I admit that I’m intrigued to see Abel Ferrara’s take on the DSK scandal (the French head of the IMF who was accused of forcing himself on a hotel maid). In a thinly-veiled reference to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Gérard Depardieu plays a dissolute businessman, and Jacqueline Bisset his rich wife. The trailer is in French, but [...]
– Martin Scorsese interviews Wong Kar Wai about The Grandmaster. It’s a real joy to listen to these 2 great directors talk about their art. Wong starts by saying “it’s an honor to be with my hero”, and also states that Raging Bull has one of “the greatest fight scenes of all time”. +++ link [...]
___ In part 3 of my video interview with Chris Doyle, the cinematographer talks about the importance of “being there” on set, and talks about the collaboration between the late Harris Savides and director Gus van Sant. +++
___ The Broken Circle Breakdown leads the 2013 European Film Awards in nominations. The Flemish film tells the jumbled story of a couple of bluegrass musicians whose marriage is challenged when their child is diagnosed with cancer. The Broken Circle Breakdown is directed by Felix van Groeningen, stars Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh, with cinematography [...]
My latest post for thefilmbook blog on the ASC site is based on a Camerimage seminar I moderated with cinematographers and gaffers, with the encouragement and sponsorship of Marc Galerne of K5600 Lighting, and additional support by Jacques Delacoux of Transvideo. _____ The participants pictured above are: Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, gaffer James Plannette, Michel Abramowicz, [...]
Artist and social activist Alaa Wardi created this charming multi-screen & muti-track video ridiculing the Saudi ban on woman drivers, in an adaptation of Bob Marley’s classic No Woman No Cry. __ watch on YouTube +++
— In this video writer/Director Paul Schrader wears a silly multi-camera outfit and muses that constant technological change of cinema’s form may prevent good films full of content. If the form is changing, content can’t stabilize You can’t make a revolutionary film in the middle of a revolution My concern is that this period of [...]
— In response to the actor’s reported retirement, The Beast offers this montage of some classic Nicholson moments: watch on the Daily Beast +++
Actor Kevin Spacey speaks eloquently, putting forward his series House of Cards as a business model for television giving people what they want, and predicting that the distinction between features and television will disappear. watch on YouTube +++ I liked the last part of the speech so much, that I transcribed it, on these 2 [...]
+++ This short film by Duval Guillaume Modem tells its political message very well Watch on YouTube +++