Monday, October 24, 2011

Herzog Speaks/Fox Searchlight Has Shame/After Kevin/Noah!/Carey and Llewyn/20 Weeks to Oscar

Good Monday Morning (if such a thing is possible).  Just back from Santa Fe and a relaxing fall break.  This week is State One Act Play Contest (Saturday in Bixby, OK.  Bring it!)

HERZOG SPEAKS



Telluride regular, advisor and gadfly Werner Herzog is all over the interweb this past week as he ramps up for the end of year release of his death row documentary "Into the Abyss" which appeared as a part of this year's SHOW.  Herzog can be found holding forth in a couple of places over at IndieWire.

Here:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/werner_herzog_says_independent_film_is_a_myth_and_7_more_ideas_from_the_fil

And also with Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/10/22/werner_herzog_talks_death_penalty_doc_into_the_abyss_the_myth_of_independen

FOX SEARCHLIGHT HAS SHAME



Fox Searchlight continues to be very aggressive in its plans to push Steve McQueen's "Shame" as we get closer to the meat of Oscar (and other awards) seasons.  I have to admire their aggressiveness on behalf of a film that will be a tough sell.  Despite the glowing reviews (including mine) the almost certain NC-17 rating and the raw subject matter will make this an uphill slog.  That being said, FS is reportedly going to push for Fassbender and Mulligan in acting categories (as they should) as well as Best Pic, screenplay and director.  FS (as one of the blogs listed below has said) may be the best suited outfit to champion this film in light of last year's terrific effort for "Black Swan".

Here are a number of posts that reported this past week on Fox Searchlight's strategy.
HitFix: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/in-contention/posts/searchlight-on-taking-the-shame-out-of-nc-17

SlashFilm: http://www.slashfilm.com/fox-searchlight-embracing-nc17-shame/

ScreenDaily: (for BAFTA) http://www.screendaily.com/news/uk-ireland/momentum-eyes-100-screen-release-for-steve-mcqueens-shame/5033580.article


AFTER "KEVIN"



"We Need to Talk About Kevin" writer/director Lynne Ramsay reportedly has her sights set on her next effort and it sounds, well...odd.  The Playlist (at indieWire) reported this week that Ramsay will adapt "Moby Dick".  Wait, I know that doesn't seem all that odd...here's the kicker...she will reportedly set the film in space...
"Moby Dick in Space"...really.  Take a look at the story form The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/lynne_ramsays_next_film_is_a_science-fiction_take_on_moby_dick

NOAH!

News from here and there this week about Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" project (Aronofsky was at Telluride last year with the aforementioned "Black Swan").
The Playlist has some hints about what the film might look like based on graphic novel images.  find that here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/darren_aronofskys_noah_might_look_like_this_new_pictures_from_the_graphic_n

And also at Rope of Silicon here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/darren-aronofsky-noah-graphic-novel-previewtranslated/

MORE LLWEYN DAVIS  (and I think it's exciting news)



Last week we reported that the Coen Brothers had found their actor for the title role in their low budget indie pic "Inside Llewyn Davis" based, at least to some extent, on Dave Van Ronk and the folk music scene in NYC in the early 60's.  That casting tidbit was Oscar Issac from (among other titles) "Drive".  Now The Playlist reports that the Coens have cast the female lead (and if you've seen "Drive", this may make your eyes cross a little) and that is Carey Mulligan.  Mulligan and Issac were husband and wife in "Drive".

Since her appearance in "An Education" my appreciation for Ms. Mulligan has grown and grown and, as many of you know, I'm all about her performance in "Shame".  So I am very excited to see what she and the Coens do together.

Here's a link to Carey Mulligan casting news via The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/carey_mulligan_joins_coens_inside_llewyn_davis_spike_jonzes_new_film_starri

20 WEEKS TO OSCAR

David Poland has his new Oscar forecast up at Movie City News.  Check it here:
http://moviecitynews.com/2011/10/20-weeks-to-oscar-20w2o-charts-october-23-2011-2/

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