Authors — Vadim Rizov
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Trailer Watch: Mad Max: Fury Road
This new trailer for George Miller’s forthcoming fourth Mad Max movie can speak for itself. You know the drill: cars blow up, lots of desert, fierce men wearing improbable makeup, explosions for days. Bracing stuff.
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 10, 2014 -
Watch: A “Language Lesson” from Jim Finn’s North Korean Mockumentary The Juche Idea
The FBI can’t prove that North Korea is responsible for hacking into Sony, releasing thousands of documents and confidential company information. So it can’t be said with any certainty that the hack was launched as an official attack on James Franco and Seth Rogen’s forthcoming let’s-assassinate-Kim Jong-un comedy The Interview, although the outraged North Korean government has expressed their approval, stating that “hacking into Sony Pictures might be a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathizers with the DPRK.” Regardless of how it shakes out, what better time to revisit Jim Finn’s peerlessly odd, deadpan take on North Korean propaganda? 2008’s The Juche […]
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 9, 2014 -
Watch: Kathryn Bigelow’s Elephant Poaching Short Last Days
Written by Steven Soderbergh’s frequent collaborator Scott Z. Burns and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Last Days is a grimly succinct argument against buying materials made out of ivory and other products from endangered species. Trafficking in endangered species is the fourth largest illegal business in the world, behind drugs, weapons and human trafficking, and the short links their sale directly to last year’s Al Shabaab attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall. There’s disturbing footage of the mass shooting included and bloody animation of elephant slaughter as well, so brace yourself. The short film’s official site is here.
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 8, 2014 -
Trailer Watch: Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young
“I’ve become so disturbed by younger people!” “What? Younger people?” The trailer for Noah Baumbach’s forthcoming Frances Ha follow-up While We’re Young is undoubtedly the only teaser for a Ben Stiller vehicle to frame itself with quotes from Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder. Older couple Stiller and Naomi Watts meet younger partners Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried and ends up wandering around Bushwick; musings on aging and maturity follow, but it’s funny anyway. It’s also very nice to see Charles Grodin back in action, in his first feature since 2006’s The Ex. The film opens March 27.
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 4, 2014 -
The 2014 Oscars Documentary Feature Shortlist is Announced
The Oscars have released their shortlist of the 15 documentary features eligible for the Academy Award that have advanced to the next stage of consideration; the final five will be announced along with all other nominations on January 15. The titles and directors below, with links to our previous coverage as applicable: Art and Craft (Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker) — click here to read a guest post from the directors about completing their film’s score. The Case Against 8 (Benjamin Cotner, Ryan White) — click here to read the directors’ pre-Sundance statement about their film. Citizen Koch (Carl […]
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 2, 2014 -
Trailer Watch: Spike Lee’s Vampire Film Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Here’s the trailer for Spike Lee’s forthcoming, crowdfunded vampire film Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. The trailer for what’s reportedly a close remake of Bill Gunn’s 1973 cult classic Ganja and Hess lets us know that everybody’s addicted to something — “sex, food, drugs, nicotine, alcohol, money, power,” says star Stephen Tyrone Williams. Expect all of that to explode in what’s billed up front as “the newest, hottest Spike Lee joint.” The film hits theaters and iTunes on February 13.
by Vadim Rizov on Dec 2, 2014 -
Watch: Paul Thomas Anderson Talks to Mike Figgis about Boogie Nights, 1998
This 1998 interview with Paul Thomas Anderson has been online for a while; credit to The Seventh Art for finally bringing it to my attention. Talking with fellow director Mike Figgis after only two features under his belt, a supremely unfazed Anderson eats pizza while holding forth on Boogie Nights‘ origins as a short film equally inspired by Zelig and This is Spinal Tap, shares a lot of opinions about inadequate porn performances, discusses a written-but-never-filmed sex scene for Don Cheadle’s character, and generally shows almost no self-consciousness about saying whatever he wants. Emblematic of the era sentence: “I was actually with Quentin Tarantino the other […]
by Vadim Rizov on Nov 25, 2014 -
Birdman: Five Points of Contention
Having barely survived Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 Grams when it came out, I was inclined to stay away from his filmography for the rest of my life. But people I respect and trust — Iñárritu haters no less — kept saying that Birdman was actually quite good, so I popped in; two hours later, I felt as if my initial disinterest had been validated the hard way. Praise first for Edward Norton’s note-perfect rendition of the actor as a toxically always-“on,” reflexively self-dramatizing narcissist. Swaggering into conversations and pushing them into weird rhythms he can play with without regard for the […]
by Vadim Rizov on Nov 24, 2014 -
RIP Mike Nichols (1931-2014)
The sad news of Mike Nichols’ death at age 83 had me searching for something beyond the usual The Graduate highlight reel that would illustrate what seems to me like his greatest directorial virtue: the ability to keep a tonal straight face when confronted with material whose comic or dramatic potential could quickly push matters way over the top. This Catch-22 clip serves the purpose: the famous speech explaining what Catch-22 actually is is dwarfed by the airfield it takes place on, with jets and vehicles surrounding Yossarian (Alan Arkin) and Doc Daneeka (Jack Gilford). The choreography, both human and mechanical, is immaculate and […]
by Vadim Rizov on Nov 20, 2014 -
Watch: 2001 Stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood Do a Q&A
In this Q&A from a recent Toronto screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood are in fine form as they take to the stage to discuss why all the actors in the film were Canadian (Canadian actors didn’t need visas to live in the UK at the time), trade interpretations of what that ending means, and share a plethora of production anecdotes. Other highlights include Dullea’s reminiscences of how he came to be involved in the sequel 2010 and the two recalling Gene Hackman and Warren Beatty’s post-screening reaction: Beatty told the pair they were […]
by Vadim Rizov on Nov 20, 2014
