Filmmaking

BRIAN ENO ON BARRY LYNDON

(Hat tips: GreenCine and Coudal Partners.)

By Scott Macaulay on May 6, 2008 Filmmaking
YOUR MONEY, YOUR MOVIE?

Over at his CinemaTech blog, Scott Kirsner writes about the new Seattle-based IndieShares, which is another one of those “democratize the process” companies that has sprung up around some aspect of the film business. Democracy, of course, is (mostly) good. Filmmaker‘s mission statement even includes the goal of democratizing the production process for beginning filmmakers. And last week I interviewed Lance Weiler and learned more about his From Here to Awesome festival (which I’ve concluded is a really cool and good thing, and I’m not just saying that because I know Lance and he’s a writer for the magazine), and […]

By Scott Macaulay on May 4, 2008 Filmmaking
"THIS ‘INDIE’ PART OF THE BUSINESS"

With the demise of New Line — one of the two partners behind the creation of Picturehouse (HBO is the other) — speculation has arisen over what’s going to happen to the specialty shingle now that it, like New Line, has been absorbed into Warner Brothers. Warner, you remember, has Warner Independent already on its lot. Anne Thompson penned a piece in Variety stating that WIP head Polly Cohen and Picturehouse head Bob Berney “are likely to accept a bicoastal co-head arrangement.” Stu Van Airsdale at Defamer ran his own story, saying that there are rumors that Berney will be […]

By Scott Macaulay on May 4, 2008 Filmmaking
HOLLYWOOD OR BUST

The Hollywood Reporter hosts a roundtable on the economics of independent production with five noted players: Newsweek film critic David Ansen; Kirk D’Amico, president and CEO of Myriad Pictures, a production and sales company; Cassian Elwes, co-head of William Morris Independent; Mark Gill, CEO of finance and production company the Film Department; and Avi Lerner, co-chairman and CEO of Nu Image/Millennium Films. Stephen Galloway leads a conversation that, by my read, offers a pretty accurate and succinct take on the American independent film market at the moment. They discuss overproduction, the demise of New Line, foreign markets, the plight of […]

By Scott Macaulay on May 3, 2008 Filmmaking
BLOGGER EXODUS

In a post below, we noted Matt Zoller Seitz’s decision to abandon print journalism — and that includes blogging — in order to concentrate on filmmaking. Now, at GreenCine, David Hudson draws attention to one other blogger calling it quits and another who is contemplating an exodus as well. Over at Flickhead, Ray Young issues a simple farewell, reprinted here in its entirety: ““It was more than being holy and it was less than being free” All things must pass…I’m outta here… A more detailed explanation is found buried in his comments thread, when Young responds to the various posters […]

By Scott Macaulay on May 1, 2008 Filmmaking
FROM REBEL TO REVENUE

With Steven Soderbergh‘s two Che films on deck at Cannes, Tribeca had the perfect appetizer with Chevolution. This impressive doc chronicles the unlikely journey this image of Che Guevara from the La Coubre explosion funeral march in 1960 evolved into a beacon of capitalism. Directed by Luis Lopez and Trisha Ziff, the doc, which is making its World Premiere at Tribeca, is produced through Netflix’s Red Envelope Entertainment. Starting off with a brief history of how Ernesto Guevera became “Che,” the doc then examines the man who took the famous shot, Alberto Korda. A fashion photographer turned news photog during […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Apr 30, 2008 Filmmaking
LINKAGE

Here are a few noteworthy links from the last few days. First, a must-read (or must-listen) is an interview with Matt Zoller Seitz on his blog, The House Next Door. (The hour-long talk is available as a transcript or as a download.) In the piece, Seitz discusses his decision to abandon print criticism and concentrate on both moviemaking and things other than movies. Here’s how he opens: Well, the short of it is: I’m out of print criticism. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and for a variety of reasons. One of them is that I’ve been doing […]

By Scott Macaulay on Apr 29, 2008 Filmmaking
PORTISHEAD, THIRD

From Portishead’s excellent Third, “The Rip,” one of the album’s best songs performed live on Jools Holland’s U.K. tv show.

By Scott Macaulay on Apr 29, 2008 Filmmaking
Outrage the Rooster!: Words About This Film

The following essay by David Gordon Green on Todd Rohal’s The Guatemalan Handshake accompanies the film’s DVD release from Benten Films out today. I am plagued by two mothers of frustration: 1. POWER PROBLEMS: Who controls the switches? Who pushes the buttons? How do I get to be large and in charge like Arsenio Hall’s portly alter ego Chunky A? 2. LOST AND FOUND: Why did you leave? Where did you go? Or have I just forgotten where I put you? Todd Rohal’s first feature length movie The Guatemalan Handshake revolves around these issues through a series of characters and […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Apr 29, 2008 Filmmaking
GREAT BUT PROBABLY QUITE IMPRACTICAL HORROR FILM LOCATION #2

The BLDGBLOB has a great post entitled “Hotels in the Afterlife” that is very J.G. Ballard — a series of shots of abandoned hotel exteriors on the Sinai peninsula, “monuments to failed investment.” Based on a photography show that opened last week in Vienna by Sabine Haubitz and Stephanie Zoche. From Geoff Manaugh’s blog post: The hotels now look more like “architectonic sculptures” in the desert, the photographers claim, or derelict abstractions, as if some aging and half-crazed billionaire had constructed an eccentric sculpture park for himself amongst the dunes. The billionaire goes for long walks at night alone amongst […]

By Scott Macaulay on Apr 28, 2008 Filmmaking

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