Invitation/Ten (and more) Bets/More Shame/Process/Echo Chamber

Hello everybody! Busy weekend...getting ready.  The Patterson bus leaves the Panhandle of Oklahoma on Thursday to head for Southwestern Colorado.  It's about a ten hour drive...yeesh!

4 Days...

AN INVITATION FOR YOU

Come and join me for a Michael's Telluride Film Blog soiree called: "The Guide to the Ride; The Flow of the SHOW" on Friday, Sept. 2 from 5:00 to 5:30 PM in The River Club in Telluride. Larry and Mitzi Mallard of the Club will be our hosts and I am told that refreshments will be provided. The River Club is located at 550 Depot in Telluride. That's 4 blocks west of the Gondola station. Come by and say hello and we'll talk a little film.


TEN (AND MORE) BETS

Last Week's Ten (and more):

The Descendants

1) The Descendants
2) Into the Abyss
3) The Artist
4) A Trip to the Moon
5) We Have to Talk About Kevin
6) Le Havre
7) Prohibition
8) Shame
9) Drive
10) The Birds Upstairs

Here's the "or more"
11) Goodbye First Love
12) Dark Horse
13) The Skin I Live In
14) The Kid with a Bike
15) The Lady
16) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
17) W.E.
18) Coriolanus

This week's Ten (and more) Bets (in order of likelihood):

The Artist

1) The Descendants (dir. Alexander Payne, Stars: George Clooney)
2) Into the Abyss (dir. Werner Herzog)
3) The Artist (dir. Michael Hazanavicius, Stars: Jean Dujardin)
4) A Trip to the Moon (compiled by Serge Bromberg)
5) We Have to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, Stars: Tilda Swinton)
6) Le Havre (Dir. Aki Kaurismaki)
7) Shame (dir. Steve McQueen, Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan)
8) Goodbye First Love (dir. Mia Hansen-Love)
9) The Skin I Live In (dir. Pedro Almodovar, Stars: Antonio Banderas
10) Footnote (dir. Joseph Cedar)

And the "And More"

A Dangerous Method

11) A Dangerous Method (dir. David Cronenberg, Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley)
12) Prohibition (dir. Ken Burns & Lynn Novick)
13) The Birds Upstairs (short/dir. Christopher Jarvis)
14) Drive (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan)
15) Dark Horse (dir. Todd Solondz, Stars: Christopher Walken, Selma Blair)
16) The Kid with a Bike (dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes)
17) The Lady (dir. Luc Beeson, Stars: Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis)
18) Martha Marcy May Marlene (dir. Sean Durkin, Stars: Elizabeth Olsen)

Films still possible that would make my list to see (but for which there's no good intell about RE; Telluride):
W.E.
The Ides of March
Coriolanus

Notes:
Descendants...I have thought it would be at T-ride for more than a year.  Payne on record as submitting it.  Everybody thinks it will be there.

Into the Abyss: Herzog is a regular, Ioncinema says it's in.

The Artist: Weinstein Co., Cannes hit, Ioncinema says it's in, everyone thinks it's playing.

A Trip to the Moon: Bromberg is a regular, he's said he wants it there, fits the fests bill of unusual and restorations

We Have to Talk About Kevin: Cannes, Ioncinema and now Jeffrey Wells all but confirming it.

Le Havre: Cannes fave, Jarvis Films has the distribution and a history with Telluride

Shame: Daily Mail says it's in, director Steve McQueen also...see below

Goodbye First Love: Ioncinema says it's in.

The Skin I Live In: Tapley thinks it, Almodovar has history with TFF, IMDb lists it's US premiere as Sept. 3 at TFF

Footnote: (new to the Ten Bets, but I've had it on the Telluride radar since it won the screenplay award at Cannes) Comment on Jeff Wells Hollywood Elsewhere is the source (see below)...I believe it.

A Dangerous Method: Tapley's vibe is what has this back on my "bets"

Prohibition: I have a difficult time believing that Burns has a new doc ready and at least part of it doesn't show at The SHOW.

The Birds Upstairs: A short animated film that I include due to a tweet from the film maker that he's got something in this year's fest.

Drive

Drive: This drops this week because no one is talking like it could be in Telluride.  My original insight came from Ioncinema.  But I have had people remind me that this screened at Comic Con...soooo...it drops down.
But, man, I really want to see it and living in the Oklahoma Panhandle, it could be a really long time before it gets anywhere close to where I get a chance....come on Tom, Gary and Julie!

Dark Horse: Solondz has been a Telluride mainstay in the past.

The Kid with a Bike: The Dardennes Brothers have a good Telluride history and this film was well received at Cannes.

The Lady: I've intuitively felt like this was a Telluride possibility for a while now.  And over the weekend the Jeffrey Wells column and comments for it that you can access below has me wondering if this is the film he references toward the end of his post.  from what I can dig up "The Lady" would fit his description:

"I'm told that at least one movie that currently has no firm 2011 release date but is a semi-likely 2011 awards contender will play Telluride. The movie being referred to, by the way, is not Albert Nobbs, even though it hasn't yet landed a U.S. distributor."
 

Further research indicates that the film could also be: "Wuthering Heights," "360," "The Deep Blue Sea," or "The Eye of the Storm."  There are most likely others that fit Wells' description.


Martha Marcy...Tapley seems pretty confident.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is off the list...too many people, including Tapley are just flat saying it will NOT be in Telluride...too bad.

As to W.E., Ides and Coriolanus...I'm crossing my fingers for all three but, realistically, even one of them would be cool.

"Ten Bets" could be jumpy this week depending on what we find and what, if anything leaks out...I'll post as warranted, perhaps more than once a day...stay tuned!

MORE SHAME

Shame

I think we've reached the point that we can be confident that this film will be showing this weekend in Telluride.  As I pointed out on Friday, The Daily Mail Online says it's playing.  Over the weekend director Steve McQueen removed any doubt with a "statement" posted to IndieWire's "Shadow and Act" for the "Telluride screening."  Pretty much says it all.

Here's the link to McQueen's Statement:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/archives/director_steve_mcqueen_releases_directors_statement_for_shame_screening_at_/#


PROCESS STORIES

Have you ever wondered?

Well, if you have, take a look at these two stories.  The first is from The Telluride Daily Planet as they interview TFF co-directors Tom Luddy, Gary Meyer and Julie Huntsinger about how it all works.  I found it fascinating.  Maybe you will too.
http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2011/08/28/news/doc4e59b2e53d875839155214.txt

Also an interesting story in Variety this weekend about the dance that film festivals, directors and production companies go through to program for the fall film fest season.  The article was a little difficult to get to, but this should get you there if you're interested:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118041874?refCatId=13


ECHO CHAMBER

You know cliches are cliches for a reason...and the one about it being a small world...well...
Above I have referenced Jeffrey Wells Hollywood Elsewhere post about his first trip to Telluride this week.  You can take a look at it yourself at this link:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2011/08/fair_warning_1.php

It's interesting, fun to read...informative (as you can see today, I have referenced material from him for today's edition of my blog, properly attributed).  What's weird is if you click on the linkage "  summary of a recent "Telluride Best Bets" tweet " it will take you to Friday's edition of Michaels' Telluride Film Blog.  


Kind of makes me dizzy...




FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER:
@Gort2

I'm Official/Three More Off the Books/More Kevin/Posters

Well...some waiting is done (see below)...other waiting...still waiting

I'M OFFICIAL

I received word yesterday that the blog has been fully accredited as a member of the press for the 38th Telluride Film Festival. 

I am truly very excited and simultaneously kind of freaked out.  In reality, I'm not entirely sure what it will ultimately mean.  It's my hope that the designation will allow me to have access to the guests at the festival.  Just don't know.  I am going to reach out to a couple of real journos who have experience at Telluride and see if I can get some guidance from them.

I do know two things:  I have to attend press orientation on Friday Sept. 2 and I get a yellow colored lanyard to wear my pass on (also a red one which is normal for my pass level).  "Yellow" journalism?  Subtext?  Hmmm?

Anyway, a giant thank you to the fest for the credential.  Also thanks to Mitzi and Larry Mallard who make the whole festival experience possible (when Telluride stay at The River Club, it's the best!) and the biggest thank you to my wife and kids who indulge this obsession.

THREE MORE FILMS EXIT STAGE LEFT

No Dev Patel or "Marigold Hotel" in Telluride

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood (at IndieWire) is reporting that Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar," Kenneth Lonergan's "Margaret" and John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" will all skip the fall festival scene.

That news ripples in terms of Telluride in a couple of ways.

Just yesterday I was talking about the possibility that "J. Edgar" might close the New York Film Festival which would mean that "Tinker, Tailor..." was still in the Telluride possible list (and it still is).  Now that Eastwood's film is out of the running for that coveted closing slot, you have to think "Tinker" is a real possibility and so a lesser possibility for Telluride.

As to "Marigold"...We haven't very much about this film.  I have some expectations for it because of the cast (Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire and a million Brits of a certain age including the fantastic Bill Nighy) and director John Madden.  It's also in the Fox Searchlight stable.  But Thompson makes it clear that it won't be playing in T-ride.

Same for "Margaret." 

All tenor of the Thompson piece makes it sound like all three films aren't quite ready to hit the circuit.

Here's the link to the Thompson post:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/08/08/eastwoods_j._edgar_and_searchlights_marigold_hotel_to_skip_fall_fests_twixt

And your IMDb links for...
Exotic Marigold: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/
J. Edgar: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/
Margaret: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466893/

MORE KEVIN

Guy Lodge had a piece up yesterday at Incontention.com about the trailer and poster for Lynne Ramsey's "We Need to Talk About Kevin." 

Lodge saw the film at Cannes and liked it quite a lot.  I have it currently at #5 on my "Ten Bets" list for Telluride and that position is the result of Ioncinema reportage/tweeting during Toronto's announcements.  Lodge's post throws a little gasoline on the fire as he also speculates that "Kevin" could be on the Telluride program.

Here's the link to Lodge's story:
http://incontention.com/2011/08/08/french-trailer-and-poster-for-we-need-to-talk-about-kevin/

And Kevin's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242460/

POSTERS

The Playlist (at IndieWire) has revealed poster work for two Telluride possibles. 

One, I think, is very, very possible.  Todd Solondz's "Dark Horse" (#10 on this week's Ten Bets). 

The other is David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method" which I had, at one point, all but written off for Telluride, but have reconsidered since Kris Tapley's (Incontention.com) Telluride spec piece that suggests that Sony Pictures Classics may play the film in Telluride as well as its already announced positions at both Toronto and Venice. 

You can find Tapley's guesswork here:
http://incontention.com/2011/07/28/telluride-guessing-game/

You can also peruse The Playlist article here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/cronenbergs_a_dangerous_method_solondzs_dark_horse_gilliams_wholly_family_g/

Dark Horse IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690455/

Dangerous Method IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/

More as it becomes available...

PS...

Re-reading David Poland's three part Toronto piece at Movie City News and ran across his blurb that Polanski's "Carnage" might still be a possible for Telluride...What???

It's here:
http://moviecitynews.com/2011/08/6-weeks-to-tiff-a-20-weeks-to-oscar-prequel-part-3-of-3/

Werner's Second Stop/Second Thoughts on "The Artist"/Dark Teaser and Wuthering Pix

Still waiting...waiting...waiting...

WERNER'S SECOND STOP

Word this morning from multiple sources that Werner Herzog's new documentary about people on death row in Texas "Gazing into the Abyss"  (or maybe it's now just "Into the Abyss"...not sure) has been added to the lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival.

I am and have been pretty certain that if it were ready for screening that it would be on the Telluride playlist.  It's inclusion in Toronto's lineup indicates that that threshold has been reached and makes it a virtual certainty for Telluride.

You can read a couple of posts about the new additions to Toronto from The Playlist at IndieWire here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/tiff_11_new_films_from_werner_herzog_morgan_spurlock_alex_gibney_more_added/#.Tjles-WG9dd.email

And The Hollywood Reporter here:
http://shar.es/HKLye

The "Abyss" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972663/

SECOND THOUGHTS ON "THE ARTIST"



I have also been very bullish on the chances that Michael Hazanavicius' "Cannes sensation "The Artist" would be on the Telluride program.  Last week, two tweets from Ioncinema as the main Toronto lineup was being announced only deepened my certainty.

Then there was yesterday.

The Montreal World Film Festival announced that it has booked "The Artist" for what it bills as its North American premiere.  Montreal's fest runs in the middle of August.  Talk about a throwing a monkey wrench into my thinking. I saw one tweet from a guy who is now certain that this inclusion at Montreal means that "The Artist" is NOT Telluride-bound.

So after contemplating this all night, here's what I've decided...I STILL think this film will be at T-ride in a month.  However, I was about 98% sure yesterday.  Today that's certitude is at about 75%.

And I'd be less than honest if I didn't mention that I'm less certain about "Drive" and "we Need to Talk About Kevin" as I was a week ago since that boost in assuredness also derived from a tweet from Ioncinema.

I'll see if we can't pick up any other clues...

Man, I hope I'm right.  This film is high on my wish list.

Here's the story as posted from The Playlist at IndieWire:
http://dlvr.it/dYr9v

"The Artist" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/


DARK TEASER

Despite the fact ( or actually because I am banking on 2009 history repeating itself) that Todd Soldonz's "Dark Horse" is already announced for both Toronto and Venice, I still have a strong feeling that it will turn up in Telluride as well; just like "Life During Wartime" did in 2009.

We've seen some stills from the new film but yesterday, the first teaser showed up online. 

It's...um...sparse and enigmatic...you know...Solondz...

Here's a link to the teaser and story at Slash Film:
http://bit.ly/pDImz9

"Dark Horse" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690455/

WUTHERING PIX

Actress turned director Andrea Arnold's "Wuthering Heights" adaptation is still on my list of possibles for Telluride this year.  Arnold's last effort "Fish Tank" was at TFF #36 in 2009.

In her version of the Emily Bronte classic she has a cast of little-knowns and no names.

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood (at IndieWire) has linked to Shadow and Act to show us the first stills of James Howson as "the first black Heathcliff". 

That should put a new spin on an old story.

Here's the still from Shadow and Act:

 Here's the link to the accompanying story at S & A
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/archives/1st_look_at_james_howson_as_1st_black_heathcliff_in_andrea_arnolds_wutherin/

And the link to Thompson's tweet:
http://twitter.com/akstanwyck/status/96781834368716800

"Wuthering Heights" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1181614/

Descendants Hopscotch/More Toronto Musings/Venice Becomes Official/Le Havre is BACK!/Herzog at Comic Con

A shout out to Dan Peek, original member of America, gone at 60.  "This is for all the Lonely People..."

DESCENDANTS HOPSCOTCH

Jeff Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere reports last night that Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" has a NEW release date (11/23) and FLAT OUT SAYS IT WILL BE IN TELLURIDE.  Check his story:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2011/07/family_time.php


MORE TORONTO MUSINGS

The Toronto International Film Festival announced the bulk of its gala/special presentation lineup yesterday.  As we have noted, there is almost always a significant overlap between Telluride and Toronto and you can bet that it's very likely that 7-12 films will share the two venues. 

We think after posts yesterday from Ioncinema that you can start lining up at The Palm or The Chuck for "The Artist," "Drive" and "We Need to Talk About Kevin."  That leaves us trying to divine 4-9 films that share Telluride/Toronto presentations.

So among the 50+ films listed by TIFF yesterday, what are the ones that are the most likely to play in Telluride as well?

Add to your calculation that you can expect an average of 2 films to play both Telluride and Venice and that sometimes those films will actually be in all three places (Ex: "Black Swan," "Life During Wartime," and "The Road" were at all 3 festivals). 

So with that set of parameters...my best guesses are: Todd Solondz's "Dark Horse," Steve McQueen's "Shame" and Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's "Chicken with Plums" may try to do the hat trick of all three festivals.

Michael Fassbender shooting "Shame"

Now we're looking at trying to puzzle out the half dozen or so pictures that will share Telluride/Toronto presentations.  My guesses (I'm listing 7): "Albert Nobbs," "Moneyball," "Coriolanus," "The Descendants," "Habemus Papum (We Have a Pope), "Machine Gun Preacher, " and "The Skin I Live In" (or Inhabit).  And as I have said here repeatedly, I think "The Descendants" is a lead pipe cinch...but remember, I also thought that the Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody collaboration "Young Adult" was a 90% likelihood too.  Until yesterday when Pete Hammond at Deadline Hollywood categorically claimed that it would not be at Telluride.

I am bummed.

VENICE ANNOUNCES

The Venice Film Festival has had film titles oozing onto the Internet all week.  They're official announcement comes today.  We're expecting, in addition to the films that I listed in Monday's post that Stephen Soderbergh's "Contagion" will be on the Venetian list someplace.

More thoughts about Venice and the intersection of it with Toronto and Telluride after they make it official.

LE HAVRE IS BACK ON THE LIST...

Cannes fave "Le Havre" has distribution

"Le Havre" from director/writer Aki Kaurismaki was a critical and crowd favorite in May at the Cannes Film Festival.  I immediately starred it as a possible Telluride prospect.  In fact, it has appeared on my "Ten Bets" list this summer frequently, but I had pulled it lately as it hadn't found a distributor.  I had thought that The Weinstein Company or Sony Pictures Classics would jump on it and that would set the table for its screening in the San Juans in September.

So far...not so much...Until today.

Janus Films...the specialty film house that has focused on classic films has picked up the rights for "Le Havre" and I think that means you can also put it back in the mix as a probable film come Labor Day.  Janus has had a long time relationship with TFF and it has played in distribution in terms of contemporary film including TFF #35 (2008) offering "Revanche." 

Eric Lavallee at Ioncinema broke the story and even speculates that "Le Havre" is likely to be at Telluride.  That story is here:
http://networkedblogs.com/kVAS3

WERNER PLAYS IN GEEK WORLD

Numerous sightings this past weekend that Telluride mainstay Werner Herzog showed up unannounced and unexpectedly at Comic Con in San Diego.  That blows my mind.  It would have been interesting to hear Herr Herzog as he made his way through the hall.

The first time I was anywhere near Herzog in Telluride was in 2007 waiting on line for the bus to take us to the patron's brunch.  I was mind-boggled then.  And I can tell you, the people in that line looked very different than the one above.

Awards Daily had the pictures and the story.  You can find it here:
http://www.awardsdaily.com/2011/07/werner-herzog-and-comic-cons-collective-dreams/

More Tomorrow!

Ten Bets/Diablo's Dream Deferred/War Horse???/12,000 Views

Any chance we'll see this at Telluride?

TEN BETS

The Telluride Film Festival's 38th edition starts in just a hair over 2 months (Sept. 2 to be exact) and I thought I'd take a whack today at a list of the ten films that I think have the most likelihood of playing as a part of the festival.  Then, over the next 8 weeks I'll try to update it each week and see how close we can actually get to the films that show at The SHOW.  In order of greatest likelihood (at least according to me):

1) The Descendants
2) The Artist
3) The Kid with a Bike
4) Young Adult
5) Le Havre
6) A Trip to the Moon
7) Gazing Into the Abyss
8) Dark Horse
9) We Have to Talk About Kevin
10) Shame

Check back next Monday and see if there are any changes.

DIABLO'S DREAM DEFERRED

Last week (June 20) I passed on the information that Oscar winning writer Diablo Cody dreamed of penning a screenplay based on the life of Beach Boy Brian Wilson.  Now, it seems she's been beaten to the punch.  News this week that River Road in the person of Bill Pohlad in addition to John Wells were going forward with the same idea with Oren Moverman  (The Messenger) to do the script.  You can find that story from The Wrap here:
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/river-road-make-brian-wilson-biopic-28538

Telluride chances for #39 or #40 would be pretty good as Pohlad has been a prime supporter of the Festival over the years. 

WAR HORSE AT TELLURIDE???

Made you look.  Seriously, I don't really think it's a likely candidate to show during Labor Day Weekend, but if I had to I could make a case for considering the possibility and here it is:
1) Wants to be Oscar Bait
2) But has no "names"  in the cast to speak of (biggest "name" is probably Emily Watson)...
3) Based on a play...with big horse puppets...no puppets in the movie, so it's dicey...
4) The Kennedy/Marshal Company is involved (no surprise, they often are involved in Spielberg's projects)
5) Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are big supporters of the Telluride Film Festival
6) No other Festival buzz that I've tripped to...So...

Still, I'd be stunned if it's playing at The Chuck...


"MISSING PIECES"

Watched Kenton Bartlett's very personal film last night and am still mulling it over.  Review to come shortly...

12,000 VIEWS

Over the weekend this blog passed it's 12,000th view.  You can tell that TFF #38 is getting closer because my traffic is picking up...

Among items in tomorrow's blog...a focus on two companies and what they may have for The SHOW this year.