More on Rumors and Whispers / The Professionals Telluride / Circuit Breaker Podcast / Joker Bits and Pieces / The People's Telluride

Tuesday...Three Days...


MORE ON RUMORS AND WHISPERS

Yesterday I wrote a little bit about rumors swirling that a secret film would screen at Telluride this week.  My list of what that might be was as follows:

1) None of the rumors are true and there is no surprise screening at all.
2) Todd Haynes Project (Dark Waters 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

For about three hours yesterday afternoon several of us that play this game thought we had the rumored secret figured out as Focus Features announced that Todd Haynes' Dark Waters has been dated for release.  Deadline.com was the first to report the film will be in limited release on Nov. 22nd.  The story also revealed that the film has been titled Dark Waters which, as far as I know, is the first definitive reference to the film's title.  Dry Run had also been bandied about as a possible title.

A lot of film Twitter made clear that they viewed this as a likely "tell" that the film is probable for Telluride's lineup that will be officially unveiled on Thursday.

Here's the Deadline.com article.

Then early on Monday evening came Indiewire's story about the Dark Waters release written by Anne Thompson.  Anne's story included this passage:

"The movie (Dark Waters), which co-stars Tim Robbins and Bill Pullman, will not be ready in time for the earlier fall film festivals, but might turn up at AFI Fest in November. Focus will open the movie limited November 22, with expansion a week later."

I have to believe Anne has the lowdown straight on this.

So...what does it mean?

1) The #1 possibility I listed above still looks like my best guess...I.E. no film plays as a surprise.

Then with the Thompson story in mind, we drop Dark Waters down to the last possibility and the rest of the guesses look like this:

2) Nomadland
3) Little Women
4) Ad Astra
5) Joker
6) Bombshell
7) El Camino/Breaking Bad
8) Dark Waters

Thompson's complete Indiewire report is linked here.



THE PROFESSIONALS TELLURIDE

Each year since 2012 I have polled a list of industry professionals at the conclusion of the fest to rate the films they saw on a 1-5 scale just like I ask you readers to do and over the years many, many people have been kind enough to share their thoughts about them.  This year's crew of Professionals is a large one.  I think the largest collection of pros since I started doing this.  The list is also Deeeep!

So, my huge thanks to the following who have agreed to rate this year and a special shout out to Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter and Sasha Stone of Awards Daily who were part of that first 2012 group and, I believe, the only two who have participated every year.

Here's this year's list of Professionals:

Erik Anderson/Awards Watch
J. Don Birnam-Jorge T/SplashReport.com
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter
Marshall Flores/Awards Daily
Mark Johnson/Awards Circuit
Gary Kramer/Salon
Tomris Laffly/RogerEbert.com
Scott Menzel/We Live Entertainment
Kenny Miles/We Live Entertainment
Mark Neglia/Next Best Picture
Eugene Novikov/Rotten Tomatoes
John Rhodes/Screencraft
Christopher Schiller/ScriptMag.com
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Anne Thompson/Indiewire
Chris Willman/Variety
Anonymous

I'll have the ratings compiled and ready for posting about a week after the fest closes.


CIRCUIT BREAKER PODCAST

In Awards Circuit's Circuit Breaker podcast they launch into a full examination of Telluride specific discussion just before the 40 min. mark.  They also mention the blog you're currently reading.

Take a listen to what Clayton Davis and his crew have to say about TFF #46.  The podcast is linked here.


JOKER BITS AND PIECES

Ahead of its new trailer release and the film's debut in Venice...and...

The Joker film at the end of the weekend was releasing bits and pieces of that new trailer.  Indiewire posted a couple of the flashes of film that they had obtained on Sunday evening.

Here's a still of Robert DeNiro from one of the 10 second blips that are floating around:

 All of which appear to posted to the JokerMovie Instagram account.

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

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