Consider mother! / More on Ken Burns' Vietnam Doc / Cannes Adds Polanski and More / Movers and Shakers

Good Monday to you...if such a thing is even possible...

CONSIDER MOTHER!

I have stayed away from speculating about the potential Telluride inclusion of Darren Aronofsky's next film: mother!  Aronofsky made quite the splash in Telluride in 2010 with Black Swan (after it had screened in Venice days before).  The film was nominated for five Oscars withe Natalie Portman winning for Best Actress and the film nominated for Best Picture and Aronofsky nominated for Best Direction.

I have been low-balling the chances for mother! to play in light of the fact that beyond Black Swan, Aronofsky has no other Telluride pedigree and his last film, Noah, seemed anything but the kind of film that you'd find at T-ride.  But...

The release date for the secretive film (no one seems to know much about the plot) is Oct. 13th...right in the post-Telluride, awards season sweet spot.  The film is being distributed by Paramount which, just a few years ago, would have probably meant no Telluride play but Paramount has (along with Warners) become a semi-Telluride regular. Paramount plays of late at TFF include:  Arrival last year, Anomolisa in '15, Labor Day in '13.  So, maybe...

Although Paramount also has Alexander Payne's Downsizing and George Clooney's Surburbicon on their plate for this fall (either, neither or both of which might be Telluride possibilities).

Clayton Davis at Awards Circuit posted an awards prospectus for mother! this week and the spurred my re-evaluation.  Take a look at that story here.

MORE ON KEN BURNS' VIETNAM DOC

Ken Burns at the LBJ Presidential Library (photo by Laura Rice/Texas Standard)

I've been highlighting Ken Burns' next documentary the last couple of weeks as it's getting a substantial P.R. push.  The documentary will bow on PBS on Sept. 17th which makes me think that some portion (or maybe all of it) plays in the TFF #44 lineup.

This past week, Burns was at the LBJ Presidential Library talking about the project.  Texas Standard provides the nine minute recording of a portion of the Burns interview from the presentation.  You can find the story and recording here.

Additionally, here's the PBS trailer for the 10 part series via YouTube:

CANNES ADDS POLANSKI AND MORE

Cannes' Artistic Director Thierry Fremaux announced the addition this past week of seven more titles to various sections of the festival.  Among the most notable are Roman Polanski's Based on a True Story which has been added out of competition.  Added to the Palme contest was Ruben Ostlund's The Square, his follow up to his critically well received 2014 film Force Majuere.

Ostlund's film and a new documentary from Barbet Schroeder, Le Venerable W, which was added as a special screening are probably the most likely films among the seven to be considered for TFF.

Indiewire has the complete story here.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

A couple of stories caught my eye since last Thursday's post and I thought I'd link them here for those who might be interested.

First, buzz that frequent Telluride guest Laura Dern might well be in serious contention for the post as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Should that come to pass, we could likely expect to see Ms. Dern at subsequent SHOWS as the relationship between AMPAS and TFF has been tight for a number of years.

That story was reported by Variety and you can peruse it here.

Additionally, Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) was profiled this past week by The New Yorker Magazine.  Podcast of that interview and the accompanying story can be found here.

There you have it for this Monday...I'll have more on Thursday.

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Pictures of Carnage/Melancholia Happens/Companies/More Marlon

Hope everyone has started off the weekend well.  To my friends in LA...hope you are surviving "CARMAGEDDON!!!!"

PICTURES FROM CARNAGE (NOT CARMAGEDDON)

Still via The Playlist

The Playlist put up some stills from Roman Polanski's "Carnage" this week and I thought I'd pass them along.  "Carnage" is based on Yasmina Reza's stage play "God of Carnage" and features Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.

I think that the chances of "Carnage" being at Telluride are about 1 in 3.  And the reason the odds are even that good are because it's on Sony Pictures Classic's slate of fall films.  So I have to at least consider it.

As I have said here before, you know Polanski won't accompany the film here because of his on-going legal problems.  I could see Jodie Foster there to represent the film as she was a tributee in 1991.  That would be cool.

The "Carnage" pix and accompanying story at The Playlist are here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/meet_the_leads_of_roman_polanskis_carnage/

"Carnage" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1692486/companycredits

LARS' MELANCHOLY

I have been really pouring cold water on the notion that we'd see Lars Von Trier's "Melancholia" at The SHOW this year since his infamous press blunder at Cannes and his subsequent banishment as persona non grata from that festival in May.  but I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit that there is still a small chance that the film could play in Telluride.

Clearly there wasn't a massive backlash against Von Trier or the film as Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes.  Additionally, as I have reported before, Von Trier has often had films in Telluride's lineup. So let's not dismiss it out of hand.

Well, now the film has a release date.  The Playlist at Indiewire reporting that it will open on Nov. 11.

I have a reader who confidently tells me that Von Trier doesn't fly...so, much like "Carnage" you have to wonder who'd accompany the film.  My guess would be Charlotte Gainsbourg.

The Playlist story is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/lars_von_triers_melancholia_will_end_the_world_with_sadness_on_november/

The "Melancholia" IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527186/

COMPANIES ON PARADE

Icon Film Distribution has had  a couple of films that have played as part of the Telluride Film Festival in recent years. 
"Hunger" in 2008 and "The Road" in 2009.

They have a hand this year in the Jack Kerouac inspired "On the Road"...so maybe it gets a little bump in the "it's possible" department.

Could we see Angelina Jolie at the Labor Day Picnic?

GK Films hasn"t really been a player at Telluride but has connections to 2-3 properties that might see their bow at in the San Juans on Labor Day weekend. 
From most likely to least likely they are:
Angelina Jolie's directing and writing debut "In the Land of Blood and Honey," (IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714209/ )
Bruce Robinson's "The Rum Diary" featuring Johnny Depp in the Hunter Thompson-esque role (IMDb  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376136/ )
and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." (IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/ )

MORE MARLON

Last week I posted my picture with screen legend Marlon Brando and recounted the story of how I met him in 1978 in my last year of college.  I mentioned that I had a couple of other pictures of the two time Oscar winner.  Well, I found them and since there seemed to be a good deal of curiosity, here they are.  Now, I'm not in these.  These were a couple of pics that are sort of hard to believe on their own.  They show Brando exiting the rear of the camper that he and the couple he had with him were travelling in.  You read it right...camper...ON THE BACK OF A PICKUP...look for yourself:

Marlon Brando Goes Camping?

Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!