Invitation/Wells Says/Ten More That Could Play

Good Thursday to Everybody...8 Days...(7 til the bus leaves the Oklahoma Panhandle!)...

INVITATION

Please consider yourself officially invited to a brief "meet and greet and discussion of film" as The River Club kindly presents my "Second Annual(?) Guide to the 'Ride; Flow of the SHOW".  Refreshments, re-acquaintances, new acquaintances all at 5:00 pm at The River Club at 550 Depot in Telluride.  Should be fun.



WELLS SAYS...

I make no secret that I'm an amateur when it comes to this whole film blog universe and am not in the same league as a good number of other folks who really do play the game in a serious fashion.  One of those is Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere.  Mr. Wells will be attending Telluride and usually does and clearly he has sources...so when he drops some T-ride info...best pay attention.  And he did yesterday as I was kindly alerted by Film Blather's Eugene Novikov, Mr. Wells seems to nail down some of the Telluride lineup.  He says, cryptically, that we'll see Ben Affleck's "Argo", Roger Michell's "Hyde Park on Hudson", Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha", Ken Burns "Central Park Five" and Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone".  He implies we're also likely to see Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder".  And he mentions Robert Lorenz's "Trouble with the Curve" in such a way that I can't tell if he's debunking the thought that it will be there...or implying that it will obviously be there.  Mr. Novikov thinks it's likely the former...

Check the whole entry here:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/08/loose_talk_1.php

"Rust", "Hyde Park" and "Central Park Five" are on this week's "Ten Bets".  The rest have been or will be on this week's progressive "Thirty That Could Play" list that concludes with the final 10 today.  See below...

Frankly, the big surprise, to me anyway, would be the Malick...but it would be on my short list of films to catch at the festival if Wells is right.

Also, I have to admit that I had become pretty convinced that "Trouble with the Curve" was happening...but as I said, Wells sentence structure and emphasis make me uncertain as to what he's really saying...


TEN (OF THIRTY) THAT COULD PLAY

I've spent the week outlining 30 films in addition to this week's "Ten Bets" that could find their way onto screens in Telluride next week and assigning a percentage of chance to each one.  In all honesty, the Wells blurb yesterday has altered how I have written this final installment.  Here are 10 more that could play:

"The Impossible" trailer

"The Impossible" from Juan Antonio Bayona...the film focuses on the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in southeast Asia and the true story of one family.  Ewna MacGregor and Naomi Watts star and attention to it has risen very rapidly over the last 2-3 weeks.  Chances-50%

"To the Wonder" from Terrence Malick.  The master has turned around a film just months after "The Tree of Life" which for Malick is historically unprecedented.  It's reportedly a love story set in part in Europe and Oklahoma...and shot to some extent here in the Sooner State.  To be truthful, I have been low balling any chance that it would be in Telluride...until the Wells post yesterday (and credit where due, InContention/HitFix's Kris Tapley said he thought it was a "possible"..so...Chances-60%.

"Yellow" from Nick Cassavettes...also shot partly in Oklahoma, I've thought it might be Telluride material from the first moment I heard about it...still think it could be.  Chances-50%

"Frances Ha" from Noah Baumbach.  Baumbach has played Telluride before and though I recently put this film on my radar, still thought its chances were small...again, the Wells post makes me reconsider.  Chances-60%.

Trailer for "Quartet"

"Quartet" from first time director Dustin Hoffman...mostly on my radar as it's from The Weinstein Company...Hoffman directing an adaptation of a Roland Harwood play...Chances-25%

"At Any Price" from Ramin Bahrani and starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron and Heather Graham in an agricultural family drama.  Decent buzz and Tapley's inclusion as a "probable" makes it one to consider.  Chances-40%.

"Passion" from Brian DePalma.  A lot of people think this is going to make the cut and play at Telluride next week so I have to take it seriously, but I have to say I've been dubious about its chances all summer.  Chances-40%

Trailer for "The Sessions"

"The Sessions" from Ben Lewin starring John Hawkes and Helen Hunt.  This Sundance hit is one of two films that really hit a nerve from that festival (the other being "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "Beasts is in release).  I've been campaigning in my own tiny way for its inclusion at Telluride despite the fact that it preemed in Utah.  Its distributor, Fox Searchlight reportedly wanted it to play Telluride, so my hope is that sentiment (and a lean Fox Search cupboard) makes that a reality.  Chances-45%

"Great Expectations"  Mike Newell with the latest adaptation of the Dickens classic with Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.  Tapley says its a "maybe".  I'm not that optimistic.  Chances-30%

"Ernest and Celestine"  It's French...it's animated...I'll bet it plays.  Chances-55%
 

And beyond these 40 films there are still others that could (and will) play...for example: "The Company You Keep", "A Late Quartet", "Arthur Newman", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Caesar Must Die" (look out for this one), "Everybody Has a Plan", "The Gatekeepers" (also this), "In the Fog", "Laurence Anyways", "Love is All You Need", "Much Ado About Nothing", "The Place Beyond the Pines", "Populaire", "Post Tenebras Lux", "Room 237", "Seven Psychopaths" and "The We and the I".

THE SESSIONS

Hollywood News makes noise about the Sundance hit and my wish list #2 film for Telluride as it preps to go to Toronto. 
http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/08/22/the-sessions-gets-an-official-poster-toronto-2012/


BEYOND THE HILLS

Christian Munigu's follow up to his Cannes Palme D'or winning "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" is sitting at #10 on this week's "Ten Bets".  The writer/director recently talked to Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood about the Telluride possible film:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/cannes-interview-cristian-mungiu-talks-beyond-the-hills

More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

"Like" Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook

Hooray for San Fran/Invitation/Impossible Trailer/Ten That Could/Windom/Closer

Good Tuesday Everybody!


HOORAY FOR SAN FRANCISCO

I told you yesterday that the rumors were flying that Paul Thomas Anderson was going to sneak "The Master" in San Francisco tonight...and that's what's going to happen.  It's showing at 8pm (PDT) at the Castro Theater in glorious 70mm.  Congrats to you lucky "Golden Gaters" out there and particularly friend of the blog Eugene Novikov...

Look, I love San Fran...I was just there a couple of weeks ago...so couldn't you have sneaked it then , Mr. Anderson?


Here's the teaser trailer for the film that highlights tonight's presentation:

Wish I was there...



INVITATION

Please join me and our hosts, Mitzi and Larry Mallard of The River Club at the "Club" on Friday, Aug. 31 at 5:00pm for the Second ever "Guide to the 'Ride; Flow of the SHOW".  Refreshments and conversation will ensue...


IMPOSSIBLE TRAILER

A film that could pop up at Telluride next week that has quietly gained some buzz is Juan Antonio Bayona's The Impossible" starring Ewan MacGregor and Naomi Watts.  In previous posts I've been able to link to the international trailer.  Now there is a U.S. specific trailer for the film.  Here it is via the post yesterday from FirstShowing.net:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/must-watch-stunning-us-trailer-for-j-a-bayonas-the-impossible/?uid=a19654cf4aea0351e5a0ed2db77d01aae9e0e871

I'm hoping to be able to directly link to the trailer by tomorrow.


TEN THAT COULD

Over the next three days I'm going to look at an additional 30 films that could make the cut for Telluride this year...that's in addition to this week's "Ten Bets" (from yesterday's post: http://michaelstelluridefilm.blogspot.com/2012/08/ten-bets-9invitationmaster.html ) and I'll do it in 10 film increments...with comments!

"The Hunt" Thomas Vintenberg...well received at Cannes and an award winner for Mads Mikkelsen as Best Actor, "The Hunt" is the kind of film that certainly is often a choice for Telluride.  Chances- 50%

"Reality"  Matteo Garrone...were it not for Garrone's legal issues and middling reviews I'd probably still have this film in or near the "Ten Bets" list.  As it is, it still stands a reasonable chance to play.  A Cannes choice and Garrone has a Telluride pedigree...Chances-50%.

"Like Someone in Love"...This film also has been on the "Ten Bets" list earlier this summer and, just like "Reality" has that Cannes thing going for it and director Abbas Kiraostami's past presence at Telluride as another marker making it a possibility.  Chances-40%

"The East"  from Zal Batmanglij...(co-written and starring Brit Marling)...Sundance darlings for "Another Earth" and "Sound of My Voice" I could see this making a Telluride appearance as it is distributed from Fox Searchlight which is usually a serious player at Telluride but whose playlist as we approach Labor Day is slight.  Chances-35%

"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"  From Alain Renais and a Cannes choice where it was modestly well received.  The fact that it's a Cannes selection from a legend like Renais makes it a Telluride possible.  Chances-35%

"Song for Marion"  from Paul Andrew Williams.  I have had this film on the Telluride list for a long time.  It has spent a good chunk of the summer on the "Ten Bets" list and were it not Toronto's closer it would still be on the "Ten Bets" list.  From The Weinstein Company, I still think it has an excellent shot at the lineup.  Terrence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave star.  Maybe a Redgrave tribute???  Chances-65%

"The Sapphires" from director Wayne Blair and The Weinstein Company, this played out of competition in Cannes to good reviews and its sort of off beat subject matter...a girl group from the outback of Australia touring Vietnam during that war...makes me think it has a real shat at being included.  Chances-45%

"The Angel's Share" from director Ken Loach.  It's reception as Cannes makes me think it is at least possible for T-ride.  Chances-25%

"Something in the Air" from director Olivier Assassyas.  I'm still pretty bullish on this film that has spent a large portion of the summer on my "Ten Bets"...Assassyas' past with Telluride argues fro its inclusion.  Chances-65%

"Hannah Arendt"...from director Margarethe Von Trotta.  She's a past tributee...Barbara Sukova (playing the title roll) has been a T-ride guest as has co-star Janet McTeer.  Its inclusion wouldn't surprise me.  Chances- 50%

WINDOM

Actor William Windom died on Sunday.  He was 88.  Known for T.V. mostly, he also did film and stage work.  Memorably, for me anyway, in "To Kill a Mockingbird" as the County Attorney who has to face off with Atticus Finch as he prosecutes the Brock Peters character and in the T.V. movie "The Homecoming" from the Earl Hamner story that would lead to "The Waltons"...he played a turkey thief.

I met Windom in the mid 1980's as he was booked to a Thurber retrospective by our local humanities council.  He could do the Thurber as an outgrowth of his Thurber-based character/T.V. program "My World and Welcome to It".  Windom was nothing short of kind to a young drama/debate teacher in the middle of the Oklahoma Panhandle and even taught my buddy and I a bar trick to cadge drinks from the unsuspecting.  It involved tying a cigarette into a knot, untying it and still being able to smoke it...no kidding.

That's a memory I have always treasured and I have the autographed Thurber collection to prove he was actually in my auditorium.

Goodbye Mr. Windom, you will be missed.

William Windom's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934750/

Entertainment Weekly's bio: http://news-briefs.ew.com/2012/08/20/emmy-winning-comedic-actor-william-windom-dead-at-88/

CLOSER

You can tell that TFF #39 is closing in as the readership on the blog is increasing and I get more comments. Yesterday and anonymous reader pointed out that my note about a possible Clint Eastwood tribute was unlikely as Eastwood was a previous Telluride honoree.  Um...yes...Clint was tributed in 1990 with "White Hunter, Black Heart" presented as a part of those festivities.  So, no Clint tribute, but Tapley and Thompson still think the film (and probably Eastwood) have a reasonably good chance of being in Telluride next week.

More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

"Like" MIchael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook

The Master Full Trailer/More Impossible/Coming Attractions

Good Friday to All1

First, thoughts and condolences to all those involved in the Denver shooting. 

"THE MASTER" FULL TRAILER

Here it is...released last night on Entertainment tonight and Yahoo Movies:

I have linked multiple stories for the trailer release below.

FirstShowing.net:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/must-watch-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-theatrical-trailer/

Hollywood Elsewhere:

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/07/full_metal_mast.php

The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-astonishing-first-full-trailer-for-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-20120719#.UAlI32FtrSg

Movie City News:

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/07/trailer-the-master/

InContention/HitFix:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/the-master-gets-a-full-trailer-and-poster

Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/trailer-watch-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-starring-hoffman-and-phoenix#.UAlIv2FtrSg

The Wrap:

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/master-trailer-hoffman-phoenix-and-adams-keep-faith-48531 

The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/master-trailer-philip-seymour-hoffman-joaquin-phoenix-352157

Slate:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/07/19/the_master_full_trailer_is_finally_here_with_philip_seymour_hoffman_and_joaquin_phoenix_video_.html

Awards Daily:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/07/19/full-length-trailer-for-the-master/

Cigarettes and Red Vines:

http://cigsandredvines.blogspot.com/

Yup...a lot of outlets were all over this...

THE IMPOSSIBLE

I've been passing along tidbits here and there about "The Impossible", a film centered on the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean starring Naomi Watts and Ewan MacGregor and which just this week got scheduled for an awards friendly release date from Summit Entertainment.

Naturally this caught my eye along with the speculation in some quarters that because of the noticeably flashy date (Dec. 21) that Summit might be looking at some fall fest action for it.  Also what little reaction to screenings that I've been able to find suggests that it might also be a pretty good film.  So, it's on my watch list.

Consequently I have added a couple more posts that shine a bit more light on the film including a Spanish language trailer linked by Jeff Wells.

Hollywood Elsewhere:

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/07/slug_and_sluggi.php

InContention/HitFix:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/summit-primes-the-impossible-for-awards-season

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Jessica Chastain on the set of "Eleanor Rigby"

News and posts today about one of the most intriguingly titled films in years: "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"...any film title that references one of the five best Beatles songs is going to catch my eye.  The casting news in these stories suggests that some seriousness of purpose.

The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/tony-winner-new-janis-joplin-nina-arianda-joins-the-disappearance-of-eleanor-rigby-hers-with-jessica-chastain-20120711#.UAleT2FtrSg

Screen Daily:

http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/viola-davis-joins-the-disappearance-of-eleanor-rigby/5044373.article

More Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/viola-davis-bill-hader-william-hurt-isabelle-huppert-more-join-the-disappearance-of-eleanor-rigby-20120716#.UAlenWFtrSg

Eleanor's IMdb entries: (His and Hers)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1531924/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2215603/

More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

"Like" Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook.

Master Poster/Toronto Possibles/Two New to View?/Congrats

Good Thursday to All!


MASTER POSTER

It started as a buzz about noon (my time, CDT) yesterday and rolled throughout the afternoon and finally culminated in the release of the first online poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's highly anticipated "The Master".  Here's the poster:

Here are a couple of posts that came with the poster's debut from The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/take-a-drink-from-the-new-poster-for-paul-thomas-andersons-the-master-20120718#

and also from FirstShowing.net:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/mesmerizing-first-wine-teaser-poster-for-ptas-the-master-unveiled/

"The Master's" IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/

TORONTO POSSIBLES

The blog Movie Knight has a lengthy post up speculating on the chances of 43 different films making the Toronto International Film Festival lineup.  Regular readers of this space know that I have said many times that there is usually a significant overlap between Toronto and Telluride...sometimes as much as a third of the T-ride lineup, or more, can also show in Toronto.  This year TIFF opens Sept. 6.

Films that blogger Matt Rorabeck says are "Very Likely" to "Near Locks" are:

"Killing Them Softly"

"Looper"

"Trouble with the Curve"

"The Paperboy"

"Argo"

"Anna Karenina"

"Life of Pi"

"Les Miserables"

"Amour"

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Much Ado About Nothing"

"Liberal Arts"

"Antiviral"

"The Sessions"

"The Place Beyond the Pines"

"Lesson of the Evil"

You'll notice that there is only one film listed here on my "Ten Bets" list.

Take a look at the entire list of films and the assessment of their chances for TIFF inclusion here:

http://movie-knight.com/2012/43-major-films-you-could-possibly-see-at-tiff-2012/

TWO NEW TO VIEW

Naomi Watts in "The Impossible" via The Playlist

Two under the radar films had news notes yesterday that piqued my interest and makes me at least consider that they could be on the Telluride program.  The Playlist reports that "The Impossible" directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and starring Ewan MacGregor and Naomi Watts has an awards friendly release date now- Dec. 21.  

Here's the link to that post: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-impossible-starring-ewan-mcgregor-naomi-watts-will-hit-theaters-on-december-21st-20120718#.UAgVQ2FtrSh

"The Impossible's" IMDb page is here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/

The Playlist also reported yesterday that IFC had picked distribution for the James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough thriller "Welcome to the Punch" which makes me think it has to be considered as well. 

James McAvoy in "Welcome to the Punch" again via The Playlist

Here's that story: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ifc-films-pick-up-james-mcavoy-mark-strong-thriller-welcome-to-the-punch-20120718#.UAgV5GFtrSg

And the "Welcome to the Punch" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1684233/

Added to these stories was a comment I tracked down yesterday in a Telluride Planet story about this year's poster artist Dave Eggers...that Julie Huntsinger (TFF Managing Director) is still screening films for possible inclusion in the fest.

Here's the relevant section of that story:

"The freshness of each program is vital and the fact that we don’t announce our program until the festival is practically under way gives people something to chew on and latch onto in the absence of any other information,” said festival co-director Julie Huntsinger. “We want to have something that is exciting out there in the public sphere.”

Huntsinger, who is in the middle of screening films this week, said 2012 is proving to be another tough year.

“Each year the decisions get harder,” she said. “More people fall in love with (the Telluride Film Festival) and some of the best filmmakers on the planet want to participate. We have to decide between very good films.”

For the whole story look here: http://telluridenews.com/articles/2012/07/18/news/doc5005e442d3317217365846.txt

CONGRATS!

And finally, congratulations to friend of the blog Christopher Schiller who tweeted this morning:

"Learned (after pretty sleepless night) that my script "Anniversary Kiss" made the long-list of the ‪#50Kisses‬ competition. Next, a 2nd read!"

You can follow Christopher @chrischiller

More later...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

"Like" Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook