Johnny Knoxville-produced "Being Evel" Gives a Deeper Look at the First American Daredevil
Courtesy of KK Promotions
It's probably safe to say that when anyone thinks about the word "daredevil" they'll probably think first about Evel Knievel. There may be no one in the history of extreme sports who has captured our collective attention as much as he. In fact, he gave birth to the extreme sports era which we now enjoy with the likes of Tony Hawk, Matt Hoffman, Travis Pastrana, and many, many others. Completing tricks now that Evel probably dreamed of, there is no doubt that all of these men and women involved with extreme sports consider Evel the Godfather of it all.
Rising as a trouble-maker from Butte, Montana in his youth, he would find his calling by going fast and living faster. As a young man he would evade the police, steal money from the local business, and sold insurance policies to patients at a mental hospital.
Courtesy of Corbis Images
Moving away from Butte, he would put on shows in southern California to small crowds. The first time he really captured national attention was with his much hyped, and then subsequently viewed, crash in 1967 when he attempted to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. From that point forward his daring, boldness, and brash attitude went hand-in-hand with his white leather jumpsuit. And most of us know about his crashes and his big landings, but there was another side to Evel. As a performer, he was never satisfied. And that bled into his personal life as well. From drinking to women, he lived fast and loose with the people around him.
Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Daniel Junge - who won in 2012 for Best Documentary (Short Subject) for "Saving Face" - "Being Evel" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Produced for History films, the film was written by Junge and Davis Coombe (who both live in Denver) and was produced by Brendan Kiernan, Justing Moore-Lewy, Matt Hoffman, Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville.
Especially for Knoxville, who speaks quite a bit in the film, Evel was the ultimate hero. Sure there was Superman and Batman, but Evel could actually fly. He could take a bike and float it over trucks and buses. His stunts inspired a whole new generation of athletes and performers. Though Knoxville and his show "Jackass" are more known for stunts-gone-bad, you could make a case that Evel's crashes captured more attention than the successful stunts ever did.
"Being Evel" was recently picked up for distribution here so expect to see it out soon and we'd highly recommend it. It was a fascinating look at Evel Knievel's death-defying career and life.
Sundance 2015: "The Experimenter" Review
Photo by Jason Robinette | Courtesy Sundance Institute
Based on Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments in the 1960's, "The Experimenter" follows Milgram, played by Peter Sarsgaard, as he carries out his famed experiment and the fallout he must deal with afterwards. Written and directed by Michael Almereyda, the film premiered last week at Sundance.
If you are not familiar with Milgram's experiments, check out this video. The experiment that opens the film is his experiment on obedience which he performed during his time at Yale. Following WWII and specifically the trial of Adolf Eichmann - the Nazi SS member who was responsible for the logistics and transportation of Jews to the ghettos and death camps - Milgram wanted to understand how the Holocaust happened. During the much publicized trial, Eichmann showed no remorse and insisted that he was only following orders. This gave birth to the experiment.
The basic premise was to test how much pain a subject could inflict on another at the orders of and authority figure, in this case, the "experimenter." A "learner" and a "teacher" were designated and the teacher read questions and issued an electric shock to the learner if the question was answered incorrectly. With each incorrect question the voltage would be increased on the shock and the leaner would start to scream in pain and ask for the experiment to be over. The trick was that the "learner" was a man involved in the study and there were no actual shocks issued. A majority of the time the true subject, the "teacher," went all the way to the end of the line, even though they heard the learner scream in pain and ask to stop. Very few actually stopped the experiment and wouldn't continue. And if you're wondering if they were forced to continue by the "experimenter," the authority figure in the room? The answer is no. The experimenter simply stated that the experiment must continue.
The film employs some interesting techniques, including breaking the fourth wall and having Milgram talk to the audience from a seemingly omniscient point of view, offering a sort of documentary style voice over to lead us through his story. Sarsgaard gives a great performances with Winona Ryder playing opposite as his wife Sasha. Throughout his life, Milgram continued experimenting and perhaps the more interesting aspect of the film is how, while this isn't a truly experimental film, the director experiments with us, the audience, taking us in and out of the story and at times, asking us to work really hard to suspend our disbelief.
A truly fascinating experiment in and of itself, the film continues on and follows Milgram as he dreams up new experiments. Ultimately, the obedience experiment would be his most famous and infamous, garnering criticism from the academic and professional community.
Ultra5280's Best Films of 2014
This year in movies was an exciting one. From one of the most fun experiences to the most breathtaking and everything in between, this year was jam packed with amazing performances, wonderful scores, meticulous direction, and don't forget the snarky raccoon. Though the digital age seems to be encroaching on our movie going experience, my faith and commitment to film as a medium and the theater-going experience itself was reaffirmed. Counting the films at Austin Film Festival, I saw more than 40 films in theater's this year. Even still, as of this post, I've not seen Foxcatcher, Unbroken, American Sniper or Inherent Vice. I also missed Snowpiercer which was a dark horse favorite this year. I feel confident that all five of those movies will be among the best this year, with Foxcatcher and American Sniper most likely to show up around Oscar time. So without further ado, my top films of 2014 (in no particular order):
BIRDMAN
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Edward Norton
WHIPLASH
Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle
Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons
INTERSTELLAR
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Directed by Wes Anderson
Written by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, and Jude Law
BOYHOOD
Written and Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Directed by James Gunn
Written by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn
Starring Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Dave Bautista
Honorable Mentions:
Fury
Rudderless
Edge of Tomorrow
The Lego Movie
The Creepy Crawlers of LA: Review of NIGHTCRAWLER
By Ian Beavers
I’m not gonna lie. I have no idea what to write here. Not without giving away the majority of Nightcrawler’s plot points, anyway.
See, I am a believer in film’s ability to effect us, the audience, in deep, emotional, and visceral ways. Think about the first time you watched the first five minutes of Pixar’s Up, or the first scene in Inglorious Basterds. We’re left in deep puddles made of tears, or on the edge of our seats, hearts racing. While not every movie out there touches us in these ways, we don’t know what to expect each time we go into a movie theater to see a new release. And those surprising times when a movie does manage to reach us in those intangible but somehow very specific ways… It’s usually a delight.
But in the case of Nightcrawler, much is asked of the viewer up front and over the course of the story… to the point where even labeling Jake Gyllenhaal’s character an “anti-hero” seems generous. He plays a slimy, skeezeball of a human being, which in turn makes it difficult for the viewer to truly root for him. Put that in contrast to an absolutely fascinating story that is able to tap into those visceral feelings I mentioned before… and and you’re left feeling conflicted through the entirety of the film.
Personally, I kept waiting for a turn… For something to happen that might push Gyllenhaal’s character into a more traditional story mold. Through the whole movie I waited to see something that I was used to seeing in every other movie out there, and it simply never came. Was this the intention of the filmmakers? Most likely… Almost assuredly! And as a result, I was left in an uncomfortable place, watching this person that I loathed make his way through a genuinely compelling story. My heart was seething and racing simultaneously a number of times over the course of the film… And quite frankly, that is not a combination of emotions that I am used to having while visiting my local movie theater.
I would be remiss at this point to neglect mentioning Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance. It’s an absolute tour-de-force… He completely embodies Louis Bloom as the story carries him through the streets of Los Angeles in search of footage for the next big “breaking news” story. Personally, I maintain that you should never be able to look at a character in a film and see the actor standing there instead… And the ability for an actor to surpass his or her own personal identity to present the audience with a complete version of the character they are playing is what separates truly great actors from the just-good ones. I’ll admit, I’ve never included Gyllenhaal in the former category, but after watching Nightcrawler, I would be perfectly happy doing so. I wasn’t able to see him at all behind Louis Bloom’s sunken-in, manic eyes.
So sure, the writing can be spotty, and the tone is a bit off-key at times… but the film still manages to be a fascinating watch, and doesn’t pull any punches as a result. And since it ultimately presents itself as a character piece rather than a story piece… The issues with writing and tone can be forgiven. If you’re a fan of watching movies that completely subvert your movie-watching expectations, Nightcrawler is a must-see.
Do Not Go Gentle: A Review of INTERSTELLAR
Last night, I walked into the IMAX theatre at the UA Colorado Center to see Interstellar. And the experience was stellar. We got the chance to see the film actually projected on film, and that doesn't happen very often anymore.
It was awesome.
I walked out having been engrossed, transported, transfixed, and inspired. Sounds completely cheesy and I'm aware of that. But it's happened a handful of times for me. That feeling hit me with Beasts of the Southern Wild, Silver Linings Playbook, 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and the recent Birdman. That's a laundry list of films, but they all have that characteristic in common for me.
Seeing it on the IMAX is the gold standard for this movie. It's what Nolan wanted, it's how he wanted people to see the movie. And more importantly he wanted people to see it projected on film, not digital - 4K or otherwise. If you live in Denver and you're at all interested in this movie, go see it at the IMAX. It's being projected on 70mm and is one of the few IMAX theaters in the country still doing this (here's the list of theaters nationwide). This is what the official Interstellar website has to say about IMAX 70mm:
“Select IMAX theaters will be offering the IMAX Experience featuring 15 perf/70mm film projection which combines the brightest, clearest images at almost 10 times the resolution of standard projection formats, with powerful, laser-aligned digital sound and customized theater geometry to create the world’s most immersive movie experience.”
It's a pretty penny to get into the theatre, but it's well worth it. Get the Regal Card and you'll also save a dollar off your ticket at the theatre (Regal should pay me for that plug, right?).
About an hour of the movie utilizes the IMAX cameras that had previously just been used for sweeping landscapes or city-scapes. Nolan makes use of them off of their locked-down rigs and put them on cars, and his camera operators shot with them on shoulder rigs. What you end up with is a use of the cameras that no one thought possible before. There's a really cool video about it here.
So what the heck is this movie about anyways? Well it is a science-fiction-fantasy-adventure-human-survival story. Like Nolan's films before, he not only presents fantastical worlds, but compelling characters searching for more. In the not so distant future, the world has run out of food and we are exhausting our planet, most of us have been assigned to be farmers. But even that is failing; dust storms are killing crops. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a former NASA pilot and engineer. NASA has now been forced to operate in complete secrecy and they recruit Cooper to pilot an exploration mission.
I don't really like reviews with spoilers, so I won't touch any more on what happens in the almost three-hour movie. It also stars Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, and some other surprise guests. All actors turn in solid performances, which McConaughey leading the way as a father, leaving his children behind.
If you've seen the trailers you know that 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' makes its way into the movie. It's one of my favorites as well:
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
- Dylan Thomas, 1914-1953
This seems to be what fuels Cooper, and indeed Nolan. He is a director who will not give up on the medium and we're on board. He is one of the most outspoken advocates of shooting and projecting on film. And his movies benefit from it; all the way from Following, to Memento, to The Prestige, Batman Begins, to Inception and now with Interstellar. The exciting thing is that he is commercially successful and able to do it by and large bucking the "normal" trends in the studios. He is perhaps one of a very, very small list of directors who can make the movie he wants, they way he wants, without interruption from a studio.
So far, we've taken a look at some other reviews out there, and the results are mixed from the critics. Some are totally on board, and others are completely not. I think that makes this a movie to absolutely go see. It was split like this when Memento came out too. Some of the highlights of these other reviews, without going into too much detail: the movie's science was horrible, the dialogue was lofty and awkward, and the plotting was precarious at best.
I'll take them one at a time.
As to the science in the movie being "bad," well this is a movie, right? A SCIENCE-FICTION movie? You know, one where you walk in and hand over the normal laws of time, space, gravity to filmmakers who might bend it a little bit to tell their stories. They, after all, set the rules for their stories. If you don't feel they did a good job setting the rules of their universe they've created, that's another matter. But if you want to know what would actually happen if you went into a Black Hole, any museum of Nature and Science could probably tell you. I wonder if these reviews also hated Star Wars because of the lightsabers and Star Trek because, no, Scotty can't really beam you up.
The dialogue...yes, I will admit it was a bit formal at times (Nolan is a Brit). But this is the same guy who took us into the collective unconscious in Inception. His schtick is philosophy. And more-so in this film than before. The characters are struggling with important questions about our place among the stars, and about love. I ask myself these lofty questions. I'm a dreamer too.
And as to the plotting, there seemed to be a consensus that the bad science led to bad plotting. So I don't need to handle that part again. A filmmaker sets story rules, you either buy them or you don't. There were moments in the movie where the plotting is heavy, like an outside force compelling the movie where it needs to go. For me? I'm okay with it. This isn't a camera-following-subject documentary about space after all.
It’s about the human element, not the science. If you go into this movie expecting the science to be 100%, don’t go. Go watch a documentary. This is not that. But it’s okay, it doesn’t have to be, and it doesn’t aim to be. It’s a sci-fi fantasy, time-travelling, dimension bending movie. (Speaking of dimensions, check out Imagining the Tenth Dimension).
“We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”
Suspend your disbelief. That's what the movies are all about. I walked out of the theatre thinking that they're will never be an opportunity to experience that film like that, on 70mm IMAX, again - until I go see it for the second time next week. With Netflix, iPads, and tiny movie screens in our pockets, seeing a movie in the theatre on film is something that doesn't happen all the time. I hope we see a resurgence of film. Because there really isn't anything quite like it.
The movie is hopeful. “We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt,” as Cooper says. It reminded me of looking up at the stars at night. Just looking up and thinking about what it is to live, what it is to be a part of such a big world, such a big cosmos.
Rage on, rage on.
DAWN PATROL: From Script to Screen at AFF
In 2008, a script written by Rachel Long and Brian Pittman, a writing team from California, was submitted to the Austin Film Festival. Then titled Stranded, it went on to be a Latitude Finalist in competition that year. Oscar-Nominee Daniel Petrie Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop) and Rick Dugdale met the pair, and soon after the script was picked up by Petrie and Dugdale's Enderby Entertainment.
"We didn’t really know what to expect," Long told us, "Immediately just being at the Driskill Bar, and everyone was accessible and nice and enthusiastic, you know. So here you are, just a finalist in contest...who knows whats going to happen? And just to be surrounded by such positive people about the industry, I was hopeful that it could happen."
The "it" she's referring to? Pittman went on to explain that all subsequent meetings and work as screenwriters has been because of the Austin Film Festival and also their relationship with Petrie. Their A Haunting at Silver Falls recently finished shooting in Oregon. CBS Films bought their script Incarnate and Millennium Films picked up their spy script The Civilian.
Things appear to be moving at quite the clip for those two, and to finally see Dawn Patrol on the screen is the culmination of years of work. Though not uncharacteristic for a film to spend a long time in development, "It was a slow process, patient process, everyone being very passionate about Dawn Patrol," said Pittman. And as they neared actual production, things sped up enormously.
Through many meetings and notes sessions, even a 12-hour day with Petrie at his house, both Long and Pittman appreciated the hands-on approach of their mentor, Petrie. "In any sort of collaboration there was never a moment where he was telling us something that we needed to do. He was presenting it in a way that it seemed essential to do and I think that that is really incredible about him," said Long.
Actor Scott Eastwood (left) with director Daniel Petrie Jr.
We also got a chance to sit down with Petrie and he talked about the significance of when the movie was set. "2008 was a time of great, almost overwhelming despair in the United States as people had been encouraged to take on mortgages and remodel their homes," he said. "I remember because I had a place near that beach and sign after sign after sign [reading] ‘For Sale,' 'Foreclosure’ and it felt like, to these hard working people, that the dream is over. The promise that America makes that you’re going to be better off than the last generation has been broken. And that was deeply unsettling in the nation’s psyche."
Though the movie features the lives of a surfing family, it is not a surfing movie. "I think the lens through surfing and access to the beach is very apt and appropriate and we probably couldn’t find a cleaner one," Pittman told us. He's a surfer himself and while the sport and lifestyle seem like a permanent vacation, he and Long aimed to look deeper. "We went behind that, man. Let’s look at the other side: what do people have to give up to keep that?" he said.
And it was through the family dynamics, and Petrie as director, that actor Jeff Fahey came on board. "That, for me, was the important thing," Fahey said, "the family structure. However disconnected, dysfunctional, however he [Fahey's character] was aware of it that’s what was the discovery for me." Fahey has an impressive list of credits, but you might recognize him most recently for his roles as Frank Lapidus in Lost or Under the Dome as Duke. Years ago he was in a movie with Petrie's dad, also a director, and had hoped to work with Petrie. "It was a lunch meeting, and I said I’m in," Fahey said, "and bang we were shooting."
We got a chance to see Dawn Patrol last week at it's world premiere at AFF and expect a lot more from this writing team in the future with their many projects in the works. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for the film coming up. We'll post some updates about when and where it will be released when we have them.
Dawn Patrol stars Scott Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, Rita Wilson, Kim Matula and Chris Brochu.
7 MINUTES makes AFF World Premiere
In the robbery-gone-bad film 7 MINUTES, Jay Martin writes and directs a fast paced thriller shown in a series of flashbacks over the course of, you guessed it, seven minutes. The film got its world premiere here at the Austin Film Festival a few days ago.
7 MINUTES tells the story of three friends Sam (Luke Mitchell), Mike (Jason Ritter), and Owen (Zane Holtz) as they take over the small-town bank of Everett, WA. And as soon as we're in the bank, we flashback meeting each character and learning what brought them to the robbery. Each transition deepens the characters and we see how, as Mitchell told us in our interview with him, "These kids don’t know what they’re doing, they’re just kids. I loved the casting of Kevin Gage [actor in HEAT, CON AIR, BLOW] as Tuckey because I think that just perfectly illustrates the difference between the hardened criminal and these kids that are trying to rob a bank but have no idea what they’re doing."
“These kids don’t know what they’re doing, they’re just kids.”
As Mitchell points out, Tuckey (Gage) is the older criminal friend of Owen's dad, Mr. B, played by Kris Kristofferson. Those older guys are the kind of guys that did the "hard time." And they offer cautionary advice and a juxtaposition to the innocence of the three boys. "Don't get caught," says Mr. B to Owen upon picking up his son from prison, advice that drives Owen throughout the rest of the movie. "One of my favorite shots was that scene of me coming out of that prison," Holtz told us.
After getting acquainted with the city of Everett for a few days, one of the first shooting days for Holtz was with Kristofferson. "My first scene up is in that car with Kris Kristofferson and he's driving," he said as director of photography Noah M. Rosenthal laughs. "It was a good thing Kris told me he was wearing his lucky boots," as Rosenthal dives into a story about shooting with Kristofferson. Because the roads were so narrow, with mailboxes and telephone poles lining the pavement, Kristofferson had to drive the car during the shooting of the scene. "He’s driving around, Jay was in the back seat, I’m in a follow vehicle with a monitor and producers and everything and we just start seeing the car drift over." They jumped on the walkie and Kristofferson steered the car right again, but "I think it would have been a fun insurance claim," Rosenthal said.
With AFF known as the "Writers Festival," we asked Martin about the construction of the script. "It started out as a list of bullet points: minute one, minute two, minute three, minute four and it branched out in between and the idea was to use each jump back to tell a different character's backstory as far as I could before the inevitability of plot had to sort of take over," he said.
The story comes from a tale in his family. Generations ago, in 1943, a distant relative robbed his own uncle's bank. Since then, the story has been handed down and handed down, something that plays a large part of the script. "Not only are they the kind of guys that tell these stories they’re actually in one of these stories," Martin said.
Keep an eye out for this movie. We'll keep you updated with information about opportunities to see 7 MINUTES coming up in the future.
Not a Beat Out of Place: A Review of WHIPLASH
This is a post by Ian Beavers, contributing writer and filmmaker from LA.
J.K. Simmons (left) and Miles Teller (right).
Though not at the Austin Film Festival, WHIPLASH was released just last week in Denver and is playing exclusively at the Mayan Theatre on Broadway.
I have an admission to make: I was a high school band kid. Please don’t judge me too harshly… We are, generally, a good people. Band meant a great deal to me during my high school career, so much so that I self-identified as a band geek when social circles came into play. It built within me a great love of music and art of all kinds, and is a major part of my so-called “origins story.”
Why am I taking this trip down memory lane at the very beginning of a movie review? Besides the obvious, admittedly selfish indulgence in nostalgia, I’m hoping to provide a little context in my rating of Damien Chazelle’s WHIPLASH, a film that has left me both infatuated and filled with self-doubt.
WHIPLASH follows Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a young drummer with vast potential, as he begins his stint at a world-renowned music conservatory. Very early on in this stage of his education, Andrew is discovered and ultimately challenged by a personal idol of sorts; Conductor Terrance Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Yes. At first glance, this is very much one of those “small fish, big pond” kind of stories.
And, truth be told, if you watched this movie with an eye for that surface-level appearance, the story would give you exactly that. Little more than the trials and tribulations of a little fish as he works to find a place in a pond that turned out to be much bigger than he had expected. But as soon as you get beyond that surface-level thinking, you will immediately find that Chazelle, Teller, and Simmons have all worked remarkably hard to provide the audience with a message that’s been all but lost in this, the age of participation trophies… “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’”
J.K. Simmons has been lauded for his performance here, and for good reason. His character is incredibly motivated (perhaps over-motivated) to spread the film’s thesis statement, and he acts as this brilliant villain/mentor hybrid that simply hasn’t been seen before… At least not in the capacity presented. And Simmons does an astonishing job at filling that role.
“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’”
As a piece, WHIPLASH takes a long, hard look at the differences in the ideas of “people who are good at what they do,” and “people who are great at what they love.” A view where no one person is responsible for an individual’s success… It takes a measure of independent dedication, outside drive, and personal support to achieve greatness in it’s purest and most passionate form. To my eye, that “long hard look” is exactly what sets this film apart from all the other “little fish” stories, and is exactly what makes WHIPLASH worth your time.
This is, admittedly, is where my self-doubt comes in… The combination of personal nostalgia, lavish musical performance, and a resolute perspective on the trials and tribulations of “dreaming big” leave me with little choice in making any kind of “official” rating… It’s a must-see kind of movie. 9 out of 10. Two thumbs up. Five stars. Pick your poison. But I have been so fascinated, so enchanted by my experience in watching this movie, that I cannot rightfully claim to have had an impartial viewing experience. I saw a little too much of myself on that screen.
So I guess you’ll just have to go see it for yourself.
'A spoonful of sugar' Makes TAKING IT BACK an Enjoyable Ride
First time director Andreas Schmied tells the story of a steel factory and its workers as they struggle to keep their jobs in this blue-collar Austrian town. Schmied creates a fairy tale world where this community must band together to take back their jobs.
After watching many films with dark and serious themes this past weekend, it was so refreshing to see this movie as it deals with serious subject matter with comedy and brevity. TAKING IT BACK pits the local workers against their ruthless bosses who are only seeking to line their own pockets. Films about corporate greed tend to be on the more serious thriller or dramatic side, but this film aims to show the plight of the working class through the eyes of characters who try to look at the lighter side of life no matter what's going on around them.
Andreas Schmied (left) and actress Hilde Dalik.
Schmied grew up not far from where the movie was filmed and knows first hand about these communities; he even worked in a steel factory for a time. His desire was to make a movie about the people that he knew from his life. He told us that he was inspired by the Italian neorealist Vittorio De Sica, maybe best known for BICYCLE THEVES - a really great movie to check out, by the way. "These are simple stories about the plight of workers, about the plight of fisherman, about small villages."
But when Schmied began writing, "It started very serious and I became very bored with it.“ Adding the comedy made the story come to life, "it’s also like a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." He submitted his script and received funding from Austrian Film Institute, Vienna Film Fund, and others. "This was a total surprise because its my first movie," he told us laughing, "what the hell am I doing here?" But as state funded film, with large crew and good budget, "You could trust that things could get done," he said "because this was a professional production."
After becoming a hit in Austria, Schmied submitted TAKING IT BACK to the Austin Film Festival just under the deadline. He had always wanted to come to Austin largely because of its filmmakers he saw in the 90's. “There were people like Richard Linklater with SLACKER and DAZED AND CONFUSED…and I know that I saw it in the cinemas and I was totally blown away. And I thought if this is a movie, I can make one and these were the movies that empowered me.”
TAKING IT BACK mixes a romantic comedy with the more serious topic of the workers who are forced out of their jobs and must fight to save not just the factory but their community as well. The film was shot on 35mm over 30 days in Austria and features some very funny performances from its cast. Don't miss the final screening of TAKING IT BACK. It plays tonight at the Rollins Theatre at 7:00pm.
Update from the AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL
So we've been rather quiet from the festival. And here's why!
On Wednesday I arrived in the afternoon and attended the Austin Film and Food party to rub elbows with the filmmakers and writers at the festival. There was tons of free food and beer supplied, so I was up late. Thursday I hopped in my little car2go - which is really a great service and we're very proud to have them as a sponsor for Ultraween - and adventured around Austin. I found my way into the opening night screenings of THE HUMBLING, starring Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig, and then saw Richard LaGravenese's THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I enjoyed both films with the former playing along similar lines as BIRDMAN, and the latter as an adventure in music. The movie, sung from beginning to end, is based on the musical written by Jason Robert Brown featuring the talent of Anna Kendrick (PITCH PERFECT) and Jeremy Jordan.
On Friday I went to see an episode of MAD MEN presented by its showrunner and creator Matthew Weiner. Then I went to see 21 YEARS RICHARD LINKLATER, a love-letter to the much beloved Austin filmmaker of such greats as DAZED AND CONFUSED, BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET, and many others including his most recent BOYHOOD - which was fantastic. Then came Saturday which was filled with wonderful panels, interviews with the crew from DAWN PATROL, including director Daniel Petrie Jr., writers Rachel Long and Brian Pittman, and actor Jeff Fahey and then the premiere of their movie that night. (Stay tuned for more about DAWN PATROL coming later this week!)
And since then have seen WILD, 7 MINUTES, 61 BULLETS, THE LAST TIME YOU HAD FUN, LOOKING FOR LIONS, THE HOMESMAN, PHANTOM HALO, TAKING IT BACK, some great shorts including THIS IS NORMAL, A DAY IN EDEN, and ENTRAIN, and finally tonight THE IMITATION GAME. It's been a whirlwind and my brain might be melting. But it's been amazing to be here with the filmmakers and writers.
Stay tuned - but don't hold your breath - for more stuff heading your way including reviews and my conversations with the crew from 7 MINUTES and director of TAKING IT BACK.
2014 Austin Film Festival Preview - Part 2
7 MINUTES
7 MINUTES is the story of three friends – SAM (Luke Mitchell), MIKE (Jason Ritter), and OWEN (Zane Holtz) - forced by circumstance to commit a brazen robbery. What begins as a simple plan - "in and out in seven minutes" - quickly becomes a dangerous game of life and death. As each minute of the robbery unfolds, another twist is unveiled and the stakes are pushed higher and higher. In the final act, Sam's pregnant girlfriend KATE (Leven Rambin) is kidnapped, escalating the situation even further and pressing our heroes to do whatever they can to make it out alive.
Written and directed by Jay Martin, you can see 7 MINUTES at the State Theatre on Sunday (10/26) at 8:30pm.
DAWN PATROL
A surfer-turned-Marine held at gunpoint in a distant desert tells his tragic story of revenge gone wrong to stall his execution. DAWN PATROL stars Scott Eastwood, Rita Wilson, Kim Matula and Chris Brochu with Julie Carmen and Jeff Fahey.
DAWN PATROL is directed by Daniel Petrie Jr. and written by Rachel Long and Brian Pittman, who originally submitted the script to the 2008 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition.
DAWN PATROL is set to premiere at the Paramount Theatre Saturday (10/25) at 7:00pm.
TAKING IT BACK
Patrick Angerer is not especially impressed when his co-workers at Steelworks Falkendorf begin to protest the new wages set by Inneholm, a Swedish private equity firm that recently assumed responsibility of the factory. However, when his ex, Babs Brossmann, shows up in town with her new partner and arrogant boyfriend, Ulf, on behalf of the workers union, Pat- rick decides to take action. As negotiations take a dive and replacement workers are assembled, it is up to Patrick and his FC Steelworks football team to save the factory for the shady corporate sharks, whose only concern is draining the last few profits out of the business. Taking It Back is a whimsical look at corporate politics, blue-collar perseverance, and reconciling old love.
TAKING IT BACK will play at the Alamo Drafthouse Village on Friday (10/24) at 8:15pm and at the Rollins Theatre on Wednesday (10/29) at 7:00pm.
Check out the trailer below!
And also be sure to check out:
HARDY
Natasha Verma, a UT graduate, wrote and directed the documentary. You can see it tonight at the Rollins Theatre at 7:10pm or at the Alamo Drafthouse Village on Wednesday (10/29) at 4:00pm.
#CHICAGOGIRL
In Joe Piscatella's first feature, he follows Ala'a Basatneh as she organizes non-violent protests in Syria using social media from outside of Chicago. The film plays at the Galaxy Highland 10 Theatre on Saturday (10/25) at 5:30pm and at the IMAX Theatre on Tuesday (10/28) at 7:00pm.
2014 Austin Film Festival Preview - Part 1
LOOKING FOR LIONS
Weaving together multiple stories, LOOKING FOR LIONS, tells the story of the lengths we will go for the people that we love. Unable to hold down a job, Ray (Todd Julian) takes a new position as a driver for a company that deals in the black market organ trade. Emmet, played by Norman Lesperance, who also wrote and produced the film, is a struggling husband dealing with the imminent death of his wife, as she is rejected a place on the donor list. Facing a system that has failed them, Ray and Emmet must make decisions that lead them to things they never imagined.
The film is directed by Bradley W. Ragland and stars Chelsea Gilligan, who was also the executive producer. Three years ago this small crew shot a short film and submitted it to AFF. Though their film was not selected, a note from the festival inspired them to shoot the feature length version of their short. Now, not only have they been accepted, but they have also been asked to speak as panelists during the Screenwriters' Conference.
Be sure to catch LOOKING FOR LIONS during the festival at the Bullock Texas State History Museum either Sunday (10/26) at 6:15pm or Wednesday (10/29) at 7:00pm. And take a look at the trailer here.
THE LAST TIME YOU HAD FUN
Forced into a night out by their friends, four adults meet at a wine-bar and set off together to prove that they’re still young enough to have a fun night out. Clark and Will, played by Kyle Bornheimer and Demetri Martin, meet Alison (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) and her sister Ida (Eliza Coupe) and soon find that their circumstances are all very similar. Through a series of mishaps and impulsive decisions, this film deals with the ins and outs of navigating relationships when they fail to live up to our expectations.
THE LAST TIME YOU HAD FUN is directed by Mo Perkins and written by her husband, Hal Haberman. Her first film also dealt with marriage and won the AFF Audience Award in 2008.
You can see the film on Friday (10/24) at 7:00pm at the Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX Theatre or Monday (10/27) at 10:00pm at Alamo Drafthouse Village.
TERRIBLE LOVE
A veteran comes home from Iraq after suffering an injury to his eye. Rufus, played by Rufus Burns, brings back more than a physical injury to his family and wife Amy (Amy Urbina). As time goes by, the evidence of Rufus’ PTSD becomes clearer to Amy but is shrouded from those around the couple as they figure out how to battle this disorder and repair their marriage.
TERRIBLE LOVE is the debut feature from director Christopher Thomas and producer Luke Helmer. Following in the footsteps of Drake Doremus (LIKE CRAZY), the actors improvised their dialogue after heavy outlining and pre-production work. The grounded nature of this style gives it an immediacy and authenticity that is able to deliver an unflinching look at a devastating disorder.
Don’t miss TERRIBLE LOVE screening at the Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX Theater Thursday (10/23) at 9:45pm or at the Galaxy Highland 10 Theater on Sunday (10/26) at 7:45pm.
61 BULLETS
In 1935, U.S. Senator Huey Long was fatally wounded by the alleged assassin Dr. Carl Weiss. As the story goes, Weiss attacked Long and Long’s body guards responded, emptying 60 bullets into Weiss’s body. For years, no one has been able to explain why Weiss, a well respected doctor with a wife and baby at home, took it upon himself to kill one of the most controversial political characters in our history. With so much evidence either buried or long gone, both sides still hold on to their version of the truth. Through the surviving family and people close to the Long and Weiss family, 61 BULLETS sheds light on the mystery and also asks us to question where our history comes from.
Directed by David Modigliani and Lucy Kreutz, 61 BULLETS was awarded funding by the Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund which aided in the production of this film. It was produced by Modigliani and Yvonne Bourdreaux, granddaughter of Ida Bourdreaux, one of the subjects of the film and relative of Weiss.
61 BULLETS is showing at the Rollins Theatre Saturday (10/25) at 4:15pm and at the Galaxy Highland 10 Theater on Wednesday (10/29) at 7:00pm.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 of our AFF preview.
FURY Review: 'Ideals are peaceful, history is violent'
Sony Pictures
On Friday night, I walked into the theater to see Brad Pitt’s new movie Fury. The night started well—by buying my ticket at the door, I got a free Fury shirt. Upon sitting down I immediately got up when the trailers started and Interstellar was the first one. Then later in the weekend, the trailer assaulted me while watching the Bronco’s beat up the 49er’s. Apparently nowhere is safe.
In Fury an American tank crew heads behind German lines at the close of WWII to discover they are out gunned and out manned. Writer/director David Ayer (Training Day, End of Watch) brings us a well-crafted war tale focused on this crew as a new member joins after one of their own falls to German attack.
The movie opens with a beautiful long take of a German soldier on horseback riding through a battlefield. Wardaddy (Pitt) jumps from behind the seemingly broken down tank and kills the soldier. After they get back to base, they say goodbye to their fallen brother and welcome Norman (Logan Lerman) an 8-week green soldier, trained to be a clerk. The tough crew struggles to accept Norman into their fold as they were together since the beginning of the war, through North Africa, France, Belgium, and finally Germany.
“Wait till you see…what a man can do to another man,” warns Shia LaBeouf’s character Boyd, who everyone refers to as ‘Bible’. Like a lot of replacement soldiers in the war, Norman finds integration hard and Wardaddy even takes drastic actions to bring him up to speed.
A few scenes later, we arrive at what might be the most tense scene of the whole film. But it’s not in the form of an action sequence. Wardaddy leads Norman to clear a building and they find two German women. Interrupted by the rest of the crew (LaBeouf, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal), they share a tiny meal with the two women. It’s during this scene where we hear of the horrors that the crew has seen. After leaving the town, Norman makes his decision that he will kill Germans and won’t hesitate again. The crew is finally brought together when they receive a mission to protect a crossroads from German advances.
Peña (End of Watch) and Bernthal (Walking Dead) perform very well and Pitt and LaBeouf really shine. Lerman (Noah, Perks of Being a Wallflower) plays his part of hesitant soldier coming around to accept his fate. On the whole, it is a well acted film with Ayer able to take us along on this intense ride. And it’s no wonder—both of Ayer’s grandfather’s served in WWII and he was in the military before turning to screenwriting and directing. The relationships and interactions are grounded in a reality that he knows and has heard much about from those who where there.
We’re currently working on a rating system to rate movies, but for now, I would definitely go see this one.
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA and UNBROKEN Trailers
In the Heart of the Sea is directed by A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 director Ron Howard. It's based the book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick about the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) stars with Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland. The film will be released March 15, 2015.
Unbroken follows the true story of Louis Zamperini, Olympian and war hero. Based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand (“Seabiscuit: An American Legend”), the film is directed by Angelina Jolie, who also produces. During WWII Zamperini and two other crewmen survived in a raft for 47 days but are captured but the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. The film will be released Christmas 2014.
TOMORROWLAND Teaser Trailer
Check out the mysterious teaser to Disney's super-secret new movie, Tomorrowland, a project from director Brad Bird (The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) and writer Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost and writer of The Leftovers and Prometheus). The trailer is narrated by George Clooney's character as he muses about the possibilities of the future and changing the world.
The film also stars Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie. The trailer was just shown today to at Disney's presentation of the film at New York Comic-Con. Tomorrowland is due out May 22, 2015.
Austin Film Festival 2014 Slate Announced
Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference announced their slate for 2014 to take place October 23-30.
The festival was founded in 1993 and was the first of its kind to focus on the contribution of writers in filmmaking. It initially started as a conference for screenwriters, providing a place for professionals and screenwriting hopefuls to network and work on their craft. Since then it has grown to incorporate a film festival, which this year plays host to 15 World Premiers with films from 20 countries. Past participants include Wes Anderson, the Coen brothers, Russell Crowe, Bryan Singer, Oliver Stone, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and many, many others.
This year’s conference and festival hosts writers from last years big movies (Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club) and will feature television creators, writers, and producers from shows such as Mad Men, True Detective, Breaking Bad, Fargo, Justified, and Orange is the New Black. In attendance this year: True Detective director Cary Fukunaga, closing night presenters Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari, writer/director Jay Duplass, Rita Wilson, Scott Eastwood, Jason Ritter, Alex Anfanger, Glenn Morshower, and others.
If you’ve taken a look at our Fall Preview you’ll recognize two films - Wild and The Imitation Game. We’ll have updates, reviews, and recommendations on those two films and also others including AFF’s marquee selections Escobar: Paradise Lost, The Sound and the Fury, The Homesman, Black and White, Big Hero 6, Red Army, 21 Years: Richard Linklater, and Dawn Patrol which is based on a script out of the Screenplay Competition.
For further info and cool happenings around the festival check out onstory.tv and austinfilmfestival.com
You can find the full schedule of films and conference events here.
We’re very excited to head down to Austin this year and cover the festival for all of you!
Fall Movie Preview
After another summer of big movies and loud explosions, the fall season turns out award hopefuls and festival favorites. As in any fall lineup, it’s not just the award chasing movies that are released. Scary movies pepper October in preparation for Halloween (Annabelle, Before I Go To Sleep, Horns). We have returns of sequels, with Horrible Bosses 2, Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. And there are also animated offerings with Big Hero 6 and Penguins of Madagascar. While some of these look more entertaining than others, this fall preview focuses on the stories and characters we’re most excited about seeing on the screen.
GONE GIRL - October 4
Based on the gripping novel by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl follows Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck as he reports that his wife, Rosamund Pike, has gone missing. As pressure from both the police and media grow, Nick’s account of a happy marriage begins to fall apart and everyone is left asking if Nick actually did kill his wife. I've heard the book is heavy as it twists and turns, so it's fitting that it's handled by Seven and Fight Club director, David Fincher.
Fun fact for us in the Mile High City, Fincher was born in Denver.
WHIPLASH - October 10
For all of you jazz fans out there, this is one not to miss. Miles Teller stars as Andrew Neyman, a jazz drummer, relentlessly seeking to be the top of his class at his music conservatory. An instructor at the school, Terence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons, recruits Andrew for his band. Known for his talents as a teacher and intimidating techniques, Fletcher pushes Andrew to the limits of his ability.
Writer/director Damien Chazelle's original screenplay was first featured on the Black List before he turned the script into an 18 minute short that garnered much interest at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Whiplash took home the top audience and grand jury awards at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
BIRDMAN - October 17
Birdman stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor trying to reclaim his glory days as he struggles through family trouble and the opening of a Broadway play. The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Oscar nominee for Babel, and is lensed by Oscar winning cinematographer of Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki. Birdman also stars Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.
It seems that this is the film with all the buzz out of Venice, Telluride and going into the upcoming New York Film Festival. Early predictions are that this will land best director, best cinematography, and best actor nods.
RUDDERLESS - October 17
In William H. Macy's directorial debut, a father spirals out of control after his son’s death. In his descent, he finds his son’s demo tapes and lyrics and discovers an unknown musical talent which he uses to form a band and hopefully find peace.
Rudderless features some great music and stars Billy Cruddup, Anton Yelchin, Jamie Chung, and Selena Gomez.
FURY - October 17
As World War II comes to a close in Europe, the small crew of a Sherman tank heads behind enemy lines. With the odds stacked against them, the five-man crew faces a larger and better armed force in their attempt to strike the center of Nazi Germany.
The movie is directed by Training Day and End of Watch writer, David Ayer. Fury stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman.
INTERSTELLAR - November 7
In his first film after wrapping up the trilogy of Batman movies, Christopher Nolan brings a stellar cast together headlined by Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine, of course. The film is again scored by Hans Zimmer. Nolan writes the film with his brother Jonathan Nolan, co-writer of Memento and The Dark Knight.
I wish I could share more, but 1) I haven’t watched the trailer and refuse to do so on principle and 2) have avoided any news or plot synopsis like the plague. And if there is any doubt in Nolan’s ability to wrap fascinatingly complicated characters into even more complicated plots, you should go back and watch Memento and Following again.
FOXCATCHER - November 14
Foxcatcher is based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler. The film, directed by Moneyball director Bennett Miller, follows Schultz, played by Channing Tatum and his relationship with his sponsor John du Pont, played by Steve Carrell, in a strikingly different turn for the comedic actor. Schultz’s brother, Dave Schultz is played by Mark Ruffalo.
These are new roles for both Tatum and Carrell, but expect them to excel. The film is produced by Annapurna Pictures, the company headed by Megan Ellison, producer of Oscar nominated films Her, American Hustle and Zero Dark Thirty.
THE IMITATION GAME - November 21
In the second movie on this list about World War II, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, legendary cryptanalyst. Based on the true story, Turing and his team race the clock as a part of Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School in their attempt to break Nazi Germany’s secret Enigma code.
This is another film at the top of the list coming out of the Telluride Film Festival and was the winner of the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Morten Tyldum, Norwegian director of Headhunters, the film also stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.
Other films to keep an eye on...
The Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything (11/7), Reese Witherspoon in Wild (12/5), Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice (12/12), and Christian Bale as Moses in Exodus: Gods and Kings (12/12).