And Now...Rumors and Whispers / Joker Uncertainty / Film Stage and The Playlist's Fall Film Lists / New Images of Renee Zellweger as Judy The Current Bets / The People's Telluride

Monday...Four Days...


AND NOW...RUMORS AND WHISPERS

Seems like every year at this time...the week of the fest...rumors start flying fast and furious.  I think we get a "Brad Pitt has been spotted in Telluride" rumor every year.

Over the weekend I started hearing a new bit of speculation...that TFF has a super secret film screening planned.  Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel alluded to that over the weekend wiring at his website that:

"I can't confirm the precise title, but a lot of talk is pointing towards a surprise film sneaking its way into the Telluride Film Festival lineup next week."

Jordan's list of possible suspects includes the still untitled Todd Haynes project (Maybe Dark Water, maybe Dry Run), Bombshell-the Jay Roach film about Roger Ailes, Fox News and the women who were Aile's downfall played by Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie as Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Kayla Pospisil respectively.  Ruimy's third mention is Chloe Zhao's Nomadland.  All three of these films remain on my list of "Other Possibilities" from last Friday's post.

It should come as no surprise that I'd repeat my perpetual fantasy suggestion of Greta Gerwig's Little Women or that James Gray's Ad Astra makes the journey from Venice after all.  Maybe the below mentioned Joker actually does show at The SHOW.  Even Sam Mendes' 1917 has been rumored.

Here's my completely unfounded assessment of each of these scenarios in the order of what I'm guessing is the likelihood that it happens-emphasize "guessing":

1) None of the rumors are true and there is no surprise screening at all.
2) Todd Haynes Project (Dark Water or Dry Run or...being snarky now...Dry Water or Dark Run or Dry Dark Water Run)
3) Nomadland
4) Little Women
5) Ad Astra
6) Joker
7) Bombshell
8) El Camino/Breaking Bad

9) 1917

There is even one title that I have heard that seems so unlikely that I'm hesitant to mention it here...yet...maybe on Wednesday when I post the final Ten Bets.

By the way, the Ruimy article mentioned above also has Jordan's final predicted Telluride list.  I have linked it here.  Jordan graciously once again gives a tip of the hat to MTFB.




JOKER UNCERTAINTY

Last Friday a bunch of us that are fairly intense watchers of Film Fest lineups in general and Telluride's lineup chances in particular were embroiled in a big discussion following the news that Todd Phillip's Joker had been added to the New York lineup.

The reason for the hubbub?  NYFF had listed the film as a "New York" premiere.  Why is that intriguing?  Because that designation generally means that the film in question is probably playing Telluride before it goes to New York.  If a film is playing New York and did not previously play Telluride that almost always means that NYFF labels it a U.S. premiere.

Most of those of us who are trying to parse out what's going to screen this week gave up on Joker back when Toronto announced it as a North American premiere meaning that the film will not play at Telluride first.

But now there's a bit of confusion...so what are the possible explanations:

1) Joker does play Telluride.  Maybe Toronto got it wrong and their screening will be a Canadian Premiere not a North American premiere.  This is possible.  We already know that there has been some confusion about TIFF premiere status labels this year.  There was confusion about A Hidden Life when it was announced and there have continued murmurs that some films that TIFF has labeled as North American premieres are, nevertheless, playing Telluride.

2) New York has it wrong... which would means no Telluride play and that NYFF would have the actual U.S. premiere.

3) NYFF and TIFF both have it right and that means no Telluride play.  How?  My friend Kenny Miles suggested on Twitter Friday that Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. could announce Joker as a last minute addition and that would satisfy the designations from both fests as they stand.  Fantastic Fest takes off a week before New York does.

I honestly think #3 is probably the most probable scenario.

PS...a new trailer for Joker is supposed t drop on Wednesday...  from Anton Volkov's Trailer Track site.


FILM STAGE AND THE PLAYLIST LIST FALL FILMS

Both The Film Stage and The Playlist have posted big articles detailing movies they believe are of note for the fall movie season. The Film Stage list is 50 films long while The Playlist has a list of 45.

Both outlets list the films in chronological order by announced release date and add a section for those films that are, as yet, undated but are believed to be a release before the end of 2019.

As you might expect, there is a good deal of overlap.

I have gathered the TFF #46 titles that I expect to see this week on the lineup announcement from both lists and from both they are:

Parasite
Pain and Glory
Motherless Brooklyn
Ford v. Ferrari
The Report
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
A Hidden Life
Uncut Gems
First Cow
Marriage Story

The Playlist also includes: Judy and First Cow
The Film Stage also includes: Varda by Agnes

Both articles are linked below:

The Film Stage


The Playlist


NEW IMAGES OF RENEE ZELLWEGER FROM JUDY

Awards Watch had some new images of Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland from the forthcoming film Judy that I am expecting to be announced on Thursday as one of the films on the TFF #46 lineup.  Lots of the awards outlets have Zellweger high on their lists for a possible Best Actress nomination for the film which IMDb describes thusly: "Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts."

Here are the new pics from Awards Watch:

 Judy is set to open in the U.S. on Sept. 27th.


CURRENT 20 BETS

1) The Aeronauts

2) Beanpole

3) The Climb

4) Country Music

5) Family Romance LLC

6) First Cow
7) Ford v Ferrari

8) A Hidden Life

9) Judy
10) The Kingmaker

11) Lyrebird

12) Marriage Story

13) Motherless Brooklyn

14) Pain and Glory

15) Parasite

16) Portrait of a Lady on Fire

17) The Report
18) The Two Popes

19 ) Uncut Gems

20) Varda by Agnes

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".

Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Premiere Uncertainty / Multiple Trailers to Consider / New York Doc Reveal / Parasite Already Looking Toward Oscar / Current Ten Bets / The People's Telluride

Thursday...One Week...One Day...

PREMIERE UNCERTAINTY

Reading premiere statuses has become THE tea leaf reading essential to grasping what films are possibly playing at Telluride but it's not a perfect or exact science.  Every year it seems that there are a couple of films which are announced with one status and then it turns out that that designation is incorrect.  When that happens, depending on what was announced,  you can end up including a film for TFF or excluding it from TFF and then find out on announcement morning that you got it wrong.  

This year is no different in terms of the fact that it's happened...it does seem like there is more confusion than the past few years.

You're already probably aware that Malick's A Hidden Life was a focus of some confusion when it was reported by at least one outlet to be a North American premiere at Toronto which would mean no slot for it at Telluride.  Later it was discovered that it is, in fact, a Canadian premiere at TIFF and consequently probably IS playing TFF #46.

If you've been reading along the past two weeks you know that we've had some confusion about Beanpole and The Truth.  We think we have Beanpole back in as probable for Telluride despite its continued designation by Toronto as a North American Premiere.  As far as The Truth...that hasn't become clear yet.  Again, TIFF is listing it as a North American premiere but I still have whispers that it's a Telluride play.

And...now...I'm hearing a bit of scuttlebutt that the list of NA preems at Toronto may include still a couple of other films that I had written off.  I'm going to try to nail some of that down before I post this week's new list of "Bets".

And finally, let me tease you a little that over the past week or so I've heard a couple of really intriguing suggestions about films that I haven't considered seriously making an appearance next week.  I'm hoping to get to a point where I can either confirm confidently or debunk...but if a couple of these things happen...there will be some surprises.

MULTIPLE TRAILERS TO CONSIDER

Since my last post on Tuesday there has been a deluge of teasers and trailers for films that will or could still play on the Telluride screens: Marriage Story, an IMAX trailer for Ad Astra, Antlers and Bombshell (was previously the Untitled Jay Roach Roger Ailes project).  I have downloaded all of them from YouTube.

Additionally, the word is that we're supposed to get a trailer for The Report later today.

MARRIAGE STORY X 2

We're very sure this is already in the lineup for next week

What I Love About Nicole:

:

What I Love About Charlie:

AD ASTRA IMAX

I still am clinging to a slender reed of hope that this screens in Venice and then makes the trip to southwest Colorado.

ANTLERS

Scott Cooper's last two projects screened at Telluride: Black Mass and Hostiles.  The producer is a guy named Guillermo Del Toro...you might remember him for a little thing called The Shape of Water.

BOMBSHELL

Admittedly...an outside shot at best.

NEW YORK DOC REVEAL

The New York Film Fest revealed its documentary choices yesterday and, unusually, they revealed nothing abut what will play at The SHOW only what likely will not as each announced film was labeled by NYFF as a World, North American or U.S. premiere.

Among docs that seem to be off the Telluride plate are:

Tim Robbins' 45 Seconds of Laughter

Michael Apted's 63 Up

Lynn Novick's College Behind Bars

Nanni Moretti's Santiago Italia

Sergei Loznitsa's State Funeral

The complete documentary announcement from the Film Society of Lincoln Center is linked here.

PARASITE ALREADY LOOKING TOWARD OSCAR

Deadline.com reports that South Korea has chosen Palme d'Or winner, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite to be its entrant for Oscar glory in the newly re-named category Best International Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film).

Deadline's Nancy Tartiglione reported the choice yesterday.

For Bong, it's his second selection to represent South Korea in the Oscar sweepstakes having been selected back in 2006 for his film Mother.

Parasite opens in the U.S. on Oct. 11th.

The complete Deadline story is here.


CURRENT TEN BETS AND BONUS BETS

10) The Aeronauts
9) Ford v. Ferrari
8) The Two Popes
7) Judy
6) Pain and Glory
5) Uncut Gems
4) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3) Motherless Brooklyn
2) Marriage Story
1) Parasite


Bonus Bets:

Bonus 1) Varda by Agnes
Bonus 2) First Cow
Bonus 3) A Hidden Life
Bonus 4) The Report
Bonus 5) The Kingmaker
Bonus 6) The Climb
Bonus 7) Waves
Bonus 8) Lyrebird
Bonus 9) Verdict

Of course a new Ten Bets and Bonus Bets is coming tomorrow... plus the dwindling list of films that are still possible...


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG