It’s been six years since moviegoers last saw Jared Leto, but it’s not as if he has been slacking. Since playing John Lennon’s murderer, Mark David Chapman, in Chapter 27, Leto has been occupied by his other creative passion: music. While most actors’ bands are merely a pop culture punch line, 30 Seconds to Mars has sold more than 10 million albums and recently completed a record-breaking, two-year global tour. Even the group’s trials have borne fruit: their legal battle with record label EMI was chronicled by Leto in the Gotham Award-winning documentary Artifact. Now, though, Leto the actor is […]

Disclaimer: I attended last night’s Gotham Awards in various capacities: as a journalist, as a Best Film Not Playing at a Theatre Near You jury member, and as an IFP staff member involved in the behind-the-scenes running of the show. So my perspective on the event is somewhat fractured. As the Gothams is the first award show of the season, people are always looking to it as a bellwether for the future. Last night, Beasts of the Southern Wild — although not nominated in the Best Feature category — came away with the headlines and further awards momentum, having won two statuettes […]

Rock “documentaries” are self-serving films that fawn over their subjects so their record companies can move more product. The typical rock doc strings together concert highlights with studio clips and innocuous musician quotes that add up to a fun, but facile movie. The L.A. band 30 Seconds To Mars turns this formula upside-down in Artifact, which enjoyed its world premiere at TIFF on Friday. Actor/musician Jared Leto’s band wants to leave their record label, EMI, when multimillionaire British tycoon Guy Hands devours the ailing company and sues 30 Seconds To Mars for $30 million. Artifact tells their battle as they struggle to […]