There are two things in this world that make it truly worth living.

New Sylvain Chomet films, and the past work of one Jacques Tati. So, that is why, when talking about Chomet’s upcoming film, The Illusionist, I have to sit down and take it all in, because it’s very rare for me to be this [...]]]>

There are two things in this world that make it truly worth living.

New Sylvain Chomet films, and the past work of one Jacques Tati. So, that is why, when talking about Chomet’s upcoming film, The Illusionist, I have to sit down and take it all in, because it’s very rare for me to be this anticipatory of a single piece of cinema.

For those who don’t know, the film basically follows a magician who has come on hard times in his career, until he meets a fan who livens up his life and career alike. The film is based off of an idea from the mind of the aforementioned French legend, Tati, and is directed by my personal favorite current animation director, Chomet, who launched on the scene with The Triplets Of Belleville, a true masterpiece of the form.

It looks utterly fantastic, and for those who may need a refresher of just what to expect, thanks to /Film we now have a brand new international trailer, showing the films lush animation style, and what looks to be one film that you cannot miss. Here’s the film’s full synopsis:

The Illusionist is one of a dying breed of stage entertainers. With emerging rock stars stealing his thunder, he is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, at garden parties and in bars and cafés. However, whilst performing in a village pub off the west coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever.

Watching his performance to the excited villagers who are celebrating the arrival of electricity to their remote island, Alice becomes awestruck by our hero and believes his tricks are real magic. Following him to Edinburgh, she keeps his home while he goes to work in a small local theatre. Enchanted by her enthusiasm for his act, he rewards her with increasingly lavish gifts he has ‘conjured’ into existence. Desperate not to disappoint her, he cannot bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist and that buying these gifts is driving him to ruin.

But as Alice comes of age, she finds love and moves on. The Illusionist no longer has to pretend and, untangled from his own web of deceit, resumes his life as a travelling entertainer, a much wiser man.

Source: /Film

After directing the brilliant long form music video for M.I.A.’s superb new track, Born Free, Romain Gavras proved that he was far more than just the son of a brilliant filmmaker.

The director not only seems deeply inspired by his father, but is seeming to follow directly in the steps of his highly intellectual pops, [...]]]>

After directing the brilliant long form music video for M.I.A.’s superb new track, Born Free, Romain Gavras proved that he was far more than just the son of a brilliant filmmaker.

The director not only seems deeply inspired by his father, but is seeming to follow directly in the steps of his highly intellectual pops, Costa-Gavras (Z, Missing). Well, now he’s making his feature film debut, with the upcoming film Notre Jour Viendra, or Our Day Will Come.

The film was originally known as Redheads, and stars Vincent Cassel (La Haine) and Olivier Barthelemy. It follows a teen who leaves for Ireland after being victim of abuse from the people around him. This is our first look at the film, and I must say, while it gives us little to nothing to chew on when it comes to narrative, it looks absolutely stunning. It looks low on contrast, and high on naturalistic style. It’s definitely NSFW, but it’s something that you should see, and watch a billion times, because it’s bloody brilliant.

Source: Twitch

After its premiere earlier this week at the Cannes Film Festival, we now have our first glimpse as to what to expect from Olivier Assayas’ latest film, the five and a half hour long, three part epic, Carlos.

The film stars Edgar Ramirez, as the revolutionary and terrorist known as Carlos “The Jackal.” His real name was [...]]]>

After its premiere earlier this week at the Cannes Film Festival, we now have our first glimpse as to what to expect from Olivier Assayas’ latest film, the five and a half hour long, three part epic, Carlos.

The film stars Edgar Ramirez, as the revolutionary and terrorist known as Carlos “The Jackal.” His real name was Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, and according to reviews out of the festival, that is just one of the multiple details that are in this reportedly dense, but masterful, biopic.

Coming out of the festival, very few films have caught my eye, but this is most definitely one of them. After seeing Assayas’ last outing, Summer Hours (which according to IMDb, he is still attached to an English remake of), I can’t help but crave more from this filmmaker. It has been drawing comparisons to films like Steven Soderbergh’s Che, which is a film that I quite deeply adore.

The film has recently premiered on French television, and will be brought to the states via a teaming up of The Sundance Channel and IFC, who will split distribution of the film, with Sundance throwing the three part film on their television channel, while IFC will be bringing the film to theaters.

Also, while no DVD release is set for the film, this seems right up Criterion’s alley. I know that whenever a film is nabbed up by IFC we all begin to question it’s likeliness of joining the collection, but this seems right down their lane. The film is an epic, biopic, a Cannes hit, and from a director already in the collection, so it seems likely, no? What do you think?

Source: Rope of Silicon

Cannes is about a week away now and one of the more anticipated films that are in Competition just released its trailer today. The trailer for Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy is such a simple 47 second shot too. Juliette Binoche putting on lipstick, walking away from the camera to look out a window and then walking [...]]]>

Cannes is about a week away now and one of the more anticipated films that are in Competition just released its trailer today. The trailer for Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy is such a simple 47 second shot too. Juliette Binoche putting on lipstick, walking away from the camera to look out a window and then walking back to finish putting on her lipstick. What is this movie even about?

The Playlist Nation put up a roughly translated synopsis of the film from the original website:

James, an English writer, gives Italy, to mark the release of his latest book, a conference on the close relationship between the original and the copy in the art. He meets a young woman of French origin, gallerist, who leads for a few hours in the streets of a small village in southern Tuscany. When a woman likes to move it for her husband too often absent, the writer agrees to return to his game but it is a dangerous game, and soon it becomes difficult to distinguish right from wrong…

I think that makes us question what its about even more, which in return makes it even more intriguing a film. Considering we already have his 1997 film Taste of Cherry in the Criterion Collection and his 1990 film Close-Up is getting a release as well next month, we are always anticipating another release from Abbas Kiarostami as a worthy addition in the Criterion Collection.

Certified Copy will be released in France on May 19th with no word yet on a North American release date.

Source: The Playlist [nation]

I was searching for a good reason to write this story up and I found a Criterion connection to it. Robert De Niro is in this movie and he was also in Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” (Criterion #051). I’m very happy to be writing this up because this trailer kicks ass!!

Today being Cinco De Mayo, [...]]]>

I was searching for a good reason to write this story up and I found a Criterion connection to it. Robert De Niro is in this movie and he was also in Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” (Criterion #051). I’m very happy to be writing this up because this trailer kicks ass!!

Today being Cinco De Mayo, Robert Rodriguez released the trailer of his new mexploitation film, “Machete” via an exclusive from Ain’t It Cool News. The movie stated as a fun way to present a “fake trailer” to kick off the 2007 Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino partnership movie, “Grindhouse”. There has been some much buzz and fanboy love for this trailer that Rodriguez decided to make this into a full length, feature film.

This trailer is a double whammy as it also serves as a special message to the recently passed immigration laws in Arizona. Good timing on Rodriguez as this issue serves as the plot driving the story.

The film stars Danny Trejo as the badass Mexican, Machete, also starring Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan. The movie is set to be released on Labor Day weekend, September 3rd 2010. Very apt!

What do you think of this trailer? Are you now excited for this release? Or will it flop like “Grindhouse”?

Source: Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News

Buried was a small film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. It was one of the big surprises from the festival. The buzz was so hot and hyped that there was a huge bidding war from many studios for the rights to distribute this gem. But in the end Lionsgate [...]]]>

Buried was a small film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. It was one of the big surprises from the festival. The buzz was so hot and hyped that there was a huge bidding war from many studios for the rights to distribute this gem. But in the end Lionsgate won the war by out bidding it’s competition for a sum reported to be between $3 million to $4 million.

Travis and I saw this film in a very optimal setting, a midnight press & industry screening at the Holiday Village. We were surrounded and seated with many of the film critics we look up to. The response was chilling, claustrophobic and exciting. You can read my review of this film here.

The trailer is highly effective. In its short 1:10 minute running time, you get the feeling of claustrophobia and panic. You get what the story is about and the stakes at which the film conveys.

Also check out the teaser trailer in HD from Apple.

Official Synopsis:

Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up 6 feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time- fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only 90 minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true.

The release date for “Buried” is September 24th 2010 in select theaters and markets. October 8th 2010 nationwide. Just in time for Halloween. Although I am disappointed it is not a summer release. I think it would benefit as a summer movie rather than a halloween release. In the end, see this movie in theaters. The big screen is the only way to see this film and the atmosphere it creates. It is a must!

One of the most talked about movies at last year’s Cannes Film Festival will be making its way to a theater near you. Hopefully sooner than later but for right now, it will be making its way through Europe. The French trailer for “Enter The Void” has been released. The controversial new film [...]]]>

One of the most talked about movies at last year’s Cannes Film Festival will be making its way to a theater near you. Hopefully sooner than later but for right now, it will be making its way through Europe. The French trailer for “Enter The Void” has been released. The controversial new film from filmmaker, Gaspar Noé will open in France on May 5th.

IFC bought the U.S. distribution rights and it’s only a matter of time before we can all talk about this movie too. Travis and I screened this film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. And as much as Travis hated this movie, I loved it and relished the opportunity to talk about it with anyone who has seen it. I made a lot of friends (and enemies) in Park City that way. You can read my review as part of our coverage of Sundance 2010. Also you can hear Travis and I argue about the the film on one of our minidisc episodes.

There has also been much debate whether this film will get the Criterion treatment when it will be released on Blu-Ray/DVD. IFC owns the rights and they have a deal with Criterion for prestigious films, like this one, to add to their collection. It would serve well, in my opinion. The filmaker is an auteur and his films are challenging to say the least.

Synopsis:

Oscar and his sister Linda, recent arrivals in Tokyo. Oscar is a small time drug dealer, and Linda works as a nightclub stripper. One night, Oscar is caught up in a police bust and shot. As he lies dying, his spirit, faithful to the promise he made his sister – that he would never abandon her – refuses to abandon the world of the living. His spirit wanders through the city, his visions growing evermore distorted, evermore nightmarish. Past, present and future merge in a hallucinatory maelstrom.

French trailer of “Enter The Void” from Twitchfilm.com:

The lullaby theme with the heavy drone towards the end of the trailer gives me chills and puts a smile on my face. I can’t wait to see this movie again.

Opening Credits sequence from “Enter The Void”:

This loud-beat, techno, seizure inducing 1 minute opens the film. It was the only time that I can remember cheering at the beginning of a movie. We, as an audience whether we loved or hated it, knew we were going to get something special.

What did you think of this French trailer and the opening title sequence? Will this be a new addition to the Criterion Collection?

Source: Todd Brom from Twitchfilm.com (via Russ Fischer from /Film.com)

On our next episode, we’ll be featuring Nicolas Roeg’s 1971 film Walkabout (Criterion Collection # 10). To get you all even more excited about the film, we’re posting the trailer for your viewing pleasure. The Criterion Collection has recently created a new official YouTube channel for their trailers, and are [...]]]>

On our next episode, we’ll be featuring Nicolas Roeg’s 1971 film Walkabout (Criterion Collection # 10). To get you all even more excited about the film, we’re posting the trailer for your viewing pleasure. The Criterion Collection has recently created a new official YouTube channel for their trailers, and are making some available in HD.

We’re all really excited about the upcoming re-release (DVD and Blu-ray) of Walkabout next month, as it will bring a remastered image, along with brand new special features. The new release is also sporting a really beautiful new cover image, expanding on the original artwork.

If you’d like to listen in live to our discussion of the film, be sure to follow our official Twitter feed, to receive updates as to when we’ll be broadcasting over on CriterionCast.com/live.

You can also rent Walkabout through Netflix, via disc or through Netflix Watch Instantly.

While Travis and I were in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival, we stayed in a condo with a group of other movie bloggers. It was one of the best work environments I have ever worked in. Long days turning into nights filled with watching movies and writing reviews and [...]]]>

While Travis and I were in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival, we stayed in a condo with a group of other movie bloggers. It was one of the best work environments I have ever worked in. Long days turning into nights filled with watching movies and writing reviews and everything in-between consisted of eating junk food and creating long lasting friendships. It was like summer camp but for movie bloggers.

One of the groups we were staying with was filmmaker Scott Hutchenson and A.J. Meadows of (formerly) WeAreMovieGeeks[DOT]com. They were shooting a documentary about film bloggers covering the Sundance Film Festival. Every film site that were invited to cover the festival had complete access to movies, filmmakers and celebrities in Park City. Truly we were treated like rock stars by publicist wanting us to give good reviews and P.R. for their films. Some films were good and some were bad but as film journalist we have an obligation to our readers first and foremost. Needless to say, it was a trip!

Redford Sent Us captures the behind the scenes of the Sundance Film Festival through a blogger’s point of view. In this teaser trailer, the filmmakers get interviews with John Cooper, filmmaker Katie Aselton, Devin Faraci of CHUD[DOT]com and our friends, Rusty Gordon and Chase Whale of GordonAndTheWhale[DOT]com.

Redford Sent Us : Teaser Trailer from Anthony Meadows on Vimeo.

Sundance was a wonderful experience that I wouldn’t trade with anything in the world. Travis and I saw a lot of movies, sometimes the first to see these movies, we got to meet and hang out with some of the best people in the film blogging community. There was actually a moment where we felt we were a legitimate part of the community and were treated as such by the ones around us. There was the one night after screenings where we got to hang out with Scott Weinberg and Eric D. Snider from Cinematical[DOT]com in their hotel room. What a crazy and surreal night that was. Just to get a chance to discuss a movie after it being screened with the writers and personalities you have gotten to know through their work was just so rewarding. It was a blast!

I have a feeling at next year’s Sundance Film Festival, Scott and A.J.’s film will be showcased and we’ll get to watch it in a theater full of the same people who were in it. I can’t wait for next year!!

If you can spot Travis and I in this trailer, I’ll buy a cookie for you next time I see you.