fumbles his way through his first case with each clue bringing him further and further away from solving it. We follow our anti hero as he haphazardly stumbles along meeting an array of crazy characters. Featuring the cream of Irish comedy including Patrick Bergin, Frank Carson, Brendan O'Carroll, June Rodgers, Jon Kenny, Joe Rooney, Alan Shortt, Louise Osbourne, Doreen Keogh, Paul Malone and Barry O'Neill as Dick Dickman.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

SHORTS PROGRAM 2:00pm

TEETH - Directors: Ruari O'Brian & John Kennedy

Producer: Noreen Donohoe

A short "Last laugh" tale of two old friends, their teeth and a series of events that leaves them lost for words.

JAMES - Writer -Director & Producer Connor Clements

James struggles as the outsider kid at his school. His teacher, Mr. Sutherland is the only person he feels he can connect with. When James finally puts a voice to his feelings, Mr. Sutherland's response isn't what James had hoped for.

NEW BOY - Writer/Director Steph Green

Producer Tamara Anghie

Cast includes Olutunji Ebun-Cole & Simon O Driscoll

Based on a short story by Roddy Doyle this poignant and comedic short deftly captures the experience of being the new boy in school through the eyes of Joseph, a nine year old African boy.

PADDY TAKES A MEETING - Written & Directed by Dermott Petty

Cast includes: Kevin P Kearns, Bryan Glanney & Carolyn Palmer

A mans life is turned upside down by a Producers wish to change a part of Irish History so the movie can be marketed correctly

FRANKIE - Director Darren Thornton

Producer Colette Farrell

Frankie is fifteen and preparing for fatherhood. He is determined that he is going to be the best Dad ever, but as his day goes on, he starts to realize how difficult this will be for him.

UNDRESSING MY MOTHER - Director Ken Wardrop

Producers

Andrew Freedman

Kristin Brook Larson

A poignant documentary that explores a woman's unique take on her aging and overweight body.

USELESS DOG - Director Ken Wardrop

Producer Andrew Freedman

A witty mini documentary about an inept dog.

RIGHT NOW LADIES AND GENTS - Director/Script John Paul Murphy

Producer Rebecca O'Flanagan

A darkly comic tale of a young man who is persecuted by an overzealous pub bouncer

DING SONG DENNY O'REILLY'S HISTORY OF IRELAND - Director Cathal Gaffney

Script Paul Woodfull

A tourist walks into a Dublin pub looking for directions and encounters Ding Dong Denny O'Reilly at the bar who insists on telling him the "real" history of Ireland over a number of pints.

THE LUCK OF GINGER COFFEY directed by Irvin Kershner (1964) - 100 mins - 3:30PM

Starring Robert Shaw and Mary Ure, the film is about Ginger Coffey (Shaw), his wife Vera (Ure) and their 14-year-old daughter, Paulie (McClintock) who have emigrated to Montreal from Ireland, in search of a better life. Ginger is an idealist and has no more success finding work than he did in his homeland. Based on Brian Moore's autobiographical novel of the same name, "The Luck of Ginger Coffey" is an extremely well-crafted, sombre portrait of a dreamer longing for personal freedom.

Q & A with Irvin Kershner

The reception luncheon and special screening of the rarely-seen "The Luck of Ginger Coffey" will be in tribute to the late actor Robert Shaw and director Irvin Kershner who currently resides in Los Angeles. Irvin Kershner will participate in a question and answer session to follow the screening.

Starring with his wife Mary Ure in "The Luck of Ginger Coffey," Shaw is known for his role as the fisherman Quint in "Jaws", the assassin Red Grant in "From Russia With Love", King Henry VIII in "A Man For All Seasons," the commander of a Nazi tank battalion in the war film "The Battle of the Bulge," Winston Churchill's father in "Young Winston," Doyle Lonnegan in the Paul Newman-Robert Redford film "The Sting," the Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin And Mariam", among others. Shaw also wrote numerous novels, including "The Hiding Place", "The Flag," The Man in the Glass Booth" and "A Card from Morocco".

Shaw lived in the Gaeltacht village of Tourmakeady, County Mayo on the shores of Lough Mask in the West of Ireland until his death in 1978. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Irvin Kershner, director of "The Luck of Ginger Coffey" (1964) is known for his films "The Hoodlum Priest," "A Fine Madness" starring Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward and Jean Seberg, "Loving," the comedy "Up the Sandbox" starring Barbra Streisand and the thriller "The Eyes of Laura Mars" starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones. Kershner has also directed big-budget action and adventure films such as "The Empire Strikes Back," the James Bond "Never Say Never Again," and "RoboCop II". Kershner directed the HBO film "Travelling Man" starring John Lithgow and Jonathan Silverman for which he was nominated for an ACE Award. He has also directed several episodes of the television series seaQuest DSV, and he made his debut as an actor in the controversial 1988 Martin Scorsese film, "The Last Temptation of Christ," playing Zebedee, the father of the apostles James and John. Kershner also played a film director in Steven Seagal's "On Deadly Ground".

WHEN HOPE AND HISTORY RHYMED produced by Kelly Candaele - 55 mins - 6:30PM

A documentary film on the Northern Ireland Peace Process following fifteen students from California on a political, intellectual and personal exploration while studying at Queens University, Belfast.

Q & A with Kelly Candaele, moderated by journalist Patricia Danaher

'The Jewish Experience'

GRANDPA SPEAK TO ME IN RUSSIAN directed by Louis Lentin - 55 minutes - 8:30PM

"The story of a man who did not tell, or choose to tell his own story and of a boy who needed to know." Louis Lentin. In this moving docudrama Lentin reconstructs the life of his paternal grandfather, Kalman Solomon Lentin who came to live with his family in Ireland in 1936. In this personal film Lentin sets out, with his son Miki Lentin, to find out where the old folk came from, what was it like and if anything survived. Leaving Ireland and journeying through the Baltic countries he uncovers the inspiring story of his family and the lost world of the Jewish shtetl. The story unfolds with fascinating archive material and drawings illustrating their journey.

SHALOM IRELANDdirected by Valerie Lapin - 57 minutes

In the documentary "Shalom Ireland," director Valerie Lapin reveals Ireland's remarkable, yet little known Jewish community. "Shalom Ireland" chronicles the history of irish Jewry while celebrating the unique culture created by blending Irish and Jewish traditions. From gun running for the Irish Republican Army during Ireland's War of Independence to smuggling fellow Jews escaping from the Holocaust into Palestine, Shalom Ireland tells the untold story of how Irish Jews participated in the creation of both Ireland and Israel.

Q & A with Louis Lentin and Valerie Lapin

Sunday October 5

LEARNING GRAVITY directed by Cathal Black - 70 mins - 11:00AM

An elegant, elegiac film on Thomas Lynch. Three generations of Lynchs work in the chain of Michigan funeral homes set up by Lynch's father. But what marks Thomas out from the rest of the brood is that he is also a renowned poet and essayist whose work has won the prestigious American Book Award and has been in the final shortlist for the National Book Award one of the most eminent literary prizes in the United States. Lynch's writing is noted for its thoughtfulness and dark humour and this film is shot through with the same acumen combined with a sharp sense of the absurd. The documentary is atmospherically shot combining family photographs and home movies with reconstructions and actuality footage and adds up to a lucid, entertaining and ultimately life-affirming take on death and what comes before and after.

THE IRON HORSE directed by John Ford B & W, Silent, 1924 - 133 minutes - 1:00PM

One of the great silent screen epic-scale westerns, portraying love, treachery and revenge, John Ford's The Iron Horse is about the building of the transcontinental railroad. The film was one of Ford's first major successes and was hugely influential on outdoor films that followed. Shot on location in Arizona in Ford's beloved Monument Valley.

Film Financing Seminar

SHOOTING THE GREEN: Funding and Shooting in the Republic of Ireland - 4:00PM-5:30PM

How to tap into Ireland's rich tax incentives for co-production of your feature, documentary, TV drama or animation made in Ireland. This panel discussion will cover development funding, production funding, equity & copyright in projects in an overview of the Section 431 funding available. Panelists include Jonathan Loughran, VP Irish Film Board, Louise Levinson, Financial & Co-production Consultant, Tara Halloran of the UK Film Council, Los Angeles, moderated by veteran international film and television financing attorney Bill Grantham of Greenberg Traurig.

For updated film descriptions, schedule and ticket information visit: www.lairishfilm.com or email: lairishfilm@gmail.com.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

Coincidentally enough, I'd been scheduled to interview Leonardo DiCaprio this morning. So I had to ask what Paul Newman meant to young actors like him, who not only strive to be artistically more than just handsome movie stars but also are deeply committed to causes (in DiCaprio's case, the green movement) and progressive politics.
As I suspected, Newman was one of his inspirations.
"Not only was he a part of the great generation of actors that we all admired, he was the model of what you would want your correct professional career to be," DiCaprio said. "He was a very serious actor who turned out unbelievable performances in so many great movies, but simultaneously his charitable contributions outside of his work were so profound and still continue to be through his foundation and his Newman's Own products.
"He was the role model of all role models in that sense. I didn't know the man, but at the end of the day, you felt that he led a normal life and ended up being a normal human being through a career that lasted over 50 years in the industry. And he managed, outside of his work, to do great things, and that's admirable. It's a sad day."
Newman did seem to be the perfect example of how to use celebrity to do good work both on and off the screen. The fact that he settled into a happy marriage with Joanne Woodward for half a century kept gossip from tarnishing him; his famously raunchy quote, "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" is certainly one of the best arguments for fidelity I've ever heard.
Newman's liberal political stances were expressed strongly but not stridently, especially during the 1960s when everyone else was screaming their heads off (though he was justifiably proud of making President Nixon's enemies list). He clearly understood everything that was wrong with conservatism - again, something not all showbiz liberals can say - but the guy also drove race cars.
Drove them well, too. Mostly formula, but sometimes stock cars.
Boy, right wing pundits must have really hated not being able to attack him like they could every other personality they disagreed with.
Newman also managed to put his face on all kinds of pretty good foods' packages without seeming like an egomaniac about it - and earned half a billion dollars that all went to charity in the process. He probably didn't write all of them, but I loved reading the folksy stories on his pasta sauce labels. They made this immensely sophisticated artist and humanitarian sound like the real cracker he could be so good at playing.
Add it all up and you have to ask: Has any other Hollywood do-gooder ever been so unassailable? And Newman didn't even let that go to his head. He avoided fawning interview requests most of the time (believe me; I made a couple of them) and joked away the importance of many accolades he did receive. Or just didn't show up to receive them.
All great stuff. But that's not why I really liked him. When I was growing up in the '60s, Newman represented a much different role model for me than he does for folks like Leo now. They rightly admire his talent, class and philanthropy; I adored how he made acting like an asshole look like a wholly acceptable way of life.
Here's a newsflash: people who grow up to be critics probably weren't the most socially tolerant, or tolerable, kids. I've certainly had a knack for rubbing others the wrong way from a young age. I was aware of that early on and debated with myself about whether, and how much, I should change to fit in.
Not that it was anywhere near a deciding factor, but when my mother inappropriately dragged me to my first adult movie, watching that selfish Texan Hud treat everyone like crap and still get pretty much his own way really did something for me. Newman was hardly the first movie star to make bad behavior look glamorous, but he was the first one I saw. And he had a charismatic way of convincing you that acting like that may not be optimally desirable, but that didn't necessarily make it wrong.
There's no point in reading too much into this, but as the years went by and I grew to understand more of what his characters were up to, I really enjoyed the scoundrels, losers, curmudgeons and crooks Newman portrayed in "The Hustler" (predated "Hud," but it was on TV a lot), "Cool Hand Luke," "Hombre," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Sometimes a Great Notion," "The Sting" "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" and "Slap Shot."
Later, I learned about and appreciated what he'd done before my filmgoing time, like being the first movie sex symbol who didn't change his Jewish last name, and one of the first to, more or less, play a non-caricatured gay man in the watered-down film of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Later still, I saw in Newman's rueful Absence of Malice," "The Verdict," "The Color of Money," "Nobody's Fool" and "Road to Perdition" roles the price you pay for not always being the best person you can be. It showed in his increasingly haggard face, and it truthfully mirrored what I'd learned in life.
Maybe Paul Newman was such an exemplary person because he was able to indulge his darker side in his work (probably not; if that were possible, Jack Nicholson would be a saint). Anyway, people loved him for both who he was and who he pretended to be. Newman always said he was lucky, and you don't get more fortunate than that.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 7:10 PM | Comments (0)

You can buy what they're calling "The Coppola Restoration" on DVD and Blu-Ray next Tuesday. It was overseen by Francis and cinematographer Gordon Willis and apparently looks more like the movies did back in the day - less polished and more beautiful, in other words - than the last DVD set of "The Godfather" trilogy. The new pack also has all the supplemental materials from the 2001 set, plus a whole disc of new ones.
And, y'know, "The Godfather Part III," if anyone is interested.
But let's face it. All that really matters is seeing the first two masterpieces under them most optimal conditions possible. And you'll get your chance starting Friday, as the restored Parts I and II play a one-week run at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.
The 1972 film will be projected digitally and the '74 follow-up will be 35 mm.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)

Another good reason not to attend the Toronto Film Festival. Around here, critics argue profanely about stuff that usually doesn't have anything to do with movies. But that's as heated as it gets.Then we buy each other drinks.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)

Sure, Eric Rohmer's films are talky and French and pretty much action-free. They're also smart, brilliantly insightful, often funny and always sexy.
So, in honor of the serious season that's supposed to be happening in theaters now, come to the County Museum all this month for, if you'll pardon the expression, the real deal as far as that's concerned.

Here's the official information from LACMA:

The Tales of Eric Rohmer

September 12-27

This series is presented with the support of the French Ministry of External Affairs and the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the Consulate Generale de France.

Eric Rohmer, editor-in-chief of Cahiers du cinema from 1956 to 1963, made his first feature in 1959 and, at age eighty-seven, has just completed his final film. Eschewing the genre influences beloved by his New Wave contemporaries, Rohmer's oeuvre deals exclusively with the drama of intimate relationships. His plots are in the classical mold--they have the precision and sly wit of a Molière comedy--and are driven by the endless misunderstandings that his cerebral characters, aided by meddlesome friends, allow to complicate their happiness. Like melodies and motifs recurring in different keys, each new entry in Rohmer's canon enriches the total experience.

Rohmer, who has written all his own scripts, defined his distinctive approach to film narrative when he stated in a 1972 interview: "In the Moral Tales I only ask questions; I do not give answers... I shoot from the point of view of one of the characters. What he knows, we will know. What he doesn't know, we will never know."

This selection of eleven films drawn from Rohmer's fifty-year career presents a rare opportunity to experience in a theatrical venue the work of a master director. Included are: three of six Moral Tales, including La Collectionneuse, his first "vacation film," shot in Saint-Tropez by the brilliant cinematographer Nestor Almendros; four of six Comedies and Proverbs, including Pauline at the Beach, a clever farce that was a hit in America, and Summer (aka Le Rayon Vert), his only improvised film; two of four Tales of the Seasons, including Autumn Tale, in which a middle-aged widow in the Rhône Valley finds love during the wine harvest; and two of four historical films, including The Lady and the Duke, for which Rohmer commissioned virtual sets made digitally from historical paintings, so that his revolution-era characters could "walk through the streets and squares of a Paris that no longer exists."

My Night at Maud's (Ma Nuit chez Maud)

September 12 | 7:30 pm

Having determined to marry a demure young blonde whom he has been intently observing for weeks at Sunday Mass, Trintignant, an engineer in Clermont-Ferrand on business and stranded by a blizzard, gratefully accepts a spare room for the night in the home of worldly Fabian, an attractive divorcee. During a spirited conversation that extends late into the night, Fabian challenges Trintignant's conservative beliefs and smug assumptions about life and love before revealing that she has no spare room. Rohmer's first international hit was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Original Screenplay.

1969/b&w/105 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian

A Good Marriage (Le Beau Mariage)

September 12 | 9:30 pm

A headstrong art student living in Le Mans decides that marriage is the solution to her romantic problems with married men, but the bachelor she chooses to pursue responds with a bewildered disinterest. "A beautifully acted comedy of humiliation."--Roger Ebert.

1982/color/97 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Béatrice Romand André Dussolier.

Claire's Knee (Le Genou de Claire)

September 13 | 7:30 pm

Set in the Alpine city of Annecy and photographed by the great Nestor Almendros, this seductive film focuses on a soon-to-be-married diplomat (Brialy) vacationing in the French Alps who develops an obsession with the beautiful sixteen-year old friend of a friend, in particular her knee. Like Jane Austen, Rohmer diverts the audience with witty narration and clever characters, but the real subjects of his fifth Moral Tale are male mid-life crises and adolescent sexuality. Will Brialy caress Claire's knee by summer's end, as he has vowed to do, or remain faithful to a fiancée we never meet?

1970/color/105 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Jean-Claude Brialy, Aurora Cornu, Béatrice Romand.

The Marquise of O... (Die Marquise von O)

September 13 | 9:30 pm

Desire and betrayal take on a life-and-death urgency in this adaptation of an eighteenth-century German novella about a marquise that is rescued from a sexual assault on her own estate by a visiting Russian count who becomes obsessed with her. Acclaimed for its authentic neoclassical design, the performances of Ganz and Clever, and its narrative surprises, Rohmer's only non-francophone film won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes.

1976/color/102 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Edith Clever, Bruno Ganz.

La Collectionneuse

September 19 | 7:30 pm | Special guest: Patrick Bauchau

Adrien (Bauchau) a self-absorbed art dealer in his mid-thirties, is surprised to find he is sharing a borrowed villa on the Riviera with housemates: Daniel, a friend; and Haydée, an energetic twenty-year-old beauty whose nightly bouts of bars and promiscuity drive the guys (whom she barely notices) so crazy that they vow to steer her onto life's higher moral path. Shot on a low budget but graced with a sexy cast and Nestor Almendros' dazzling images of the Mediterranean coast, La Collectioneuse created the mold for a Rohmer specialty: the "vacation film." "The film's mood of sardonic playfulness combines with a psychological concentration and a Warholian feeling for pose and emptiness that are unique in Rohmer's work."--Chris Fujiwara, Boston Phoenix.

1967/ color/90 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Patrick Bauchau, Haydée Polioff, Daniel Pomereulle.

Pauline at the Beach (Pauline à la plage)

September 19 | 9:10 pm

The proverb ''A wagging tongue bites itself,'' by the twelfth-century poet Chrétien de Troyes, sent Rohmer (and Almendros) back to the beach sixteen years after La Collectioneuse--this time to chilly Normandie in late August--to direct what became his most commercially successful film, a farce with tragic undertones. Five adults, three women and two men, indulge in a game of musical beds that, fueled by gossip, bad judgment, and self-justification, ruins everyone's vacation and more. Only fifteen-year old Pauline is spared a broken heart but the disdain she feels toward the adults marks the end of her innocence.

1983/color/94 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Amanda Langlet, Arielle Dombasle, Pascal Gregory.

Full Moon in Paris (Les Nuits de la pleine lune)

September 20 | 7:30 pm

Louise, a charming but complicated young interior decorator who lives with her boyfriend in his flat outside Paris, suddenly announces that her "identity" depends on living alone half the week in the city; but she is soon overwhelmed by the practical complications of her decision. Only twenty-five at the time, Pascale Ogier was widely acclaimed for her riveting performance in the role of Louise, winning the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival. And Full Moon, with its urban setting and bittersweet portrayal of a woman coping with friendship, career, and independence, is Rohmer's contemporary version of the traditional proverb: "He who has two women loses his soul; he who has two houses loses his mind."

1984/color/102 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Pascale Ogier, Fabrice Luchini.

A Summer's Tale (Conte d'été)

September 20 | 9:20 pm

Rohmer's fascination with the sentimental education of young people deepened with age and the second of his Moral Tales is a comic masterpiece about a college student on vacation in Brittany who, through a series of chance encounters and misunderstandings, becomes involved with three women. "Plotting as suspenseful and manipulative as classical farce... Rohmer provides insights into matters of love, friendship, fidelity, loneliness, luck, destiny, and desire." --Time Out.

1996/color/113 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Melvil Poupaud, Amanda Langlet, Aurélia Nolin.

Summer (Le Rayon vert)

September 26 | 7:30 pm

When her roommate cancels their planned trip to Greece right before the August holiday, Delphine, a Parisian secretary, is devastated; unwilling to be alone in Paris, she attempts to vacation in Cherbourg, Biarritz, and the Alps, but her self-pity and negativity drive away potential friends, and she finds a reason to leave. Denying the rejection and masking her deep loneliness, she dreams of meeting "the perfect man" during the remaining two weeks of her vacation... In a radical departure from Rohmer's intricate plotting, crisp imagery, and polished dialogue, Summer was made on 16mm with a small crew and no script--the actors improvised their roles--resulting in one of the director's most esteemed and emotionally powerfully films. "A stunning mix of everyday naturalism and metaphysical speculation, the film is a masterpiece." --Geoff Andrew.

1986/color/98 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Marie Rivière, Lisa Meredia, Béatrice Romand.

Autumn Tale (Conte d'automne)

September 26 | 9:20 pm

The final entry in the Seasons cycle is set in the Rhône Valley during the wine harvest and concerns the complications that arise when a fortyish widow named Magali learns that her best friends are trying to find her a new husband by placing ads in the personals in her name. Rohmer favorite Béatrice Romand is brilliant as the earthy, high-strung loner who prefers to tend her vines in peace but comes to accept the bounty life offers. In the spirit of the season, the film "evokes such a sensuous atmosphere that you are all but transported into Magali's fields. A rich, emotionally satisfying experience." --New York Times.

1998/color/112 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Béatrice Romand, Marie Rivière, Didier Sandre.

The Lady and the Duke (L'Anglaise et le duc)

September 27 | 7:30 pm

The lady is Grace Elliott, a Scottish-French aristocrat living in Paris during the French Revolution, and the duke is the Duc d'Orléans, Grace's former lover and an enlightened aristocrat sympathetic to the revolution. Each worries about the other's safety and, as their story unfolds from 1790 to 1794, they debate the pros and cons of revolution, specifically the bloody days of the Terror, in a series of elegantly conceived scenes that blend the personal with the political. A faithful adaptation of Elliot's memoirs, the script portrays a woman of great courage who risked her life to save lives: the scene where she hides the governor of the Tuilleries in her home and her nocturnal escape from Paris on foot are classic suspense sequences that convey the omnipresent danger for rich and poor alike. Wanting the characters to walk through streets and squares of an eighteenth-century Paris that no longer exists, Rohmer commissioned digital sets based on nineteenth-century landscape paintings: the fantastic images evoke the magic of early cinema and lend this classically romantic film a theatricality that is entirely appropriate.

2001/color/125 min. | Scr/dir: Eric Rohmer; w/ Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Lucy Russell.

TICKETS/INFORMATION

Tickets are $10; $7 for LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID. Price includes both films in a double bill except where noted. Tickets to the second film on a double bill are $5 and are only available at the museum box office prior to the screening. Tuesday Matinees: $2; $1 seniors (62+). Please note: Many programs sell out. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the museum box office (323 857-6010). All films and guests are subject to change and many films are unrated and may not be appropriate for younger viewers. For more information or to check current programs, call the museum box office at (323) 857-6010, visit www.lacma.org or subscribe to the Film Department's e-newsletter by emailing film@lacma.org.

Posted by Bob Strauss at 4:36 PM | Comments (0)

I have no idea what's really going on with this festival or if the movies are any good. But if you're in the mood, check it out and save a whale or something.

Here's the press release:

THE AUGUST SUN FILM & TELEVISION FESTIVAL

PROMOTING WORLD PEACE THROUGH FILM & TV

at The Crest theatre in Westwood, Aug. 27-30, 2008.

FOR TICKETS: WWW.AUGUSTSUNPRODUCTIONS.COM/FESTIVAL

WHERE: Screenings are at

The Crest Theatre .

1262 Westwood Boulevard

Westwood, California 90024

WHEN: Thursday August 28, and Friday August 29, 2008

9:00am -1pm

Screening Schedule:

THURSDAY 8/28
9:00 am: Sebastian' s Voodoo (4m, U S A) dir. by Joaquin Baldwin
9:05 am: Absolute Zero (27m, Australia) dir. by Alan Woodruff
9:35 am: Bushwacker (9m, U S A) dir. by Kal Goudey
9:50 am:The Big Question (62m, USA) dir. by Vince DiPersio
Short Break
11:00am Superpower (119m, U S A) dir. by Barbara-Anne Steegmuller

FRIDAY 8/29
9:00 am: Donut Heaven (14m, U S A) dir. by Annetta Marion
9:15am The Cave: An adaptation of Plato 's Allegory in Clay (3m, U S A) dir. by Michael Ramsey
9:20am Tammuz (92m, Israel) dir. by Nir Toib
Short Break
11:00am Orion Slave Girls Must Die!!! (26m, U S A) dir. by Eric Kallevig
11:30pm Color of Truth (90m, U S A) dir. by Lucy & Frederick Smith

August 30, 2008 Saturday 6pm-11pm Black-Tie gala and Award Ceremony

(Black-tie is suggested not mandatory), at Sinigual Restaurant

The People's Party Band will be performing www.myspace.com/thepeoplesparty there will be an award ceremony at 8pm. Dancing til midnight. Hors d'Oeuvres, will be served. Full Cash bar available.

Sinigual Restaurant
9595 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills,
CA 90210,
6p-12pm
Valet parking $6, and public parking 1 blk north on Camden

Seminars at 2-5pm 8/27-29

Bel Air Camera

10925 Kinross Ave

Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA 90024

800-200-4999 - 310-208-5150

Wednesday seminars Bel Air camera

2pm Welcome filmmakers!

3pm Joe Sutton: Legendary publicist/Talent manager www.heartofhollywood.com, "Bridging the Gap Between Artist and Executive",

4pm John Stecenko: Director/DP "Legend Of Bloody Mary", "HD vs. Film" which Cameras to use he has been using HD since it first came out, and has worked on over 50 films as Director, DP, 1st AD, and Gaffer!

Thursday seminars Bel Air camera 2-5pm

2pm Eric L. Haney: Exec. Prod. "The Unit" former Delta Force Founding member, "From Real life to TV Life

3pm Vince DiPersio: 3 time Oscar Nominated Documentary Filmmaker!!

4pm Russ Woody: Emmy Award winning writer , "Murphy Brown", and "Becker". "Writing a

Successful Sitcom"

Friday seminars 2-5pm

2pm Alon Bar & Nancy Sexton Screenwriters "Write Your Film"

3-5pm Panelist of talent agents and managers, and other special guests! we'll be adding.

Caron Feldman: Talent Manager/Producer,

Posted by Bob Strauss at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)

Here's the official announcement:

IDA ANNOUNCES SELECTIONS FOR DOCUWEEK
THEATRICAL DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE QUALIFIES 18 FEATURES/4 SHORTS FOR OSCAR CONSIDERATION
THE ARCLIGHT CINEMAS (HOLLYWOOD AND SHERMAN OAKS) AUG 22-28

From musicians to matadors; water to war; Kashmir to South Los Angeles, the International Documentary Association (IDA) holds a mirror up to all the corners of the world, featuring 14 documentaries in its acclaimed DocuWeek, this year for the first time at both Arclight Theatres Hollywood and Arclight Sherman Oaks. Filmmakers like Terence Davies, Scott Hicks, Ellen Kuras and Stacey Peralta are featured in the expansive lineup. Subjects include composer Phillip Glass, child soldiers, the quest to become the top-ranked matador, a history of gangs in South LA, photographer Eddie Adams, and the challenges of marathon running.

"Heartbreaking and celebratory, angry and contemplative, this year's DocuWeek films represent a wide and powerful range of human experience and emotion," says IDA Interim Executive Director Eddie Schmidt. "We're proud to present these compelling and well-made films that truly define the world we're living in - whether it's our own backyard, a distant time and place, or a state of mind."

DocuWeek was developed to give deserving filmmakers an opportunity to qualify for Oscar consideration by providing theatrical platforms where their films can be seen. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' rules require doucmentary features to be exhibited on theatrical screens for paid admissions in Los Angeles County and Manhattan, twice daily for seven consecutive days. DocuWeek Los Angeles will be held August 22-28.

Since its inception, 25 films featured in DocuWeek have gone on to be nominated for Academy Awards, with six films winning Oscars, including the 2008 Feature Documentary winner, TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE.

Features appearing in this year's Los Angeles DocuWeek are: THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER, FIRE UNDER THE SNOW, FLOW, THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN, GLASS: A PORTRAIT IN TWELVE PARTS, MADE IN AMERICA, THE MATADOR, MEMORY BOOKS, OF TIME AND THE CITY, ONE BAD CAT: THE REVEREND ALBERT WAGNER STORY, PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL, PROJECT KASHMIR, SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON, WAR CHILD, AN UNLIKELY WEAPON, THE WRECKING CREW and YODOK STORIES.

DocuWeek will also feature the short films (40 minutes or less) BAGHDAD TWIST, CARISSA, KICK LIKE A GIRL, and SMILE PINKI.

A complete schedule is available at the IDA website at:
http://www.documentary.org/

Tickets can be purchased online for ALL Los Angeles DocuWeek Theatrical showcase screenings online at (PLEASE NOTE SCREENING LOCATIONS PRIOR TO PURCHASING TICKETS): https://www.arclightcinemas.com/ArcLight/faces/SpecialProgramming.jsp?eventCode=IDA&pageInfo=Home-Page

Posted by Bob Strauss at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

But please, only apply if you actually have a GOOD one. I may have to watch some of these things.

Here's the official call for entries:

11th Annual Method FEST SEEKS STRONG ACTING FILMS

• Indie fest slated for March 26 - April 2, 2009

The 11th annual The Method Fest independent film festival,
scheduled for March 26 - April 2, 2009 in Calabasas, is looking for
character and story-driven films featuring strong acting performances.

The Method Fest features American and foreign feature films and short
films and is named after "The Method" school of acting, which
revolutionized the approach in acting, particularly in film.

Deadlines for film submissions for the 11th annual The Method Fest
are: Early Bird: October 1, 2008; Early Deadline: December 1, 2008;
Late Entry: January 31, 2009 (all postmarked).

Entry fees are: $40 Early Bird entry ; $50 Regular entry; $60 Late
entry, for features; $30 Early Bird entry; $35 Regular entry; $45
Late entry for short films; student entries are $20 Early Bird entry;
$25 Regular and Late Entry. Screen formats accepted are 35 mm,
DigiBetaCam and HDCam. For film submission information call (310)
535-9230 or visit the festival web site at www.methodfest.com
Filmmakers are encouraged to register through www.withoutabox.com

The Method Fest takes great pride in being a discovery festival,
looking to help launch the works of young fresh filmmakers and to
discover breakthrough performances by young, bold new actors. More
than 100 films that have premiered or played at The Method Fest have
received distribution.

The Method Fest has also taken great delight in sharing career-
defining performances of established performers and in showcasing a
few chosen well-known directors to screen at the festival. "We've
prided ourselves on not just following other festivals' lineups. We
screen world premieres and true discoveries, mixed with a few larger
films, " said Don Franken, executive director of the Method Fest.

A variety of other activities will complement the Method
Fest screenings - filmmaking seminars, daily/nightly parties and
receptions, industry events, a variety of Indie Music events,
Lifetime Achievement Tribute, and the Awards Ceremony. The Method
fest's Youth Outreach program include a short film and screenplay
competition for middle school and high school students.

The Method Fest is sponsored by the City of Calabasas and presenting
media partners, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and the
L.A. Daily News / LA.com. Lead sponsors include Corona, Prudential
California Realty, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley /
Valley of the Stars, Sony, Christie, JetBlue, Country Inn & Suites by
Carlson, Modern VideoFilm, FilmFinders, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Final
Draft, Red Bull, Bernards, and Barefoot Winery

Posted by Bob Strauss at 1:18 PM | Comments (0)

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Simon Pegg remembers being at Comic-Con four years ago to promote "Shaun of the Dead." As he was walking around San Diego's downtown Gaslamp District in search of a good cup of coffee, he spied two people wearing t-shirts featuring characters from his BBC television series "Spaced."

"It was astonishing to see people wearing Tim and Daisy t-shirts for a show that had only been seen on American cable at odd hours of the morning," Pegg says. "I couldn't believe anyone knew it here."

The series, broadcast in two seven-episode seasons in 1999 and 2001, finally came out on DVD this week in North America.

It's currently No. 2 on Amazon.

"Spaced" was written by and starred Pegg and Jessica Hynes and was directed by Edgar Wright. Pegg and Wright went on to make two of this decade's funniest and smartest movie comedies - "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz."

"Spaced" sported surreal comedy and a distinct cinematic style. Wright shot it with a single camera and pulled off spot-on tributes to movies like "Pulp Fiction" and "The Matrix."

The three-DVD set includes all 14 episodes, the original commentaries taped for the UK DVD release and all-new commentaries featuring "Spaced" fans Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, Bill Hader, Patton Oswalt and Diablo Cody.

"Watching 'Spaced' is like watching a Kevin Smith movie if Kevin Smith had any talent," Smith said in a statement both self-deprecating and unfortunately true.

Pegg says he would have liked to have done a third season, but considers the prospect unlikely now because of the cast's age and success. He rejects the idea that "Spaced," like Ricky Gervais' "The Office," remains special because of it put quality over quantity.

"I think Ricky should have done another series of 'The Office," Pegg says. "I think it's silly to abide by this 'Fawlty Towers' thing. 'Fawlty Towers' didn't do enough. It's all very cool. But it feels self-consciously cool to only do 12 episodes."

Wright respectfully disagrees.

"The flip side is that we did 14 episodes with a very small team and as such they are very handcrafted," Wright says. "They are very personal."

Which, Hynes says, was why there wasn't a third season of "Spaced."

"In America, there's a huge industry brought up around TV and film production," Hynes says. "If a show's successful, they will support you and pay you. Incredible as it may sound, there were four people who made 'Spaced' pretty much. And that wasn't enough. We didn't have great budgets. Ultimately it led to the demise of the show."

"Me and Simon wrote it all and that's a big workload," Hynes continues. "In America there would be writing teams, show runners. And Edgar filmed ambitiously. Thinking about what we went through physically, the strain, to contemplate that again seems overwhelming."

"Well," Pegg adds. "We were younger then, weren't we?"

The DVD's bonus features, including the twin sets of commentaries, sport a longer running time than the episodes themselves.

"There are only 14 episodes so we feel kind of guilty that we have to service the fans with an enormous amount of content," Pegg says with a laugh. "There's a doc about the show that's almost as long as the first series."

Posted by Glenn Whipp at 8:29 PM | Comments (0)

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Highlights from the Univeral Pictures Comic-Con panel, in descending order of interest:

1) The crowd gave its hearty approval to Sam Raimi's return to his horror roots and with good reason. The two clips Raimi showed from "Drag Me To Hell," due next year, were both hilarious and freaky frightening, just what you'd expect from the guy behind the "Evil Dead" movies.

Raimi said that post-"Spider Man," he was looking to return to a "good, simple campfire story." In this case, the tale revolves around a young woman who, trying to get in good with her boss, rejects an old woman's loan application, resulting in an unfortunate eviction.

"She picked the wrong woman to throw out of the house," Raimi said in an understatement.

Raimi then showed a scene, rather remarkable for a movie shooting for a PG-13 rating, in which the old hag confronts the bank woman (played by Alison Lohman) in an underground parking garage. There's some creative use of office supplies and also a rather alarming incident involving the loss of dentures.

The trailer mentioned the need for a blood sacrifice, hinting that a pet cat might be involved.

"No kittens were harmed in the making of this movie," Raimi assured. "The effects team made a great live and dead kitty. Oh, and there was a great, post-digested kitty, too."

2) Universal is remaking Roger Corman's "Death Race 2000" with Jason Statham playing an inmate forced to participate in a brutal car race. Statham came to Comic-Con to plug the movie (on his birthday, no less), along with co-stars Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane and Joan Allen.

"It's a NASCAR movie set in prison in the future and Joan Allen says f***," McShane explained. "What more do you want?"

Indeed, casting Allen as the evil prison warden feels like a stroke of genius.

"I was surprised to be sent the script," Allen says. "Surprised, but pleased."

To which Gibson, seated next to her, said: "Well, I loved you in 'The Notebook.' "

3) Brad Silberling didn't have any clips to offer from next summer's remake of "Land of the Lost," but he did have a couple of taped offerings from its star Will Ferrell.

In one, Ferrell, making like Steve Martin in his Wild and Crazy Guy days, strummed a banjo while warbling the catchy lyrics to the theme song from the Seventies Saturday morning show.

Ferrell was later seen on Hall H's jumbo TV screens in what was jokingly billed as a live feed from San Diego's Hotel Del Coronado. But the "audio link" wasn't so good, so Ferrell's reactions were always out-of-sync with what was happening with the panel.

Like most of Ferrell's recent comedy output, it was all decidedly hit-and-miss.

Funnier was co-star Danny McBride revealing he was a big fan of the show as a kid and then later it college, but "for different reasons."

There were also sleestaks and an appearance from the show's creators, Sid and Marty Krofft, who revealed that there may well be a big-screen version of "H.R. Pufnstuf."

I'd be fine with that, provided Sam Raimi directs.

Posted by Glenn Whipp at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Here's the plot of a movie teased at Comic-Con:

A 73-year-old, prune-loving, old-timer named Carl loses his beloved wife, Ellie. Carl now is about to get evicted from his house, so a developer can bulldoze it. Next stop for Carl: An old-folks home.

Just as this is about to happen, Carl ties a bunch of balloons to the chimney of the house, breaking it free from its foundation. He sets sail in this makeshift airship to Venezuela to glimpse what he and his wife had always dreamed of seeing - Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.

Not really a Comic-Con movie, is it?

But I feel safe in guaranteeing that out of all the movies teased and promoted here this week, "Up," will be the best.

Why?

It's from Pixar Animation.

And its director, Pete Docter, who has been with Pixar from the beginning and worked on movies like "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," calls it the "highlight" of his career.

That's coming from a guy with a lot of obvious highlights.

Docter screened the trailer and a partly finished, five-minute scene from "Up," which will be in theaters May 29, 2009.

The footage was amazing, and just like "Wall-E," completely different from anything Pixar has ever produced. Docter says he was inspired by seeing film of the Tepui tabletop mountains in South America, an otherworldly place with "weird rock shapes" and "mysterious plants" that few people on the planet have ever visited.

Seeing that led to the setting of "Up." The character of Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) was inspired by Docter's encounters with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, members of Disney's famed Nine Old Men responsible for much of the studio's classic film work.

"Old people have such great stories to tell," Docter says. "This is really an homage to our grandparents."

My favorite moment from the Q&A that followed came when some guy from a Disney fansite asked Docter to define "Up." His rationale: It's hard to describe Pixar movies in a way that gets people excited. (In other words: Who wants to see a movie about a rat in a kitchen, right?)

Here then is Docter's description of "Up": "Pixar takes you to a lost world. It's a love story. And it's a Pixar movie."

Really - what more do you need to know?

Posted by Glenn Whipp at 6:21 PM | Comments (0)

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Disney's "Bolt" is about a cute, white German shepherd who stars on an action TV show and, by extension, believes he has "Six Million Dollar Man"-like super powers.

It's the first movie from Disney Animation since Pixar's John Lasseter was brought in to oversee the company. Lasseter took a hammer to the original version of "Bolt," replacing writer-director Chris Sanders when he resisted his story suggestions.