New on Kamera: Funny Games

The DVD of Michael Haneke's American remake of his own 1997 film Funny Games, is out now. Check out our review.

New on Kamera

Lots of fresh goods on Kamera. First, we have an article aout a very instigating competition where applicants are invited to submit personal narratives on video, paper or photography. We also have a feature article on vampires, an excerpt from the new Pocket Essentials title on the theme. Finally, Hannah Patterson tells us all about the latest edition of Britdoc, which took place last week.

The new faces of indie cinema

Via About.com: Filmmaker magazine carries in its summer issue list of 25 names who are the new, relevant faces of indie cinema, the 10th list the publication compiles. "The people on Filmmaker's '25 New Faces' list are not only innovators we believe will be impacting tomorrow's film scene, but they're also artists engaged in a vital re-think of what it means to be independent today," said Filmmaker's editor in chief Scott Macaulay. "Crisscrossing from short-form work into features, from docs to fiction and from the web to theaters, they are creating careers as original as their films."

Of the 265 on the list over the past ten years, nearly 90% have been filmmakers, including such breakthroughs as Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow), Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson), Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) and Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas). Notable actors include several high profilers in the early days of their careers such as Ryan Gosling (The Believer), Ellen Page (Hard Candy), Peter Sarsgaard (Another Day in Paradise) and Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry). 

Gus Van Sant on Film In Focus

 

Our friends at the excellent website Film In Focus seem to love Gus Van Vant,  like we do too here at Kamera. There's a couple of really good reads on FIF's website related to the American indie director. One is a report about his new film in the making, Milk, which stars Sean Penn as a pioneering gay acvist from San Francisco. The other is a re-publication of an interview Graham Fuller made with the director in 1995.

Tinto Brass to head Queer Lion jury

Tinto Brass, Italy's most famous purveyor of erotic cinema (he's the man who directed the infamous Caligola (1979)), will be heading the jury of the 2008 Queer Lion, the award for best film with a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender theme, which was inaugurated last year at the Venice film festival (27/8 - 6/9/08).

Members of the jury includes Variety critic and director of the European-films.net agency, Holland’s Boyd van Hoeij (who also occasionally contributes to Kamera) and Massimo Benvegnù, journalist and critic of the daily Il Riformista and the Amsterdam Weekly.

Biopics: punks on the big screen

There's no stopping the flux of biopics arriving at the big screen, and punk or 'punky' characters seem to be all the  rage. You wonder if the niche is getting a little bit saturated, in fact the whole documentary genre. Earlier this year saw the release of Julian Temple's film on The Clash's Joe Strummer (pictured), called The Future is Unwritten (it's out on DVD already). There's a also a documentary called Gonzo about Hunter Thompson, who was notorious for his love of guns (IMDB mentions a December UK release for the film). There's also the upcoming Heavy Load, whose publicity description is worth reproducing:

Heavy Load is Lewes’ answer to the Ramones, a punk outfit subject to the inflammatory mix of ego, fantasy, and desire that fuels any emerging band. They’re also, uniquely, made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities, which makes the band’s survival a precarious negotiation between two different worlds: on the one hand the institutional timetable of day centres, work placements and social workers; on the other the chaotic slacker life of rehearsal rooms, studios and gigs.

If that's your idea of fun, Heavy Load is due out in the UK on 03/10.

David Lynch launches transcendental meditation book in Brazil

Director David Lynch is touring Brazil from the 07 August to promote his book on transcental meditation. The book talks about the influence that medidation, which he's been practicing since the 1970s, has on Lynch's creative process. The tour includes lectures and book signings.

For those interested in finding out more abouy Lynch, check out Kamera Books' title on the great American surrealist.

John Waters on Boom!

A new film blog was born this week and considering that its choice of an opening theme was exploitation cinema, I already like it. It hails from San Francisco (it's annexed to art magazine Fecal Face) and is edited by Caitlin Denny. One of the posts includes a lecture given by everyone's favourite trash king, John Waters, at the European Graduate School. Waters raves about a failed art film called Boom! starred by no one less than Elizabeth Taylor and directed by Joseph Losey. Waters once had the opportunity to say how much he loved the film to Taylor. Apparently she didn't like the turkey too much...

New on Kamera: Un Chant d'amour

Rare viewing opportunity alert!: we have just unburied from Google Video's archives Jean Genet's Un Chant d'amour (France, 1950, 26'), a very lyrical (and simultaneously rough around the edges) take on homoeroticism that must have inspired the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Read more here.

Speaking of French cinema, our friends at Greencine have a great interview with French director Catherine Breillat, whose new film, Une Vieille Meitresse (The Last Mistress, 2007) was recently shown at the 2008 San Francisco film festival. Breillat is a member of that small club, the female film director, but she certainly makes up for this imbalance in the film industry with some ballsy pictures.

Barbarella Penthouse cover

It seems like film publicists have been appealing to 'lads' mag' audiences for longer than we thought...

Upcoming: Michel Houllebecq's The Possibility of an Island

The Possibility of an Island (La possibilité d'une île), the debut film of the controversial French writer Michel Houllebecq, is finally upon us and due to a September release. The Guardian's film blog says there is a possibility of a masterpiece lurking in this sci-fi crammed with the author's obsessions with genetics. The trailer is already available and, if you can judge a film by its trailer, I'm not sure I would agree with that statement. But still, the film begs to be seen because, as a writer, Houllebecq is indeed very, very interesting and bright.

New on Kamera: our short guide to film events

Check out Kamera's editor's picks of film events around the world. One of the events included is a show of films in New York which use drawing as their basis. Luckily, Len Lye's A Colour Box, one of the films featured, is available on YouTube and it's a real gem. Check it out and be delighted.

Jonas Mekas in London

The founder of the iconic Anthology Film Archives in New York and a walking emblem of cinephilia, Jonas Mekas, will be in London on 17 and 19 July introducing films at Café 1001 and Curzon Soho respectively. At the former, there will be a screening of a selection of Mekas's own short films and at the latter the evening will include a screening of his 1997 Birth of a Nation (pictured) feature.

For those who can't make it, here is an edited version of a short film called Happy Birthday to John that Mekas made in 1972 featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

New on Kamera: Female Agents

A mixture of action film shenanigans and period drama may raise a few disapproving eyebrows, but Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell think the formula works in Female Agents. Read the full review here.

Guy Maddin at the BFI

We at Kamera love the idiosyncratic work of the most famous diretor from Winnipeg, Canada, Guy Maddin. In fact, we interviewed him back in 2004, when he released the Isabella Rosellini-starred The Saddest Music in the World. Those who live in London still have the opportunity to catch a season of his films at the BFI, including his latest offer, My Winnipeg (pictured), which runs until 17 July. Don't miss it. But for those too far away to make it to the South Bank, here's a sample of Maddin's fantastic imagination:

New on Kamera: Tank TV launches film competition

Here's a great opportunity to display talent. The super cool online platform of moving image, Tank TV, has launched a film competition on the theme of The Three Graces. Music is provided and applicants can submit up to ten works. Find out more here.

The blog is back...from hospital

It's been a long time since the last post, due to some time off in hospital recovering from an appendicitis surgery (also known as appendicectomy). As a dedicated cinephile, I kept thinking about films set in hospitals while waiting away on my bed and also read the whole extent of 10 Bad Dates with De Niro, the list compilation to end all best-of lists. But going back to screen hospitals, I came up with two titles that I like most: Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions (2003) and Almodovar's Talk To Her (2002). Both films construct their quirky narratives around hospitals and illness to create compelling stories about life's big themes: love, death, friendship etc. Here's a sample of both films. Come to think of it, 'films set in hospital' may well make a good list for the aforementioned book. We've got two contenders already...

The Barbarian Invasions

Talk To Her

New on Kamera: The Wig

Asian horror has something of an obsession with hair - think of The Ring, Dark Water etc and how hair is such a striking motif in those films. So it's no surprise that a new Korean horror film goes all the way and centres the action around a wig. That's The Wig, which we have reviewed on Kamera. Here's the trailer:

Horses and the City

With the opening of Sex and the City, the movie, a romantic vision of the Big Apple is back on the screen, with all the addictive banality of the TV series. But those who know New York City are also aware of a very sad element in the streets of the city: the horse-drawn carriage.

It is quite unbelievable that in 2008 a big, chaotic city like New York still allows sensitive animals like horses to be subjected to what can only be described as torture. But with the much-publicised deaths of three horses since 2006, the call for a ban on such carriages is getting stronger. And guess what? Even a documentary has been made to advertise the cause. Called Blinders, its trailer is on YouTube. It looks great and the cause is very noble so visit their website and add your voice to the movement to ban horse carriages in New York.

YouTube: the obscene phone call in Serial Mom

I think Serial Mom is one of John Waters' best films and this is one the best scenes in it. Enjoy it!

New on Kamera: festival submissions

Check out the latest opportunities to get your work shown in some of the best festivals around.

Cannes 2008: Laurent Cantet wins Palm d'Or

The experimental director Laurent Cantet won the 61st Cannes Film Festival with his film The Class (pictured left).

Italy claimed two prizes: the Grand Prize for Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah and the Jury Prize for Paolo Sorrentino’s Il divo (The Deity).

The Best Screenplay Award went to Belgian directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne for Lorna’s Silence.

Best Director Award going to Nuri Bilge Ceylan for his Turkish/French/Italian feature Three Monkeys while the Lifetime Achievement Award going to Catherine Deneuve.

The Best Actor Award went to Benicio Del Toro for his performance in Steven Soderbergh’s Che and the Camera d’Or went to UK director/artist Steve McQueen’s debut feature Hunger.

Source: Cineeuropa.

Film quiz at the Curzon Soho

Our friends at the Curzon have reminded us of the film quiz TEN ROUNDS WITH DE NIRO, which will take place at Curzon Soho's bar on 28 May at 7:30pm. It will be hosted by Richard T. Kelly, editor of Ten Bad Dates With De Niro, out on Faber. There will be exclusive prizes for the best (and worst!) teams, plus complimentary popcorn for all. For further information call 020 7438 9585. The address is: 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5DY, London. Entry is £3.

New on Kamera: Gus Van Sant's Mala Noche

Gus Van Sant's fans have a reason to rejoice: the American indie maverick's debut feature, Mala Noche, is finally out on DVD. The print is gorgeous and Van Sant's talent, while still raw at this stage, is obvious throughout the film. Here's a taster:

Interview with the Dardenne Brothers

Our friends at Cineuropa have an interview with Belgian directing duo, the Dardenne Brothers, whose new film, The Silence of Lorna, is showing in competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival (the festival runs until the 25th of May). In fact, keep checking this website dedicated to European cinema, as they are reporting directly from the event.

New on Kamera: Caramel and Earthlings

We have two great new items on the website: a review of a Lebanese film (that's right) called Caramel, which sounds just like the thing in the title. We also have a review of the amazing Earthlings, the documentary that has ignited a revolution in the way we look - and treat - animals. It is a revelation and I don't say that every day. Here's an excerpt of the Joaquin Phoenix-narrated film.

Vintage bird's eye view of Rio de Janeiro

Roberto Carlos is the most famous singer in Brazil, and the press often refers to him as 'the King'. The leader of a 1960s pop music movement in Brazil knows as 'Jovem Guarda', like Elvis Presley the singer used cinema as a vehicle to mould his feisty persona. The sequence below is taken from a 1967 picture called Roberto Carlos Em Ritmo de Aventura and shows an amazing helicopter ride across Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy it.

Isabella Rosselini's Green Porno

Isabella Rosselini has always been attracted to the wild side of cinema. From Blue Velvet to The Saddest Music in the World, Rosselini has never shied away from taking risks.

But she can always outdo herself: her latest project, Green Porno, is a series of very short films conceived, written, directed by and featuring Rosselini herself, about the sex life of bugs, insects and various creatures. The films are about how certain bugs 'make love'.

Each film is executed in a very simple childlike manner. They are a playful mixture of real world and cartoon. Each episode begins with Isabella speaking to the camera “If I were a…(firefly, spider, dragonfly etc.). She then transforms into the male of the species explaining in a simple yet direct dialogue the actual act of species- specific fornication. It's all very playful and colourful.

Green Porno is designed mainly for the 'third screen', that is mobile phonescreens, computers and ipods etc. Each film can be shown individually or strung together to make a series more suitable for television broadcast. It's produced by Rick Gilbert and Isabella Rossellini in association with Sundance Channel.

Those of you in America can see the film at the Sundance Channel website. The rest of us can only see a behind-the-scenes documentary as the film willl hit Europe in July and we can't see it until then. The costumes look amazing.

And here's a video interview Rosselini gave to CNN to help create a buzzzz about her film.

New on Kamera: interview with Brian Mills

We have an interview with the author of the latest Kamera Books release, 101 Forgotten Films, Brian Mills. Mills tells us about putting the title together, which is essential read for anyone interested in film history.

New on Kamera: Mike Leigh on Mike Leigh

British journalist Amy Raphael is the editor of the new book, Mike Leigh on Mike Leigh, the result of conversations between the journalist and Britain's most successful auteur. The book is a must read for Leigh fans as it provides unprecedented insight into Leigh's work methods and thoughts. Raphael kindly granted Kamera permission to reproduce an extract from her book.

And of course, YouTube is full of clips of Mike Leigh's works. Here's a sample of the all-time favourite, Abigail's Party:

New on Kamera: 101 Forgotten Films

Kamera Books has an exciting new title out there called 101 Forgotten Films by film critic and 'movie therapist' Brian Mills. The book is a compendium of films that for some reason got lost in the anals of film history and which deserve fresh attention.

One of the films that could not be included in the book, although it had been Mills intention to do so, is Orson Welles's last, unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind, which Peter Bogdanovich is in the process of completing for a late 2008 release (the reason for the non-inclusion). We found a clip of the original film on YouTube and it features Bogdanovich himself plus John Huston. Enjoy!

New on Kamera: Princess

Anime is a strange term, one that means different things to different people and a term that has mutated over the years. Strictly, it simply means animation that has been created in Japan but this has been muddied by the proliferation of outsourcing (much anime is tweened in Korea) and pillorying by tabloid newspapers that equates the term with violent pornography (from a group of films that may well include Urotsukidoji but also Hello Kitty). By now the term basically means either that the animation comes from Japan or it possesses qualities that clearly mark it as separate from mainstream Hollywood, i.e. Disney style, animations. Princess falls into the anime style category, a bewildering mix of cell animation, CGI and live action. As its 18 rating suggests this is absolutely not The Little Mermaid.

Read more +

New on Kamera: Documenta Madrid 08

All eyes are on Madrid between o2 and 11 of May when the Spanish capital will be hosting the 2008 edition of the Documenta, a venue dedicated to documentary cinema. Michelangelo Antonioni will be paid tribute at the event

New on Kamera: Independent Cinema

One of the latest titles to have come out on Kamera Books is Independent Cinema, by D. K. Holm, just the perfect kind of subject for a website about, well, independent cinema. So, catch our review of the book here and get inspired.

New on Kamera: [REC]

More Spanish horror at a cinema near you: [REC] is the latest of a batch of low-key, handheld horror that has been arriving at the big screen of late. Check out our review of the film, due out tomorrow.

New on Kamera: Documentaries

We have a new piece on Kamera about an exciting new release on Kamera Books, 'Documentaries...and how to make them, by Andy Glynne. The books offers a comprehensive guide into the world of documentary filmmaking and provides an invaluable source for students and professionals alike.

One of the filmmakers mentioned in the text is the master of the documentary genre Frederick Wiseman. Wiseman's films have traditionally been solely available on film print or VHS copies for educational purposes. However, since December some of his titles have been made available on DVD for the consumer market, further evidence of the growing demand for documentaries. And of course, excerpts of the classic Titicut Follies has surfaced on YouTube over the last week.

New on DVD: Lost Highway

David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997), a favourite among Lynch aficionados, has finally been released on DVD. It is one of Lynch's most surreal and lush films; the soundtrack is also a treat for music lovers, going from Nine Inch Nails to Bossa Nova. Check out Kamera Books' recent title on David Lynch for further information.

New on Kamera: Diary of a Country Priest

We have just published a review of one of the great films in Robert Bresson's great career, which was released on 24/3 by Optimum World. Good old YouTube has a couple of excerpts from the film, but make sure you get this DVD, as it is an essential item in any film lover's collection.

And here's an 1960 interview with Bresson:

New on Kamera: Strange Culture

Lynn Hershman's film Strange Culture deals with the very urgent issue of the corrosion of freedom of speech in the name of the 'war on terrorism'. With Tilda Swinton, Thomas Jay Ryan and Peter Coyote in the cast, the film chronicles the ongoing case of the American art professor and activist Steve Kurtz, a co-founder of the Critical Art Ensemble, who has become the most prominent victim of post-9/11 paranoia.

On May 11 2004, Kurtz woke up to find his wife dead in bed next to him. When the medics arrived, they deemed the harmless bacteria which Kurtz was working with for a project as suspicious material and alerted the FBI. The organisation quickly jumped to the conclusion that Kurtz was a bioterrorist, despite all their suspicions being disproved. He now awaits a trial date. Hershman's Strange Culture re-enacts some of the episodes of Kurtz's Kafkian nightmare so far, creating a hybrid of documentary and discussion, with the actors encouraged to talk about their characters, their own work and the situation.

The film is now available on both Region 1 and Region 2 DVD. Click here for more information.

Trailer: Garbage Warrior

Meet Michael Reynolds, who for over 30 years has been developing a sustainable living concept called Earthship Biotecture. Reynolds' incredible project is the subject of a documentary called Garbage Warrior, which will be screened on Sundance Channel on 01 April. Don't miss it.

Here's the trailer:

Homage to Anthony Minghella

British film director Anthony Minghella, who died yesterday from a fatal haemorrhage following an operation for cancer of the neck and tonsils, was a much-loved member of the film community. Here's a report from several figures who knew him or had worked with him.

New on Kamera: Aurora

If you have produced a film or video piece with lots of visual manipulation, here's a festival where you may get a chance to get your work seen.

New on Kamera: Two Evil Eyes

A collaboration between George Romero and Dario Argento starring Karvey Keitel, Two Evil Eyes is released on DVD today. Here's the review.

New on Kamera: Berlin 2008

Our New York-based regular contributor Thessa Mooij tells us what she saw at the Berlin festival that took place last month while yours truly dishes the dirt on the squalid festival winner, the Brazilian cop flick Elite Squad (pictured).

Coppola goes south

The Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, has a new inhabitant. Francis Ford Coppola is now splitting his time between California and the B.A., while also making cheaper movies there. Here's the full story.

New on Kamera: UK French Film Festival

Those of you looking for a film to see on the big screen over the weekend or over the next few week, check out our feature on the UK French Film Festival that starts today. There are films galore, all over the country.

Vanity Fair's homage to Hitchcock

Vanity Fair, bless them, has done its Hollywood thing again and this time the publication got a whole bunch of Hollywood stars to impersonate Hitchcock characters. Hmmm. The results are quite mixed but I think Naomi Watts looks interesting as Marnie/Tippi Hedren:

See the whole photo shoot here and judge for yourself.

Derek Jarman conference

The Serpertine Gallery in London is on Friday 7 March between 10:30 and 6pm holding a conference on Derek Jarman called Against the Grain: Learning from Derek Jarman's Cinema. Speakers include Malcolm LeGrice and Laura Mulvey. More info from here.

The London Australian Film Festival 2008

The enormous Australian community in London have a good opportunity to catch up with the cinema from their homeland during the London Australian Film Festival that takes place between 06 and 16 March at the Barbican Centre. Further information from here.

New on Kamera: Overlord and Benny's Video

Two new DVD reviews posted today: Michelle LeBlanc and Colin Odell review Stuart Cooper's classic war film Overlord, which metro is releasing on Monday, 03 March. We also have a review of Michael Haneke's 1992 Benny's Video, a chilling look at the image age.

New on Kamera: Africa in Motion

African filmmakers are being invited to submit their short films for a festival called Africa in Motion (AiM), which takes place annually in Edinburgh. Find out more here.

New on Kamera: Bergman

More Bergman stuff out there: Tartan has just released the late Swedish maestro's 'faith trilogy', which Kamera has reviewed here. We also have a report on the 2008 Rotterdam festival, which ended earlier this month. Check it out here.

Berlin 2008: Brazilian film wins Golden Bear

A Brazilian film accused of being fascist in its home country emerged as the big winner at this year's edition of the Berlin film festival. José Padilha's Elite Squad, a revenge cop thriller set amidst the elite troop of the Rio de Janeiro police, got the Golden Bear for best film. The Grand Jury prize went to Standard Operating Procedure by Errol Morris. The Best Director silver bear went to Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood.

More +

New on Kamera: Cinema at war and Shinobi

Fresh content alert: Andrew Benbow writes about cinematic representation of war based on Nick Broomfield´s Battle of Haditha, currently playing in the UK, and the upcoming Redacted, by Brian de Palma while Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell review the Japanese variation of the Romeo and Juliet theme.

Berlin 2008: Madonna says she's inspired by Godard and Pasolini

The old saying 'easier said than done' may apply to Madonna's declaration in her director's statement for the premiere of her directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, at the Berlin Film Festival 2008. Said the singer turned director:

"I have always been inspired by the films of Godard, Visconti, Pasolini and Fellini and hope that I may one day make something that comes close to their genius."

Full story +

Berlin 2008: 'dull'

According to a report in Variety, this year's edition of the Berlin Film Festival has so far been 'dull' and 'unexciting'.

Read more +

Screening opportunity: Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

For those of you in London: The ICA is screening a documentary about the photograher Annie Leibovitz, she who gives Hollywood stars that patrician treatment on the cover of Vanity Fair every year and who took the last picture of John Lennon on the day he was murdered. But besides her celebrity work, she has also recorded war in Rwanda and Sarajevo and taken intimate shots of her own friends and family, including her lover Susan Sontag. Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens is directed by her sister Barbara Leibovitz and includes contributions from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hillary Clinton, Mick Jagger and George Clooney.

RIP Roy Scheider - one of the greats

From a person point of view Roy Scheider meant a lot to me. I was the generation that was brought up with JAWS and STAR WARS. I saw them both on VHS tape when I was a wee boy and they became my twin obsessions. But JAWS was the one that convinced me to start my first scrapbook (at five years old - dedicated to its star Roy Scheider) and which made me ask my mum to buy me every book on sharks available. I always wanted to be a zoologist after seeing JAWS but never got A's in science class.

But Scheider was so much more than Chief Brody from JAWS and JAWS 2. He also headlined THE FRENCH CONNECTION in 1971 (which, along with the same year's KLUTE, helped him break out), reuniting with its director - William Friedkin - on SORCERER in 1977. A remake of WAGES OF FEAR, SORCERER is Scheider at his best: a fantastic character role that is sadly underseen.

Then there was the John Schlesinger/ William Goldman team up MARATHON MAN. A top rate thriller from the golden age of American cinema (the 70s obviously), which Scheider was fortunate enough to be a part of. After 1978's inevitable JAWS 2 the actor continued to carve out a quirky niche for himself - taking on roles in the cult classic BLUE THUNDER (1983), the surprisingly impressive sequel 2010 (1984) and such tightly crafted thrillers as 52 PICK UP (1986) and COHEN AND TATE (1989). Although he never reached the fame of JAWS again, Scheider's 90s input still includes such interesting diversions as Cronenberg's NAKED LUNCH (1991), Peter Medak's ROMEO IS BLEEDING (1993) and the SEAQUEST DSV television series.

One thing is for certain, even when his screen time was minimal, Scheider also made a movie worth watching.

We will miss you Brody.

Calum Waddell

Berlin Film Festival 2008: Patti Smith

Music is a strong presence at the 2008 Berlinale and one of the most talked about presences in town is Patti Smith (pictured). The revered musician and poet is the subject of a documentary by Steven Sebring called Patti Smith: Dream of Life, which has been garnering praise for its unconventional presentation and intimacy with the subject portrayed. The Associated Press has an article about Smith's passage in Berlin and her rejection of labels. And last night Smith 'wowed reporters' when she did an impromtu rendition of her song My Blakean Year.

Video: Julian Schnabel's Guardian interview

Julian Schnabel talks about his acclaimed film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in the Guardian interview at BFI Southbank in a 22' video.

Trailer: Staircase

I've have always wanted to watch this Richard Burton and Rex Harrison-starred film, Staircase (Dir: Stanley Donen, 1969), although it seems to be hard to come by. Staircase was one of the films that Hollywood put out in the late 1960s to cash in on the new acceptance of homosexuality as an open topic, although from today's perspective it still looks very biased. Reflections in a Golden Eye, with Liz Taylor and Marlon Brando, is another example of this mini-crop of films. Brando plays a closeted major married to Taylor's slutty Leonora...hhmm).

Prejudices aside, Staircase does look fun, though, and I have heard good comments about the acting. The story? Charles Dyer (Harrison) and Harry Leeds (Burton) are a couple that have been living together for nearly 20 years. Both earn a living as hairdressers (what else?) in the West End of London and both care deeply for their mothers (surprise, surprise), but not each other as time apart takes its toll on their relationship when Harry has to care for his invalid mother who snips at him every chance she gets. The script was written by Charles Dyer.

Berlin Film Festival 2008 starts today

The annual film festival in Germany starts today with Scorcese's film about the Rolling Stones, Shine a Light, premiering at the event. More +

Madonna is also showing her directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, at the event, which runs until 17 February.

And Reuters India has a list of films to watch out for during the event.

Watch: Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula

The Films of Jack Hill

So I finished my book on JACK HILL. More information on that soon. In the meantime, Jack is planning something of a comeback remaking his the four pictures of his that starred a frail Boris Karloff back in the late '60s. The movies were, of course, taken out of his hands and finished by somebody else but that does not mean that Jack ever lost control of the scripts.

You can find out more here:

http://www.jackhillpresents.com/

You can find out more about this great director here:

http://www.myspace.com/thefilmsofjackhill

Cheers
Calum Waddell

New on Kamera: Film Festival World

Those of you looking to distribute an independently-made film, have a look at the interview we have with the founders of Film Festival World, which helps filmmakers to market their films.

Derek Jarman at the Serpentine Gallery

The Serpentine Gallery in London will be hosting from 23 February an exhibition of works by Derek Jarman as well as Isaac Julien's film about the late director.

Full story +




Blue (Derek Jarman, 1993)

Sean Young goes into rehab

Rehab really is the word of the 21st century. For those of you who've been wondering about Sean Young, the unforgettable dark-haired star of Blade Runner, decided to go into rehab after drunkenly heckling Julian Schnabel on stage at the Directors Guild of America Awards. We wish her the best of luck and a fabulous comeback because Young may have a drinking problem but she's also got lots of talent.

Sundance 2008

The Hollywood Reporter has a fine overview of the Sundance festival 2008 while Green Cine has an extensive interview with Gregg Araki, whose stoner film Smiley Face showed at the festival.

And more Araki from InArtMedia:

Coen brothers's triumph at Screen Actors Guild Awards

Reuters has reported that Ethan and Joel Coen's Western "No Country For Old Men" won the best cast ensemble award, the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday.

Full story +

2008 Sundance announces awards

And here t hey are...

Berlin 2008 line-up + Buñuel

The Berlin Film Festival, the Berlinale, has announced the 2008 line-up of films included in the Panorama section. Another major attraction of the event that starts on the 7th of February and runs until the 17th is the Luis Buñuel retrospective. Here's an interview with Rainer Rother about the great film director.

Everyone's talking about...

Michael Gondry's Be Kind Rewind

Video: Lost in Beijing

The International Herald Tribune has a nice, informative short documentary about the realist Chinese film Lost in Beijing (Ping guo, Dir: Yu Li, 2007), which will be shown at the Berlin Film Festival next month. You can watch it here.

The mythologising power of death

In a bout of morbid star-struck curiosity, I have been following the hourly updates on Heath Ledger's death two days ago. In this age of participative, social media, the flood of information and video images on the internet creates a compelling narrative. Small bits of information are tossed about - was the rolled-up banknote found in the flat smeared with drugs? A few hours later the answer comes: no).

Parallels to James Dean and Rover Phoenix were inevitable, but something about the overexposure and forensic imagery leaked to the media - such as the body bag being trolleyed out of the SoHo loft as hundreds of cameras took pictures - threaten the mythic longevity of a forming star like Ledger. Whereas in the past such images were produced and filed away by the police, now it's the general public, in its eagerness to take part in the theatre of fame, that generates and propagates them. The unfortunate and inevitable consequence of media overload is ephemeralness.

Still, death never fails in its canonical powers. Alongside the tabloid frenzy, more 'serious' publications quickly drafted in their writers to pay homage to the 'brooding' actor, often including warnings about the callouness of modern celebrity. Here's a pick of what's been published already:

Health Ledger, vulnerable male (Los Angeles Times)
We only had a glimpse of what might have been...(Independent)
Heath Ledger and Hollywood's fallen stars (Telegraph)

Juliette Lewis and Vincent Gallo lend their voices to Swedish project

Via ATMO: Those of you who have been missing Juliette Lewis on the screen since she swapped film for rock music with her band The Licks, worry not: the Natural Born Killers star was visiting Stockholm recently to add voice to the female protagonist in a dystopian sci-fi hybrid animation called Metropia (pictured), directed by Tarik Saleh. The male protagonist will be brought to life thanks to the vocal powers of Vincent Gallo, of Buffalo 66 fame (which graces the cover of Kamera Books title on Independent Cinema) and the Brown Bunny infamy. Juliette Lewis and Vincent Gallo on the same project? Sounds pretty dystopian to me.

Suicidal trend in Sundance

Reuters has published an intriguing piece about the suicidal trend sweeping Sundance 2008. Not that festival attendants are killing themselves in boredom. No, it's something else. Apparently, more than 15 entries this year have "characters contemplating, attempting or actually killing themselves".

Heath Ledger dies at 28

Brokeback Mountain star, Heath Ledger, was found dead in New York yesterday. The cause of his death has not been established. The actor was found lying naked on his bed by the housekeeper and massage therapist with prescription sleeping pills nearby.

New on Kamera: festival opportunities

There's a festival in France and another festival in Croatia currenltly accepting submissions. Find out more here.

Agnès Varda's Region 1 DVD Boxset

January started off on a good note for American fans of Agnès Varda. Criterion is releasing a DVD boxset called 4 By Agnès Varda, which includes Le bonheur, Cléo from 5 to 7, Le Pointe Courte and Vagabond. Let's hope a similar Region 2 release takes place sometime soon as there is an alarming absence of Varda's films on this DVD format.

New on Kamera: Independent Exposure

Independent Exposure is accepting submissions of short video, film and digital-media works of 15 minutes or less and are seeking narrative, artistic, humorous, dramatic, animation, documentary, experimental, alternative, avant-garde, ambient, music videos, and underground works of all genres, formats, and styles. Entry fee is US$5. The main prize is a Panasonic AG-HSC1U 1/4" 3-CCD High Definition Video Camera. Deadline is 29 February.

More +

Nick Broomfield in discussion at Curzon Soho

Documentary-maker Nick Broomfield will be discussing his new film, Battle for Hadita, at the Curzon Soho next Sunday, 20 January at 12 pm.

About the film: In November 2005 in the Iraqi city of Haditha, 24 men, women and children were allegedly shot by four US Marines in retaliation for the death of a Marine killed by a roadside bomb. Broomfield’s latest work follows in the vein of his previous fiction film Ghosts in dramatizing real events, bringing the viewer uncomfortably close up to the action. Bursting with powerful imagery, Broomfield’s disturbingly realistic cinematography imagines the circumstances that provoked the slaughter, finding compassion and humanity amidst the brutality.

Sundance 2008

The 2008 edition of the Sundance festival kicked off yesterday with a presentation by its founder Robert Redford. Widely considered the premier showcase of U.S. and international independent film, the festival began in 1978 as part of the Utah/U.S. film festival when it focused primarily on the presentation of retrospective films and filmmaker seminars. However, it also featured a national competition aimed at drawing attention to emerging American films made outside the Hollywood system. In 1981, the Festival moved to Park City, Utah, and grew to include documentaries and short films along with its programme of dramatic features.

In 1985, the event added international films to its programmes and became a part of Sundance Institute, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1981 by Redford to cultivate new work in film and theatre. The move provided the Festival with year-round administration, financial backing, and a network of contacts, and Sundance Institute gained a powerful vehicle for the presentation of new work by U.S. and international independent filmmakers. In 1991, the Festival was officially renamed Sundance Film Festival.

New on Kamera: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Update alert: Steven Yates gives us the lowdown on Cristian Mingiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 Luni, 3 Saptamini si 2 Zile), the latest winner from Romania.

Edward Burns favours internet over traditional distribution

Via Digital Spy: Edward Burns has released his new movie on the internet because he believes it will make more money. The 40-year-old is convinced that making Purple Violets available on iTunes for $12.99 is more lucrative than releasing it in cinemas.

Full story +

RIP Vampira

I just got this sad news in my inbox courtesy of the editor of RUE MORGUE magazine Jen Vuckovic:

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Maila Nurmi, who died in her sleep several days ago. She was 86. Her dear friend Dana Gould contacted me a few minutes ago to give me the unfortunate news. He tells me she passed away peacefully, of natural causes. Dave Alexander conducted an interview with Nurmi (very likely her last) just prior to her passing and, as such, we will be publishing a memorial along with the interview in the March issue of Rue Morgue.

Born on December 21st, 1921, Nurmi (a.k.a Vampira) was the original glamour ghoul, late night host of 1950s television and, of course, star of Ed Wood’s famous cinematic turkey Plan 9 From Outer Space. She will be dearly missed.
Maila Nurmi 1921 - 2008

This will be sad news to any fan of the Ed Wood cult classic PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. Vampira was still an in-demand attendee at cult film functions and, of course, was portrayed by Lisa Marie in Tim Burton's 1994 classic ED WOOD (still Johnny Depp's best film).

RIP Vampira and thanks for playing a part in a B-movie history.

Calum Waddell

Screening: Argument (1978)

Rare cinema viewing opportunity! A double-bill of screenings showing Anthony McCall and Andrew Tyndall's feature-length film, Argument (1978, pictured), followed by a presentation of a new work by Paris-based artist Aurélien Froment.

6.30 pm: Argument
Argument is a dense and provocative feature-length essay examining one issue of the New York Times magazine to investigate the ideology of news, the language of fashion and the construction of masculinity.

8.30 pm: Aurélien Froment presents a new video work.
Froment's work deals with film as a metaphor, the provenance of images and sleight of hand.

Thursday 17 January
6.30 – 9.30 pm Goethe Institut 50 Princes Gate Exhibition Road
London, SW7 2PH

Tickets from:
Serpentine Gallery Lobby Desk: 020 7402 6075

Watch: IlluminAzione by Corrado Bungaro (2007)

This video was the winner of the International Festival of 1 Minute Videos last year. Very charming and original.

Watch video.

Bunuel at the Barbican

Nothing like Bunuel films to see through bleak January. Here's the programme:

Sunday 13 January
The Milky Way (PG) (France/Italy 1968 Dir. Luis Buñuel 102 min)

On a bizarre pilgrimage from Paris to a holy Spanish shrine, two down-and-outs encounter various characters and explore the mysteries of Catholic theology. Buñuel’s startling critique of religious dogma.

Sunday 20 January
Diary of a Chambermaid (18) (France/Italy 1964 Dir. Luis Buñuel 98 min)

Jeanne Moreau stars as the stunning and ambitious maid who obtains a job with a provincial French family, and causes chaos in the home. A penetrating social satire with Buñuel at his most eloquent.

Sunday 27 January
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (15) (France 1972 Dir. Luis Buñuel 105 min)

A group of wealthy middle class friends gather at a country house, but their host is strangely absent, and all their attempts to dine together are mysteriously frustrated. Michel Picolli, Delphine Seyrig, Fernanando Rey plus the wonderful Bulle Ogier turn in superb performances in a hilarious satire on bourgeois codes and manners.

Sunday 3 February
The Phantom of Liberty (18) (France 1974 Dir. Luis Buñuel 104 min)

Monica Vitti and Michel Picolli reflect on the meaning of life in a sequence of Pythonesque events moving from the nineteenth century through to contemporary Paris. Buñuel’s penultimate film stirs many of his favourite passions from anti-clericism to the attack on bourgeois values, all couched within a comic surrealism laden with memorable images and performances.

Sunday 10 February
That Obscure Object of Desire (15) (France/Spain 1977 Dir. Luis Buñuel 103 min)

Buñuel’s final film tells the story of a maid who refuses to yield to the amorous advances of a rich businessman, but keeps him hanging on in hope. Fernando Rey is the victim under her spell, whilst Conchita the maid is played by both Carole Bouquet and Angela Molena, portraying the dual sides of her character.

Scorsese does Hitchcock

Sean Penn to head Cannes jury in 2008

Actor and director Sean Penn has been named head of the jury of the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival, the organisation of the event announced yesterday. The festival will taken place between 14 and 25 May.

Penn's latest directorial project is the film Into the Wild, based on Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book and is considered a strong candidate for an Oscar for Best Film of 2007.

Aki Kaurismäki's actor Markku Peltola dies at 51

Finnish actor Markku Peltola, who won international recognition because of his role in director Aki Kaurismaki's 2002 movie The Man Without a Past, died early Monday at the age 51. Kaurismaki's film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes film festival in 2002. Peltola also had supporting parts in Kaurismaki's 1999 movie Juha and Drifting Clouds from 1996.

Coincidentally, Kamera last week published a review of a DVD package with some of Kaurismäki's films which you can read here.

New on Kamera: opportunity for African filmmakers

The Africa in Motion film festival (AiM), which takes place annually in October at Edinburgh's Filmhouse, is inviting African filmmakers to submit short films for a new AiM competition. Find out more here.

Watch: Vittorio De Sica's La Ciociara (1960), starring Sophia Loren and Jean-Paul Belmondo

The smoke-less screen

2008 has got off to a smoke-free start in France. The smoking ban in the country has taken effect today as authorities look to curb the widespread habit among the French (a quarter of the population puffs). We're all for health, of course, but does the ban mean that French cinema has lost one of its most iconic props? The films coming out in 2009 and set in contemporary France will probably give us a clue.

Gawker launches into sci-fi

The ever-expanding Gawker blogging empire today launched its latest title, i09, a blog dedicated to all things sci-fi, futurism and all-out silliness. And that's good news for film lovers too as the blog includes a film section that's full of sci-chedelic stuff. Beam yourself up.