Category Archives: Ephemera

Colorful World Takes New York

Ephemera, Screenings

For those in New York City, the world just got a lot more colorful. Starting tonight, and over the following three weekends, at the 78th Street Theatre Lab, located on the 2nd floor at 236 West 78th St., James Comtois‘ Colorful World unfolds.

In 1988, the world discovered a man who was indestructible, impervious to pain, and able to destroy a tank with his mind. (No, not Chuck Norris.) In the early- to mid-nineties, a craze where vigilantes dressed up in flashy costumes and fought crime took the nation by storm. Now it’s 2005. The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers are still standing. Hurricane Katrina has decimated New Orleans. The Iraq War is coming to a close. And several former costumed crimefighters realize their marks on the world are more akin to those of has-been rock stars.

This is Colorful World, Nosedive Productions’ latest full-length production that takes on the superhero genre. Far from a pulpy comic book-style romp, James Comtois and Pete Boisvert (The Adventures of Nervous-Boy) envision a world radically changed by the arrival of an invincible man, and not necessarily for the better. The estimable Mac Rogers co-stars in the show, which I’ll heartily recommend from afar, sight unseen. Again, performances are Thursday through Saturday for the remainder of the month — May 8-10, 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31 — at 8 p.m. For tickets and more information, click here.

Criterion Goes Blu-ray

Ephemera

Great news for Criterion fans — the high-end DVD distributor has picked a dozen titles from its collection for the Blu-ray treatment, set for release in October.

In addition to all the supplemental content of the original DVD releases, these new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, and will be priced to match standard-def editions. The titles up first for Blu-ray upgrade are: Bottle Rocket, Chungking Express, Contempt, El Norte, For All Mankind, The 400 Blows, Gimme Shelter, The Last Emperor, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Complete Monterey Pop, The Third Man, The Wages of Fear and Walkabout. Also, as a special offer, use the code OFBT to qualify for $10 off any order of $60 or more, as well as free shipping, on any online business transacted through Monday, May 26 at Criterion’s eponymous web site.

Stride Gum Hates Uwe Boll

Amusements, Ephemera

So you may remember that there’s a petition circulating to get German filmmaker Uwe Boll to stop making movies (there’s also another petition to get United Artists to hand Boll the reins of Tom Cruise’s latest flick, Valkyrie, but that’s neither here nor there), and that in an interview with FEAR.net in early April, Boll kinda-sorta-but-not-really intimated that one million signatures would be enough to get him to stop making films.

Now, in an effort “to protect the childhood dreams of millions of videogamers everywhere,” the makers of Stride gum have decided to enter the fray, announcing a special campaign supporting the efforts to convince Boll to stop making videogame-based films. In an effort to help boost signings, Stride has put out
bounty; if the petition reaches the one million
signatures by May 14 at 5 p.m. Eastern time, each signer will receive a downloadable digital
coupon for a free pack of gum. “Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we’ve been looking for ways to return the favor,” said Gary Osifchin, the company’s North American Marketing Director. “And what better way is there to get gamers’ backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll?” Ouch…

A Silence Explained…

Ephemera

The absence of further explication regarding the long-lead screening of a certain late-summer film could be interpreted negatively, as a (non-)statement of trouble or dissatisfaction, but that’s not the case. It’s a courtesy thing, to be resolved at a mutually agreed upon point in the short to middle distance, I imagine.

Lindsay Lohan Gets Ugly (Betty)

Ephemera, Musings

Since these racy photos, and the one below, for New York Magazine didn’t much work in the career jump-start department, Lindsay Lohan will take a page from Britney Spears’ playbook (no, not the baldness or Federline pages), and guest-star on a hit television series. Word is Lohan will appear on ABC’s Ugly Betty for its May 22 season finale as an old classmate of America Ferrera’s Betty Suarez, and perhaps return for as much as an eight-episode stint next season. Presumably not playing a wildly self-destructive type, as with Georgia Rule, last summer’s I Know Who Killed Me and Matthew Bright’s forthcoming The Manson Girls. But who knows, really.

This is an easy call and advisable move, certainly — the Hollywood equivalent of a fullback plunge left — and I have little doubt the structure is benefiting Lohan a great deal. At the same time, is it much more than a temporary tonic? It’s an armchair diagnosis from afar, admittedly, but one of the things that most seemed to get Lohan in trouble, and feed her mania and/or appetite for self-destruction, was stress and a sort of gaping-maw need for extra-sensory stimulation that came from being a front-and-center celebrity. Sadly, with an out-of-rehab photo spread like above, and other news stories and relapse rumors trickling out, there’s little to suggest lasting lifestyle changes, so won’t momentarily removing the pressure of “playing lead” do little except, potentially, help foster a nervousness and/or resentment to get “back on top,” asap? There’s clearly a dangerous addictive gene at work here, and it doesn’t get worked out for 21-year-olds on the basis of “nice” or overseen work environments.

Tom Cruise Drops Back-to-Back Oprah Sequels

Amusements, Ephemera

Set your TiVos (TiVoes?)… or not. Tom Cruise is slated for a double-booking on Oprah Winfrey’s show, set to air Friday and Monday. We all remember how this ended last time, though Cruise reportedly is much more subdued this time around, according to audience members who attended the taping. So he’s there for what — some career rehab, and to celebrate/commemorate the 25th anniversary of Risky Business? Errr… OK, fine. One thing I can tell you is that Cruise’s gloriously profane supporting turn in Tropic Thunder, due out this August, may be his real career-saver. More on that maybe over the weekend.

Kung Fu Panda Videogame Demo Goes Live

Ephemera

Starting today, gamers can become the ultimate Kung Fu Master as Activision releases the Kung Fu Panda videogame demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. Based on the upcoming animated feature film from DreamWorks/Paramount, the videogame demo features a full, multi-stage level in which players can experience a taste of the game’s touted “kung fu awesomeness and bodacious humor.” Players will assume the role of Po the Panda, and those who beat the demo will receive an exclusive cheat code for the full game allowing them to unlock new playable characters in multi-player mode. For more information, click here, and/or visit Activision’s site by clicking here.

Hollywood Reporter Undergoes Redesign

Ephemera, Musings

The Hollywood Reporter has completed and relaunched a wholesale overhaul of its iconic brand today, including a redesigned look and format for its print and digital publications, a revised editorial approach, and expanded coverage, analysis and new industry data exclusive to THR-parent The Nielsen Company. “Today is a new day at The Hollywood Reporter, and one of the most exciting times in its 78-year history,” said publisher Eric Mika. “This brand redesign is the result of our ongoing efforts to create a new Reporter, one that is more relevant, accessible and impactful for our global audiences on every platform,” adds editor Elizabeth Guider. “Our new design and editorial approach will make it easier for print and online audiences to access the data, information and insight they rely upon each day for mission-critical decision making.”

Some of the touted new features include more seamless and contiguous copy flow; more clearly defined sections; chart data exclusive to The Nielsen Company, including weekly Top 40 Box office data and other entertainment consumption trends, complemented by expert external and internal analysis; and region-specific content and supplementary digital coverage, along with more than 250 special issues throughout the year. Wait… 250 special issues?! Sweet Christ, as a former editor, I can tell you these spin-offs are little to nothing except a boon for the advertising folks. It’s the way (errr… one of the ways) publishers hold a gun to editors’ heads. But great, I guess this means more special Raven-Symoné tributes…

First Knight Gets Special Edition DVD

Ephemera

On April 29, Richard Gere, Sean Connery and Julia Ormand revive the passion of Camelot in First Knight, directed by Ghost helmer Jerry Zucker, when the 1995 summer flick — a theatrical washout which grossed only $39 million domestically — comes to special edition DVD and Blu-ray.

Special features include an audio commentary track with Zucker and producer Hunt Lowry, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a production design featurette and an “Arthurian Legend” commentary. For a spitfire clip between Gere and Ormand, click here; for a more action-oriented fortress escape sequence, click here. For more information, meanwhile, visit the official First Knight web site by clicking here.

Semi-Pro Bear Kills Trainer

Ephemera

In unfortunate news, it seems the grizzly bear who played “Precious” in Will Ferrell’s recent Semi-Pro — and seemed to obediently follow all cues during filming —
killed the cousin of his long-time trainer with a bite to the neck. Three experienced handlers were working with the grizzly bear, named Rocky, Tuesday afternoon at the
Predators in Action wild animal training center when the bear attacked
Stephan Miller, 39, said San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokeswoman
Cindy Beavers. Pepper spray was used to subdue and contain the bear; paramedics were unable to revive Miller, and there were no other injuries.

SilverDocs Fetes Spike Lee

Ephemera, Screenings

SilverDocs announced today that it will honor Spike Lee at the Charles Guggenheim Symposium, a centerpiece of the now eight-day documentary film festival which takes place in June, in Silver Springs, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Lee, an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated director, producer, writer and actor with more than 35 films to his credit, was selected for his unyielding commitment to telling stories that challenge America’s consciousness of social injustice, while also celebrating the resilience and power of the human spirit. “Spike Lee is truly a master storyteller; in both his contemporary and historical films, he uncovers the deep truths and unhealed wounds of the American experience while celebrating our resilience and passion,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. As part of the symposium, SilverDocs will screen a series of excerpts from Lee’s body of documentary work, including 2006’s When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, largely considered the documentary of record of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and 1997’s Oscar-nominated 4 Little Girls. Following the screenings, Lee will be joined on stage by special guests to engage in a discussion of his career. More details will be released closer to the festival; to visit the festival web site, click here.

Jackie Chan Totally Didn’t Kick My Ass

Ephemera

Forgot to mention that I quite literally bumped into Jackie Chan — actually, he bumped into me — at the Four Seasons Hotel last week, and lived to tell about it. He was there doing press for The Forbidden Kingdom (a movie I’ve had to avoid out of my strange disdain for Michael Angarano), I was there to interview documentarian Errol Morris… I round the corner, and boom! Chan walks right into me, looking the other way. We exchanged apologies and arched eyebrows, and then he tried to punch me in the face, but I dodged it. He then nodded, indicating respect, and we slowly backed away from one another. Or something like that…

Iron Man Gets Mobile Game

Ephemera

With the release of Iron Man just around the bend, Hands-On Mobile, working in conjunction with Marvel, has developed a mobile game that allows players to fight through four levels of non-stop action as Iron Man. Players also visit locations based on settings from the movie, all while blasting away at enemy forces equipped with the weapons that they develop as Tony Stark. Currently available on T-Mobile and AT&T, the game will roll out onto other carriers in the coming weeks.

Disney Pledges Exclusively 3-D Animation

Ephemera

Walt Disney Studios confirmed the future face of animation in an announcement and email this week, throwing its full weight behind
three-dimensional cinema by pledging that all its future animated
releases — starting with Bolt this November, and continuing with re-releases of the first two Toy Story films, leading up to the debut of Toy Story 3 in the summer of 2010 — will be in 3-D. Disney has now become the second studio, after Jeffrey
Katzenberg made a similar pledge at DreamWorks Animation, to vow to produce animated content exclusively in the format. The
announcement came at a New York press conference this past week, as chairman
Dick Cook and Pixar creative czar John Lasseter unveiled 10 new titles
scheduled to open between now and 2012, including a sequel to 2006’s Cars.

Keanu Reeves on The Tonight Show

Ephemera

Keanu Reeves appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last evening, in support of Street Kings, and he and Leno talked motorbikes (a shared love) and past employment. In his inimitably self-effacing yet still detached style, Reeves recalled his adolescent jobs — which included paper routes, landscaping work, sharpening skates at a hockey rink and “an underground Italian specialty food store,” where he enjoyed a five- or six-month rise from “sandwich creator” to manager. Reeves also talked about how he gained weight and bulked up for his role in the movie… something of which I saw, or recollect, no evidence.

Critics Not Asked to Prom (Night)

Ephemera, Irritations

So Prom Night, featuring the stone-faced intensity of yes-he-really-spells-his-name-like-that killer Johnathon Schaech and the umm, much more interesting assets of Brittany Snow, isn’t screening for critics, apart from a come-and-get-it-if-you-want-it 10 a.m. “courtesy screening” this morning, its day of release. What a shock, really. This is the new confirmed writ-in-stone trend for PG-13 horror flicks.

Adam Carolla Dances No More

Ephemera, Musings

So mono-browed, sarcastic deejay Adam Carolla’s Dancing with the Stars run is apparently over, as of last night. After two weeks of appearances, he survived the first trim of two contestants, then made it another week, besting Steve Guttenberg (much to the chagrin of Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, one supposes). Still, the four-week run didn’t necessarily seem to reap immediate benefits for Carolla’s new film, The Hammer, which has only crawled past the $320,000 mark after two-plus weeks of release. I’m assuming, though I don’t know for sure, that indie boutique distributor International Film Circuit scraped together enough money for at least a quick ad buy or two. If not, they should scrap the International in favor of another adjective beginning with the letter “I.”

Happy Birthday, Jenna Jameson

Birthdays, Ephemera

It’s a happy birthday to Jenna Jameson, who turns 34 today, and perhaps celebrates by lathering up her now-implant-free breasts. After a dozen years or so in the hardcore biz, Jameson is making the leap to legit theatricals with the very tongue-in-cheek Zombie Strippers, which opens next week, April 18, in a dozen-plus cities, and on April 25 in a few more. I interviewed Jameson this past week, and she’s a fascinating gal, so there will be more on that chat (including her opinions on Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush), as well as the aforementioned movie, in the coming week-plus.

Kino Slates AFT Mega DVD Set

Ephemera

In DVD release news, Kino International is proud to announce the impending summer release of AFT: The Complete Mega Set, which will present the entire American Film Theatre collection in one 15-disc, thin-case box set. Originally released as three separate DVD sets in 2003, this exclusive collection of 14 films can now be purchased for $199.95 on July 1, 2008.

The finest collection of plays brought to the big screen in the history of American cinema, the American Film Theatre series was the vision of producer Ely Landau, who challenged film audiences to set their sights on high-quality drama and comedies enacted by top industry talents. Throughout its three years of existence in the mid-1970s, this groundbreaking series of magnificently crafted films was made available in selected theaters, only for members who purchased a special annual subscription.

Kino’s set includes John Frankenheimer’s The Iceman Cometh, starring Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Frederick March and Jeff Bridges; Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance, directed by Tony Richardson and starring Katherine Hepburn and Paul Scofield; Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright; and productions of Robert Shaw’s The Man in the Glass Booth and Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo, among others. Exclusive extras include interviews with Landau, theatrical trailers, photo
galleries with the films’ original posters and original filmed interviews
with the likes of Albee, Alan Bates and Tom O’Horgan (Rhinoceros). For more information, click here.

Chris Rock Cameos at Pellicano Trial

Amusements, Ephemera

The Anthony Pellicano trial, an “inside-baseball” clambake of Hollywood privilege, blackmail and other shenanigans, saw a recognizable face take center stage when Chris Rock appeared Friday for around 20 minutes, to testify about his hiring of the “dark-side” private investigator to investigate (read: discredit) a shake-down paternity claim by sketchy Hungarian model Monika Szibrita. Mark Lacter recaps the nasty bid-ness on LA Observed. Too bad Tom Cruise and some of the other Hollywood heavyweights who used this guy — retaining plausible deniability by claiming they were relying on attorneys’ recommendations — won’t be called to testify.