In Theaters Now: June 1, 2007

Day Watch
directed by Timur Bekmambetov
This sequel to 2004’s Night Watch finally sees a limited U.S. release after finding great success in its native Russia last year. For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, the Watch movies are a modern day darkness versus light story about the guardians who make sure the two remain separate. Night Watch was hardly watchable--it just didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Having said that, the sequels (this one and the upcoming Dusk Watch) are rumored to be vast improvements. Let’s hope that’s the case because I’d really hate to have to take down my Anna Kournikova poster over this.

Gracie
directed by Davis Guggenheim
This is a semi-autobiographical account of Elisabeth Shue’s childhood struggle to play soccer with the boys. In addition to producing with her brother, Andrew, Elisabeth returned to her New Jersey hometown to co-star (with her husband at the helm). We can assume that Gracie will reach its audience and do fairly well. It’s heart-warming in a sense to see a family come together and create art. At the same time, this does seem terribly narcissistic, doesn’t it?  On the other hand, you wouldn’t call a memoir narcissistic. Call me a hater.

Knocked Up
directed by Judd Apatow
We here at MM are very excited for Apatow’s latest. We expect this one to be every bit as fun and well received as his previous directing effort, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In fact, it’s not too bold to suggest that this movie will do for longtime Apatow buddy Seth Rogen what Virgin did for Steve Carell. And where the last one didn’t hit theaters until mid-August, Knocked Up is set to hit the summer market straight on and show serious legs. Its release this week can’t come soon enough for all R-rated comedy lovers.

Mr. Brooks
directed by Bruce A. Evans
Kevin Costner, William Hurt and Dane Cook are all said to show their range in this dark thriller about a mild-mannered businessman (Costner) with a psychotic alter ego (Hurt). Cook plays his devious accomplice. It’s really hard to tell if a film in this genre is any good. Add to that the fact that Costner’s films are uneven at best and Mr. Brooks looks to be a real gamble. But there’s a lot of talent in this cast and something tells us this film is a cut above the competition.

Rise: Blood Hunter
directed by Sebastian Gutierrez
What a terrible, terrible title. It gives me heartburn. Reporter Lucy Liu wakes up in a morgue and realizes she is one of the undead. Then she goes back to reporting the news. I lied. That might actually be a fresh idea for a movie. Instead she takes the predictable course of seeking out the vampire sect who took her life. If this movie were sitting outside the theater in a wheelchair with a little tin cup and a crying infant, I wouldn’t give it my money.

--Kevin McCarthy

May 31st, 2007 | Category: In Theaters Now | By MovieMaker Staff

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Morgan Freeman

On this day in 1937, Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. After four years as an Air Force mechanic, Freeman began his acting career on the stage before trying film in the 1970s. His breakout role was as New York pimp “Fast Black” in 1987’s Street Smart opposite Christopher Reeve, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He followed this up with an extraordinary performance in 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy, garnering him a second nomination from the Academy. By the 1990s, his reputation as one of modern cinema’s foremost actors had been established. He supplements his acting career with frequent voice work, providing the narration for many of his own films as well as other major motion pictures such as 2005’s March of the Penguins.

Factoid: Morgan Freeman is the only African-American actor to appear in three Best Picture Oscar winners: Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

May 31st, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Clint Eastwood

One of today’s living legends was born on this day in 1930. Clint Eastwood began acting circa 1955, performing in B movies for Universal. A year and a half later, the studio dropped him (rumor being because a studio executive thought his Adam’s Apple was too big). Eastwood rebounded with a part on the long-running CBS western “Rawhide,” which led to his Man With No Name role in 1964 in Sergio Leone’s classic spaghetti western trilogy--A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Eastwood cemented his star status with the title role in Dirty Harry, a part he would reprise in its four sequels. Today he is equally well known as a talented director, having been nominated for three directing Oscars in the past four years and winning once. He has also served as producer on several of his films, accepting a Best Picture Academy Award in 2004 for Million Dollar Baby.

Factoid: On “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” Clint recounted how surprised he was to find himself starring in the hit film A Fistful of Dollars in 1964. The title had been The Magnificent Stranger up until days before the premiere and no one had clued him in.

May 30th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Location of the Week: Shreveport, LA

Shreveport is beginning to get a creepy reputation. Located on the banks of the Red River in northwest Louisiana, Shreveport has emerged as a choice location for moviemakers from all over. According to a 2000 census, 12 percent of the city’s area is covered in water in the form of tributaries and wetlands, making it a great place to get that authentic bayou setting on film. So far this year, both The Reaping and Premonition have shown off some of Shreveport’s arresting landscapes. With Frank Darabont’s Steven King adaptation of The Mist arriving in November, we can only assume Shreveport is going to get even spookier.

But there’s another side that moviemakers are exploring. The state’s third-largest city, Shreveport serves as the cultural center for a large area covering parts of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Kevin Costner must have enjoyed his time in Shreveport during the filming of last year’s The Guardian; he returned to the city play the title role in the upcoming Mr. Brooks, about an ironically split-personality businessman.

The city’s Economic Development Coordinator, Arlena Acree, says Shreveport prides itself on its accommodations. “Any buildings owned by the city or parish are free for use as locations and an advanced transportation infrastructure means you can shoot at four or five different places in a single day.” This is a film-friendly city, with special locations (an empty jail cell, for instance) set aside for moviemakers. The best part is Shreveport is very affordable and the State of Louisiana offers incentives to local talent.

For more information, visit www.shreveportfilms.com.

May 30th, 2007 | Category: Location of the Week, Locations | By MovieMaker Staff

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Screenwriter of the Week: Adrienne Shelly

Adrienne Shelly was the underground queen of indie cinema—an inspiration and champion for all her subjects—before her untimely murder in November of 2006. Earning modest success as an actress early on, Shelly stood out in films (including The Unbelievable Truth and Trust) by fellow Long Island native Hal Hartley. But while audiences might venture to understand the multifaceted moviemaker through her on-screen performances, it is Shelly’s off-screen work for which she strived to be better known. That is the work that can best tell the tale of her reign.

As an active advocate for female moviemakers, Shelly promoted her cause in the documentaries Searching for Debra Winger by Rosanna Arquette and In Their Own Words for IFC. As part of the New York film community she became a founding board member of the Gen Art Film Festival and passed along her moviemaking skills to students at the One on One Studios and New York University. Yet, to really know this late, great moviemaker, look no further than her own shorts and features, including the recent Sundance hit Waitress.

Out this week in limited release, Waitress is the very personal tale of pregnancy, love and baked goods that warm the soul. Written and directed by Shelly, the movie, although not autobiographical, brings to light some of the hesitant feelings of impending motherhood she herself developed with her own bun in the oven. More than that though, the movie is a culmination of Shelly’s vision and art brought to life. “I’ve never met anyone with such a strong vision--such an amazing sense of exactly what she wanted,” producer Michael Roiff told MM earlier this year. “If you look back at her script, her stage directions aren’t ‘suggestions’—they are specific to the very last detail—and that all shows up on screen.”

Though her rule has tragically ended, the legacy of writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly will be one for the history books.

Sound Off: Adrienne Shelly’s life was cut short just before Sundance audiences (and now people everywhere) began falling in love with Waitress. Cinema history is full of tales of unrealized recognition. Who is your favorite moviemaker to not get his/her due until after passing?

May 30th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week, Screenwriting | By MovieMaker Staff

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Top of the Box Office

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Buena Vista
Weekend Gross: $114,732,820
Total Gross: $127,972,864

2. Shrek the Third
Dreamworks SKG
Weekend Gross:  $53,039,992
Total Gross: $203,378,450

3. Spider-Man 3
Sony Pictures
Weekend Gross: $14,335,436
Total Gross: $303,977,758

4. Bug
Lionsgate
Weekend Gross: $3,245,556
Total Gross: $3,245,556

5. Waitress
Fox Searchlight
Weekend Gross: $3,076,035
Total Gross: $5,593,423

Totals courtesy of www.the-numbers.com.

May 30th, 2007 | Category: Top of the Box Office | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Howard Hawks

One of the most under-celebrated directors of his time, Howard Hawks was born on this day in 1896. Over his career, beginning in the pre-studio days of the 1910s, through the silent era and lasting into the early 1970s, Hawks directed nearly 50 films, including classics like Scarface (1932), Sergeant York (1941), The Big Sleep (1946) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Today he is remembered among the likes of great American directors like John Ford and Orson Welles, yet, the Academy recognized him with only one nomination, in 1942. John Ford won for The Grapes of Wrath that year, beating out Sergeant York and Welles’ masterpiece Citizen Kane. Hawks would not get his own Oscar until 1971, when the Academy voted to recognize him with a special award. Despite living in an era dominated by the studios, Hawks successfully produced and developed scripts for his own films, serving as a model for later writer-director-producers who would rise in esteem after the breakdown of the studio system.

Quotable: “A good movie is three good scenes and no bad scenes.”

May 29th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Bob Hope

Leslie Townes Hope was born in London on this day in 1903, the fifth of seven sons. His father, a stonemason, moved them to Cleveland, Ohio in 1907. Hope performed locally for several years and was discovered by comedian Fatty Arbuckle in 1925. A year later, he met George Burns and they traveled the vaudeville circuit with a pair of tap-dancing conjoined twins. He performed on several musicals and by the mid-1930s had begun doing films. It was around this time Leslie Townes Hope changed his name to Bob Hope, in response to a persistent nickname following him around: “Hopelessly.” Most of Hope’s fame came from his long tenure with radio and television (his relationship with NBC lasted over 60 years). Though never an Oscar winner, Hope is remembered as one of the great hosts of the Academy Awards, hosting or co-hosting 18 in all.

Quotable: “Welcome to the Academy Awards or, as it’s known at my house, Passover.”

May 28th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Saved!

Brian Dannelly’s Saved! went into limited release in the U.S. on this day in 2004. Produced by Michael Stipe’s Single Cell Pictures, Saved! was picked up for distribution by MGM/UA at Sundance earlier in the year. Dannelly wrote Saved! with his partner Michael Urban during their time together at the American Film Institute. They continue to work together and have several upcoming projects. Saved! was generally well-received as a smart, fair satire of Evangelical Christianity, but reactions among the religious community were varied. Dannelly staged several screenings for religious groups and used the film as a springboard for enlightened discourse. The success of this film paved the way for more serious material like the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp.

Factoid: Brian Dannelly dropped out of his Christian high school after receiving too many demerits.

May 28th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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In Theaters Now: May 25, 2007

Angel-A
directed by Luc Besson
Luc Besson’s 2005 romantic comedy, which he also wrote, finally hits North America in limited release. Andre, broke and deep in debt, decides to end it all by jumping into the Seine. But moments before him, a girl jumps first and he dives in to save her. You can probably fill in the blanks from here on out. The title could leave a little to the imagination, but a rom-com is a rom-com, and we’re betting the title in French sounds subtler.

The Boss of It All
directed by Lars von Trier
Danish moviemaker Lars von Trier’s little office comedy gets a limited release this weekend. The owner of an IT company hires an actor when a potential buyer wants to meet face to face with its fictional president. We’re willing to give this light comedy the benefit of the doubt. Though von Trier is not known for comedy, he tackles a few familiar themes with this one and seems to have pulled it off. If this sounds like something you would want to see, you probably won’t be disappointed. Take a pass if you’re still asking yourself, “Who’s Lars von Trier?”

Bug
directed by William Friedkin
The trailer for Bug reminds us that William Friedkin won an Oscar for directing The Exorcist. But that was almost 35 years ago. More recently he’s done Rules of Engagement (2000) and The Hunted (2003). His newest effort is about a paranoid Gulf War veteran holed up in a seedy motel room with a woman in hiding. People will probably go see this, because something about claustrophobic thrillers just gets them going. But when Lionsgate balks at a planned winter release and decides to put this up against Pirates instead, chances are this movie is five forms of lame. However, Bug was originally a play, and Friedkin has some experience with adaptations, so we could be wrong.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
directed by Gore Verbinski
Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and Captain Barbossa team up to save Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones’ Locker. Here comes the third of the franchise juggernauts to join the summer blockbustin’ fray. Its opponents have already combined for a box office take topping $400 million. So how will Pirates size up? It’s a long one, running longer than Dead Man’s Chest, which many complained was too convoluted already. But the last adventure was still a lot of fun, looked terrific and made mountains of money. With the addition of Chow Yun-Fat and Keith Richards (playing Jack’s dad), we expect this third installment to blow the competition out of the water…. Moreover, we fully expect a Roger Ebert pull quote to that effect to appear in newspapers nationwide by next week. Other lines to look out for: “A terrific franchise Swann song,” “Jack, Kraken, Pop: The most important meal of the day” and “A theme park ride!”

--Kevin McCarthy

May 24th, 2007 | Category: In Theaters Now | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was born on this day in 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. His career as a performer began at six years old. At seven, Robinson left school to concentrate on dancing and by 15, “Bojangles” had become the toast of Broadway. In the late 1920s, the popularity of black revues grew among white audiences and Robinson became a star. He appeared in several Hollywood comedy musicals, usually playing servant characters in antebellum America. Though his stardom waned in the 1940s, he was still wildly popular among audiences until his death at the end of the decade.

Factoid: May 25th is National Tap Dancing Day, in honor of Robinson’s birthday.

May 24th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Lincoln Motion Picture Company

Noble Johnson, an established actor of the silent era, and his brother, George, founded the Lincoln Motion Picture Company on this day in 1915. As the first studio owned and operated by African Americans, the company’s purpose, as Noble put it, was to present the African American “in his everyday life, a human being with human inclination and one of talent and intellect.” Having only a handful of employees and only finding booking opportunities in churches, schools and “Colored Only” theaters, Lincoln Motion Pictures failed to achieve any level of notoriety. Though the studio heroically struggled, it would close after five years, being credited with only six films. By Right of Birth was the studio’s last effort and the only one to accept white investors. The release proved unprofitable and ultimately the death blow to the venture. Still, these films served as a necessary response to disturbingly racist films like D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) and an example for African American moviemakers throughout cinema.

Factoid: George Johnson hired 10 of the prettiest girls he could find to sell tickets to the two-day premiere of By Right of Birth and succeeded in selling out the event. Unfortunately, this marketing strategy did not have the legs to capture the public’s interest.

May 23rd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Robert Lansing

On this day in 1928, American actor Robert Lansing was born. His given name was Robert Brown, but he chose the surname “Lansing” after the capital city of Michigan. Lansing began acting in the 1950s on Broadway, a place he’d return to periodically throughout his career. In the decades that followed, he gained a reputation as a TV action star with series like “87th Precinct,” “Branded,” “The Man Who Never Was” and “The Equalizer.” He also made two notable appearances in the science fiction classics “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone.” Late in his career, he served as president of The Players, a fraternal club of theatrical professionals. He died in 1994 at the age of 66 shortly after filming the final episode of “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.”

Factoid: The series finale of “Kung Fu,” which aired three weeks after his death, was dedicated in memory of Robert Lansing.

May 23rd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Schindler’s List

On this day in 1993, filming ended on Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, four days ahead of schedule. Spielberg had shopped the film around for years, eventually trading projects with Martin Scorsese to direct it himself. He personally interviewed several Holocaust survivors, sometimes incorporating their experiences into the script. This three-hour epic retold the true story of Oskar Schindler, a Sudeten German businessman who saved the lives of over 1,000 Polish Jews by making them slave laborers in his factory. The film was unanimously lauded and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning seven. It is the most commercially successful black and white film in cinematic history and is ranked among the greatest movies of all time by AFI, IMDb viewers and critics Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert. Spielberg won his first two Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.

Factoid: In 1998, Steven Spielberg received the highest civil distinction the Federal Republic of Germany has for his sensible representation of Germany’s history in this film.

May 22nd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Moviemaker of the Week: George Lucas

Even the most casual of moviegoers are intimately acquainted with the many contributions that George Lucas has made to the motion picture medium over the last three decades. From his light years-ahead special effects to his foresight in securing the merchandising rights to his movies, Lucas has been on the bleeding edge of cinema technology since his student days at USC.

So why honor him now?

This week--May 25th, to be exact--marks the 30th anniversary of the U.S. release Lucas’ seminal Star Wars. In addition to the film’s millions of rabid fans worlwide, The History Channel is also paying homage to this iconic moviemaker with a brand-new documentary, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed, premiering Monday, May 28th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Featuring interviews with moviemakers (Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith), journalists and media pundits (Tom Brokaw, Stephen Colbert), critics (Elvis Mitchell) and more, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed explores the reasons behind the lasting impact of the film.

Now, MM wants to know about your most memorable Star Wars experience: Whether you were the first in line back in 1977 or saw it for the first time on DVD in recent years, share your fondest memories by e-mailing with “Star Wars” as the subject line.

One grand prize winner--chosen at random--will receive:
*Insignia 8” Portable DVD Player
*Portable iPod Speaker Case
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed T-Shirt
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed 3D trading cards
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed poster
*SnapTV Arcade Trivia DVD Game

One first-runner up--also chosen at random--will receive:
*Portable iPod Speaker Case
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed T-Shirt
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed 3D trading cards
*Limited Edition Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed poster
*SnapTV Arcade Trivia DVD Game

15 other readers will win one of several additional prizes--includeing T-shirts, trading cards, posters and more.

Email with the subject line “Star Wars.” Winners will be chosen on June 15, 2007.

May 21st, 2007 | Category: Contests, Moviemaker of the Week Contest, Moviemaking Contest | By MovieMaker Staff

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Film School of the Week: Idyllwild Arts Academy

As one of only three arts-focused boarding schools in the United States, Idyllwild Arts Academy has a particular knack for bringing out the creative talents of young people. With departments covering film, visual arts, theater, music, dance and creative writing, the school is a haven for those students who seek an environment that prioritizes their artistic abilities, rather than treating them simply as a hobby. With the “Hollywood Ending” writing contest, the school has reached out to young artists around the world, hoping to add a few more talented members to the Idyllwild community.

Participants in the contest were asked to complete the work of two current Idyllwild students, either a short story or screenplay, with Grand Prize winner Joseph DiFronzo landing a $25,000 scholarship to the Academy (second- and third-place winners were awarded $10,00 and $5,000 scholarships, respectively). “The Motion Picture department, as well as the entire academy, always looks to find potential students who have academic prowess, who are ambitious and highly focused,” says Darren Schilling, Idyllwild’s director of marketing. By bringing together the skills of current and future students, Idyllwild has ensured that its artistically vibrant community will continue to thrive, providing a space for young people to explore their creative potential.

For more information, visit www.idyllwildarts.org.

Sound Off: Do you wish you’d had the opportunity to attend an arts-focused high school? How do you think an early education in moviemaking impacts a person’s artistic style and growth? Let us know in the comments section!

May 21st, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff

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Festival of the Week: GI Film Festival

War movies have always held a special place in the annals of American film history, often going beyond simple entertainment to support or critique our nation’s turbulent military past. The current conflict in Iraq, which is quickly becoming a popular topic for modern moviemakers, has sparked heated debates over the U.S.’s involvement in Middle Eastern politics. But what is often overlooked is the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who are serving overseas.

It was with this oversight in mind that Brandon Millet founded the G.I. Film Festival, which will hold its first annual event over Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. “We wanted to do something to focus public attention on the courage and selflessness [of American soldiers],” Millet explains. “After all, our soldiers don’t get to choose the conflict. They just put on their helmets and go to work when called, and we have the privilege of living our lives secure in the knowledge that they are protecting us.”

As the first festival of its kind in the U.S., the G.I. Film Festival will likely attract a diverse range of attendees, from veterans and military families to politicians and moviemakers. Actor Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump) and director Ron Maxwell (Gods and Generals, Gettysburg), among others, will be attending this year’s event. The festival will feature a total of 21 films over three days (including several classic films) all celebrating, as the festival’s motto states, “the success and sacrifices of American soldiers.”

For more information, visit www.gifilmfestival.com.

Sound Off: Do you think the festival circuit needs more niche festivals like the G.I. Film Fest? What would be your pick for a never-before-seen festival theme? Let us know in the comments section!

May 21st, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week, Festivals | By MovieMaker Staff

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In Theaters Now: May 18, 2007

Fay Grim
directed by Hal Hartley
Fay Grim has been playing all the prominent film festivals
for the past year and now it’s getting a limited release in anticipation of the
DVD premiere on May 22nd. Hartley writes, directs, scores and produces the
sequel to his own Henry Fool (1997). Set 10 years after the first film,
Parker Posey reprises her role as the titular character on a race across
continents to find her ex-husband’s notebooks (and the sensitive material
contained within them). Posey has proven her comedic chops in the
Christopher Guest movies and it’s good to see a real moviemaker like Hal
Hartley continuing to do his thing.

Once
directed by John Carney
Winner of this year’s Audience Award at Sundance, Once is a modern day
Irish musical set in Dublin. Expect a winsome little movie with a heart. I
could come at it with my usual arsenal of snark, but I’m an Irish-American
with an inexplicable zeal for a little of that deedle-weedle. Chances are
you can catch me slouched in the theater this weekend in a woolen sweater
with my green derby pulled down tight.

Severance
directed by Christopher Smith
In the tradition of Shaun of the Dead, here is a horror-comedy about a
group of co-workers on an office retreat who are assailed by a bunch of
crazed killers. If it’s playing at a theater near you this weekend, we ask, “why not?”
This is the type of stuff that makes your DVD collection cooler than your best friend’s.  There’s really no missing with this one--honestly, the tagline is “Another bloody office outing"--and that’s gold right there. Like the other limited releases this week, Severance has been making the festival rounds since last year at Cannes.

Shrek the Third
directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui
Two DreamWorks vets step up to co-direct another Shrek film. Justin
Timberlake as spoiled prince Artie is just one of many marquee names to join this third installment and, with all the previous voice talent back, there’s no reason to believe this won’t be a lot of fun. Whoever noticed that Mike Myers’ humor is based pretty much on him doing voices and decided to get him involved in an animated feature was a genius. Nothing else is opening wide this weekend, so it’s safe to say Shrek the Third is going to generate more green than Princess Fiona’s uterus.

The Wendell Baker Story
directed by Andrew Wilson and Luke Wilson
Originally premiering at SXSW in 2005, this little Wilson family project
has been kicking around for a while and finally sees a limited release
this weekend. Luke Wilson writes, co-stars and co-directs the picture.
His brothers Andrew and Owen co-direct and co-star, respectively. The
Wilsons have done some incredible work under Wes Anderson but word is The
Wendell Baker Story isn’t on par. Still, this serves as interesting
counter-programming to The Ogre. Plus there’s a rumored Frat Pack cameo,
which is decidedly the best variety of cameo.

May 18th, 2007 | Category: In Theaters Now | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: May 18

Director Frank Capra was born in Italy on this day in 1897. By the age of six he was on a boat across the ocean to America, where he would soon find himself selling newspapers and waiting tables to put himself (one of seven Capra children) through college at CalTech. After graduating, Capra enlisted in the U.S. Army--to which he would later return as director of World War II propaganda films. Unsure of his aspirations, an advertisement for a new film studio caught his eye and he pitched and filmed his first short movie, Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House. For years Capra toiled away as an apprentice prop man and film editor before finally making his own deals. In 1928 Capra signed with the struggling Columbia Pictures, for which he directed 25 features in a 10-year period. His contribution alone helped to lift the company from ruin. Capra’s last movie for Columbia was 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, after which he directed his first independent feature, Meet John Doe in 1941. But everyone knows the Hollywood optomist best for the holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, which earned him his seventh Academy Award nomination. The director took home four trophies over the course of his career.

Quotable: “Just get up off the ground, that’s all I ask. Get up there with that lady that’s up on top of this capital dome, that lady that stands for liberty. Take a look at this country through her eyes if you really want to see something. And you wont just see scenery; you’ll see the whole parade of what Man’s carved out for himself, after centuries of fighting. Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so’s he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color or creed. That’s what you’d see.” --James Stewart as Jefferson Smith in Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).

May 17th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: May 17

By the age of 13 actress Nikki Reed, born on this day in 1988, had begun chronicling her life for the screen. With the help of then-production designer Catherine Hardwicke, Reed set out to channel that cliched teenage angst and anger into the screenplay for what would become the movie thirteen. Besides functioning as a form of therapy for the troubled young woman, the legend of the movie’s inception made her a star. Since winning a Spirit Award for her debut performance in the self-penned film, Reed has appeared in American Gun, Mini’s First Time and the upcoming Kevin Smith television pilot, “Reaper.”

Connections: Daughter of art director Seth Reed, Nikki became friendly with her writing partner and thirteen director, Catherine Hardwicke when the older pair dated. After the women found success with their dark teen drama, the trio reunited on Hardwicke’s 2005 feature, Lords of Dogtown.

May 16th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: May 16

Henry Fonda was born on this day in 1905. The now-legendary actor was pulled into the profession as a young boy by Dodie Brando--Marlon’s mother--who needed to cast a young male lead in a production at the Omaha Community Playhouse. By 1929 the actor had reached Broadway and in 1935 took to the screen, reprising the role he played on stage in The Farmer Takes a Wife. Shortly thereafter Fonda began working with director John Ford, with whom he made nine films, including his most famous, The Grapes of Wrath. Other mutual credits include some of cinema’s most widely regarded movies--Young Mr. Lincoln, My Darling Clementine and Fort Apache among them. In the midst of his career, Fonda found purpose serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and returned to film without ever having lost a beat. Notable post-war titles include War and Peace, How the West Was Won, Yours, Mine and Ours and the television miniseries “Roots.”

Factoid: Although a respected actor among the industry and American audiences, Henry Fonda had only received one Academy Award nomination--for The Grapes of Wrath--by the year 1981. As a result, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bestowed upon him an honorary Oscar that symbolized his overall impact on cinema. Funnily enough, Fonda took home the Best Actor trophy the following year for his turn in On Golden Pond. His daughter, Jane, was also nominated that year for her supporting role in that same movie.

May 15th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: May 15

It was on this day in 1978 that prolific young actor David Krumholtz was born in Queens, NY. Since the age of 13 Krumholtz has appeared in more 20 features, both studio-backed and independent. Much like his first screen appearance opposite Michael J. Fox and Cyndi Lauper in Life with Mikey, Krumholtz has often been cast as the nerdy (sometimes even slimy) alternative to a movie’s Adonis--think Addams Family Values and According to Spencer. But he soon found a way out of the typecast as the charming and dedicated North Pole elf, Bernard, in The Santa Clause (1994) and its 2002 sequel. Though he had little success in television early on (there are seven failed series with his name attached), Krumholtz is now earning notice for his role as Charlie Epps, an FBI mathematics consultant, in the CBS crime drama “NUMB3RS.” Never breaking, Krumholtz can also be seen in this year’s Live! opposite Eva Mendes and will be writing the comedy Attorneys at Raw for Apatow Productions.

Connections: On “NUMB3RS” David Krumholtz holds his own opposite experienced thespians Judd Hirsch and Peter MacNicol. But this isn’t the first time the actor has played alongside them. In his first acting role, Krumholtz played son to Hirsch’s character in Broadway’s “Conversations with My Father.” And in 1993’s Addams Family Values MacNicol played a happy-go-lucky camp counselor shocked by Krumholtz’s on-screen love, Christina Ricci.

May 14th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Top of the Box Office

1. Spider-Man 3
Sony Pictures
Weekend Gross: $58,166,256
Total Gross: $240,236,828

2. 28 Weeks Later
20th Century Fox
Weekend Gross: $9,807,292
Total Gross: $9,807,292

3. Georgia Rule
Universal
Weekend Gross: $6,773,870
Total Gross: $6,773,870

4. Disturbia
Dreamworks SKG
Weekend Gross: $4,732,839
Total Gross: $66,220,865

5. Delta Farce
Lionsgate
Weekend Gross: $3,420,645
Total Gross: $3,420,645

6. Fracture
New Line
Weekend Gross: $2,953,145
Total Gross: $31,032,946

7. The Invisible
Buena Vista
Weekend Gross: $2,315,286
Total Gross: $15,569,122

8. Meet the Robinsons
Buena Vista
Weekend Gross: $1,802,543
Total Gross: $94,296,510

9. Next
Sony Pictures
Weekend Gross: $1,738,056
Total Gross: $14,738,075

10. Hot Fuzz
Focus Features
Weekend Gross: $1,716,670
Total Gross: $18,991,668

May 14th, 2007 | Category: Top of the Box Office | By MovieMaker Staff

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Moviemaker of the Week: Terry Sanders

As one half of the American Film Foundation, director Terry Sanders has contributed to the company’s three Oscar wins, 10 nominations, two Emmy awards and three nods from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. To date, the Foundation’s small team has completed over 60 films--and on May 15th, it will add one more to the list as Sanders premieres his latest film, Fighting for Life at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The movie, originally a documentary about the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, turned into a larger-than-life account of the medical services provided to the armed forces fighting in Iraq and those who return home injured. From the National Naval Medical Center in Washington and Bethesda to the battlegrounds of Iraq and back to the now infamous Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Sanders follows one woman’s journey to cope with her new disfigurement and the other considerable results with which the country is embroiled.

According to Sanders, he and partner Freida Lee Mock were looking to “explore new cinematic territory and break new ground in the production of the extraordinary, powerful and entertaining award-winning films on the arts, sciences and humanities.” To that end, the American Film Foundation was formed in 1976. AFF is currently in production on the documentary Wrestling with Angels, which chronicles the life of playwright Tony Kushner and Tokyo Rose/American Patriot, about the first woman in America to be convicted of treason. For more information visit www.americanfilmfoundation.com. To read more about Fighting for Life, head to www.fightingforlifethemovie.com.

May 14th, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week, Moviemaking | By MovieMaker Staff

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Festival of the Week: Filmstock International Film Festival

When it comes to international film festivals, Toronto, Berlin, Venice and Cannes get the lion’s share of attention. Like in the U.S., smaller festivals on the international scene can get lost in the hype generated by the larger ones. In England, Justin Doherty and Neil Fox are changing the attitude that only a few international fests are worth talking about, as their Filmstock International Film Festival enters its eighth year.

Filmstock began out of Doherty and Fox’s desire to bring different kinds of films to their hometown of Luton, which is 30 miles north of London. Though the festival has grown since the original event in 2000, its founders aren’t standing pat. “I guess the never-ending aspiration is to keep growing audiences and keep increasing the visiting filmmakers, which is one of our personal buzzes,” Doherty says.

In 2005, Filmstock traveled to Debrecen, Hungary after a Hungarian journalist attended Filmstock, loved the feel of the festival and suggested sending a touring version to Hungary. “We loved the idea of packaging up a ‘greatest hits’ package,” Doherty says.

Doherty says that the Debrecen experience still feels like “some kind of bohemian dream.” And while the experience of taking Filmstock to Hungary was one neither he nor Fox could ever have predicted, he takes a pragmatic (and cheeky) stance on any future touring Filmstock festivals. “Truth is it may have been a one-off,” Doherty says, “though we have long harbored the desire to hold a Filmstockholm.”

Filmstock is currently accepting submissions for its 2007 fest, which will take place in November. For more information visit www.filmstock.co.uk.

Sound Off: There aren’t many film festivals that take their show on the road the way Filmstock did when it traveled to Debrecen. Should more festivals take this kind of roadshow approach to its programming? Talk back in our comments section!

--Dante A. Ciampaglia

May 14th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week, Festivals | By MovieMaker Staff

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