Posts Tagged ‘Art’

  • 02 Apr

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    Period Romcom Fun: Easy Virtue Trailer

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    Easy Virtue Movie StillIn 1994, writer director Stephan Elliott hit the ground running with the release of the cult favourite The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Though I saw it years after its release, it was my first introduction to two very talented actors: Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce not to mention that it was a gorgeous and fun film.

    Ellilot’s film career never skyrocketed but the director did make a few other films, none of which I’ve seen, but he jumped back on the radar when it was announced that he would be stepping behind the camera to direct Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas in Easy Virtue. A period drama about an Englishman (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’s Ben Barnes) who marries a glamorous but scandalous American woman (Jessica Biel), the project instantly had my attention but I never realized it would be the riot the trailer suggests.

    Though Firth and Thomas were and remain my main attraction to the project, this looks to be Biel’s opportunity to be more than just the pretty face and the trailer suggest she may have struck gold. It’s a familiar story (essentially a period romcom) but with this much talent behind and in front of the camera (not to mention that it looks beautiful), it’s one to keep an eye on.

    Easy Virtue has been making the festival rounds since it premiered at TIFF last; it will open in limited release across the US and Canada on May 22nd.

    Easy Virtue Trailer [ 0:01 | 14.67 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup
  • 26 Mar

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    Angels & Demons: Nice Poster. Not Sure About the Movie

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    I’m not holding out much hope for Angels & Demons. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks’ first attempt to transfer Robert Langdon from the page to the screen was a dud and though Dan Brown has made millions from Langdon and the mysteries he “solves”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the stories are ripe for the big screen.

    Good taste aside, The Da Vinci Code made a nice pile of cash so it’s no surprise that the studio would want to dig in for a second round. What is surprising is that both Howard and Hanks signed on for a second film; maybe they had a really great time on set. One thing is certain, if the book is any indication, the premise for this one will be less mind numbing than the first. Though it takes place before the events of The Da Vinci Code, the stories have no overlap aside from Langdon and a religious conspiracy which, this time, puts the symbologist in the middle of a mystery involving a murder, the Vatican and the Illuminati.

    As expected, the new film features quite the cast including Stellan Skarsgård, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ayelet Zurer as the new love interest and Ewan McGregor in a role that is unlikely to be en par with Paul Bettany’s scene stealing performance in The Da Vinci Code. The trailers are far from awe inspiring but they do suggest that the film will sport some awesome locations and I have to admit, this new poster is very nice.

    Angels & Demons One Sheet

    Angels & Demons opens on May 15th.

  • 15 Mar

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    Sell Out! Trailer

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    Generally, a Malaysian musical comedy wouldn’t be something that appeals to me but I’m an equal opportunity lover and frankly, it’s not every day that I’ve already heard about a little known Asian film but here we are.

    Colleen saw and fell in love with Yeo Joon Han’s Sell Out! at VIFF and every time she talks about it, she breaks into gleeful hysterics; having seen the trailer, I can see why. From what I can remember, it’s about a boy, a girl and a company that is on the lookout for the next best product (as long as it has a deficiency that will break it immediately after the warranty expires).

    Doubtful that we’ll get to see the film outside of the festival circuit but at this point, I’m just happy to see a trailer! Keep an eye out for it possibly playing near you. I’m anxiously awaiting the DVD release!

    Thanks to the Twitch folks for the awesomeness!


  • 04 Feb

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    The Look of McG’s Post Skynet World

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    Art from Terminator: Salvation

    Not to sound like a party pooper because I am looking forward to, to what I’m sure is the distaste of a few regular readers/contributors around these parts, McG’s Terminator Salvation. Admittedly one of the things I’m most looking forward to is the post apocalyptic vision of the future which I’m hoping is going to be more than just a few short clips in the background with loads of crazy, three million cuts a second action in the foreground that don’t allow you to take in the surroundings.

    The folks at Wired recently had a chance to talk to McG about the look of the film and he shared some of the concept art for the project and the first thing that came to mind was “Hugh. You couldn’t come up with something more, I don’t know, original?” Granted, destroyed worlds will always look similar, especially when the basis is the cities we currently reside in, and though I can’t quite pinpoint what I had expected (it’s one of those things that when you see it you say “YES! That’s exactly what I had in mind!”) I certainly wasn’t looking for a rehash of H.R. Giger and The Matrix. And yes, I realize that there’s some overlap there since some of The Matrix designs were directly influenced by Giger’s work.

    They should really have hired Syd Mead. I’m assuming he was busy.

    I’ve only posted a couple of the images. Head on over to Wired for the whole lot.

    Art from Terminator: Salvation

  • 30 Jan

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    Objectified Screenings Announced

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    Objectified Logo

    It’s starting. And if the response to Helvetica was any indication and you want to see Gary Hustwit’s new film Objectified (which we’ve talked about before), you may want to jump on this opportunity.

    On Monday, February 2nd, tickets go on sale for two special screenings of the film which will also include a Q & A with director Hustwit (who, take it from me, is a great speaker) and a number of designers featured in the film.

    Currently there are two screening dates confirmed:

    April 21st, San Francisco at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 7pm & 10pm (buy tickets)
    April 28th, Chicago at the Music Box Theatre, 7:30pm (buy tickets)

    Additional screenings, including New York City and London in early April, will be announced over the next few weeks so be sure to stay tuned to the website for details.

  • 06 Jan

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    Gary Hustwit’s Objectified Trailer

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    Objectified Logo

    Our world is populated by “stuff” and though we don’t always think about it, everything was designed by someone. Sure, the basic shapes may resemble what we’re used to seeing but in some instances, someone comes along and makes it better by making it look different. It’s one of the reasons I love walking through the IKEA box store: if nothing else, it provides fresh, sleek designs that you’re not likely to see anywhere else. It’s easy to walk though a museum or flip through a design or fashion magazine and contemplate why something looks the way it does, analyze the lines and cuts but have you ever considered the design of your watch, your computer or your MP3 player?

    Gary Hustwit, the man behind the hit documentary Helvetica, has been working on his new project but this time rather than bringing fonts to the masses, he’s bringing design. Objectified focuses on industrial design and provides a look at the creativity and work that goes into designing everything from tooth brushes to tech gadgets.

    The film, much like the previous one, is sure to have a built in audience but I’m curious to see if it too will bring out the hidden design lover in all of us.

    No release date yet but we’ll keep you posted as soon as new information is available. For now, be sure to check out the trailer tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 03 Dec

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    Little Ashes Trailer

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    The other day I posted a clip from Paul Morrison’s upcoming film Little Ashes and mused that it looked interesting though I wasn’t sold; I wanted a trailer.

    As they say, ask and you shall receive. The trailer has gone live and I have to admit, I’m impressed. Very impressed actually. Not quite sure I’m buying Robert Pattinson’s accent but he has little to say in the trailer and it’s hard to tell if it’s actually the accent or the editing. At this point, I’m willing to overlook that tidbit.

    At the moment, the film doesn’t have an official release date though there is a very basic website set up which will likely be updated with more information in the coming months.

  • 01 Dec

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    A Peek at Dalí in Little Ashes

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    Little Ashes Movie StillGirls are tripping over themselves at the opportunity to yell at and be bitten by Robert Pattinson but the young actor isn’t sitting around waiting for New Moon to start production. Pattinson has been working on his next film, one of a few in production, about the life of artist Salvador Dalí, titled Little Ashes.

    Said to cover the early part of Dalí’s carreer, including the relationships and interactions with filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico García Lorca, the film is directed by English director Paul Morrison and is scheduled for release in 2009. It’s bound to be an interesting film – Dalí was quite the character – but it’s yet unclear whether fangirls will be drawn into seeing the story of this eccentric artist simply because of their beloved Pattinson. I’m interested, mostly because I’m fascinated by Dalí’s work, but will admit to being largely curious to see if Pattinson can act beyond brooding (there’s hints of more in his performances to date but I’m not sold).

    The release of Twiligth (our review) has brought attention to what might otherwise be a small indie film, and a lot of material has been surfacing including a photo gallery and a load of videos. Late last week, Anne Thompson posted a short clip which didn’t really impress me but certainly caught my attention. I’ve tucked it under the seat for your viewing.

    At this point, I’m more interested in seeing a trailer.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 10 Oct

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    VIFF Review: Burn the Bridges

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    VIFF Banner

    Francisco Franco’s feature film debut Burn the Bridges reads like a cliché buffet: incest, homoeroticism, broken family, death and abuse. How many other social problems can really be crammed into a film? Though reading the description is likely to make the seasoned viewer turn a cheek but there was something about the trailer that suggested more than just cliché’s and thankfully, I was listening to my inner voice that day.

    Burn the BridgesFranco’s story unfolds with Sebastián and Helena, a brother and sister, looking after their dying mother, a former pop singer. When we join the duo, it’s clear that mom has been sick for some time and the two, though mostly Helena, have been caring for the woman who is slowly wasting away for some time. They live in a sprawling mansion which is slowly falling apart but even after their mother’s eventual death, the two find it difficult to move away.

    Helena is the leader. She makes every effort to look out for her brother and dreams of traveling with Sebastián to far off places like Montreal. Sebastián is more of a free spirit. An artist, his relationship with Helena begins to splinter when he falls for the new boy in town and the resulting relationship threatens to pull him away from Helena. The drama that ensues when Helena realizes that her brother is attracted to men, turns physical and nearly means the end of their relationship but in the end, blood is thicker than anything and the two do manage to find a sort of understanding.

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  • 29 Sep

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    VIFF Review: Chelsea on the Rocks

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    VIFF Banner

    A documentary about the infamous Chelsea Hotel is always going to get my attention, especially when it’s a documentary directed by the great Abel Ferrara, unfortunately, Chelsea on the Rocks is not the film I was expecting.

    Chelsea on the Rocks Movie StillTo be honest, I’m not sure what I expected from Ferrara, a filmmaker whose work has always pushed buttons. I always felt a little sleazy watching Ferrara’s films and considering that the Chelsea straddles the divide between sleaze and celebrity, I’d hoped for great things. In its stead, we have a documentary that is neither groundbreaking nor particularly enjoyable to watch.

    Using a combination of interviews with residents, previous tenants, archival footage and even re-enactments of celebrity guests, the film tries to say something about the Chelsea but I’m hard pressed to figure out what. It could be discerned from the material provided that the Chelsea is an odd place where celebrity and the general population meet on equal footing and that, at least comes through in some of the discussions. I’ll give him this much: Ferrara’s approach to the film is unconventional. A compilation of conversations with Ferrara sitting off camera asking questions about people and events and often, even engaging in the discussion with an observation or a comment, the film’s set-up is at least interesting.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 26 Aug

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    The Rape of Europa Comes to DVD

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    The Rape of Europa Movie StillIt’s common to hear individuals talk about WWII films in connection with the comment that the best stories are the small ones or those we don’t know about and considering the success of recent war related films such as The Counterfeiters (our review), the Oscar winning film about Germany’s plot to overrun the US and British economies with fake currency, and even the upcoming Tom Cruise extravaganza Valkyrie about a German plan to assassinate Hitler.

    Late last year I had the opportunity to catch up with an interesting documentary about WWII featuring one of the many interesting stories to come out of the era. I was very impressed by The Rape of Europa (my original review), a film based on a book by art historian Lynn Nicholas. Directed by Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen and Nicole Newnham, the film focuses on the art which was obsessively “collected” by Hitler and his officers, the fascinating stories of the Monument Men whose sole job was to rescue and protect precious works of art and architecture while everyone else was concerned with blowing the Germans out of the sky and just as interesting, the continued efforts to track down and return pieces of art to their rightful owners. But perhaps most interesting is the constant question of what is more important: a human being or a work of art.

    Narrated by Joan Allen, the film is both fascinating and beautiful and well worth a viewing even if you’re not an art history or war aficionado. There is a whole lot of information to take in in one sitting but it never feels long or bogged down. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the film again and it looks like I’ll finally have the opportunity to do so. Actual Films will be releasing the documentary on DVD on September 16th and if it doesn’t show up on your store shelves, worry not. You can pick up your very own copy from Amazon.

    Trailer is tucked under the seat.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 01 Aug

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    Helvetica Director Working on Second Film

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    Objectified Logo

    One of coolest yet oddest documentaries I’ve seen in my life is Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica. An entire film on a font. And we’re not talking a Discovery Channel special either. Hustwit’s documentary was one of the best I saw in 2007, partly because in and of itself, the story of a font was interesting but there was also something very cinematic about the way Hustwit captured the usage and importance of font – even if you never realize it. I think it’s fair to say that the film was a bit of a surprise hit though when once considers the number of people working with fonts and in print on a day to day basis, there was a good built in audience to begin with (I attended a sold out screening to which they had to add a second showing to cram everyone in).

    Now it looks like Hustwit is moving into sharing another one of his personal interests. According to news at In Design, Hustwit’s new documentary is titled Objectified and will focus on industrial design. The film will include interviews with everyone from Jonathan Ive of Apple and Dieter Rams (you can place “blame” of Apple’s sleek designs on these two) to Hella Jongerius and writer Alice Rawsthorn, who share stories behind the manufactured objects of everyday life and comment on issues of consumerism, sustainability, and identity.

    Again, Hustwit has a fairly large built in audience but as with his first project, Objectified is likely to catch the attention of a few general enthusiasts. Personally, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the announcement of a local screening.

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