"RUDDERLESS" EVER CLOSER
"Rudderless" poster via IMDb
You know, if you've been reading this blog over time, that I have been following the development of William H. Macy's directorial debut "Rudderless" since before Macy was attached to the project. That obsession continues. It was rewarded yesterday as Macy tweeted that the film (which will be released on Oct. 17) had an official poster and that the trailer would be dropping next week. Producers Unified Pictures also promised in their own tweet that there are other "fun surprises" in store. Very exciting.
As you can see above, I have included the poster and will let all know when the trailer drops next week.
TORONTO'S NOT AS BIG THIS YEAR
Toronto will announce a number of additional Galas and Special Presentations on Tuesday and earlier this week I had written that we could expect 7 Galas and another 20-30 Special Presentations to be announced.
Yesterday, "Rich" reminded me via comment to the blog that Toronto has said that those sections will not be as large this year. After the comment showed up, I remembered that I had read that in couple of places along the way this summer. "Rich" says TIFF will top out at 18 Galas (so five more) and fewer Special Presentations.
Good to know...makes Tuesday's upcoming announcement even more interesting.
BEST OF THE WEEK
TEN (PLUS) BETS #7
We're down to three weeks and counting until we lift off the 41st Telluride Film Festival.and the anticipation is growing. Each day I'm scouring the interweb and looking/listening for sources to come forward to dig out the best guess at what the lineup will be. We should add more clarity on Tuesday as Toronto is scheduled announce another raft of films including, I believe, their additional Galas and Special Presentations. If past trends hold we can expect another seven Galas and anywhere from 20-30 more Special Presentations. That info should give us even more insight into Telluride's unannounced lineup.
At any rate, here's last week's "Ten Bets plus Two"
12) Red Army
11) The Look of Silence
10) Two Days, One Night
9) Leviathan
8) Rosewater
7) Wild Tales
6) Wild
5) The Imitation Game
4) Queen of the Desert
3) Mr. Turner
2) Foxcatcher
1) Birdman
And now THIS WEEK"S TEN (PLUS) BETS
15) 99 Homes
14) Life May Be
13) The Homesman
12) Two Days, One Night
11) Red Army
10) The Look of Silence
9) Wild Tales
8) Rosewater
7) Leviathan
6) Queen of the Desert
5) Wild
4) The Imitation Game
3) Birdman
2) Mr. Turner
1) Foxcatcher
Simmering just under these Ten (Plus) Bets:
Serge Bromberg's "Retour de Flamme/Brinton Documentary ( http://nitratediva.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/retour-de-flamme/ )
Ken Burn's "The Roosevelts"
"She's Funny That Way"
"One Day Since Yesterday"
"The Price of Fame"
"Winter Sleep"
"Whiplash"
"Mommy"
"Merchants of Doubt"***
"Clouds of Sils Maria"
"The Wonders"
"The Wonders"
"The Blue Room"
"Bird People"
"Juaja"
***Sony Pictures Classics just announced late yesterday that they were partnering with Participant Media for the release of "Merchants of Doubt". That is almost enough to lift it to the #16 spot for this week's "Ten (Plus) Bets". I've included links to a number of reports about the partnership including the first from Screen Daily which claims it IS headed to Telluride:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-kenners-doc-merchants-doubt-723991
http://www.indiewire.com/article/sony-pictures-classics-acquires-conspiracy-documentary-merchants-of-doubt-20140807
The jury is still out, but I'd like them to show up:
"Slow West"
"Suffragette"
"A Most Violent Year"
"Kill the Messenger"
"Kill the Messenger"
Big 'uns that have no announced film fest as yet (and maybe won't at all):
"Fury"
"Unbroken"
"Big Eyes"
"Interstellar"
"Exodus: Gods and Kings"
VIEWS OF "ROSEWATER"
Over the weekend Entertainment Weekly put out two photos from Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" starring Gael Garcia Bernal as real life journalist Maziar Bahari who was arrested in Iran in 2009 as he was reporting the election in that country. Any number of outlets reported the photos with an accompanying story. We believe fairly strongly that "Rosewater" will make the Telluride lineup owing to its designation by the Toronto film fest as a Canadian premiere.
Here are those photos:
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VIEWS OF "ROSEWATER"
Over the weekend Entertainment Weekly put out two photos from Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" starring Gael Garcia Bernal as real life journalist Maziar Bahari who was arrested in Iran in 2009 as he was reporting the election in that country. Any number of outlets reported the photos with an accompanying story. We believe fairly strongly that "Rosewater" will make the Telluride lineup owing to its designation by the Toronto film fest as a Canadian premiere.
Here are those photos:
Stories/Posts that went with these photos this weekend:
LOOKING AT "BIG EYES"
We have our first photos of Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in a true story about the art of Margaret Keane and her husband Walter who was credited for a good long while with the artwork of characters with "big eyes". The film has not been announced for any festival to date and Burton did play "Ed Wood" AT TFF in 1994 so it's not a complete impossibility that we could see it pop up in three and a half weeks in the San Juans. Here from The Playlist and FirstShowing are the pics:
And the link to The Playlist's story:
And from FirstShowing.net:
A LOOK AT WHAT WAS "SQUIRREL"
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Last week Venice Film Fest officials said that they knew that they had five films scheduled that would roll on to Telluride. One of those could be Peter Bogdanovich's "She's Funny That Way" which for a good long while was titled "Squirrels to the Nuts". The comedy stars Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Aniston and more. Bogdo has often been a part of past Telluride fests and it wouldn't surprise me greatly if this was included on the program this year.
The Playlist dropped a number of photos of the film late yesterday one of which is posted above.
Check the story and the other photos:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-owen-wilson-imogen-poots-jennifer-aniston-in-peter-bogdanovichs-shes-funny-that-way-20140804
EW LOOKS AT "99 HOMES"
Entertainment Weekly was up yesterday with a first photo from Ramin Bahrani's "99 Homes" as you can see above. The film is scheduled to play the Venice fest in competition and I think, given its premiere status vis-a-vis Toronto that it's very likely to play Telluride as well. Bahrani was at T-ride in 2012 with "At Any Price" with star Dennis Quaid in attendance as well. "at Any Price" didn't exactly set the world on fire scoring a 60 rating at Metacritic and earning a reported $379,000 domestically.
"99 Homes" focuses on the U.S. housing crisis as Garfield plays a man who gets in over his head and ends up working with Michael Shannon who plays an unscrupulous realtor.
Stories are included here from Entertainment Weekly and The Playlist:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/05/andrew-garfield-michael-shannon-99-homes/
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-michael-shannon-andrew-garfield-in-ramin-bahranis-99-homes-20140805
Couple of stray thoughts: "Spiderman vs. General Zod".
And one wonders if Garfield, who attended the fest 2010 with "Never Let Me Go" might return and if he does, if it's possible that his current significant other, Ms. Emma Stone, might be there as well as she's co-starring in Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman".
The Toronto International Film Festival announced a slew of Canadian titles yesterday that have been added across many of the different sections that the fest features. There was a film here and there that piqued my interest in terms of Telluride potential but none to the point that I'm ready to declare any of the films announced yesterday as Telluride likely.
Take a look at the new films announced here via Indie Wire:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/toronto-international-film-festival-reveals-slate-of-canadian-features-and-short-films-20140806
The Playlist looked at the same list yesterday and they claim that Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" (which played well at Cannes in May and is being distributed in the U.S. by Roadside attractions) by being a "Toronto" premiere "suggests that it'll be going to Telluride to make its North American debut".
The Playlist post is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/xavier-dolans-mommy-leads-canadian-line-up-of-new-tiff-2014-announcements-20140806
So, "Mommy" is a maybe.
Jennifer Aniston and Peter Bogdanovich via The Playlist
Last week Venice Film Fest officials said that they knew that they had five films scheduled that would roll on to Telluride. One of those could be Peter Bogdanovich's "She's Funny That Way" which for a good long while was titled "Squirrels to the Nuts". The comedy stars Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Jennifer Aniston and more. Bogdo has often been a part of past Telluride fests and it wouldn't surprise me greatly if this was included on the program this year.
The Playlist dropped a number of photos of the film late yesterday one of which is posted above.
Check the story and the other photos:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-owen-wilson-imogen-poots-jennifer-aniston-in-peter-bogdanovichs-shes-funny-that-way-20140804
EW LOOKS AT "99 HOMES"
"99 Homes" with Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon via Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly was up yesterday with a first photo from Ramin Bahrani's "99 Homes" as you can see above. The film is scheduled to play the Venice fest in competition and I think, given its premiere status vis-a-vis Toronto that it's very likely to play Telluride as well. Bahrani was at T-ride in 2012 with "At Any Price" with star Dennis Quaid in attendance as well. "at Any Price" didn't exactly set the world on fire scoring a 60 rating at Metacritic and earning a reported $379,000 domestically.
"99 Homes" focuses on the U.S. housing crisis as Garfield plays a man who gets in over his head and ends up working with Michael Shannon who plays an unscrupulous realtor.
Stories are included here from Entertainment Weekly and The Playlist:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/05/andrew-garfield-michael-shannon-99-homes/
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-michael-shannon-andrew-garfield-in-ramin-bahranis-99-homes-20140805
Couple of stray thoughts: "Spiderman vs. General Zod".
And one wonders if Garfield, who attended the fest 2010 with "Never Let Me Go" might return and if he does, if it's possible that his current significant other, Ms. Emma Stone, might be there as well as she's co-starring in Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman".
WHO GETS A TRIBUTE?
I was noodling around the rising suspicion that Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman" will be screened in just over three weeks in Telluride and as I was doing that, it struck me that a TLJ tribute in coordination with that film. I can see it pretty clearly. Maybe co-star and two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank attends as well. Makes a lot of sense to me.
And that got me to thinking seriously about other tribute possibilities.
Pete Hammond suggested a couple of weeks ago that Telluride might be dangling the tribute carrot in front of Chris Nolan in a play to get "Interstellar" on board. I've never thought it was a big likelihood and recent buzz is that no fest may have the film on its lineup.
I have suggested Nicole Kidman as a tribute possible in conjunction with the almost certain play of "Queen of the Desert".
I have also mentioned a Juliette Binoche tribute should Olivier Assasyas "Clouds of Sils Maria" be a T-ride selection.
Some weeks back, I mentioned a Michael Keaton tribute as a possibility with the screening of "Birdman", although that does seem a little far fetched.
How about Tim Burton if Telluride gets "Big Eyes"...yeah. that would make some sense.
I was noodling around the rising suspicion that Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman" will be screened in just over three weeks in Telluride and as I was doing that, it struck me that a TLJ tribute in coordination with that film. I can see it pretty clearly. Maybe co-star and two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank attends as well. Makes a lot of sense to me.
And that got me to thinking seriously about other tribute possibilities.
Pete Hammond suggested a couple of weeks ago that Telluride might be dangling the tribute carrot in front of Chris Nolan in a play to get "Interstellar" on board. I've never thought it was a big likelihood and recent buzz is that no fest may have the film on its lineup.
I have suggested Nicole Kidman as a tribute possible in conjunction with the almost certain play of "Queen of the Desert".
I have also mentioned a Juliette Binoche tribute should Olivier Assasyas "Clouds of Sils Maria" be a T-ride selection.
Some weeks back, I mentioned a Michael Keaton tribute as a possibility with the screening of "Birdman", although that does seem a little far fetched.
How about Tim Burton if Telluride gets "Big Eyes"...yeah. that would make some sense.
MAYBE IT'S BOGDO...
Earlier this week I speculated about who might get a tribute this year. I mentioned Tommy Lee Jones, Juliette Binoche...others. One name I should have included, but didn't, is Peter Bogdanovich. Bogdo was a TFF Guest Director in 1998 and attended with frequency through 2006 but hasn't (to my knowledge) been back since.
This year he has a Venice competition film: "She's Funny That Way" which could make the Telluride lineup but he's also the focus of a documentary that is playing Venice as well: Bill Teck's "One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich and the Lost American Film".
I can see that being part of a Bogdo tribute in three weeks.
That would also mean that this doc is one f the "Venice Five" (Venice director Alberto Barbera is on record as having said that five films will play Venice and Telluride).
I've included a link to a story about the Venice goings-on here from Thompson on Hollywood:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/two-auteur-docs-play-venice-classics-on-bogdanovich-and-penn-20140806
MAYBE IT'S REESE
And in the same vein as Bogdo above, another good possibility for a tribute (as was pointed to me yesterday in a comment from "Anonymous" here on the blog) is Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon. We're about 98% certain that her new film "Wild" is going to be seen for the first time at Telluride. We know that she won her Oscar for 2005's "Walk the Line" which started her run to the win at TFF.
And don't discount the connection to Alexander Payne. Payne directed her in what was a big breakout for them both in "Election" in 1999.
So, yes indeed, boys and girls...Reese Witherspoon is definitely a TFF tribute candidate.
MAYBE IT'S REESE
And in the same vein as Bogdo above, another good possibility for a tribute (as was pointed to me yesterday in a comment from "Anonymous" here on the blog) is Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon. We're about 98% certain that her new film "Wild" is going to be seen for the first time at Telluride. We know that she won her Oscar for 2005's "Walk the Line" which started her run to the win at TFF.
And don't discount the connection to Alexander Payne. Payne directed her in what was a big breakout for them both in "Election" in 1999.
So, yes indeed, boys and girls...Reese Witherspoon is definitely a TFF tribute candidate.
TAPLEY MUSES
HitFix/InContention's Kristopher Tapley posted a fairly extensive look at the awards season last night that also included his thoughts about what is/might be/is unlikely to be Telluride bound. As you might expect, he comes to a number of the same conclusions that you've already read here.
He does mention a few things that are of specific interest...some intriguing...some a little disappointing. Tapley suggests that David Ayer's "Fury" might have a reasonable shot at playing T-ride but that Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" is unlikely/unprepared for fests.
Tapley mentions a couple of films that I haven't had on my Telluride radar at all. Tom McCarthy's Adam Sandler starer "The Cobbler" and William Monahan's "Mojave" starring Mark Wahlberg. Additionally, he suggests a Telluride screening of "Whiplash" as he includes it on a list of Sony Pictures Classics "possibles/probables".
Tapley also says that J.C. Chandor is still editing "A Most Violent Year" which doesn't mean that the film is completely off the Telluride table...but it sure isn't encouraging.
Check the entire story here:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/off-the-carpet-will-it-be-brad-pitt-vs-angelina-jolie-this-oscar-season
ANOTHER TORONTO ANNOUNCEMENT-MAYBE "MOMMY"
"Fury" trailer via YouTube
HitFix/InContention's Kristopher Tapley posted a fairly extensive look at the awards season last night that also included his thoughts about what is/might be/is unlikely to be Telluride bound. As you might expect, he comes to a number of the same conclusions that you've already read here.
He does mention a few things that are of specific interest...some intriguing...some a little disappointing. Tapley suggests that David Ayer's "Fury" might have a reasonable shot at playing T-ride but that Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" is unlikely/unprepared for fests.
Tapley mentions a couple of films that I haven't had on my Telluride radar at all. Tom McCarthy's Adam Sandler starer "The Cobbler" and William Monahan's "Mojave" starring Mark Wahlberg. Additionally, he suggests a Telluride screening of "Whiplash" as he includes it on a list of Sony Pictures Classics "possibles/probables".
Tapley also says that J.C. Chandor is still editing "A Most Violent Year" which doesn't mean that the film is completely off the Telluride table...but it sure isn't encouraging.
Check the entire story here:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/off-the-carpet-will-it-be-brad-pitt-vs-angelina-jolie-this-oscar-season
The Toronto International Film Festival announced a slew of Canadian titles yesterday that have been added across many of the different sections that the fest features. There was a film here and there that piqued my interest in terms of Telluride potential but none to the point that I'm ready to declare any of the films announced yesterday as Telluride likely.
Take a look at the new films announced here via Indie Wire:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/toronto-international-film-festival-reveals-slate-of-canadian-features-and-short-films-20140806
The Playlist looked at the same list yesterday and they claim that Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" (which played well at Cannes in May and is being distributed in the U.S. by Roadside attractions) by being a "Toronto" premiere "suggests that it'll be going to Telluride to make its North American debut".
The Playlist post is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/xavier-dolans-mommy-leads-canadian-line-up-of-new-tiff-2014-announcements-20140806
So, "Mommy" is a maybe.
That's it for today...more on Monday...have a great weekend!
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