Showing posts with label Taxi Driver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taxi Driver. Show all posts

Friday, August 5, 2016

Ten (Plus) Bets #7 / Wilson, HHhH, War Machine and Silence Bid Adieu / Taxi Driver 40th Anniversary Poster

Hello World on this Friday!

TEN (PLUS) BETS #7



Here's your weekly update of the films that appear to be the most likely to be on The SHOW's program when it's announced on Sept. 1.  First a re-cap from...

Last week's Ten (Plus) Bets:

13) Fire at Sea
12) Moonlight
11) The Red Turtle
10) Manchester by the Sea
9) Maudie
8) Frantz
7) Una
6) Neruda
5) Bleed for This
4) Arrival
3) Things to Come
2) La La Land
1) Toni Erdmann

Close: Aquarius, Dog Eat Dog, The Sense of an Ending, The Unknown Girl


This week's Ten (Plus) Bets #7

15) Defying the Nazis (Ken Burns PBS Doc)
14) High Summer (Animated short)
13) The Red Turtle
12) Manchester by the Sea
11) Moonlight
10) Fire at Sea
9) Maudie
8) Frantz
7) Una
6) Things to Come
5) Neruda
4) Bleed for This
3) Arrival
2) La La Land
1) Toni Erdmann

Close: Aquarius, Dog Eat Dog, I Daniel Blake, The Unknown Girl, The Sense of an Ending, Graduation, Sieranevada, The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez

Keeping an eye on: Gold, The Oppenheimer Strategies, The Circle, The Promise, Eternity, The Mercy


WILSON, HHhH , WAR MACHINE AND SILENCE BID ADIEU



For a long time during the run up to TFF #43 I have thought that Craig Johnson's Wilson might well be a serious player for the fest. but news broke yesterday that Fox Searchlight has dated the film for Mar. 3, 2017.  So say goodbye to Wilson.  Truth be told, I had a hunch was on the ropes for about the last three weeks and that explains why it disappeared from the Ten Bets list.




Meanwhile, you may have seen over the last 48 hours some news regarding a major shakeup at The Weinstein Company with at least two major executives exiting the company.  In the news about one of those moves, we discovered that TWC will only be releasing three films this fall: Lion, The Founder, and Gold.  HHhH is nowhere mentioned in the Variety story which suggests that it's fate is up in the air.

It may well mean that TWC doesn't have a film at TFF for the first time since I've been attending (since 2006).  Lion's World Premiere status for Toronto means it's off the Telluride table.  The Founders musical chairs style release changes doesn't inspire confidence and Gold isn't dated for release until late December which makes me think it won't be ready for an audience during the first week in September.

Here's the Variety story:

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/weinstein-companys-acquisitions-and-production-head-dan-guando-exits-exclusive-1201830775/



Jeff Wells/Hollywood Elsewhere reports that he's been told that David Michod's War Machine is going to be pushed to 2017.  If true, especially for the rationale stated (so as not to conflict with Brad Pitt in another WWII film-Allied), then it's off the T-ride list as well.  Here's the Wells/HE story:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2016/08/war-machine-allegedly-opening-in-17/



And finally, in depressing "not playing Telluride news" is the word from Martin Scorsese that Silence won't be ready for human consumption until October at the earliest.  I never really thought TFF would likely have the film, but this looks like a confirmation:

From ShowBiz411:

http://www.showbiz411.com/2016/08/04/oscars-martin-scorsese-says-silence-will-be-golden-for-end-of-year-release



ON THE OTHER SCORSESE HAND...TAXI DRIVER 40TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER

I offered up a suggestion on Tuesday that the T-ride powers that be contemplate a tribute to a film, as they did with Apocalypse Now two years ago and my suggestion was Taxi Driver which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its release this year.

I included the teaser for the 40th anniversary re-release of the Martin Scorsese classic...his best film in my opinion.

In the intervening time, I have discovered that there is a 40th anniversary poster as well>  Here it is via The Playlist:





http://theplaylist.net/first-look-brad-pitt-marion-cotillard-allied-20160803/


Friday's done.  More Monday...

Contact MTFB at:

mpgort@gmail.com

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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Categorical Weirdness / A Candidate for the Unusual Tribute / Coming Soon: Things to Come

Good Wednesday everybody...


CATEGORICAL WEIRDNESS






It seems to happen every year especially since Toronto and the rest of the film fest world moved to the "honest" premiere status requirement.  That is that between the various announcements of what's eiplaying where and when, there occur some weird anamolies.

Case in point...yesterday, I was alerted by friend of the blog Kenny Miles to the announcement of the film lineup for Fantastic Fest.  It's a film fest based in Austin, TX and will run Sept. 22-29 this year. Mr. Miles called my attention to FF's claim that Andrea Arnold's American Honey would play as a "Texas" premiere.  That's curious as we know that the film has played Cannes (World preem) and was announced last week for Toronto as a North American premiere.  That unto itself is partially beguiling.  What makes it all the more curious is that Fantastic Fest has listed other films with the designation of a "U.S. Premiere" (Aloys and The Crew for example).  What that seems to mean is that Fantastic Fest believes that American Honey will have played somewhere else in the U.S. prior to Sept. 22.

Unless I'm missing something, that means one of the designations from either TIFF or FF have to be inaccurate unless there's a film fest in the United States that's going to get it between Toronto (Sept. 8-18) and Fantastic Fest.   Off the top of my head, nothing springs to mind.  The Aspen Film Fest opens on Sept. 21, so I suppose that's a possibility.

Mr. Miles was curious about whether the "Texas" premiere designation might mean that a Telluride play was possible.  While I doubt it and I suspect that there's a perfectly reasonable explanation that I haven't tumbled onto yet...I can't completely rule it out.

Over the past three years there have been films which have been accidentally categorized in gthe wrong premiere category and there have also been a film or two that have flaunted the designation requirement and kept their Telluride presence under wraps.  Sooo...

Here's the Fantastic Fest announcement:

http://fantasticfest.com/news/entry/fantastic-fest-2016-announces-the-first-wave-of-progamming



A CANDIDATE FOR AN UNUSUAL TRIBUTE



In 2014 the Telluride Film Festival took the unusual step of tributing a film rather than a person.  Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now was feted with screenings as well as screenings of the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse".  FFC was there along with DP Vittorio Sortaro, editor Water Murch and producer Fred Roos.  It was, I believe, the first time that a tribute honored something rather than someone or someones.

Which has got me wondering this week as I have been seeing the promo for the re-issue of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver for its 40th anniversary.  My understanding is that the film will be screened in theaters again.  Both Screen Daily and The Playlist are reporting spruced up version of a 2011 digital restoration.  At this point there are plans foe overseas screenings but no announced plan for the United States.

The film played last April at the Tribeca Film Fest (DeNiro's home festival) so we know that it's festival ready.

So, in the spirit of a tribute to Apocalypse Now, I humbly submit that Taxi Driver be afforded the same status in four weeks.  While you're at it, get Scorsese, DeNiro and Paul Schrader on board to be part of the presentation.

Here's the recently released teaser trailer for the 40th anniversary screenings from YouTube:



And the previously mentioned stories from Screen Daily and The Playlist:




COMING SOON: THINGS TO COME

Overnight the folks at The Playlist dropped a new trailer for Mia Hansen-Love's Things to Come which played extremely well at this year's Berlin Film Fest winning the Silver Bear and is expected to make the Telluride lineup owing to its announced status as a Canadian premiere for the Toronto Film Fest.

Things to Come stars Isabelle Huppert.  Here is the new trailer from YouTube:



And the post from The Playlist:

http://theplaylist.net/isabelle-huppert-finds-freedom-new-trailer-mia-hansen-loves-things-come-20160803/


That's it for today.  Come back tomorrow when we may have new information from TIFF.


Contact MTFB at:

mpgort@gmail.com

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