[CinemaRatty] tag: alloy

Interesting Machines

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:59 +0000

Written by: Emilio D’alise (SoSF Staff Journalist)

It’s no secret I like “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”. It’s true I am pretty harsh on some of the characters when commenting on the forums, but I realize they (the human characters) are at a serious disadvantage. Per force their characterizations wear the familiar trappings of countless stories that came before them; stories of human quests, struggles, fears, heroism, pettiness, cowardice, and a host of neurosis. All these stories have been thoroughly explored in every imaginable media long before these particular characters were even a gleam in someone’s word processor.

But the Terminators . . . those machines are something we can’t help but focus on, and the writers do give us plenty to focus on. I want to write a commentary on the implications the various incarnations of these machines, if you would please pardon the term, have on the developing story of “Terminator: SSC.” Before my foray into speculation, I feel I should present a short summary of these most interesting machines.

But even before we do that, we must turn a blind eye to the one flaw that runs through the movies and the series. That is, we know there are sophisticated killer robots out there. Practically indestructible, can melt, shape shift, and pretty much know everything. For some reason the future machines powers-that-be choose to limit how many of these models they send back. Maybe they too are suffering credit, housing, and economic crunch, and do not want to blow their budget, even if it would be on something that might actually have a chance of succeeding. OK; once we agree on that, we are set to proceed.

The Basic Brute Force Model (BBFM) terminator
These terminators are the cheap bargain models. They are humorless, devoid of any personality, dedicated to one task. Viewers immediately recognize these as being throw-away models. They appear along with the dreaded music, wreck some minor havoc, kill a few hapless humans, and then are dispatched by our heroes in a way pleasing and entertaining to the viewer. Usually there is a fight, and while at first they look fairly durable, and about evenly matched to the models we’ll discuss below, they will end up tied up in knots or otherwise incapacitated. Truly these embody all the reasons why humans hold out hope against the machines. Heck, we just recently found out some BBFMs can be killed merely by poking them in the back with a rod and extracting what looks to be a cheap junction box with a red blinking light and some wires. Although, before you attempt that, make sure you don’t mistake these inferior BBFMs for the later model with the reinforced titanium alloy chest. You can hit those with a semi-truck, and they keep right on ticking. Why, you can separate their head from their body, and they still keep going.

The Labor Force (LF) terminator
Apparently the illegal labor force is more diverse than people think. It seems society is awash with terminators that were sent back specifically to perform some housekeeping tasks (preserve (or blow up) a power plant here, set up a traffic system there, steal and store materials in heavily fortified bunkers for use by future machines elsewhere, and so on). Again, we’ll ignore the timeline and concentrate instead on these brave workers. We’ve only seen a few models, and they are impressive indeed. Big hulking things, able to lift massive crates, drive trucks, and operate complicated machinery and electronics. But they do appear vulnerable to their programming, as in they shut down once said program is completed. They really don’t pose any threat unless you start poking them with a gun, and wake them up.

The Killer of the Future Savior of Mankind (KFSM) terminator
Now these guys; you have to admire these guys. Focused on the task, resourceful, skilled in investigative work, and, although by en large lacking in interpersonal skills, they are capable of wry humor and even the odd ironic quip. While it’s never really explained, they also possess the unique ability to be at the right place, and right time, to nearly, but not quite, intercept their intended target. The thing you have to admire about these guys is the Bourne-like quality of immediately accepting failure, putting it past them, reassessing the situation, and start executing the next plan for success without betraying any frustration or emotion of any kind. Role models, they are; they teach us the value of perseverance, of not losing our heads to failure . . . er . . . except that one time. But even then, they show us you can recover from that, and come out as a better and improved version.

The Liquid Can Do Anything (LCDA) terminator
This is actually the first terminator model that makes us a little envious. I’ll use “guys” as a generic, non-gender specific term to refer to LCDAs since these things are pretty much liquid unobtanium, and can replicate flesh, fabric, and bad make-up at will. Anyway these guys are the epitome of robotic achievement. Gone is the stilted, semi-mechanical walk, the strained fake smiles, and the expressionless face; these guys move with a fluidity (get it? Fluidity! . . . I crack me up) indistinguishable from humans. It’s like if you’re watching a real human . . . except around kids. Around kids they seem unsure and stilted, almost as if teetering between deciding to pat the kid on the head, or strangle it. Come to think of it, perhaps that is very close to normal parents at that. We really don’t know what these LCDAs are doing, but it’s fun to speculate . . . later.

The Enigmatic Protector of the Future Savior of Mankind (EPFSM) terminator
This is a unique model, eschewing the propensity for the machines to take advantage of mass and size. Personally, if I were to send back a terminator to protect my life sometimes in the past, I would choose the most massive one I found. Sure, this one may be easy on the eyes, but unless possessing of some secret power, a decided disadvantage when dealing with BBFMs or KFSMs. Although, I have to say these models appear to be fairly resourceful. They are also capable of entertaining insights. And they always know when a fight is coming up because they change into appropriate clothing well ahead of time. And they are complicated . . . because that’s what you want when the future of mankind is at stake. You want something unstable, unpredictable, and conflicted. In other words, you want something as human-like as possible.

And there you have it; the terminators in a nutshell. Next, we’ll take a closer look at the relationship of humans to terminators, terminators to terminators, and less interesting, but still entertaining, humans to humans when around terminators. It should be interesting indeed. But, in the spirit of current television entertainment practices, I’ll first go in hiatus for an undetermined period of time so I can think up and write what I’m promising you will next read. Whatever it is, I’ll make sure to act as if reading it will be the single best thing any reasonable human could possibly do.

The Alloy Orchestra shows its chops with Chang

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Five minutes on the Internet was all the members of the Alloy Orchestra needed to get the feel of Thai traditional music to accompany the 1927 silent classic Chang: A Drama in the Wilderness.

"We could have spent a lot longer, and really studied the music," said Terry Donahue, one third of the trio. "But it still would have sounded like three white guys."

So the Alloys opted to just get a brief taste of Thai music, and then branch off with their own, highly original, imaginative sound.

The instrumentation contributes to the music's uniqueness. There's banjo, wood blocks, cymbals, gongs, and an array of tuned vessels that look like pots and pans out of the kitchen. The group's famous "rack of junk" also contains horseshoes, a hunk of sheet metal and automotive springs. But the crowning touch for Chang is strings of bells worn on Donahue's ankles, filling up the sound spectrum even more, though Donahue has to be careful about how and when he moves his legs. More "Thainess" comes from a xylophone, also played by Donahue, which approximates the role of the ranad ek in Thai traditional orchestra.

And a good deal of the Oriental sound is achieved through the unorthodox banjo playing by Roger Miller, who ordinarily plays keyboard. Miller admits that though he's a guitar player, as well as pianist, the banjo isn't really his instrument. The banjo isn't so much picked but drummed on. Or, just one string is strummed. And, at one point, it's sawed on Jimmy Page-style, with a bow.

Filmed in Thailand in 1927 by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, Chang is a transitional film from 1925's Grass, the pair's documentary on the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe of Persia, and the outright fantasy of 1933's King Kong.

Purporting to be a documentary about a farmer and his family struggling to carve out a life in the jungles of Siam, most of the events in the action-packed comedy-drama were staged. The farmer Kru and his "wife" Chantui were not really married. Elephants, tigers, leopards, Malayan sun bears and other animals were wrangled (and killed!) for the production, which was made with the assistance of HRH Prince Yugala Dighambara, grandfather of MC Chatrichalerm Yukol. It remains a landmark film in Thailand's cinematic history and set the tone for how foreign productions are filmed in the Kingdom.

With the Alloys, Kru's chopping down trees and leopard-killing rifle shots, are given emphasis, though they do not do sound effects for every instance of gunfire or axe blow -- you'd hate them if they did. It's only when the effect is needed for dramatic effect. The highest compliment for the orchestra is when their told by audience members,"we forgot you were there", because the music and silent action on the screen becomes seamless.

At a recent two-day stint in at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, the Alloy Orchestra performed Chang and Josef von Sternberg's Underworld. While Chang was the Alloys expanding the limits of their experimentation, the important 1927 gangster film Underworld was more typical of an Alloy Orchestra performance, with Miller on synthesizer. Donahue plays accordion and shares junk percussion duties with the group's musical director, Ken Winokur, who also played wooden flute on Chang and clarinet on Underworld.

Winokur said the Alloy Orchestra got the rights to create a new score for Chang in 2005, when Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong was released and there was renewed interest in Cooper's and Schoedsack's films. They first performed Chang that year at the Telluride Film Festival.

It's not the first time Chang has been scored. For a DVD released in 2000 by Image Entertainment, composer Bruce Gaston and the Fong Naam orchestra recorded a soundtrack of mostly Thai traditional music.

Winokur wondered how Chang would be received by Thai audiences.

Most likely, Chang would please Thai crowds just as it pleased the audience at Hamilton College. It's highly entertaining, and the style of sight gags -- especially those involving the real star of the movie, the anthropomorphized white gibbon Bimbo -- is about the same as Thai comedy films being produced today.

But how would the Alloy Orchestra's approximation of Thai music be received? Probably, because the Alloys are truly great musicians and recognized authorities -- film critic Roger Ebert has called them "the best in the world at accompanying silent film" -- their accompaniment would at least be politely tolerated, with the understanding that, hey, it's just three white guys.

See also:

Alloy Orchestra official website

The Alloy Orchestra shows its chops with Chang

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Alloy Orchestra official website

Clarke Dream Becoming a Reality?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:14:46 +0000

The visionary scientist and sci-fi author Sir Arthur C. Clarke first talked about it decades ago, it has been the dream of SF geeks for almost as long and real science has pondered the likelihood ever since Clarke mused over its possibilities and started pushing for it in the scientific community….and now, it could become a reality, perhaps within the next 50 years are less. What am I talking about? The Space Elevator.

In November, Japan will play host to a gathering of space engineers, astro-physicists, NASA, Russian, JSEA and ESA specialists, astronomers and scientists from across the world. They are coming together to seriously look at building a space elevator, talk about its true feasiblity, pitfalls, advantages, cost analysis, best location and materials needed for the ultimate Tower of Babel.

The physics behind such a human feat of engineering is not far-fetched, even if the concept may seem so to the uninitiated. Basically it is a simple concept in which a cable anchored to the Earth’s surface will reach up to tens of thousands of kilometers into outer space balanced with a counterweight at the upper end. It would have intermittant platforms at various levels for the elevator passengers to depart or reload until it reaches its final destination in space. The inertia caused by the Earth’s rotation and gravity will cause the giant carbon-tubed alloy of nano-technology to retain its velocity along a straight line and create a geostationary orbit. This is one of the premises of basic high school physics. The cable would remain taunt, but not so rigid that it couldn’t adjust for minor movements, such as those that would be caused by the friction and action of an elevator. However, an impact from an external source of significant force, either on the Earth or along the length of the cable, could reap havoc on the structual integrity and/or geostationary stability of the device. The basic design isn’t far removed from Clarke’s original concept in his “Space Odyssey” trilogy and his novel “The Fountains of Paradise” in which the platforms were way-stations and hotel stops with the end-point being a docking station for spacecraft leaving Earth orbit to travel to the far reaches of space.

In the real world, the gathered scientists and engineers have one basic purpose in mind for the space elevator — a cost effective way to transport people and cargo into Earth orbit and beyond and eliminate the need for rocket ships expending billions of dollars of fuel and resources a year with each launch. While the initial startup costs for such a monumental effort like a space elevator would in itself be in the billions, perhaps trillions, the overall savings over time, some say in as little as 10 years from completion, would be massive when compared to the increasing costs of sending astronauts and cargo into space the contemporary way, especially if space travel is ever to become a means for the common citizen to journey there.

Some scientists at this meeting are proposing that another use for the elevator would be environmentally helpful to the planet. It could be used to ship spent nuclear waste into space and send it into the sun for elimination. Another thought was to use the end of the elevator as a huge solar array with massive panels collecting the sun’s energy so that nearly every home and business could be powered by the energy absorbed by them.

Whatever the outcome from this meeting, the idea of a space elevator is quickly becoming a doable fact. The JSEA is working with the Spaceward Foundation and ESA to develop the design, according to CNN. Also involved are the engineers in the Liftport Group. It has committed 300 different specialists in the field to conquer the concept. Not to be left out, NASA has funded the Space Elevator Challenge to curry ideas for space elevator designs, offering as much as a $4 million incentive program.

With carbon nanotube technology already on the high-end stages of development, with tethers already developed, many scientists think the construction of such a space elevator could begin within the next 12 to 20 years. However, there are still two hugh obstacles to overcome if the space elevator is to become part of everyday life in the near future. One is technical and the other financial. The technical issue will likely be won over soon as new methods of creating carbon nanotubes of sufficient tinsel-strength and length are quickly being developed by various groups that specialize in that field. The second will be harder to solve. The financing involved will be astronomical requiring hundreds of governments and private companies from across the globe to work together in a coherent selfless manner. This aspect of the project could prove more daunting than building a cable that reaches into outer space.

I will side with the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke on this one. In time, if all the planets align in proper order, humanity will find a way to build an elevator to the stars.

Telluride: Wrap up

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:48:00 +0000

This year's guest curator Slavoj Zizek -- described by a festival goer as monstrously self-centered and by a festival director as "the greatest living philosopher" -- provided a slate of movies that blew the minds of absolutely no one. Perhaps I'm applying my experience to everyone else's. But whatever. Let's not indulge the lesser aspects of the fest. Here are the five things I liked about the 35th Telluride Film Festival, in order from less to more.

5. Slumdog Millionaire. Met by ovations and cheering. It is the ultimate feel-good film, made by erstwhile feel-baddie Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later). An Indian boy goes the distance on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" His success on the game show is rooted in seemingly random experiences in his childhood. It's a kinetic, Dickensian adventure movie, flashing backward and forward but never losing its firm, steady grip on a contrived-yet-compelling story. This should be a hit.

4. The Last Command, a 1928 silent film featuring a live original score by the Alloy Orchestra. Emil Jannings won the first-ever Oscar for best actor for his larger-than-life performance as a mutinied Russian general who ends up playing a background soldier in a Hollywood war film. One of the title cards says (and I'm paraphrasing): "From the backwash of a crumbled nation comes another extra who is hungry for a bite of Hollywood." It's all very savvy and self-reflexive, even though studios themselves hadn't been around that long. Did I mention the live accompaniment rocked? The Alloy resurrects ancient movies one by one.

3. Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long. A tricky role, a home-run performance. It's all internal here. KST plays a woman fresh off a 15-year jail sentence. And boy, she does not want to talk about it. But the ways in which she keeps herself walled off and then lets in a little light...well, it's elegance and control and precise execution.

2. Jean Simmons. I knew next to nothing about this British actress going in to her tribute, but felt enlightened and grateful (and heretofore ignorant) coming out. Simmons got her big break as a teenaged Estella in David Lean's Great Expectations and deserves to be 100 times more famous than she is today. Maybe her looks were too much like Vivien Leigh's or her voice too much like Audrey Hepburn's, but Simmons' past stardom didn't evolve into sacred legend. It's tempting to define her by the men she has played against -- Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry, Paul Newman in Until They Sail, Marlon Brando in Desiree and Guys & Dolls, Laurence Olivier in Hamlet, Kirk Douglas in Spartacus, Dick Van Dyke in Divorce American Style, Gregory Peck in The Big Country, Cary Grant and Robert Mitchum in The Grass Is Greener -- for who can match this list and still be as unfamous as she? But Simmons, with the aura of a child and the snap of a python, holds her own against each. The festival showed a medley of clips, but the most arresting was from The Happy Ending, in which she plays a bored housewife. Couldn't find a clip of it on the YouTubes, so here are some from Guys & Dolls (1955), Until They Sail (1957) and, to shake it up, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

1. Prodigal Sons. If you see it under the right circumstances, this one could be life-changing. The film's greatness comes not from the craftsmanship (it was shot and edited cheaply, as if on a whim), but from the content. Director Kimberly Reed has so, so much to work with here. She hit documentary gold. The film's site has no word on future screenings. Hopefully it'll arrive at a theater near you sometime before the world ends.

Telluride: Day 2

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:39:00 +0000

TELLURIDE, Colo. -- Before the world premiere of his movie Everlasting Moments at 8:30 a.m. yesterday, director Jan Troell said, "I would never voluntarily come to a film at this time. Not even my own. Try to stay awake." I did.

Everlasting Moments. Epic domestic drama from Sweden with a grounded lead performance by Maria Heiskanen, who looks and sounds like a working-class Ingrid Bergman. Spans 10 years. A quietly moving fable about seeking the perfection of life through a camera's viewfinder. How we forge everlasting moments of goodness in a fleeting second from life's boredom, unpleasantries and unfairness.

Critic and filmmaker Richard Schickel -- red-faced, purple-shirted, tweed-jacketed -- received the silver medallion of the festival at the Sheridan Opera House. Watching Schickel, who is lively but old, makes me think that the age of the esteemed critic-historian is ending. Schickel and Ebert might be the last of the breed. What is it being replaced by? Perhaps film appreciation has been institutionalized by academia, and it will live on, for better or worse, there.

Schickel: "I have had young people come up to me and say 'I've never seen a black-and-white movie and I'm like, 'Are you out of your fucking mind? It's not something to be proud of.'"

Schickel's documentary on Warner Bros., You Must Remember This, will play on PBS soon.

Happy-Go-Lucky. By Mike Leigh. How happy people make us miserable. How we make our own luck. Winning performance by Sally Hawkins as the most joyful woman alive. Great cameo by Karina Fernandez as a flamenco teacher perhaps too invested in her art. Q&A after. Leigh is slight, stooped, suspendered, bearded. Small. "For me, filmmaking is all about discovering what the film is."

Philanthropy. A dark Romanian comedy that looks and feels like Scorsese's After Hours. By turns funny and boring. From 2001.

Seen: Laura Linney, defacto mayor of Telluride during the festival, conferring with friend over the program. I also served Mike Leigh a bottle of water. Michael O'Keefe ("Noonan!"), the bad guy in American Violet.

Crowd-pleasers: Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, which got a rousing ovation last night. Also, the documentary Prodigal Sons is the most-loved show at Telluride (and it doesn't even have an IMDb page). Also, Fincher didn't show up to host or introduce his director's cut of Zodiac. Bitch.

Everyone is mumbling about the lacklusterness of this year's slate of new movies. The vintage offerings are top-knotch, though I probably won't be able to make any of them. They are showing Troell's The Emigrants and The New Land back to back tomorrow. And the Alloy Orchestra is providing a live, original score for The Last Command (with Emil Jannings).

Drizzly and overcast today. I'm off to catch the gondola to the tribute to Jean Simmons.

Telluride announces line-up

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:23:29 +0000

I'm on my way to Telluride. Here's Mike Jones' Variety story. The line-up is diverse, eclectic and relatively arcane. The biggest names this year are directors David Fincher, Mike Leigh and Paul Schrader; they will show the director's cut of Zodiac (and some Benjamin Button footage), Happy-Go-Lucky and Adam Resurrected, respectively. Otherwise, the program is heavy on foreign titles, many from Cannes, and light on American fare. But Telluride has always prided itself on picking the best films out there and has never been about pulling big names. Filmmakers and stars love to go there, but several distribs have fallen out of the picture, as we all know. Stay tuned.

Full Telluride release after the jump.

35th Telluride Film Festival Presented By Dell Announces 2008 Festival Lineup

Program includes tributes to David Fincher, Jean Simmons and Jan Troell

Over twenty-five new features, unique programming from Guest Director Slavoj Zizek and an exciting new animation section will be presented as part of the 2008 exhibition

Telluride, CO (August 28, 2008) - Telluride Film Festival (August 29-September 1, 2008), presented by the National Film Preserve and DELL, announces its program for the 35th annual Festival. Featuring diverse programming from around the globe, including a surge of international films, TFF once again sets the stage for some of the most highly anticipated films of the year.

TFF opens its 35th year with over twenty-five new feature films plus special artist tributes and salutes, guest director programs by Slavoj Zizek, a new animation section, classics and restorations, shorts, student prints, seminars and conversations. Telluride Film Festival opens August 29 and runs through September 1.

The Festival pays tribute to three film luminaries with its annual Silver Medallion presentations. This year’s recipients are David Fincher, the celebrated, critically- acclaimed director of SE7EN and FIGHT CLUB and the highly anticipated THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON; Jean Simmons, who has captivated audiences from her roles in GREAT EXPECTATIONS to HAMLET and GUYS AND DOLLS; and Jan Troell, the Swedish filmmaker best known for his Oscar-nominated companion pieces THE EMIGRANTS and THE NEW LAND. The three Tributees will be presented the Silver Medallion award preceded by a selection of film clips. Screenings of their works also play as part of the Festival program including a director’s cut of Fincher’s ZODIAC; Simmons’s SO LONG AT THE FAIR and ELMER GANTRY; and Troell’s A FROZEN DREAM, HERE IS YOUR LIFE, THE EMIGRANTS, THE NEW LAND and his latest work, MARIA LARSSON’S EVERLASTING MOMENT, also listed in the new features section.

Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new features to play in the official program: ADAM RESURRECTED (d. Paul Schrader, Germany-Israel l, 2008); AMERICAN VIOLET (d. Tim Disney, U.S., 2008); EVERLASTING MOMENTS (d. Jan Troell, Sweden, 2008); FIRAAQ (d. Nandita Das, India, 2008); FLAME & CITRON (d. Ole Christian Madsen, Denmark, 2008); GOMORRAH (d. Matteo Garrone, Italy, 2008); HAPPY-GO-LUKY (d. Mike Leigh, U.K., 2008); HELEN (d. Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, U.K., 2008); HUNGER (d. Steve McQueen, U.K., 2008); I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (d. Philippe Claudel, France, 2008); KISSES (d. Lance Daly, Ireland, 2008); LEARNING GRAVITY (d. Cathal Black, U.S., 2008); O’HORTEN (d. Bent Hamer, Norway, 2008); PIRATE FOR THE SEA (d. Ron Colby, U.K., 2007); PRIVATE CENTURY (d. Jan Sikl, Czech Republic, 2007); REVANCHE (d. Gotz Spielman, Austria, 2008); THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD (d. Kim Ji-Woon, South Korea, 2008); THE REST IS SILENCE (d. Nae Caranfil, Romania, 2007); TULPAN (d. Sergei Dvortsevoy, Kazakhstan, 2008); WALTZ WITH BASHIR (d.(Ari Folman, Israel, 2008)); WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MYSELF (d. Francois Duperon, France, 2008) and YOUSSOU N’DOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE (d. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Senegal-France, 2008), with special post-screening performances by Senegalese musician and composer, Youssou N’Dour and his band, including a free showing and concert at the Abel Gance Outdoor Cinema.

In keeping with the Festival’s tradition, additional “sneak previews” are expected to surprise attendees over the weekend.

“Despite concerns that this year couldn’t meet the high expectations of world cinema in 2007, it became clear in Berlin and Cannes that filmmakers are determined to keep reaching new heights,” commented Co-Director Gary Meyer. “The new films submitted to us this summer, unseen anywhere, also continued the trend of quality and unique stories.”

Guest Director Slavoj Zizek, world renowned philosopher and theorist, presents six programs including: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (d. Edmund Golding, U.S., 1947); ON DANGEROUS GROUND (d. Nicholas Ray, U.S., 1952); SECONDS (d. John Frankenheimer, U.S., 1966); THE GREAT SACRIFICE (d. Veit Harlan, Germany, 1944); THE FALL OF BERLIN (d. Mikhail Chiaureli, Soviet Union, 1949); and INNOCENCE UNPROTECTED (d. Dusan Makavejev, Yugoslavia, 1968).

Telluride Film Festival focuses a special spotlight on the rising Romanian writer, director and composer, Nae Caranfil, who will be on hand to introduce his 2001 film, PHILANTHROPY (Romania), as well as his new film, THE REST IS SILENCE (Romania, 2007),which will be this year’s Romanian submission for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

“This year’s program brings together a wonderful list of both new and established talent,” said co-director Tom Luddy. “One of the things that makes TFF so special is that the directors for all the new films will be in attendance to present their films, often with performers and writers of their works. Friendships and new professional relationships are likely to blossom.”

Along with featuring some of today’s best contemporary filmmakers, TFF pays tribute to the classic films and filmmakers of yesterday including: newly restored prints of LOLA MONTÈS (d. Max Ophüls, France, 1955) and PIROSMANI (d. Giorgi Shengelaya, Georgia, 1972); one of Josef von Sternberg’s first masterworks, THE LAST COMMAND (U.S., 1928), featuring the world premiere of a new score written and performed by the Alloy Orchestra; THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT (d. René Clair, France, 1928) presented by Pordenone and enhanced with Maud Nelissen’s newly composed score; and a second presentation by Pordenone, Laughing ‘Til It Hurts, featuring four slapstick comedy shorts including THE COOK (d. Roscoe Arbuckle, U.S., 1918), SHOULD MEN WALK HOME? (d. Leo McCarey, U.S., 1927), THERE IT IS (U.S., 1928) and PASS THE GRAVY (d. Fred L. Guiol, U.S., 1928).

TFF’s Special Medallion award, which honors the passionate heroes of cinema including writers, historians and film lovers, goes to Richard Schickel. Film critic, author and documentary filmmaker, Schickel has written for Time from 1972 to the present, has published more than two dozen books and has directed more than 30 films. The first part of Schickel’s five-hour YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS (U.S., 2008), his latest film, shows as part of the Medallion presentation.

Backlot, an intimate screening room introduced in 2007, shows seven programs providing back stories on films and filmmakers, including several featured in this year’s program. These programs include: the second and third segments from Richard Schickel’s YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS (U.S., 2008); Dvortsevoy’s Nomadic Journeys, featuring four documentaries by Sergei Dvortsevoy (director of TULPAN) including PARADISE (Kazakhstan, 1996), HIGHWAY (Kazakhstan, 1999), BREAD DAY (Russia, 1998), and IN THE DARK (Russia, 2004); the full series of eight 52-minute films in Jan Sikl’s PRIVATE CENTURY; A PERVERT’S GUIDE TO CINEMA (d. Sophie Fiennes, U.K., 2006) featuring Guest Director Slavoj Zizek; MARY PICKFORD (d. Nicholas Eliopoulos, U.S., 2008); PRODIGAL SONS (d. Kimberly Reed, U.S., 2008); and 12 CANOES (d. Rolf de Heer, Australia, 2008).

Celebrating one of the world’s most explosive art forms, 21st-Century animation, Telluride Film Festival has added a new section to the program: Adventures in Animation. Nine animated shorts have been selected to play in the program.

Peggy Stern’s new film, CHUCK JONES: MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD, features new animation by Oscar-winner John Canemaker. It will play with a selection of Jones’s favorite cartoons and feature a discussion with Stern, Jones’s daughter, Linda Jones, and animation historian Leonard Maltin. The special event will, appropriately, be held at the Chuck Jones Cinema.

Rounding out the Festival’s program is the largest selection of new shorts in the Festival’s history. SHOWcase for Shorts features nine short films chosen to precede selected feature films. Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes three shorts programs by 20 emerging filmmakers.

The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students a weekend-long immersion in cinema; The City Lights Project brings15 high school students and five teachers from three divergent schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions.

The Talking Heads section features six conversations between Festival guests and three outdoors seminars. These programs are free and open to the public.

The 35th Festival poster was designed by writer, director, visual artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson. Anderson was TFF’s Guest Director in 1991 and in 2005 presented her film, HIDDEN INSIDE MOUNTAINS.

New to Telluride Film Festival is Dell Lounge, located at the Brigadoon Hospitality Tent. Festival attendees will be able to watch a selection of Festival short films and enjoy free Internet access, including access to the Dell Lounge Festival Widget, www.delllounge.com/telluridefilmfestival. This online tool helps connect fans with timely and useful Festival information, including schedules, lodging, dining, shopping and outdoor activities. Calendar/Schedule section on-line will be in real-time, with customizable schedules and up-to-the-minute queue information. It also will provide access to film trailers and video highlights from previous years. Kiosks located in key sites throughout the Festival will provide live ticket queue information.

Dell is the Presenting Sponsor of 35thTelluride Film Festival. Collaborating with Dell online and on-site provides fans around the world -that are passionate and utilize technology in creating and enjoying film - a meaningful connection to this festival experience.

“We are very proud to welcome Dell as part of the Telluride Film Festival family,” said Managing Director Julie Huntsinger. “Dell is adding a dimension to the Festival this year that will extend the magic of Telluride out in to the film community, while uplifting the festival experience for our audiences. They are in sync with our goals and recognize that reverence for film and fun can go together.”

“Dell continues to play a key role in enabling individuals as they create, access and share their experiences and passions in meaningful ways,” said Michael Tatelman, Vice President Consumer Sales & Marketing. “Our connection to the Telluride Film Festival is another expression of the company’s commitment to creating opportunities for self-expression.”

The Festival’s program will be posted in its entirety on Friday, August 29 at 11:00 am PDT. Visit: www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

Film stills available for download online at: http://clients.browndesign.com/tff/35

Telluride Film Festival is supported by Presenting Sponsor DELL and Lead Sponsor Starz. Major supporters include Telluride Mountain Village, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Heineken, Microsoft, Subaru, Shady Acres Entertainment, Belvedere Vodka, Turner Classic Movies, Omaha Steaks, Resort Quest, NBC Universal, Panasonic Projector Systems Company, Daily Variety, Pine Ridge Winery, National Endowment for the Arts, Kodak, Telluride Foundation, Larabar, Dolby, Sony, Boston Light and Sound, Wright Group, FIJI Water, Veuve Clicquot, The Auteurs, among others.

About Telluride Film Festival

The prestigious Telluride Film Festival, presented by DELL, ranks among the world's best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders and a major launching ground for the fall season's most talked-about films. Co-founded in 1974 by Tom Luddy, James Card and Bill and Stella Pence, Telluride Film Festival, nestled in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, is a four-day, international educational event celebrating the art of film. The Festival’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule, kept secret until Opening Day, consists of film debuts, special Guest Director programs, three major Tributes to guest artists and remarkable treasures from the past. Festival headquarters are in Berkeley, California. For more information visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org

It Takes A Nathan Of Fillions To Hold Him Back

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Could this be the fastest money Joss Whedon has ever made?

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog—the web-only project that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Firefly creator wrote and filmed during the writers’ strike for a little more then $100,000—is part superhero spoof, part Broadway musical, and part internet lark, but mostly it’s an illustration of how profitable Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans” concept can be when it’s put into action. The entire three-part miniseries (which runs about 43 minutes in total) is available through iTunes for about $6, and with Whedon’s army of nerdy fanboys and nerdy-but-cute fangirls numbering in the millions, this thing could wind up being one of the most profitable film projects of 2008.

The hero of our story is Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), a would-be supervillain who brazenly announces his criminal plans on his website, but can barely choke out two words to Penny (The Guild’s Felicia Day), the cute girl he has a crush on at the laundromat. Then, during an attempt to steal a shipment of “wonderflonium”—the missing ingredient in his freeze ray—a terrible thing happens: not only does Dr. Horrible’s nemesis, the square-jawed Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion), intervene, but he sweeps Penny off her feet and steals her heart before Dr. Horrible can even, like, ask her if she wants to have coffee together sometime.

The script has been constructed from 100% pure Whedonium: the irreverent take on genre conventions (the script refers to heroes and villains with names like Conflict Diamond, Fake Thomas Jefferson, and Bad Horse, “the thoroughbred of sin”); the pitch-perfect ear for the agonies of adolescent romance; the quirky comic dialogue that makes characters trailing off at the end of their sentences as funny as a punchline; the ability to turn on a dime from comedy to drama. Like, really shocking drama. I mean... not to give away the ending, but if Dr. Horrible’s musical numbers remind you of the arias from Sweeney Todd, the resemblance was probably not accidental.

Whedon has, of course, written a musical before: the “Once More, With Feeling” episode of Buffy, in which the residents of Sunnydale were afflicted with a curse that caused them to periodically break into song (songs that, just like in a Broadway musical, forced them to speak their innermost thoughts aloud), was arguably that series’ high point. If anything, the songs in Dr. Horrible are even catchier and cleverer, from Captain Hammer’s hilariously condescending tribute to ordinary citizens (“Everyone’s a hero in their own way/In their own, not-quite-heroic way!”), to the cheer-up song Penny sings to Dr. Horrible, not realizing his evil true identity, to Dr. Horrible’s ode to his freeze ray. Comparisons to Stephen Sondheim are apt—Whedon definitely piles up the internal rhymes, and Dr. Horrible’s climactic song of triumph even borrows a key melody from “Lesson 8,” from Sunday in the Park With George.

The on-the-cheap production values, if anything, only add to the series’ appeal—how refreshing it is, after the scene in The Dark Knight where Morgan Freeman lingers over the “titanium tri-weave alloy” of Christian Bale’s Batsuit, to watch something like Dr. Horrible, in which Nathan Fillion’s superhero costume consists of nothing more than a pair of vinyl gloves and a t-shirt with a hammer on it? Of course, Fillion does a superb job of selling the character—he bring just the right tone of self-satisfied boobery to lines like, “Do I know you from the gym? Oh wait—I don’t go to the gym! I’m naturally like this!”

Felicia Day, meanwhile, is a worthy addition to Whedon’s gallery of adorable nerdygirls, and Neil Patrick Harris gives the best performance of his career as Dr. Horrible—if at first the character looks like nothing more than a minor villain from The Tick, just stick around until that final shot and the cut to black.

Apparently a fourth episode and a DVD release (featuring a musical audio commentary called Commentary!) are all forthcoming, but I say don’t wait. You need something horrible in your life right this minute.

The CW Announces Their Fall 2008 TV Schedule

Tue, 13 May 2008 23:40:36 +0000

The CW announced their Fall 2008 TV Schedule today and it pretty much looks like their schedule does right now. Except, they have sold off the programming rights for Sunday nights and gotten rid of WWE Friday Night Smackdown!. They do have three new shows debuting in the fall.

You can see the full primetime schedule, new and returning midseason series and cancellations below. Bold Italic denotes new show.

The CW Fall 2008 Primetime TV Schedule

Sunday

The CW has partnered with Media Rights Capital, which will be programming three hours on Sunday nights with original series. Details will be released at a later date.

Monday

Gossip Girl

One Tree Hill

Tuesday

90210 - From the press release: “An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama Beverly Hills, 90210, the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Mills (Shenae Grimes, Degrassi: The Next Generation) and her brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds, The Wire), whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they’re not in Kansas anymore. The Mills family, including dad Harry (casting TBD) and mom Debbie (Lori Loughlin, Summerland), has relocated to Beverly Hills to keep an eye on Harry’s mother Tabitha (Jessica Walter, Arrested Development), a feisty-but-faded former television star and a charter member of the Betty Ford Clinic. For Annie and Dixon, the awkwardness of being the new kids is made worse by the fact that their dad has taken a job as the high school principal. The school is one big culture shock for Annie, a sweet and friendly girl with a passion for the theater, and Dixon, a star athlete and scholar who was adopted by the Mills family after they took him in as a foster child. Annie and Dixon have a close sibling relationship, which they’ll need to help them cope with all the new cliques and classmates, including Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord, Nip/Tuck), a hot, spoiled, rich girl; Ethan (Dustin Milligan, Runaway), a popular jock whose abilities rival Dixon’s; Navid (Michael Steger, The Winner), an aspiring reporter who heads up the school’s daily newscast; and Silver (Jessica Stroup, Prom Night), a rebel who produces and stars in a YouTube-type video series. Even the faculty seems hip and sophisticated at WBHHS, such as smart and funny teacher Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold, Dirt) and beautiful guidance counselor Kelly Taylor (guest star Jennie Garth, the original Beverly Hills, 90210). The Mills family has just begun to realize how much their lives are about to change. 90210 is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (Freaks & Geeks). Mark Piznarski (Gossip Girl) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.”

Surviving the Filthy Rich - From the press release: “Twenty-three-year-old Megan Smith (JoAnna Garcia, Reba) has a Yale education, a relentlessly positive attitude and a plan to conquer the world of journalism, despite the fact that she is currently slaving away at a tabloid rag. Megan’s plan is thrown off course when, in one whirlwind day, she gets fired, meets cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges (casting TBD) and becomes the live-in tutor for Laurel’s twin teen granddaughters in the heady Palm Beach world of wealth and power. The girls, Rose (Lucy Kate Hale, Bionic Woman) and Sage (Ashley Newbrough, The Best Years), are beautiful, rebellious and less-than-thrilled with their new tutor, but Megan is determined to win them over as she enjoys the perks of her new job ? breathtaking private suite, gorgeous convertible and live-in chef Marco (Allan Louis, Stomp the Yard). Even the neighbors are fabulous in Palm Beach, and Megan quickly catches the eye of Will (casting TBD), the wealthy and extremely hot dilettante who lives on the estate next door and just happens to be dating Megan’s estranged sister Lily (casting TBD). Completing this romantic quadrangle is Megan’s best friend Charlie (Michael Cassidy, Smallville, The O.C.), who is secretly in love with her. Despite her own complicated romantic and family relationships, Megan is committed to making a difference in the lives of her two headstrong charges as she navigates the treacherous waters of high society in Palm Beach. Surviving the Filthy Rich is based on the Alloy Entertainment book How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls by best-selling author Zoey Dean (The A-List). The series is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Rina Mimoun (Gilmore Girls, Everwood), Bob Levy (Gossip Girl) and Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). Michael Engler (30 Rock) directed the pilot.”

Wednesday

America’s Next Top Model

Stylista - From the press release: “If The Devil Wears Prada were a reality show, it would be Stylista. Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle magazine. They work as assistants to Elle’s Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, a demanding but well-respected fashion icon. The competitors will carry out an assistant task and a fashion editorial assignment in each episode. Each week, in consultation with Elle’s Creative Director, Joe Zee, Anne fires one person, until the last assistant standing gets “promoted” to the coveted real-life job opportunity. The grand prize includes a paid editorial position at Elle magazine, a paid lease on a great apartment in Manhattan, and a clothing allowance at H&M, all for one year, valued at $100,000. Stylista is from 10 by 10 Entertainment, Inc. and Bankable Incorporated in association with Magic Molehill Productions, Inc. and Warner Horizon Television Inc. with executive producers Tyra Banks, Ken Mok, Eli Holzman, Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha.”

Thursday

Smallville

Supernatural

Friday

Everybody Hates Chris
The Game

America’s Next Top Model (Encore)

Saturday

Local Programming

The CW Shows - Retuning at Midseason

Coming back, but not until later are: Reaper

The CW Shows - New for Midseason

Debuting in late Fall or early 2009 are: None announced at this time.

The CW Shows - Cancelled/Not Returning

They have said goodbye to: Aliens in America, Beauty and the Geek, Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, CW Now, Girlfriends, Life is Wild, Online Nation, Pussycat Dolls Presents, and WWE Friday Night Smackdown!, but Smackdown will be back next season on your local MyNetworkTV affiliate, if you have one.

TVaholic’s Take on the ABC Fall 2008 TV Schedule

Was very disappointed in the cancellation of Aliens in America, but couldn’t care less about the rest of the cancellations.

It looks like the TVaholic will have CW free Wednesdays, Fridays and who knows about Sundays.

Overall the schedule looks pretty descent, for them, considering they are going full force after the 18 to 34 year old female demographic. That leaves mainly Smallville for me, but will also be watching two other returning shows and checking out two of the new ones. But, the network does seem to be dwindling away right before our very eyes.

How about you? What do you like about The CW’s Fall 2008 Schedule? What don’t you like? What shows do you wish they hadn’t cancelled? Let us know in the comments.

Free Subscriber Download: Printable Summer 2008 TV Schedule v1.00 (PDF) - New as of 5.11.2008 - Get a look at the game and reality show heavy summer offerings on the networks.

Cinematical Seven: Awesome Ideas for New Iron Man Characters!

Sun, 04 May 2008 07:32:00 +0000

Filed under: Cinematical Seven, Comic/Superhero/Geek

The critics loved it, the audiences seem to dig it even more, and the sequel has officially claimed a 2010 release date already: This weekend we’re all about the Iron Man. (I was gonna say “This weekend we’re all about the iron, man,” but it was way too corny.) So while we’ve already been promised the arrivals of characters called War Machine, Mandarin, and Nick Fury, I hope that the fine folks at Marvel Entertainment will consider tossing a few of these guys into the mix:
Alloy Boy – Desperate to become Iron Man’s first sidekick, young Alfred Loye decides to build himself a suit made of several disparate components. A big fan of TV dinners and collectible unicorns, Alfred fuses tin with pewter and creates an outfit that proves to be as effective as a suit made of tissue paper and smoke. His demise at Bessemer [...]

Original post by Scott Weinberg