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/

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.