Authors — Jane Schoenbrun

Five Questions with Robert & Frank Director Jake Schreier

A futuristic buddy film focused on the relationship between an elderly ex-jewel thief and his caretaker robot, Robot & Frank’s premise might sound high-concept, silly even. But director Jake Schreier ‘s focus is on keeping the action emotionally grounded. Anchored by the dexterous, empathetic, and ever-dependable Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Superman Returns) as well as a strong ensemble that includes Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, and Liv Tyler, director Schreir’s feature debut is a small-scale character piece with some very large ambitions. Filmmaker: Robot & Frank started out as a short film in 2003, so the feature version has obviously been gestating […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 23, 2012
VIDEO: TIM HEIDECKER AND ERIC WAREHEIM OF “TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE”

Filmmaker has partnered with Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco of the newly-founded and ambitiously-named National Film Society for a series of video interviews at Sundance. In this first video, Patrick and Stephen catch up with comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim on the red carpet before their Billion Dollar Movie premiere. Tim and Eric are their usual absurdest selves, and for their part, Patrick and Stephen turn in what just might be the most laid-back red carpet interview I’ve ever seen: Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie is available on VOD starting January 27th. And for some bonus hilarity, check […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 22, 2012
Five Questions with Excision Director Richard Bates Jr.

Sundance’s Midnight section always includes a fair share of genre-heavy selections, but Richard Bates Jr.’s Excision sounds like it will pack a level of blood and guts rarely seen at the festival. A twisted coming of age tale, Excision follows young Pauline (AnnaLynne McCord), a high school girl with an unabated interest in picking scabs, dissecting road kill, and fantasizing about performing surgery on strangers. Bates’ debut seems to be the sort of grotesque horror comedy sure to play well to splatter-enthusiasts in Park City and beyond. Filmmaker: You’re premiering at a festival not traditionally known for its horror selections. […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 22, 2012
SUNDANCE CLIP ROUND-UP: “INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE,” “ARBITRAGE,” “THE COMEDY”

Those of us not in Park City this weeked will have to make due with the slow-trickle of “Exclusive Clips” that have begun floating around the internet. First up, Wired shares a sequence from Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky’s Indie Game: The Movie, a documentary about video-game programmers. In the above clip, Tommy Refenes, one of the film’s main subjects, nervously shares an unfinished version of his new game at a convention in Boston. Next, Deadline.com shares this tense clip from writer-director Nicholas Jarecki’s hedge-fund psychological thriller, Arbitrage. Featuring Richard Gere and Nate Parker, the clip hints at the film’s […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 22, 2012
Five Questions with The Comedy Director Rick Alverson

Director Rick Alverson is nothing if not prolific. After putting out six albums over eight years with his band Spokane, Alverson turned his attention to film, directing The Builder in 2010 and New Jerusalem last year. Continuing this productive streak is The Comedy, a dark exploration into the insular, self-destructive lifestyle of the affluent white male. Set against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s ultra-hip Williamsburg, The Comedy stands in contrast to Alverson’s previous two films, films that focused mainly on the stories of working class immigrants. Starring comedian Tim Heidecker (in his first dramatic role) and a supporting cast that includes […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 21, 2012
CASPAR NEWBOLT SHARES HIS THREE RULES FOR WATCHING MOVIES

Over at IFP’s blog, Version Industries co-founder Caspar Newbolt has a provocative new opinion piece in which he shares his three rules for watching movies. Arguing against the near-automated saturation of opinions that the internet has spawned, Newbolt reasons that its best to simply go into a movie cold. As he writes: “I once got into an argument with someone at a party about a film, which I was insisting was good and he was arguing wasn’t. In the end it turned out he’d not actually seen the film but was basing his opinion on what he’d read on Rotten Tomatoes, […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 19, 2012
Five Questions with Safety Not Guaranteed Director Colin Trevorrow

Safety Not Guaranteed might be the first feature film based on an internet meme. In 2005, a newspaper classified ad from 1997 started to spread across the web, depicted a mulleted man who claimed to be seeking, “Somebody to go back in time with me.” The ad, which also specified, “this is not a joke” was eventually revealed to be exactly that, a fake listing published to fill out space in the paper. But that hasn’t stopped director Colin Trevorrow from crafting his first feature film around it. Produced by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach (Little Miss […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 19, 2012
Five Questions with The First Time Director Jon Kasdan

Sundance has a rich tradition of premiering great on-screen romances, as far back as Linklater’s Before Sunrise in 1995, and more recently with Like Crazy, last year’s Grand Jury Prize winner. Carrying this torch into the 2012 Festival is The First Time, the sophomore effort from director Jonathan Kasdan (In the Land of Women). A meditation on the excitement, anticipation, and unavoidable angst of young love, First Time stars Dylan O’Brien and Britt Robertson as star-crossed high school students drawn together over a single weekend. Filmmaker: What were your creative goals when you first conceived of this project? Were there […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 19, 2012
WINTER ’12 ISSUE NOW ONLINE

Select stories from our Winter Issue are now available. You can now read online our interview with Joachim Trier about his Sundance-bound sophomore effort, Oslo, August 31st, our joint interview with directors Braden King (Here) and Joshua Marston (The Forgiveness of Blood), and Kinetic Trailer co-founder Stephen Garrett’s comprehensive piece on crafting a winning trailer. Plus, Lance Weiler’s Culture Hacker column. The issue premieres later this week at Sundance, and hits stands shortly after that, but you can read it now on your desktop by subscribing to our digital issue. Learn more here.
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 17, 2012
SXSW ANNOUNCES “CABIN IN THE WOODS” FOR OPENING NIGHT, TEASES FULL LINEUP

SXSW, has announced the first official titles from its 2012 film lineup, a list that includes the world premiere of Drew Goddard (Cloverfield) and Joss Whedon’s (The Avengers, Serenity) horror-comedy Cabin in the Woods, as well as a special preview screening of Lena Dunham’s new HBO series, Girls. Cabin in the Woods, which garnered a lot of buzz during a preview screening at Harry Knowles’ Butt-Numb-A-Thon this past December, will have its World Premiere as SXSW’s Opening Night film. Whedon will also be on hand at the festival for a panel discussion on Saturday, March 10. Check out the film’s […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Jan 12, 2012

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