Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The People's Telluride / Home Again / The Professionals Telluride

Tuesday...360 Days...

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE



The time has come...to all of you with an interest, for you followers of this space to express your collective evaluation of the films that made an appearance at the Telluride Film Festival.  As most of you know, I'd like you to rate the films you saw this past weekend on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being "Not So Good"  and 5 being "Glorious!"

As a matter of fact, I have several that came in overnight.  The ratings are afoot!

You can deliver your ratings using any of the contact methods listed below.

The cutoff date for submission for The People's Telluride is one week from today...so get those ratings in by Tuesday, Sept. 10th.


HOME AGAIN



As has become my custom, I jetted out of Telluride right after stopping by TFF's Labor Day picnic.  The drive back home runs right at 10 hours with stops along the way for this and that.  We also add the hour back that we gained with the move from Central to Mountain time...so it was a long day and a late night.  I'm a little fried this early morning.

This year's fest was a little different for me.  Mt pass situation was different due to the change in media status.  I knew that would mean I'd get to fewer films and that was the case.  Most years I average 10-11 films, this year I got in eight (in the order I saw them):

The Aeronauts
The Climb
Uncut Gems
The Report
Waves
Motherless Brooklyn
Marriage Story
Parasite

Regrets that I didn't catch Ford v. Ferrari, The Two Popes or A Hidden Life but I'll get them in.

By the end of the weekend, it seemed to me that two films were dominating the buzz and it will interesting to see if The People's Telluride bears out what I was hearing.

Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to say a word or two to me in lines throughout the weekend.  It's always gratifying to hear that this thing is valued by TFF attendees.


THE PROFESSIONALS TELLURIDE



Coming soon.  The Pros have already started sending me their ratings so be looking for their collective response soon.  Additionally, as I've been doing for some time now, the third part of the TFF ratings triad will come with The Composite Telluride when I combine the ratings for both groups.


That'll do for this early Tuesday...more on Thursday!

EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG



Monday, September 2, 2019

Day Three Done...Day Four: TBAs / And Departure / The People's Telluride

DAY THREE DONE ...



Saw both Motherless Brooklyn and Marriage Story as well as catching part of the Netflix Documentary Brunch...shout out to Gary Shapiro who I met and is a funny, warm individual.


MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN...




Edward Norton's dream project is realized and generally well executed.  Minor quibbles with length and pacing.  Production design is gorgeous.  Acting...Norton is the standout.  Alec Baldwin also quite good.


MARRIAGE STORY



For my money the best of the fest so far (and I admit that I haven't caught Ford v. Ferrari or Two Popes both of which are generating great buzz in Telluride lines).  Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are ridiculously good as the couple whose marriage has disintegrated.  Laura Dern also makes waves in a flashy performance but let me get a word in for Julie Hagerty as Johansson's mother.


DAY FOUR: TBAs

Palm
• 7:30 PM: MARRIAGE STORY, program number 7a, Cinephile

Galaxy
• 4:30 PM: TELL ME WHO I AM, 10, Cinephile

Herzog
• 4:15 PM: WAVES, 6, Cinephile
• 7:30 PM: THE REPORT, 7b, Cinephile

SOH
1:15 PM: THE ASSISTANT, 3, Cinephile
3:15 PM: FIRST COW, 20, Cinephile
8:30 PM: PAIN AND GLORY, 22, Cinephile

Nugget
• 1:00 PM: AUSTRALIAN DREAM plus Q&A with Adam Goodes, 28, Cinephile
• 3:45 PM: HUMAN FACTOR, 17, Cinephile
• 6:00 PM: BRAVE SOULS: THREE SHORTS, 34, Cinephile, FREE
• 7:45 PM: BEANPOLE, 29, Cinephile

Masons
• 4:15 PM: OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE, 31, Cinephile
• 6:30 PM: GREAT EXPECTATIONS with Q&A, 43, Cinephile, FREE
• 8:30 PM: THOSE WHO REMAINED, 30, Cinephile

Pierre
• 1:00 PM: WOMEN MAKE FILM: A NEW ROAD MOVIE THROUGH CINEMA with Q&A, 2, Cinephile
• 6:45 PM: THE KINGMAKER, 25, Cinephile

Backlot
• 9:00 AM: LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, E
• 12:30 PM: SOROS, D
• 2:45 PM: 63 UP, A
• 6:00 PM: THE GIFT: THE JOURNEY OF JOHNNY CASH, F

Noon Seminar, Town Park FREE

Sponsored by Participant Media

Why and how do filmmakers reshape real events or people?
With Scott Z. Burns, Felicity Jones, Fernando Meirelles, Dror Moreh, Eddie Redmayne
Moderated by Annette Insdorf.

AND DEPARTURE

The plan is to catch Parasite this morning, hit the picnic/social and hit the road back to No Man's Land.  Thanks to all of you fine folks who were kind enough to say hello to me on line this weekend.  Now, this space turns to its second function...following the Oscar race and the TFF #46 films and individuals who make an impact in that race over the next six months.

Onward...

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE



For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG


Sunday, September 1, 2019

Day Two Done...Day Three on the Way... / Sunday TBAs / And a Note...

DAY TWO DONE...



Got into Uncut Gems, The Report and Waves on Saturday...

My favorite film of the day turned out to be Uncut Gems...which shocks me a bit as I have never been a big Adam Sandler fan.  But credit due....Sandler is great in the Safdie Brothers film. 

The Report worked well enough for me.  It's a sturdy and competently made reveal of how willing the  U.S. was to torture in the wake of 9-11.

Waves is an earnest but overly long exploration of the potential destruction of a family.



DAY THREE ON THE WAY...


I know we're going to try to do Motherless Brooklyn on Sunday morning...and then Marriage Story on Sunday night.  Between the two...I don't know. 


SUNDAY TBAs

Sunday TBAs - September 1, 2019
Galaxy

• 10:15 PM: THE CLIMB, program number 27, Cinephile

Sheridan Opera House

• 10:00 PM: 63 UP, A, Cinephile

Nugget

• 4:15 PM: LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE with Q&A, E, Cinephile

• 9:45 PM: FIRST COW, 20, Cinephile

Masons

• 9:15 PM: STUDENT PRINTS with Q&A, 41, Cinephile

Pierre

• 9:30 PM: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, 12, Cinephile

Noon Seminar, Elks Park FREE

Sponsored by Participant Media

Moderated by Annette Insdorf

What are the challenges of cinematic adaptation?

With Dan Friedkin, Philip Kaufman, Edward Norton, Barnabás Tóth


AND A NOTE...

Thanks to so many of you who have been kind enough to say a word or two to me in lines the last couple of days.  Also a special shout out to staff folk who follow this space.  You guys and gals are fantastic!  And via my brother...Hey Mercury!

See you around tomorrow!



Saturday, August 31, 2019

Day One Done...Day Two on the Way / The Two Popes Trailer / New Rumor

DAY ONE


The Aeronauts...generally very good, very entertaining.  The action set pieces are stunning and extremely well executed.  I'd recommend it the rest of this weekend.

The Climb...starts strong then loses its way.


Day Two...Saturday

TBA's


Galaxy

• 10:30 PM: JUDY, program number 1a, Cinephile

Herzog

• 10:30 PM: PARASITE, 24, Cinephile

SOH

• 3:30 PM: SOROS with Q&A, D, Cinephile

Masons

• 8:30 PM: THE GIFT: THE JOURNEY OF JOHNNY CASH with Q&A, F, Cinephile

• 10:30 PM: GREAT EXPECTATIONS with Q&A, 43, Cinephile

Noon Seminar, Elks Park FREE 

Sponsored by Participant Media 
Moderated by Annette Insdorf

How do portraits of the artist present layers of performance?

With Antonio Banderas, Willem Dafoe, Guy Pearce, and Jonathan Pryce.


MY DAY TWO...

Netflix Docs Brunch
Then, probably Uncut Gems
Possibly The Report 

In addition to that...not sure.


TRAILER FOR THE TWO POPES





NEW RUMOR

Twitter last night...David Poland suggesting:

A) There will be a surprise screening
B) It will be Armando Iannucci's The Personal History of David Copperfield

Remember...THIS IS ONLY A RUMOR...

Friday, August 30, 2019

Thursday, August 29, 2019

TELLURIDE #46 LINEUP ANNOUNCED!

Here's the freshly announced lineup for the 46th Telluride Film Festival:


Telluride, CO (August 29, 2019) – Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, today announced its official program selections for the 46th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy-five feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-seven countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, August 30 - Monday, September 2, 2019.



46th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program, the SHOW:



·       THE AERONAUTS (d. Tom Harper, U.S. – U.K., 2019)

·       THE ASSISTANT (d. Kitty Green, U.S., 2019)

·       THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM (d. Daniel Gordon, Australia, 2019)

·       BEANPOLE (Kantemir Balagov, Russia, 2019)

·       THE CLIMB (d. Michael Angelo Covino, U.S., 2019)

·       COUP 53 (d. Taghi Amirani, U.K., 2019)

·       DIEGO MARADONA (d. Asif Kapadia, U.K., 2019)

·       FAMILY ROMANCE, LLC (d. Werner Herzog, U.S. – Japan, 2019)

·       FIRST COW (d. Kelly Reichardt, U.S., 2019)

·       FORD v FERRARI (d. James Mangold, U.S., 2019)

·       JUDY (d. Rupert Goold, U.K.-U.S., 2019)

·       A HIDDEN LIFE (d. Terrence Malick, U.S. – Germany, 2019)

·       THE HUMAN FACTOR (d. Dror Moreh, U.K., 2019)

·       INSIDE BILL’S BRAIN (d. Davis Guggenheim, U.S., 2019)

·       THE KINGMAKER (Lauren Greenfield, U.S., 2019)

·       LYREBIRD (d. Dan Friedkin, U.S., 2019)

·       MARRIAGE STORY (d. Noah Baumbach, U.S., 2019)

·       MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (d. Edward Norton, U.S., 2019)

·       OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE (d. Ric Burns, U.S., 2018)

·       PAIN AND GLORY (d. Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 2019)

·       PARASITE (d. Bong Joon-ho, South Korea, 2019)

·       PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (d. Céline Sciamma, France, 2019)

·       THE REPORT (d. Scott Z. Burns, U.S., 2019)

·       TELL ME WHO I AM (d. Ed Perkins, U.K., 2019)

·       THOSE WHO REMAINED (d. Barnabás Toth, Hungary, 2019)

·       THE TWO POPES (d. Fernando Meirelles, U.K., 2019)

·       UNCUT GEMS (d. Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, U.S., 2019)

·       VARDA BY AGNÈS (d. Agnès Varda, France, 2019)

·       VERDICT (d. Raymond Ribay Gutierrez, Philippines, 2019)

·       WAVES (d. Trey Edward Schultz, U.S., 2019)



Also playing in the main program is COUNTRY MUSIC (d. Ken Burns, U.S., 2019); WOMEN MAKE FILM: A NEW ROAD MOVIE THROUGH CINEMA (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2019); and three short films: FIRE IN PARADISE (d. Zack Canepari, Drea Cooper, U.S., 2019), INTO THE FIRE (d. Orlando von Einsiedel, Iraq-U.K., 2019) and LOS AND FOUND (d. Orlando von Einsiedel, Bangladesh-U.K., 2019).



The 2019 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Academy Award winning actress Renée Zellweger (with JUDY), Oscar nominated actor Adam Driver (with MARRIAGE STORY and THE REPORT) and Oscar nominated Philip Kaufman (with newly restored THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING). Tribute programs include a selection of clips followed by the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an onstage interview and a screening of the aforementioned films.



Guest Director Pico Iyer, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:



·       LATE AUTUMN (d. Yasujirō Ozu, Japan, 1960)

·       THE MAKIOKA SISTERS (d. Kon Ichikawa, Japan, 1983)

·       MR. AND MRS. IYER (d. Aparna Sen, India, 2002)

·       UNDER THE SUN (d. Vitaly Mansky, Czech Republic-Russia-Germany-Latvia-North Korea, 2015)

·       WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS (d. Mikio Naruse, Japan, 1960)



Additional film revivals include THE WIND (d. Victor Sjöström, U.S, 1928), and a new 35mm print of THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (d. Victor Sjöström, Sweden, 1921).



Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema – an organization or individual – that preserves, honors and presents great movies. This year’s Special Medallion award goes to the company that revolutionized sound, Dolby Laboratories.



Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following programs:



·       63 UP (d. Michael Apted, U.K., 2019)

·       BILLIE (d. James Erskine, U.K., 2019)

·       CHULAS FRONTERAS (d. Les Blank, U.S., 1976)

·       THE GIFT: THE JOURNEY OF JOHNNY CASH (d. Thom Zimny, U.S., 2019)

·       LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (d. Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, U.S., 2019)

·       NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2019)

·       SOROS (d. Jesse Dylan, U.S., 2019)

·       UNCLE YANCO (d. Agnès Varda, France-U.S., 1967) + BLACK PANTHERS (d. Agnès Varda, France-U.S., 1968)



Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing with 2019 poster artist Edwina White; two Philip Kaufman classics including THE RIGHT STUFF (U.S., 1983) and THE WANDERERS (U.S, 1979); and Sydney Pollack’s long anticipated AMAZING GRACE (U.S., 1972/2015).



“We are fortunate every year to share some the finest films created with our audience in Telluride” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “This year is no exception. We are taken aback at the quality and variety of movies we’ve been lucky enough to include. We are excited for our attendees to be as thrilled as we are by this year’s program.”



Huntsinger goes on to praise the wonderful partnerships that help make the Festival successful year after year. “Collaborations with an incredible group of partners enhance and uplift our Festival experience each year. Of particular note this year are three expansions. Turner Classic Movies adds support to our Guest Director program in addition to the Palm. We will continue to enjoy Meyer Sound's extraordinary audio experience not only at the Galaxy and Werner Herzog Theaters but at the Nugget as well. While Netflix will delight all with their presence at the Chuck Jones Cinema.



Corporate and institutional support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is honored to feature some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. We are filled with gratitude for their unique contributions and for exceptional long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, Meyer Sound, Amazon Studios, ARRI, Participant Media, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Dolby, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA TFT, Universal Studios, and Criterion Collection. And a special welcome to new sponsor Stanley, A Brand of PMI, and more!”



Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, includes three sections: Student Prints, Calling Cards and Great Expectations from eighteen emerging filmmakers from around the globe.



Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project, celebrating its 20th year, brings together 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for ten UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin. University Seminars allows university professors to travel with students to the Festival and participate in special programming throughout the weekend.



Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Seven Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.



For more information about Telluride Film Festival, or to download the 2019 program guide, please visit: www.telluridefilmfestival.org.



About Telluride Film Festival

The prestigious Telluride Film Festival ranks among the world’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics. TFF is considered a major launching ground for the fall season’s most talked-about films. Founded in 1974, Telluride Film Festival, presented in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, is a four-day international educational event celebrating the art of film. Telluride Film Festival’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule, kept secret until just before Opening Day, consists of over three dozen filmmakers presenting their newest works, special Guest Director programs, major Tributes to guest artists, special events and remarkable treasures from the past. Telluride Film Festival is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational program. Festival headquarters are in Berkeley, CA.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

SPECIAL POST!!! BREAKING NEWS....25 Bets...the Final Stab! / Tribute Clues / So...What Do I Want to See? / The People's Telluride

SPECIAL POST!!! BREAKING NEWS...


25 BETS- THE FINAL STAB!




Here it is...the final list of 25 films/programs that I expect to play the 46th Telluride Film Festival.  The actual announcement should come sometime tomorrow morning and, of course, I'll have it here for you before I take off for the San Juans myself.  I expect to be in T-ride around 10 MDT tomorrow night.  In alphabetical order...Here we go...



1) The Aeronauts
2) Beanpole
3) The Climb
4) Country Music
5) Family Romance LLC
6) First Cow
7) Ford v Ferrari
8) A Hidden Life
9) Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates
10) Judy
11) The Kingmaker
12) Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
13) Lyrebird
14) Marriage Story
15) Motherless Brooklyn
16) Pain and Glory
17) Parasite
18) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
19) The Report
20) The Truth
21) The Two Popes
22 ) Uncut Gems
23) Varda by Agnes
24) Verdict
25) Waves


Other Possibles: The Assistant, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, Dark Waters, Little Women, The Good Liar, Nomadland, Ad Astra, Molly, Matthias and Maxime, 1917, Bombshell, Wasp Network, Chicuarotes, No One Left Behind, Gemini Man, Mr. Jones, Antlers.



TRIBUTE CLUES


                  


I got a number of anonymous tips over the past few days which told me that the pre-fest screenings in Elks Park have been revealed in Telluride.  As many of you know, those films usually offer clues about who is probably being tributed at The SHOW.  The two key films are Bridget Jones' Diary and Star Wars:The Last Jedi.  The informative flyer also confirms that there will be some screening of Ken Burns' Country Music documentary will take place this weekend as well.

The free screenings suggest that two of your tributes this year will go to Renee Zellweger- who's Judy is sure to be screening and also Adam Driver who has both Marriage Story and The Report set to be part of The SHOW.

As to the third probable tribute...I have heard on background conflicting suggestions about that and consequently don't have a good enough handle on it to make any bold prediction.

LATE BREAKING...  It appears the third tribute is for Philip Kaufman according to the Telluride Daily Planet:


Also note the "Special Screening" on Saturday night.



SOOOO....WHAT DO I WANT TO SEE?

The Aeronauts
Ford v. Ferrari
The Climb
Parasite
The Report
Motherless Brooklyn
Marriage Story
A Hidden Life
Waves
The Two Popes


Full lineup revealed tomorrow morning and I'll have it here.


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

More on Rumors and Whispers / The Professionals Telluride / Circuit Breaker Podcast / Joker Bits and Pieces / The People's Telluride

Tuesday...Three Days...


MORE ON RUMORS AND WHISPERS



Yesterday I wrote a little bit about rumors swirling that a secret film would screen at Telluride this week.  My list of what that might be was as follows:

1) None of the rumors are true and there is no surprise screening at all.
2) Todd Haynes Project (Dark Waters or Dry Run or...being snarky now...Dry Water or Dark Run or Dry Dark Water Run)
3) Nomadland
4) Little Women
5) Ad Astra
6) Joker
7) Bombshell
8) El Camino/Breaking Bad

For about three hours yesterday afternoon several of us that play this game thought we had the rumored secret figured out as Focus Features announced that Todd Haynes' Dark Waters has been dated for release.  Deadline.com was the first to report the film will be in limited release on Nov. 22nd.  The story also revealed that the film has been titled Dark Waters which, as far as I know, is the first definitive reference to the film's title.  Dry Run had also been bandied about as a possible title.

A lot of film Twitter made clear that they viewed this as a likely "tell" that the film is probable for Telluride's lineup that will be officially unveiled on Thursday.

Here's the Deadline.com article.

Then early on Monday evening came Indiewire's story about the Dark Waters release written by Anne Thompson.  Anne's story included this passage:

"The movie (Dark Waters), which co-stars Tim Robbins and Bill Pullman, will not be ready in time for the earlier fall film festivals, but might turn up at AFI Fest in November. Focus will open the movie limited November 22, with expansion a week later."

I have to believe Anne has the lowdown straight on this.

So...what does it mean?

1) The #1 possibility I listed above still looks like my best guess...I.E. no film plays as a surprise.

Then with the Thompson story in mind, we drop Dark Waters down to the last possibility and the rest of the guesses look like this:

2) Nomadland
3) Little Women
4) Ad Astra
5) Joker
6) Bombshell
7) El Camino/Breaking Bad
8) Dark Waters

Thompson's complete Indiewire report is linked here.



THE PROFESSIONALS TELLURIDE



Each year since 2012 I have polled a list of industry professionals at the conclusion of the fest to rate the films they saw on a 1-5 scale just like I ask you readers to do and over the years many, many people have been kind enough to share their thoughts about them.  This year's crew of Professionals is a large one.  I think the largest collection of pros since I started doing this.  The list is also Deeeep!

So, my huge thanks to the following who have agreed to rate this year and a special shout out to Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter and Sasha Stone of Awards Daily who were part of that first 2012 group and, I believe, the only two who have participated every year.

Here's this year's list of Professionals:

Erik Anderson/Awards Watch
J. Don Birnam-Jorge T/SplashReport.com
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter
Marshall Flores/Awards Daily
Mark Johnson/Awards Circuit
Gary Kramer/Salon
Tomris Laffly/RogerEbert.com
Scott Menzel/We Live Entertainment
Kenny Miles/We Live Entertainment
Mark Neglia/Next Best Picture
Eugene Novikov/Rotten Tomatoes
John Rhodes/Screencraft
Christopher Schiller/ScriptMag.com
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Anne Thompson/Indiewire
Chris Willman/Variety
Anonymous

I'll have the ratings compiled and ready for posting about a week after the fest closes.


CIRCUIT BREAKER PODCAST



In Awards Circuit's Circuit Breaker podcast they launch into a full examination of Telluride specific discussion just before the 40 min. mark.  They also mention the blog you're currently reading.

Take a listen to what Clayton Davis and his crew have to say about TFF #46.  The podcast is linked here.


JOKER BITS AND PIECES

Ahead of its new trailer release and the film's debut in Venice...and...

The Joker film at the end of the weekend was releasing bits and pieces of that new trailer.  Indiewire posted a couple of the flashes of film that they had obtained on Sunday evening.

Here's a still of Robert DeNiro from one of the 10 second blips that are floating around:



 All of which appear to posted to the JokerMovie Instagram account.




THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG


Monday, August 26, 2019

And Now...Rumors and Whispers / Joker Uncertainty / Film Stage and The Playlist's Fall Film Lists / New Images of Renee Zellweger as Judy The Current Bets / The People's Telluride

Monday...Four Days...


AND NOW...RUMORS AND WHISPERS



Seems like every year at this time...the week of the fest...rumors start flying fast and furious.  I think we get a "Brad Pitt has been spotted in Telluride" rumor every year.

Over the weekend I started hearing a new bit of speculation...that TFF has a super secret film screening planned.  Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel alluded to that over the weekend wiring at his website that:

"I can't confirm the precise title, but a lot of talk is pointing towards a surprise film sneaking its way into the Telluride Film Festival lineup next week."

Jordan's list of possible suspects includes the still untitled Todd Haynes project (Maybe Dark Water, maybe Dry Run), Bombshell-the Jay Roach film about Roger Ailes, Fox News and the women who were Aile's downfall played by Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie as Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Kayla Pospisil respectively.  Ruimy's third mention is Chloe Zhao's Nomadland.  All three of these films remain on my list of "Other Possibilities" from last Friday's post.

It should come as no surprise that I'd repeat my perpetual fantasy suggestion of Greta Gerwig's Little Women or that James Gray's Ad Astra makes the journey from Venice after all.  Maybe the below mentioned Joker actually does show at The SHOW.  Even Sam Mendes' 1917 has been rumored.

Here's my completely unfounded assessment of each of these scenarios in the order of what I'm guessing is the likelihood that it happens-emphasize "guessing":

1) None of the rumors are true and there is no surprise screening at all.
2) Todd Haynes Project (Dark Water or Dry Run or...being snarky now...Dry Water or Dark Run or Dry Dark Water Run)
3) Nomadland
4) Little Women
5) Ad Astra
6) Joker
7) Bombshell
8) El Camino/Breaking Bad


9) 1917

There is even one title that I have heard that seems so unlikely that I'm hesitant to mention it here...yet...maybe on Wednesday when I post the final Ten Bets.

By the way, the Ruimy article mentioned above also has Jordan's final predicted Telluride list.  I have linked it here.  Jordan graciously once again gives a tip of the hat to MTFB.




JOKER UNCERTAINTY



Last Friday a bunch of us that are fairly intense watchers of Film Fest lineups in general and Telluride's lineup chances in particular were embroiled in a big discussion following the news that Todd Phillip's Joker had been added to the New York lineup.

The reason for the hubbub?  NYFF had listed the film as a "New York" premiere.  Why is that intriguing?  Because that designation generally means that the film in question is probably playing Telluride before it goes to New York.  If a film is playing New York and did not previously play Telluride that almost always means that NYFF labels it a U.S. premiere.

Most of those of us who are trying to parse out what's going to screen this week gave up on Joker back when Toronto announced it as a North American premiere meaning that the film will not play at Telluride first.

But now there's a bit of confusion...so what are the possible explanations:

1) Joker does play Telluride.  Maybe Toronto got it wrong and their screening will be a Canadian Premiere not a North American premiere.  This is possible.  We already know that there has been some confusion about TIFF premiere status labels this year.  There was confusion about A Hidden Life when it was announced and there have continued murmurs that some films that TIFF has labeled as North American premieres are, nevertheless, playing Telluride.

2) New York has it wrong... which would means no Telluride play and that NYFF would have the actual U.S. premiere.

3) NYFF and TIFF both have it right and that means no Telluride play.  How?  My friend Kenny Miles suggested on Twitter Friday that Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. could announce Joker as a last minute addition and that would satisfy the designations from both fests as they stand.  Fantastic Fest takes off a week before New York does.

I honestly think #3 is probably the most probable scenario.

PS...a new trailer for Joker is supposed t drop on Wednesday...  from Anton Volkov's Trailer Track site.


FILM STAGE AND THE PLAYLIST LIST FALL FILMS




Both The Film Stage and The Playlist have posted big articles detailing movies they believe are of note for the fall movie season. The Film Stage list is 50 films long while The Playlist has a list of 45.
Both outlets list the films in chronological order by announced release date and add a section for those films that are, as yet, undated but are believed to be a release before the end of 2019.

As you might expect, there is a good deal of overlap.

I have gathered the TFF #46 titles that I expect to see this week on the lineup announcement from both lists and from both they are:

Parasite
Pain and Glory
Motherless Brooklyn
Ford v. Ferrari
The Report
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
A Hidden Life
Uncut Gems
First Cow
Marriage Story

The Playlist also includes: Judy and First Cow
The Film Stage also includes: Varda by Agnes

Both articles are linked below:

The Film Stage


The Playlist


NEW IMAGES OF RENEE ZELLWEGER FROM JUDY



Awards Watch had some new images of Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland from the forthcoming film Judy that I am expecting to be announced on Thursday as one of the films on the TFF #46 lineup.  Lots of the awards outlets have Zellweger high on their lists for a possible Best Actress nomination for the film which IMDb describes thusly: "Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts."

Here are the new pics from Awards Watch:




 Judy is set to open in the U.S. on Sept. 27th.


CURRENT 20 BETS



1) The Aeronauts
2) Beanpole
3) The Climb
4) Country Music
5) Family Romance LLC
6) First Cow
7) Ford v Ferrari
8) A Hidden Life
9) Judy
10) The Kingmaker
11) Lyrebird
12) Marriage Story
13) Motherless Brooklyn
14) Pain and Glory
15) Parasite
16) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
17) The Report
18) The Two Popes
19 ) Uncut Gems
20) Varda by Agnes


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG




Friday, August 23, 2019

Twenty Bets / More Trailers for Films Playing TFF #46 / Mr. Jones...Still in the Convo / The People's Telluride

Friday...one week...just one more week...


TWENTY BETS




Here's the next to last wagers about films that I believe are likely to make an appearance next week at the 46th Telluride Film Festival.  First, though, a reminder of what I had last week:

10) The Aeronauts
9) Ford v. Ferrari
8) The Two Popes
7) Judy
6) Pain and Glory
5) Uncut Gems
4) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3) Motherless Brooklyn
2) Marriage Story
1) Parasite


Bonus Bets:

Bonus 1) Varda by Agnes
Bonus 2) First Cow
Bonus 3) A Hidden Life
Bonus 4) The Report
Bonus 5) The Kingmaker
Bonus 6) The Climb
Bonus 7) Waves
Bonus 8) Lyrebird
Bonus 9) Verdict

The Truth and Beanpole drop out of the Bonus Bets as Toronto lists them both as North American premieres...but...I can tell you that there is some background noise that one or both might still be mis-identified in terms of that premiere status and that there is still some outside possibility that either one of them could still screen at Telluride.

And the remaining list of other possibles gets smaller:

Family Romance LLC, Country Music, Little Women, The Good Liar, Untitled Todd Haynes Project (Dry Run/Dark Water), Nomadland, Ad Astra, Molly, Matthias and Maxime, 1917.

Now, here is this week's latest Ten (20) Bets.  This week in alphabetical order:


The Aeronauts


1) The Aeronauts
2) Beanpole
3) The Climb
4) Country Music
5) Family Romance LLC
6) First Cow


Ford v. Ferrari


7) Ford v Ferrari
8) A Hidden Life
9) Judy
10) The Kingmaker
11) Lyrebird
12) Marriage Story
13) Motherless Brooklyn
14) Pain and Glory
15) Parasite
16) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
17) The Report


The Two Popes


18) The Two Popes
19 ) Uncut Gems
20) Varda by Agnes

Other possibilities that could land at T-ride:

Waves, Verdict, Little Women, The Good Liar, Untitled Todd Haynes Project (Dry Run/Dark Water), Nomadland, Ad Astra, Molly, Matthias and Maxime, 1917, Bombshell, Wasp Network, Chicuarotes, No One Left Behind, Mr. Jones.

The final Bets for TFF #46 will be posted Wednesday morning!

MORE TRAILERS FOR FILMS PLAYING TFF #46

From YouTube, new trailers for Motherless Brooklyn and The Report:


MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN



THE REPORT



MR. JONES...STILL IN THE CONVO



Variety reported yesterday that Agnieszka Holland's Mr. Jones has been acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films for U.S. distribution.  The film premiered originally in competition at the Berlin Festival in February and has played an additional half dozen international festivals since that time.

Since it has yet played in the U.S. nor has it been announced for Toronto... and considering that Holland has had a Telluride presence in the past (In Darkness, Burning Bush), Mr. Jones could still show up next Thursday when the TFF #46 lineup is released.

Mr. Jones is described at IMDb as being about:

 "A Welsh journalist breaks the news in the western media of the famine in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s."
  
The film is scheduled for its non-festival debut in Poland on Oct. 25th.



THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG







Thursday, August 22, 2019

Premiere Uncertainty / Multiple Trailers to Consider / New York Doc Reveal / Parasite Already Looking Toward Oscar / Current Ten Bets / The People's Telluride

Thursday...One Week...One Day...


PREMIERE UNCERTAINTY



Reading premiere statuses has become THE tea leaf reading essential to grasping what films are possibly playing at Telluride but it's not a perfect or exact science.  Every year it seems that there are a couple of films which are announced with one status and then it turns out that that designation is incorrect.  When that happens, depending on what was announced,  you can end up including a film for TFF or excluding it from TFF and then find out on announcement morning that you got it wrong.  

This year is no different in terms of the fact that it's happened...it does seem like there is more confusion than the past few years.

You're already probably aware that Malick's A Hidden Life was a focus of some confusion when it was reported by at least one outlet to be a North American premiere at Toronto which would mean no slot for it at Telluride.  Later it was discovered that it is, in fact, a Canadian premiere at TIFF and consequently probably IS playing TFF #46.

If you've been reading along the past two weeks you know that we've had some confusion about Beanpole and The Truth.  We think we have Beanpole back in as probable for Telluride despite its continued designation by Toronto as a North American Premiere.  As far as The Truth...that hasn't become clear yet.  Again, TIFF is listing it as a North American premiere but I still have whispers that it's a Telluride play.

And...now...I'm hearing a bit of scuttlebutt that the list of NA preems at Toronto may include still a couple of other films that I had written off.  I'm going to try to nail some of that down before I post this week's new list of "Bets".

And finally, let me tease you a little that over the past week or so I've heard a couple of really intriguing suggestions about films that I haven't considered seriously making an appearance next week.  I'm hoping to get to a point where I can either confirm confidently or debunk...but if a couple of these things happen...there will be some surprises.


MULTIPLE TRAILERS TO CONSIDER

Since my last post on Tuesday there has been a deluge of teasers and trailers for films that will or could still play on the Telluride screens: Marriage Story, an IMAX trailer for Ad Astra, Antlers and Bombshell (was previously the Untitled Jay Roach Roger Ailes project).  I have downloaded all of them from YouTube.

Additionally, the word is that we're supposed to get a trailer for The Report later today.

MARRIAGE STORY X 2

We're very sure this is already in the lineup for next week

What I Love About Nicole:

:

What I Love About Charlie:





AD ASTRA IMAX

I still am clinging to a slender reed of hope that this screens in Venice and then makes the trip to southwest Colorado.





ANTLERS

Scott Cooper's last two projects screened at Telluride: Black Mass and Hostiles.  The producer is a guy named Guillermo Del Toro...you might remember him for a little thing called The Shape of Water.




BOMBSHELL

Admittedly...an outside shot at best.





NEW YORK DOC REVEAL





The New York Film Fest revealed its documentary choices yesterday and, unusually, they revealed nothing abut what will play at The SHOW only what likely will not as each announced film was labeled by NYFF as a World, North American or U.S. premiere.

Among docs that seem to be off the Telluride plate are:

Tim Robbins' 45 Seconds of Laughter
Michael Apted's 63 Up
Lynn Novick's College Behind Bars
Nanni Moretti's Santiago Italia
Sergei Loznitsa's State Funeral




PARASITE ALREADY LOOKING TOWARD OSCAR



Deadline.com reports that South Korea has chosen Palme d'Or winner, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite to be its entrant for Oscar glory in the newly re-named category Best International Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film).

Deadline's Nancy Tartiglione reported the choice yesterday.

For Bong, it's his second selection to represent South Korea in the Oscar sweepstakes having been selected back in 2006 for his film Mother.

Parasite opens in the U.S. on Oct. 11th.

The complete Deadline story is here.


CURRENT TEN BETS AND BONUS BETS

10) The Aeronauts
9) Ford v. Ferrari
8) The Two Popes
7) Judy
6) Pain and Glory
5) Uncut Gems
4) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3) Motherless Brooklyn
2) Marriage Story
1) Parasite


Bonus Bets:

Bonus 1) Varda by Agnes
Bonus 2) First Cow
Bonus 3) A Hidden Life
Bonus 4) The Report
Bonus 5) The Kingmaker
Bonus 6) The Climb
Bonus 7) Waves
Bonus 8) Lyrebird
Bonus 9) Verdict

Of course a new Ten Bets and Bonus Bets is coming tomorrow... plus the dwindling list of films that are still possible...


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG






Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Beanpole Back In? / Motherless Blitz Is On / Varda Has a Date / IMDb Reveals ? / Current Bets

Tuesday...One Week...3 Days...

BEANPOLE BACK IN?



If you've been reading this space closely the last few days, you know that there has been some confusion concerning whether either Beanpole or The Truth might play Telluride after both films were listed as North American premieres last week in an announcement of films for the Toronto International Film Fest.

I'd had Beanpole as fairly certain for TFF #46 as a result of its status as "New York" premieres in the NYFF announcement of their lineup back on Aug. 8th.

Now Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere says Beanpole is in for Telluride after all.  Here's a screenshot from his site that he posted last night:



So...Beanpole goes back on the Bonus Bets list on Friday and I am still thinking The Truth has a real shot to be at TFF #46 after it opens the Venice Fest next week.




MOTHERLESS BLITZ IS ON




I'm morally certain that Edward Norton's Motherless Brooklyn will screen in Telluride next week.  The film is known to be set to screen at Toronto (where it is listed as an International Premiere) and New York.  Clearly as a run up to what will be its first public screening at TFF #46, the film was all over the P.R. trail yesterday.

Katey rich writing for Vanity Fair talked to director/screen writer and star of the film Edward Norton.  That article was posted yesterday by VF and you can find it linked here.  Included in that article are the first looks of the period set film that IMDb lists as a Crime/Drama.

The IMDb logline tells us that the film focuses on a private detective who has Tourette's Syndrome and is striving to solve the murder of his partner.  Also starring in the film are Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis and Leslie Mann.

Both The Playlist and Indiewire piggy-backed on the Vanity Fair story (as I'm doing).  You can find their added reportage linked here:




In addition to the photo above, VF also included these stills from the film:







Motherless Brooklyn is set to be released on Nov. 1st.


VARDA HAS A DATE




Janus Pictures has acquired the U.S. rights to distribute the final film of Agnes Varda's career-Varda by Agnes- and have announced that the film...which will be playing Telluride (he says authoritatively-based on its status for the New York Film Fest as a "New York" premiere)...will open in the U.S. on Nov. 22nd in New York.  The film will then expand nationally in the following weeks.

Janus also announced that a massive retrospective of Varda's career will be launched at Lincoln Center in NYC on Dec. 20th.

Coverage of the date announcement was provided yesterday from The Hollywood Reporter and The Playlist.


IMDB REVEALS...



Yesterday an eagle eyed follower of MTFB pointed out to me that some films have a Telluride date included in there IMDb release date profile.  The initial discovery was on IMDb Pro but after some skulking about, I found that it was also discernible on the more easily accessed IMDb website.  

The specific film that the reader was pointing to was Ford v. Ferrari.  I was able to find the same TFF conformation for Marriage Story, The Two Popes and Uncut Gems.  

I also ran through every film that I have currently in the latest Ten Bets and Bonus Bets but only these four came up with Telluride listed in their release plans.

Suffice it to say that I'll keep going back to this source over the next few days to find out if it will reveal any more TFF #46 information.

Check date info for yourself as follows:



CURRENT TEN BETS AND BONUS BETS

10) The Aeronauts
9) Ford v. Ferrari
8) The Two Popes
7) Judy
6) Pain and Glory
5) Uncut Gems
4) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3) Motherless Brooklyn
2) Marriage Story
1) Parasite


Bonus Bets:

Bonus 1) Varda by Agnes
Bonus 2) First Cow
Bonus 3) A Hidden Life
Bonus 4) The Report
Bonus 5) The Kingmaker
Bonus 6) The Climb
Bonus 7) Waves
Bonus 8) Lyrebird
Bonus 9) Verdict


THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE




For the eighth consecutive year MTFB is soliciting your input for The People's Telluride.  All you have to do is watch films during the fest and then, when it's all over, report to me your assessment of each film on a 1-5 scale with 1 being "UGH!" and 5 being "GREAT".


Report your ratings with any of the following contact methods:


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

TWITTER @Gort2 (and follow me there as well)

FACEBOOK Message me on FB MTFB's Facebook Page

COMMENT TO THE BLOG