TFF Day 4 and 5/Pros and Peoples Telluride/Monday TBas and Sneaks

Telluride Day Four

This will be my last report from Telluride...driving back to the real world tomorrow.

Day Four was very good.

Started late with Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" about which I had some reservations after some of the reviews I had seen after it premiered at Cannes.  Shouldn't have been concerned.  "Nebraska" is warm, funny, genuinely touching.  It's beautifully shot in black and white and the aging is quite good.  Bruce Dern shines as a cantankerous 70+ year old Montanan named Woody Grant who believes he has won a million dollars and must travel from his home in Billings, MT. to the contest headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The route will take him and his son, played surprisingly well by SNL alum Will Forte across the prairie and through Woody's old hometown.  Family history and secrets emerge.  June Squibb shines as Woody's long suffering and sharp tongued wife.

Payne continues to add to his canon of quality films.

Midday, I caught Errol Morris' documentary "The Unknown Known", an examination of the career of two time Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.  Morris, who generally turns even what seems to be the driest material into something provocative and entrancing seems to lose his way a bit in the sea of words that Rumsfeld deploys.

Late Night-Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" which has been tearing up the critical world in terms of Venice as well as Telluride.  It is a fantastic ride.  Jaw dropping effects and pulse pounding tension.  Sandra Bullock leads the way and is sturdy as an astronaut in serious trouble in Earth near orbit.  My only issue with the film comes with some of the dialogue choices in the screenplay.  Curaron co-wrote the screenplay with his son Jonas and this is the one place that seems to occasionally falls into cliche.  It sometimes seems to me that tries a bit too hard to entice empathy.

That's my take anyway.

PROS AND PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

Over the next few days, the fest will wind down and I will collate ratings from my group of film pros that have agreed to share their ratings as well as collecting and collating from you blog readers as well.  Remember that you can rate 0-5 and send them to me via comments here on the blog or also via email:
michael_speech@hotmail.com or mpgort@gmail.com

or tweet me @Gort2.

I'll have both The Pros and the People's Telluride up next week.

MONDAY'S TBA'S AND SNEAKS

Sneak Preview       Salinger  Q&A Palm/9a
With nine years of research, interviews with 150 of J.D. Salinger’s friends, colleagues and members of his inner circle (including Jean Miller, who inspired Salinger’s story “For Esme”), never-before-seen archival materials, and excerpts from Salinger’s unseen diaries, this is the definitive documentary on the notoriously private author of TheCatcher in the Rye. Shane Salerno offers plenty of surprises as we finally see behind the author’s meticulously built-up wall: his childhood, painstaking work methods, romances and secrets left behind after his death in 2010.  (U.S., 2013, 129m) In person: author David Shields, Jean Miller



• C/H Natan + Musidora (no shorts)- Backlot/9a                                                

• 9   Nebraska- Herzog/9:30a                                                            

• 15  Tim’s Vermeer Q&A- Nugget/12p                                             

• 6   Inside Llewyn Davis- Herzog/12:30p                     

• 16  The Past Opera House/12:30p                                             

• 45  Out of Love + Una Chanza Mas- Pierre/12:45p                        

• 18a Burning Bush 1- Masons/12:45p                                                       

• 37  Gravity-  Galaxy/1p                                                                   

• 21  Tracks- CJC/1:30p                                                                                                                            
• 36  Ida Q&A - Nugget/2:30p                                                           

• 18b Burning Bush 2&3 Q&A- Masons/2:30p                                             

• D   Here Be Dragons Q&A- Backlot/Mon 2:45p                               

• 14  Labor Day- Herzog/3p                                                                  

• 25  The Lunchbox- Palm/3p                                                                      

Sneak: Salinger-  Galaxy/3:15p                                                            

• 21  Tracks- Opera House/3:15p

• 47  Student Prints- Pierre/3:30p                                                              

Sneak: Prisoners- CJC/4p                                                        

• E  Jodorowsky’s Dune-  Backlot/5p                                                

• I  Particle Fever Q&A- Nugget/5:30p                       

• 37 Gravity- Herzog/5:30p                                                            

• 3  All Is Lost- Palm/5:45p                                              

• 29 La Maison de la Radio- Pierre/6p                                                   

• 22 Under the Skin- Masons/6p                                                                

• 27 Bethlehem Q&A- Opera House/6:15p                              

Sneak: The Wind Rises-  Galaxy/6:15p                                                                              

• F  Milius- Backlot/7p                                                                                    

• 10 Blue Is the Warmest Color-  Nugget/7:45p                                         

• 32 Starred Up Q&A - Pierre/9:15p                                            

• 35 Before the Winter Chill-  Mason/8:15p                                          

Sneak: 12 Years a Slave- Palm/8:15p                                              

• 6   Inside Llewyn Davis- Elks/8:30p                                                

• 28  Palo Alto-  Opera House /8:45p

More later!

Screencraft.org and Me/Ten (+) Bets/Foxcatcher Flies to SPC/Peeps That Could Show at the SHOW/Invitation/Another Invitation/Monuments and Oscar

Good Friday All...Less than two weeks until lift off!

SCREENCRAFT.ORG AND ME

I can tell everyone now.  In addition to posts here on the Blog I will be writing a series of reports from Telluride during the Festival for Screencraft.org. (http://www.screencraft.org/) Screencraft.org is an organization devoted to the development of screenwriters and getting their work in front of the right people.  My thanks to John Rhodes who really put this together.  Hope I can do them a good job.


TEN (+) BETS #8

Here's my weekly evaluation of the Ten (actually more) films that I think have the best chance to be a part of the 40th Telluride Film festival.

Last week's Ten Bets were:

1) Nebraska

2) Inside Llewyn Davis

3) Labor Day

4) The Invisible Woman

5) The Unknown Known

6) The Past

7) The Immigrant

8) All is Lost

9) Gravity

10) The Story of Children and Film

This week's Ten (+) Bets:

1) Nebraska
2) Labor Day
3) The Invisible Woman
4) Inside Llewyn Davis
5) All is Lost
6) The Unknown Known
7) Gravity
8) The Past
9) The Immigrant
10) The Story of Children and Film
11) 12 Years a Slave
12) Blue is the Warmest Color
13) The Lunchbox
14) Daughter of the Dawn
15) Enough Said

Just below the "Ten Bets"; "Life Itself", "Philomena", "Aguirre; The Wrath of God", "Quay d'Orsay", "Heli", "Only Lovers Left Alive", "Child's Pose","You Are Here", "LeWeekend" and "Gloria".

FOXCATCHER FLIES TO SPC

I've been pretty certain that this news was coming for weeks...Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" will now be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.  That news finally erupted into the light last night.  It immediately increases "Foxcatcher's" Telluride chances.  Perhaps, had the news come earlier last night, I might have included it on the list of titles bubbling just below the top 15.  As it is, we could see it pop into the "Bets" by next week depending what scuttlebutt pops up.

I will say this: the only other time Miller's film was handled by SPC it was "Capote" and that played Telluride.  Also, Kristopher Tapley of InContention/HitFix tweeted last night that he was "expecting "Foxcatcher to be a sweet Telluride exclusive a la "The Way Back" a few years ago".

I've linked numerous posts with the "Foxcatcher/SPC news below from InContention, The Hollywood Reporter, Rope of Silicon, The Playlist, The Wrap, Movie City News and Thompson on Hollywood:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/sony-classics-brings-foxcatcher-into-the-oscar-season

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/foxcatcher-jumps-sony-pictures-classics-602726

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/sony-classics-acquires-bennett-millers-foxcatcher-and-sets-december-2013-release/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/adjust-your-oscar-predictions-bennett-millers-foxcatcher-starring-steve-carell-channing-tatum-gets-awards-season-date-20130815

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/sony-pictures-classics-release-bennett-millers-foxcatcher-111221

http://moviecitynews.com/2013/08/sony-pictures-classics-pins-annapurnas-foxcatcher/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sony-pictures-classics-takes-over-release-of-bennett-millers-foxcatcher

In addition to Tapley, Brad Brevet of ROS explicitly muses on its Telluride possibilities as does Keith Jagernauth of The Playlist.

I'm holding my breath that the speculation is correct because I'd like this film to play.  If you read yesterday's post you know that "Foxcatcher" is just outside my Top Ten "Wish List" films.  Fingers crossed.

PEEPS THAT COULD ATTEND THE SHOW

 

So, if the Ten (+) Bets are correct...who might be in town for this year's fest?  The list is enticing. First, Think directors: Payne, Farhadi, Cuaron, The Coen Brothers, Reitman, Fiennes, Gray, McQueen, Holofcener and Chandor among others.

Then you have to think about the talent:  

Bruce Dern, Oscar Issac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Felicity Jones, Robert Redford, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Berenice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Of course not all of these people will attend...but some of them will and isn't that tantalizing?

INVITATION

We're official...This year's Michael's Telluride Film Blog "guide to the Ride' is set for 5pm Thursday, Aug. 29th at The River Club in Telluride at 550 Depot St. in Telluride.  Come and join me for a brief discussion of what we might expect for the weekend as well as a glass (or two) of beverage and a nosh as well.  It'll be fun and YOU ARE INVITED...

ANOTHER INVITATION

Also, don't forget that you're also invited to take part in the Second "People's Telluride"...I'm asking you to rank the films that you see on a 0-5 scale and email those to me at the end of the fest.  As I did last year, I will crunch the numbers and we'll see what our collective view was.

I'll also be doing this with a select group of industry pros who have been kind enough to agree to rate the films they see as well.

Should be fun and informative...


MONUMENTS AND OSCAR

Competing stories were out yesterday about the Oscar campaigning probabilities for George Clooney's "The Monuments Men".  Tom O'Neil at Gold Derby saying it wasn't going to happen and then Sony Pictures pushing back.  I have included links to posts from Gold Derby and The Wrap:

http://www.goldderby.com/news/4660/monuments-men-george-clooney-entertainment-news-381493726.html

https://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/sony-denies-report-george-clooneys-monuments-men-wont-get-oscar-push-110866

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More to come on Saturday including Best of the Week...

Ten Bets/Errol's on the Way/Monuments Trailer/Her to New York/Labor Day Look/Armstrong Lie Look

Good Friday to All...from Salida, CO. and The Riverwalk Art Fair

TEN BETS #7

This week's "Ten Bets" shows some changes as I ran across some (what appears to be) solid information this week...including the next story listed below.  Consequently, there is some movement on this week's "Bets".

Further, I've about reached the point that I'm ready to go past ten bets...perhaps next week.

Last week's "Ten Bets" were:

1) Nebraska
2) The Invisible Woman
3) The Past
4) The Immigrant
5) Inside Llewyn Davis
6) Labor Day
7) The Story of Children and Film
8) Blue is the Warmest Color
9) The Unknown Known
10) The Lunchbox

This week:

1) Nebraska

2) Inside Llewyn Davis

3) Labor Day

4) The Invisible Woman

5) The Unknown Known

6) The Past

7) The Immigrant

8) All is Lost

9) Gravity

10) The Story of Children and Film

Just below the "Ten Bets"; "Blue is the Warmest Color", "Life Itself", "Philomena", "The Lunchbox", "12 Years a Slave", "Aguirre; The Wrath of God", "Daughter of the Dawn", ""Quay d'Orsay", "The Good Lie", "Enough Said", "Heli", "Only Lovers Left Alive", "Child's Pose","You Are Here" and "Gloria".

ERROL'S ON THE WAY

As I have been predicting for a good long while, Errol Morris will be in Telluride in two weeks.  How do we know?  The master documentarian tweeted on Tuesday:

"THE HUMAN YO-YO. Yes, I will be in Telluride, Venice and Toronto. (Looking forward to it.)"

I am assuming he will be bringing a copy of his documentary "The Unknown Known; The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld".  This week's #5 on the "Ten Bets" list.

MONUMENTS TRAILER

As expected the trailer for George Clooney's "The Monuments Men" came down the pipeline yesterday.  It is intriguing.  I have to say that I'd really like for the film to surprisingly show up in Telluride in three weeks.  Purportedly the film isn't ready but you know that Telluride has produced more than one surprise over the years.  Perhaps 2013 could be another example of that magic.

"HER" TRAILER

The New York Film Festival announced yesterday that its closing film will be Spike Jonze "Her" starring Joaquin Phoenix.  That all but certainly takes it out of Telluride consideration which is too bad. The film looks very intriguing.

Check the trailer out here via YouTube:

And here's a link to an accompanying story from The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-trailer-for-spike-jonzes-her-starring-joaquin-phoenix-

20130807

LABOR DAY LOOK

I have been pretty certain that Jason Reitman was likely to return to Telluride with his new film "Labor Day" starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin for months.  That intuition has been endorsed by Sasha Stone of Awards Daily who is on record asserting that the film is on the 40th anniversary playlist.  

I have to say that it's high on my list of films to catch at TFF #40.  The production dropped its first official images yesterday.  I have linked posts about the pics from Entertainment Weekly and Rope of Silicon:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/08/labor-day-first-look-kate-winslet-josh-brolin-jason-reitman/

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/labor-day-movie-picture-kate-winslet-josh-brolin/

ARMSTRONG LIE LOOK

A first look at a still from the documentary "The Armstrong Lie" which is currently hovering just below my "Ten Bets" list was revealed yesterday from Sony Pictures Classics.  Find it here:

https://twitter.com/sonyclassics/status/364823942562709504/photo/1

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More on Saturday...

Best of the Week/15 Films Looking for Home

Good Saturday to Everyone...

To quote Henry John Deucthendorf "Gee it's good to be back home again"...

BEST OF THE WEEK

Here's a rundown of the best material I posted from the last week:

This week's "Ten Bets"

1) Nebraska
2) The Invisible Woman
3) The Past
4) The Immigrant
5) Inside Llewyn Davis
6) Labor Day
7) The Story of Children and Film
8) Blue is the Warmest Color
9) The Unknown Known
10) The Lunchbox

No additions this week and minimal movement within these ten.

Lurking just below these "Ten Bets": "Aguirre: The Wrath of God", All is Lost" (which gets a little boost of confidence due to its mention yesterday as "likely" for Telluride in a HitFix post...see below), "12 Years a Slave", "Like Father Like Son", "Life Itself", "Quay d'Orsay", "Philomena", "Heli", "Only Lovers Left Alive", "The Good Lie".

NO NEWS IS…



Well, part of Big theory #2 didn’t pan out at all.  If you were reading last week, you know that I floated a theory that the Telluride Film festival was going to announce this year’s Guest Director (which is way past the usual time frame for announcing) during the week last week in a bit of “counter-programming” while the Toronto and Venice Fests were announcing the bulk of their lineups (though Toronto will announce more titles and Venice could as well).

If you noticed, no announcement from Telluride…so…you know…poop.

On the other hand, the second part of the theory is still alive and well and that is that TFF #40 has kept the identity of this year’s Guest Director under wraps because it is someone very, very BIG.

A couple of readers of the blog over the past few days have suggested Francis Ford Coppola as a possibility.  I’d say that’s certainly in the ballpark.  Coppola was feted at the first TFF as one of the three original tributes.  He’d certainly fill the bill in terms of being someone BIG.  No doubt, his programming choices would be incredibly interesting.

Personally, I still have a different vibe.  No real reason.  I certainly have no inside dope on this topic but I continue to think that this year’s GD might come from either music or politics.  Like I said last week, I have some very crazy ideas…

If you have some crazy idea about the Guest Director…drop me a comment/email and share that.

But, as of this moment, we still don’t know and we’re staring right into the maw of August…very, very odd.

NEWS FROM OTHER FESTS:

Announcements yesterday that Paul Greengrass' "Captain Phillips" will also open the BFI Fest (London) on Oct. 9.  The "Captain" is now set to open BFI, New York and the Tokyo Fests.  Below is the release from the BFI:

http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/announcements/captain-phillips-opens-57th-bfi-london-film-festival

Meanwhile, Venice film fest head Alberto Barbera revealed last week (as we expected) that they will announce a couple of other American films for the Venice lineup in the next few days.  Screen Daily has that story:

http://www.screendaily.com/news/venice-head-impressed-by-uk-films/5058687.article?referrer=RSS

Barbera also revealed a list of films that were possible Venice choices but that he says aren't ready. That list included: "Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street", Clooney's "The Monument Men", Lee's "Old Boy" and Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel".  That means that they're also not ready for Telluride and they can come off the wish list.  I would have really liked to have seen any of these over Labor Day weekend.

Among the films still being thought of as possible late additions to the Venice lineup (according to the Screen Daily post): "American Hustle", "The Counselor" and "Labor Day".  Again, the additions to lineup are expected in early August.

PARKLAND PICS

Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder in "Parkland"

I have had about half an eye on Peter Landesman's "Parkland" for a good long while and though I haven't seen/heard anything that really makes me think it will be on the the Telluride lineup this year, the film still intrigues me.  It reportedly focuses on the ordinary people that were swept up in the events of Nov. 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas, especially at Parkland Memorial Hospital where the dying President was taken immediately after he was shot.  The cast is intriguing including Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton and (my Telluride buddy...OK, I spoke to her briefly in 2007 when she was there with "Rails and Ties") Marcia Gay Harden.

Brad Brevet/Rope of Silicon posted stills of the film which is scheduled to open Sept. 2oth after showing in Toronto.  It's not a ridiculous notion to think it might play Telluride first.

Here's the link to the ROS post:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/parkland-pictures-jfk-zac-efron-billy-bob-thornton/

And "Parkland's" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345112/?ref_=ttco_co_tt


WALTER HEADS TO NEW YORK

We saw the fantastic trailer earlier this week and in its wake yesterday came the announcement the Ben Stiller's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" will be the centerpiece gala for this year's New York Film Festival.  That takes it off of any potential Telluride showing.  Kind of too bad because the trailer did look intriguing.  Of course, that's what trailers are supposed to do.

I have linked a couple of stories about the selection below:


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/secret-life-walter-mitty-screen-597985

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/ben-stillers-the-secret-life-of-walter-mitty-to-premiere-at-new-york-festben-stillers-the-secret-life-of-walter-mitty-to-premiere-at-new-york-fest

http://moviecitynews.com/2013/08/world-premiere-of-ben-stillers-the-secret-life-of-walter-mitty-as-the-centerpiece-gala-selection-for-the-51st-new-york-film-festival/


ALL IS TRAILERED

Telluride prospect, Cannes sensation and potential Oscar player "All is Lost" from J.C. Chandor and starring Robert Redford dropped an actual trailer yesterday.  Multiple links are posted below.  I got a good feeling about this playing Telluride and have had since it made its first splash at Cannes.  The HitFix post is also very bullish on its Telluride chances:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/the-trailer-for-all-is-lost-strands-robert-redford-out-at-sea

http://thedissolve.com/news/151-the-all-is-lost-trailer-robert-redford-sending-out/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-trailer-for-robert-redfords-shipwreck-drama-all-is-lost-20130801

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/all-is-lost-trailer

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/all-is-lost-trailer-robert-597998

"HUSTLE" UP A TRAILER

Yesterday I posted links to new pictures from David O. Russell's 1970's set, Abscam inspired "American Hustle".  The film stars Christian bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence.

I don't have this as a big possibility for a Telluride slot as much as I would like it to be true.  Still, it hasn't popped up on any other festivals announcement yet.  It's quite possible that it will avoid festivals altogether.

Wednesday "American Hustle" dropped a trailer into the universe.  Take a look at the post from Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/american-hustle-trailer-david-o-russell

DOCS IN TWO PLACES

Undeniably there will be a good deal of crossover in documentaries between the Telluride and Toronto festivals.  I continue to believe that Errol Morris will run from Venice to Telluride to Toronto with "The Unknown Known" among others.

Movie City News' David Poland talked to Toronto Doc programmer Thom Powers about the films that they announced this week on his DP30 segment.  Check it here:
http://moviecitynews.com/2013/07/dp30-via-skype-toronto-international-film-festival-doc-programmer-thom-powers-on-2013-docs/


CHILD'S POSE AND OSCAR

Berlin prize winner and Telluride possible "Child's Pose" has been chosen by Romania as its entrant for this year's foreign language competition.  The film has been very well received since its Berlin premiere (and I really do think it has a very real shot to play T-ride).

The Hollywood Reporter posted this story about the film's selection:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/best-foreign-language-oscar-romania-595458


15 FILMS LOOKING FOR A HOME

HitFix/InContention posted an interesting story yesterday that took a look at 15 films that are still looking for distribution but are playing a major fest and are also thought to have some awards potential.  The article also points at some of the 15 that they feel might make the Telluride lineup. Those films are:
Attila Marcel (dir. Sylvain Chomet)
Joe (dir. David Gordon Green)
The Railway Man (dir. Jonathan Teplitzky)
Serena (dir. Susanne Bier)

There are three other films among the 15 that they don’t tag with the “maybe Telluride” label that I would continue to include as outside possibilities:
Terry Gilliam’s “The Zero Theorem”
Kelly Reichardt’s “Night Moves” and
Matthew Weiner’s “You Are Here”.

Check they entire gallery with commentary at:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/15-potential-awards-players-still-looking-for-a-home



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Have a great weekend.  More on Monday.

"Hustle" Up a Trailer/Docs in Two Places/Child's Pose and Oscar

Good Thursday to Everyone...

"HUSTLE" UP A TRAILER

Yesterday I posted links to new pictures from David O. Russell's 1970's set, Abscam inspired "American Hustle".  The film stars Christian bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence.

I don't have this as a big possibility for a Telluride slot as much as I would like it to be true.  Still, it hasn't popped up on any other festivals announcement yet.  It's quite possible that it will avoid festivals altogether.

Wednesday "American Hustle" dropped a trailer into the universe.  Take a look at the post from Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/american-hustle-trailer-david-o-russell

DOCS IN TWO PLACES

Undeniably there will be a good deal of crossover in documentaries between the Telluride and Toronto festivals.  I continue to believe that Errol Morris will run from Venice to Telluride to Toronto with "The Unknown Known" among others.

Movie City News' David Poland talked to Toronto Doc programmer Thom Powers about the films that they announced this week on his DP30 segment.  Check it here:
http://moviecitynews.com/2013/07/dp30-via-skype-toronto-international-film-festival-doc-programmer-thom-powers-on-2013-docs/


CHILD'S POSE AND OSCAR

Berlin prize winner and Telluride possible "Child's Pose" has been chosen by Romania as its entrant for this year's foreign language competition.  The film has been very well received since its Berlin premiere (and I really do think it has a very real shot to play T-ride).

The Hollywood Reporter posted this story about the film's selection:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/best-foreign-language-oscar-romania-595458


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More on Friday...

The Fifth Estate Trailer/Werner and Errol/Mandela Teaser Trailer

Good Wednesday Everyone...

THE FIFTH ESTATE TRAILER

Much as "12 Years a Slave" did the other day, we had a trailer drop late last night for Bill Condon's "The Fifth Estate" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl and Laura Linney.

I have thought this had promise and some Telluride possibilities because of Condon's and Linney's presence and I still do.  After seeing the trailer, I'm even more eager.  Here it is via YouTube:

I have also linked to a number of posts from early this morning that included the trailer as well:

The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-trailer-for-the-fifth-estate-starring-benedict-cumberbatch-as-julian-assange-20130717

FirstShowing:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/benedict-cumberbatch-as-julian-assange-in-the-fifth-estate-trailer/

Rope of Silicon:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/fifth-estate-wikileaks-official-trailer-pictures/

Movie City News:
http://moviecitynews.com/2013/07/trailer-the-fifth-estate-aka-the-wikileaks-movie/

"The Fifth Estate" opens Oct. 11th or 18th depending on which website you believe.

WERNER AND ERROL

TFF regulars and board of advisor members Werner Herzog and Errol Morris have been making the rounds to promote the Josh Oppenheimer's documentary "The Act of Killing" which showed prominently at last year's festival.  The two men acted as producers of that film.  Here they are talking about that film with Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/werner-herzog-errol-morris-act-of-killing-video-interview-vice

I fully expect both men to be a part of Telluride's 40th celebration.  Herzog gets the new Town Park/Hockey Pavilion venue named in his honor (I'm still pushing for the nickname of the new venue to be "The Zog").  I've been thinking that it will be christened with a screening of a restored print of his "Aguirre: The Wrath of God".  Actually, it wouldn't surprise me to see TFF program an entire Herzog retrospective during the course of the five day festival.

Meanwhile, Morris has a new documentary under his belt: "The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld".  I fully expect that to be a part of this year's lineup.

Morris has a couple of other things on his plate.  He is supposed to have been working on a narrative feature entitled "Freezing People is Easy" but word came this week that he is set to direct "Hollland, Michigan".  This film is described as a "suburban thriller with black humor".  Thompson on Hollywood has that story as well:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/errol-morris-to-direct-narrative-feature-holland-michigan


MANDELA TEASER

I wrote yesterday that The Weinstein Company had a number of prospects going into the awards season.  One of those is "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" featuring Idris Elba in the title role.  This past weekend a teaser trailer was released:

I have also included a couple of stories about the trailer from The Playlist and The Wrap:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-teaser-trailer-for-biopic-mandela-long-walk-to-freedom-starring-idris-elba-20130712

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/mandela-long-walk-freedom-trailer-touts-message-great-man-video-102686

"Mandela" was directed by Justin Chadwick whose "The First Grader" appeared at Telluride in 2010.


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"Ten Bets" #2/The Usual Suspects Part Two/No "Blue" Changes the Foreign Oscar Race?

Good Post Independence Day Friday!

TEN BETS #2

Last week's Ten Bets were:

1) Nebraska
2) The Past
3) Daughter of the Dawn
4) Aguirre: The Wrath of God
5) The Immigrant
6) Life Itself
7) The Invisible Woman
8) Labor Day
9) 12 Years a Slave
10) Like Father, Like Son

This week's Ten Bets:

1) Nebraska
2) The Invisible Woman
3) The Past
4) The Unknown Known
5) A Story of Children and Film
6) Daughter of the Dawn
7) The Immigrant
8) Aguirre: The Wrath of God
9) Labor Day
10) The Selfish Giant

Note:  With the removal of "Life Itself" (see Tuesday's blog post) a spot opened up.  It wasn't difficult to fill.  I added "The Unknown Known"  as its replacement on the list. "

"A Story of Children and Film" replaces "12 Years a Slave", though I still am fairly bullish that we'll see the McQueen film.

"The Selfish Giant" replaces "Like Father Like Son " but the two of them are part of four Sundance Selects films any or all of which might be in Telluride.  The other two being "Blue is the Warmest Color" and "Young and Beautiful".  They seem virtually interchangeable in as far as the "Ten Bets" list is concerned and probably will be for the next few weeks unless I garner some compelling evidence that one has a greater chance than the others.


THE USUAL SUSPECTS PART TWO

Yesterday I began a three part series focusing on some of the Telluride "Usual Suspects" and what they might have in store for this year's festival.  In Part One I mentioned Mark Cousins, Werner Herzog, Ken Burns and Alexander Payne

I today's Part Two we begin with Steve McQueen.  McQueen certainly has one of the higher profile films of the fall season awaiting.  His "12 Years a Slave" is expected to make a lot of noise.  McQueen's thrid feature follows his "Hunger" and "Shame" which both played at Telluride.  I fully expect, as do many others, that "12 Years" will be a part of the Venice lineup.  The question becomes whether the film follows the path "Shame" did as it also played Venice...Telluride...Toronto and New York.

For awhile, I thought that I was the only one that thought that "12 Years" might follow the "Shame" path...but I have since discovered that there are a number of others who think it could happen.  Enough so that "12 Years" made it onto my initial "Ten Bets" list last week.

Usual Suspect #6 today: Roger Michell.  The South African born director appears at T-ride with some frequency.  Last year he had "Hyde Park on Hudson".  In prior years he has been included with "Venus"and "Enduring Love".  Michell's new film "Le weekend" stars Jeff Goldblum (present in Telluride in 2008 for "Adam Resurrected"), Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan.

Frankly, I could see this being on the SHOW list, but for some reason, I'm rather dubious.  The U.S. distributor is Music Box Films... which distributed Herzog's "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" in 2010" so there is some tenuous history there. Still, I'm doubtful.  Put "Le Weekend's chances at 25%.

Usual Suspect #7 is Errol Morris.  Errol plays in Telluride a good bit too.  Last year as a producer on "The Act of Killig"  In 2010: "Tabloid".  "Fog of War" in 2003.  Morris has a go at his first directing gig of a fictional work with "Freezing People is Easy" starring Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Christopher Walken.  But it doesn't seem to be ready.  What does seem to be ready is the Morris directed documentary about Donald Rumsfeld: "The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld'.  I think you can almost count on it being on the playlist for TFF #40.

And you have to wonder a little...when Morris did "Fog of War" in 2003, his subject, Robert McNamara came along.  Any chance Rumsfeld would?

Usual Suspect #8: Stephen Frears:  The Brit director was last represented in Telluride with "Tamara Drewe".  He was tributed in 1987 along with a screening of "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid".  His latest project has "prestige" smeared all over it.  Perpetual Oscar nominee Judi Dench stars in "Philomena" which also has The Weinstein Company as its distributor.

I think it seems like about a 40% chance of playing this year.

Tomorrow, the final four of "The Usual Suspects".

DOES NO "BLUE" CHANGES THE FOREIGN OSCAR RACE?

This week's revelation that Cannes Palme d"Or winner "Blue is the Warmest Color" won't be eligible for the French entry for the Foreign Language Oscar (due to its release schedule) has some wondering how or if it will shape the race for that trophy.

I think it almost certainly does and that has major implications for Telluride's Film Festival.  TFF almost always is the U.S. launching pad for any number of films from around the world that have Foreign Oscar designs.  Incontention/HitFix's Kristopher Tapley tackled that issue this week in this post:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/with-blue-is-the-warmest-color-out-of-the-running-a-look-ahead-to-the-foreign-oscar-race

Among the films he mentions that could well be in the Telluride baliwick are:
"The Past"
"Mood Indigo"
"Child's Pose" (which is really increasing its hold on my thinking as another possible entrant from the Berlin Fest where it won The Golden Bear.)
"The Great Beauty"
"Miele"
"Gloria"
and "like Father Like Son"

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