BEST OF THE WEEK
INVITATION
Another reminder to join me at The River Club on Friday, Aug. 31 at 5:00PM for the Second Annual "Guide to the Ride; Flow of the SHOW". Last year was a lot of fun and we're going to try our level best to have a great time again this year. So, come, enjoy. We may have a special guest or two...we're trying anyway.
TEN BETS
This week's "Ten Bets" on Monday were:
1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Midnight's Children
4) On the Road
5) Beyond the Hills
6) The Central Park Five
7) Bromberg's Chaplin
8) Hyde Park on Hudson
9) The Reluctant Fundamentalist
10) Hannah Arendt
Still solidly in the mix: "No", Something in the Air", "Song for Marion". This past week saw the eruption of rumor that "Cloud Atlas" and "The Master" are still possibilities for Telluride.
GUESSING TELLURIDE
I do this "guessing" Telluride thing for about 6 months of the year and then do awards season in the context of those films that do play Telluride the other 6 months of the year. But now, with only a month left to some of the serious peeps in the business of film blogging are casting their Kris Tapley of HitFix/InContention is among the very best and he has his Telluride prognostication post (along with Oscar spec). You can find it here:
Highlights of his prognostications include his feel that "Rust and Bone" "No" and "Amour" all have a good shot..as have I.
He also have a vibe for "The Silver Linings Playbook"...I agree and Tapley suggests Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut "Quartet" which would thrill me...I'd love nothing more than to see Hoffman on Colorado Ave. But I have reservations that it's likely to occur.
Tapley also goes with "Midnight's Children" and Matteo Garrone's "Reality" as likely to show in addition to "Hyde Park on Hudson". I'm pretty high on MC and "Hyde Park" being there, less so about "Reality".
And finally, Tapley has one big surprise guess, and he admits it really is just a hunch...that Robert Lorenz's "Trouble with the Curve" appears along with Mr. Eastwood. That would be incredible!
MASTER DISASTER
It was a roller coaster day yesterday. I'm on the road...literally driving from Flagstaff, AZ. to San Diego, CA. yesterday...while catching the occasional tweet at gas stops and at lunch...
And so as the day evolved, I got the news that "The Master" WILL play Venice after all...despite not being announced last week and even reported denials that it would...
The Playlist: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-will-play-the-venice-film-festival-after-all-20120730
As you know, I have often pointed out that Venice and Telluride have little overlap...so this probably means the death knell for its Telluride chances...which had begun to look somewhat promising in light of the lack of the film on Venice's list nor Toronto's.
Then late yesterday the word that IT WILL PLAY TORONTO TOO!
Now virtually every pundit that plays this game has agreed that Telluride is a non-starter...and they're very likely right...but...the addition of Toronto dates actually gives me a bit of hope...what few films that do make the Venice to Telluride run generally play Toronto as well...so maybe...
And then there has been a good deal of discussion that part of the Venice/Toronto sluggishness in announcing has been the result of Anderson's desire to present it in the 70mm format he shot it in. Some commenters think that, too, could complicate it's possibility of Telluride. But The Playlist points out (and an MTFB reader confirms) that Telluride can actually and has shown 70mm in the past...so...
Finally, there's also a lot of talk about the impossibility of dates and doubt about simultaneous play dates and locations of Anderson, Phoenix, Hoffman etc. I'm not all that sure that is really much of an impediment. If everyone wants it to happen in all three locales, I'm pretty sure that all involved could find a way to make it happen. And I really do think Harvey Weinstein likes to have his big pony in the San Juans...
I'm saying, yes, "The Master" is probably not going to play T-ride...but all hope is NOT lost.
NO?
Gael Garcia Bernal in Pablo Larrain's "No"
I still have a strong feeling that Pablo Larrain's "No" which played to very good review out of competition in Cannes last May will turn up in Telluride. This despite the fact that it was once a "Ten Bets" film but has slipped to somewhere in the 11-20 spots.
That being said, I have included a post that popped up in the last 48 hours concerning the film which stars Gael Garcia Bernal. Here it is...
From The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/actor-gael-garcia-bernal-says-no-film-taught-him-about-chiles-pain-during-dictatorship/2012/07/30/gJQATEKkLX_story.html
"No's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2059255/
VIEW TO A "KILLING"
We got a trailer yesterday for Andrew Dominik's "Killing Them Softly" starring Brad Pitt. "KTS" has some Telluride potential as it has checked off a couple of Telluride "boxes" in that it played Cannes and it is distributed by The Weinstein Company. Those two factors are pro-Telluride appearance, however the complete uncertainty about how TWC and Telluride are playing together this year (TWC has so many possible players for awards season: "The Master", "Django", ""Silver Linings", "Quartet"...there are others) means that I put KTS's chances of a T-ride appearance at 20%.
Nevertheless, here's the trailer:
For more KTS information check out these posts:
The Playlist:
FirstShowing.net:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/brad-pitt-james-gandolfini-in-dominiks-killing-them-softly-trailer/
Rope of Silicon:
"Killing Them Softly's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764234/
SING FOR MARION LATER
Meanwhile, a film I thought was almost dead certain to play Telluride now may be doubtful for 2012 altogether. I thought Paul Andrew Williams' "Song for Marion" seemed almost too certain to play T-ride. Again, it's a TWC distributed film and features Terrence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave. I had even thought that a Stamp or Redgrave Tribute was a very real possibility. "Song" has even appeared on the "Ten Bets" list this summer, albeit not lately because maybe I have begun to get a bit suspicious too about the lack of "noise" concerning the film.. Much like KTS above, this doesn't absolutely preclude its inclusion but...
The Playlist is raining all over that notion and any notion that we'll see the film this year at all.
Check their post:
"Song's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1047011/
From a "Ten Bets" film to what I now think is only a 30% chance it's going to appear at Telluride.
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
Olivier Assassyas's film finally has some new images via The Playlist. The film has been announced for Venice but is not on Toronto's list of film as yet.
I still have had it listed high on my "Ten Bets" list though it has moved off the "Bets" in the last two weeks as it has been relatively quiet in terms of buzz about it. Bottom line is that I still think it's a likely choice to make it to Telluride...in the 65% range.
Nevertheless, here's the link to the new pics and story from The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-at-olivier-assayas-70s-coming-of-age-drama-something-in-the-air-20120802#
"Something's" IMDb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846472/
CENTRAL PARK FIVE
Ken Burns and family are credited with this new documentary (Ken and his daughter and son-in-law) and I'd be shocked if it's not in T-ride. It currently sits at #6 on this week's "Ten Bets". The film has also been announced as a part of Toronto's doc section...so expect the Burns clan in Colorado in 4 weeks and the Toronto the week after. Check out this Ioncinema rundown of the TIFF Doc selections...and also add into your perusal of that story that 2-4 of those choices will probably join "The Central Park Five" in Telluride:
http://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/2012-tiff-docs-ken-burns-julien-temple-marina-zenovich-and-alex-gibney-load-up-doc-section
CP5's IMDb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2380247/
MASTER SHOWS
Late last night Paul Thomas Anderson screened "The Master" in Santa Monica, CA. just down the hill from where I am...seriously!
Could have been there? The film was shown as a "secret screening" after a presentation of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining". HitFix/InContention's Kris Tapley with the late night details:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/first-public-screening-of-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-happening-right-now-in-santa-monica
Also, a smattering of ecstatic reactions have been tweeted and such and Kris Tapley and Jeffrey Wells both had contacts on the inside that have commented on the film. You an find those reactions collected by the Paul Thomas Anderson fan site Cigarettes and Red Vines here: http://cigsandredvines.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-master-premieres-secretly-in-la.html
PS...Tapley per this post still believes that Telluride is a possibility...
NEW AT SPC
Sony Pictures Classics has added new films to their slate this week...a documentary and a hot new prospect making both of them possible Telluride contenders. The Wrap has both stories.
The "hot" prospect is Raman Bahrani's "At Any Price" starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron.
http://www.thewrap.com/deal-central/column-post/sony-pictures-classics-acquires-zac-efron-dennis-quaid-film-any-price-50751
"At Any Price's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937449/
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
"Something in the Air"
Olivier Assassyas's film finally has some new images via The Playlist. The film has been announced for Venice but is not on Toronto's list of film as yet.
I still have had it listed high on my "Ten Bets" list though it has moved off the "Bets" in the last two weeks as it has been relatively quiet in terms of buzz about it. Bottom line is that I still think it's a likely choice to make it to Telluride...in the 65% range.
Nevertheless, here's the link to the new pics and story from The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-at-olivier-assayas-70s-coming-of-age-drama-something-in-the-air-20120802#
"Something's" IMDb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846472/
CENTRAL PARK FIVE
Ken Burns and Company/"The Central Park Five"
Ken Burns and family are credited with this new documentary (Ken and his daughter and son-in-law) and I'd be shocked if it's not in T-ride. It currently sits at #6 on this week's "Ten Bets". The film has also been announced as a part of Toronto's doc section...so expect the Burns clan in Colorado in 4 weeks and the Toronto the week after. Check out this Ioncinema rundown of the TIFF Doc selections...and also add into your perusal of that story that 2-4 of those choices will probably join "The Central Park Five" in Telluride:
http://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/2012-tiff-docs-ken-burns-julien-temple-marina-zenovich-and-alex-gibney-load-up-doc-section
CP5's IMDb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2380247/
MASTER SHOWS
Late last night Paul Thomas Anderson screened "The Master" in Santa Monica, CA. just down the hill from where I am...seriously!
Could have been there? The film was shown as a "secret screening" after a presentation of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining". HitFix/InContention's Kris Tapley with the late night details:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/first-public-screening-of-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-happening-right-now-in-santa-monica
Also, a smattering of ecstatic reactions have been tweeted and such and Kris Tapley and Jeffrey Wells both had contacts on the inside that have commented on the film. You an find those reactions collected by the Paul Thomas Anderson fan site Cigarettes and Red Vines here: http://cigsandredvines.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-master-premieres-secretly-in-la.html
PS...Tapley per this post still believes that Telluride is a possibility...
NEW AT SPC
Sony Pictures Classics has added new films to their slate this week...a documentary and a hot new prospect making both of them possible Telluride contenders. The Wrap has both stories.
The "hot" prospect is Raman Bahrani's "At Any Price" starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron.
http://www.thewrap.com/deal-central/column-post/sony-pictures-classics-acquires-zac-efron-dennis-quaid-film-any-price-50751
"At Any Price's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937449/
The other is the Israeli documentary "The Gatekeepers":
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/sony-pictures-classics-nabs-israeli-secret-service-documentary-gatekeepers-49851
That IMDb entry is here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309788/
MANY PICTURES
If you're looking for stills for fall releases you might want to look at this post from Rope of Silicon. Over 150 stills from a wide variety of films including:
"Cloud Atlas"
"The Silver Linings Playlist"
"The Master"
"Great Expectations"
"Seven Psychopaths"
"Argo"
:The Company You Keep"
"Quartet"
"The Impossible"
"End of Watch"
"Frances Ha"
"The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
There are many:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/over-150-new-pictures-from-great-expectations-the-master-total-recall-looper-and-more/
Have a great weekend everyone!
More later (Monday from San Francisco!)...
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