Thursday, December 31, 2009

Thanks for the Spike in Our Reader Count!


As 2009 winds down, we want to thank you so much for reading us. Our counters show a huge spike in our daily visitors/readers, now 2, sometimes in the 300's daily. This new stat has had us scratching our heads and we are thrilled about it. We want to thank all of our loyal old readers, as well as our new loyal ones and we promise to continue to bring more new, interesting, or funny content in the world of film, tv, and music. Hopefully in 201o there will be a lot more music related posts, and if you have any suggestions please drop us a line.

For the new year, as you continue to check us out, please make sure to add these new, very cool blogs to your list. They are our friends, they've begun recently to join the bloggersphere, and they are doing wonderful things. Here they are:

Monica Trombley: Our part-owner and legal advisor and exec administrator Monica has a wonderful blog called Angry Redheaded Lawyer that is as informative and personal as it is funny. Check it out HERE.

Cassandra Riddick: Our part-owner and producer, writer, and director Cassandra ("Cass" as we affectionately refer to her) has a blog with updates on her debut feature film Shining Star, that is finishing post production now. Check it out HERE.

Brian Ackley: Director of Uptown and the upcoming follow up feature Indulgence has what looks to be potentially an incredible blog that details the ins and outs of making Uptown and the true story behind it. Definitely detailed and intricately written, but still looks to be really interesting. Check it out HERE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

- One Way or Another Productions LLC

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tom Trashes Jennifer's Body

This week Tom Trombley is not so happy. He reviewed the DVD for Jennifer's Body and...well...it ain't lookin' good.

**DISCLAIMER: We here at OneWayTV try to refrain from using a lot of "offensive" language so if this offends you, then please do not read further and do not worry - we never make it a habit. Also, the views expressed in our feature "Tom's Corner" do not necessarily reflect the views of OneWayTV or any of its associates. If you're still offended even after this disclaimer, than F#@% off. **



Jennifer's Body (2009 Karyn Kusama, dir.)

Diablo Cody is a wonderful writer...most of the time. I thought Juno was brilliant. What little I've seen of United States of Tara is great. So I figured, despite all the negativity surrounding this movie, I'd give it a shot.

Ugh. What a waste of the hour and forty-two minutes I spent (OK OK I fast forwarded or muted some of the shit-tacular soundtrack, but my ears can only take so goddamned much).

What, oh what can I say about Megan Fox that she hasn't said herself? She said in an interview (here's a link if you don't believe me) that if you thought her acting was shitty, it was because she is shitty...no robots to distract you here. Well, OK thanks for stealing ALL MY FUCKING JOKES Megan. Cause folks, Megan Fox has the potential to be the next Pamela Anderson...provided the celebrity sex tape market don't dry up. Oh, she'll also need a washed up drummer (Rick Allen, here's your big shot...and if you're an offended Def Leppard fan, I don't give a shit, so fuck you and the mullet you rode in on).

A couple of other points on the film:

* Kyle Gallner (he played the goth kid), Jon Cryer called and he wants his Ducky routine back. Seriously. Also, Charlie pulled a knife on him too, send help.
* Oh dear Jesus the dialogue in this movie. Some of the worst CRAP I've heard someone spew since...well, fuck, since ever. I mean there's a point where stupid becomes painful, and this movie reached that point and sang a chorus of “Climb Every Mountain” on it.
* Amy Sedaris: I have loved you since “Strangers With Candy.” I thank you for only appearing briefly and thus saving you from being associated with this film.
*Can J.K. Simmons say no to a part? He's certainly a workaholic, but in this case it's not so admirable.
*The teenage sex scene between Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Chip (Johnny Simmons) may have been the most realistic teenage sex ever. Kudos to the safe sex.
*A plot point: If my best friend forever was being pulled into a van by a bunch of guys I thought were assholes after we just escaped a fiery doom, I think I'd try a little harder to stop them from taking her, even if she dazedly said it was cool.
*Another plot point: Throw in a lesbian scene when things are getting slow! It's fan-friggin-tastic!

So, to sum up (in haiku):

this movie sucked hard
i would rather watch anything
than this piece of shit

- Tom

Is Harvey In Trouble Again?

According to The Post, Harvey is in trouble again. Sources say, that the Weinstein Company has enlisted the aid of outside financial sources that have nothing to do with movies, to help out the under-pressure studio. Something tells me that the Weinsteins will get out of this jam, just like they always have. Read some of it yourself after the jump:


The Weinstein Co. is considering several deals to restructure its finances in order to improve liquidity and repay creditors, The Post has learned.

According to several sources familiar with the matter, The Weinstein Co. is in talks about an "off balance sheet slate deal," in which an equity player would provide cash to help finance future productions.

Another option is the creation of an "acquisition fund," through which brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein could access a pool of cash to buy projects at film festivals, for instance.

The discussions have taken on more urgency given the weak opening of "Nine," the musical starring Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Day-Lewis: The movie took in a disappointing $7 million at the box office last week.

The studio was banking on "Nine," along with "Inglourious Basterds," which has grossed more than $300 million worldwide, generating enough cash to fund ongoing and new productions, sources said.

"They were hoping 'Nine' would do 'Chicago'-like numbers," said a source, referring to the 2002 musical that Harvey produced and that grossed $170 million domestically and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Read the full piece HERE.

Monday, December 28, 2009

13 Most Important DIY Films of the Decade

Here is our list of the 13 most significant "ultra-indie," "real-indie," "DIY," "no budget" (whatever floats your semantic boat) of this era. This list is a combination of films that were either very important in pushing this kind of independent filmmaking forward in a financial sense, or were influential strictly for their aesthetic, or a combination of both. Most of these films can be found on Netflix for rental, online, or on Amazon for order. This list is in no particular order.

Note: I didn't include the groundbreaking In Search of a Midnight Kiss on purpose (although it was made very much in the spirit and aesthetic of DIY) because the producers had mainstream success in Hollywood, so any film from them would be easier to leverage into the marketplace. Or at least thats the rationale.

13 Most Important DIY Films of the Decade:



1) On the Outs (2004)

Along with actress Jace Nicole, I first met Paola Mendoza standing outside of the Film Forum on Houston street, trying to get people to come into the DIY, self-booked theatrical screening of this film. We looked over at the poster inside, and after a double take we made out that she was the star of the film (along with 2 others that were leads). Directed by Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik, and shot on 16mm with a cumulative budget of less than 160k, we knew about the film after it had recently been nominated for a couple of Independent Spirit Awards (including the John Cassavetes award for films made under 500k). And so is the story of this little film that could, made by a passionate and humble group of "kids" from Jersey City, that ended with a theatrical self-distribution plan before going to DVD with Polychrome in 2006. Mendoza would go on to her directorial debut Entre Nos (which she co-directed with Gloria La Morte), which opened at Tribeca this year, and landed her on this summer's Filmmaker Magazine list for 25 New Faces of Independent Film.



2) Funny Ha Ha (2002)

Considered by many to be the first "mumblecore" film (although Andrew Bujalski, the filmmaker, shuns this term and being grouped into it). It was highly influential - if not the most influential film about the post-college anxieties of early, twenty-year-old, caucasian men and women. It was a hit with critics, and praised for its highly observant realism. Shot in 16mm color, the film could be considered a smarter version of Linklater's '90's sensation Slacker. Funny Ha Ha was at times significant by default - Joe Swanberg introduced himself to the world with Kissing On the Mouth, which he says was in part a reaction to Funny Ha Ha. In this way, the film was influential to a whole new breed of filmmakers. Bujalski was influenced by Cassavetes, Swanberg was influenced to comment on Bujalski, and several filmmakers' styles were directly inspired by Swanberg, and the realism of his comment on Funny Ha Ha. The film was self-distributed theatrically before screening on the Sundance Channel and brought to DVD by Wellspring.



3) Mutual Appreciation (2005)

Andrew Bujalski upped the ante, reportedly budgeted the very doable $50,000-range, and this time took to black and white 16mm photography with New York as the location. The film again was highly lauded by critics including Manohla Dargis of the New York Times. It happened to screen at SXSW the same year as Swanberg's LOL, Crumley and Buice's Four Eyed Monsters, Katz's Quiet City, and more films from this collective of friends and collaborators. It would go on to double its production budget in another self-theatrical release, before coming to Image Entertainment for DVD, although you can still access the film straight from its website to amazon.



4) Steal This Film (2006)

This could very well have been the most influential film of the decade for its release strategy, had its concept really caught on to the rest of the community. Later films would follow this model, the latest and most recently noted was Lionshare, before that Star Wreck and Sita Sings the Blues, both successful. The film is a series of two, documenting the movement against intellectual property, produced by The League of Noble Peers and released via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer protocol. The film is famous partly for being one of the most downloaded documentaries to date. According to their manifesto, "IN 2006, A GROUP OF FRIENDS DECIDED TO MAKE A FILM ABOUT FILESHARING THAT *WE* WOULD RECOGNIZE. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW DOCUMENTARIES BY 'OLD MEDIA' CREWS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NET AND SEE PEER-TO-PEER ORGANISATION AS A THREAT TO THEIR LIVELIHOODS. THEY HAVE NO REASON TO REPRESENT THE FILESHARING MOVEMENT POSITIVELY, AND NO CAPACITY TO REPRESENT IT LUCIDLY. WE WANTED TO MAKE A FILM THAT WOULD EXPLORE THIS HUGE POPULAR MOVEMENT IN A WAY THAT EXCITED US, ENGAGED US, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOCUSED ON WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC VISION MANY FILESHARERS AND ARTISTS (THEY ARE OFTEN ONE) HAVE FOR THE FUTURE OF CREATIVITY."



5) Hannah Takes the Stairs (2005)

Easily one of the most talked about film movements of the decade, this film, even if by default, cemented what was perceived to be a movement amongst the digital-aged DIY film collective across the country. It was the film that at once joined the creative forces of directors and actors who worked similarly - loose on scripting, low-fi cameras, (except for Bujalski I must note for both), nearly everyone was at the party. Director Joe Swanberg basically likened himself more a party-thrower than a (capital D) Director on this one, having assembled DIY notables like Mark Duplass, Greta Gerwig, Andrew Bujalski, Kris Swanberg, Tipper Newton, Paul Osborne, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal, Kevin Bewersdorf, and others, many of whom went on to direct or star in other celebrated work, or both. He also credited all of them in some way, most as writers. Seemingly as praised as it is hated, one cannot deny the mark on history it will have, if at least by students of the underground film movement. The film screened at SXSW in '07, and the rest is M-word history.



6) Four Eyed Monsters (2005)

This film will probably be most remembered for being more than just a film. It was a lot of things - a web series, a technological and digital experiment, and now one of the strongest case studies in successful do-it-yourself distribution. Even a botched IFC release couldn't stop this film from making history. Directed by Susan Buice and Arin Crumley, the DVX-100 shot feature film with a budget of less than 100k, went on to screen at Slamdance. After failing to gain a distribution deal, the filmmakers, after being inspired by panels at the festival that discussed using blogs and social networking to promote, they began documenting the failed process of finding a standard distribution deal, and the emotional toll it all began to have on their relationship. Episode 0, was a teaser that was introduced the very same day that Apple released the video ipod. 13 Episodes total, these helped promote the film as good as any marketing campaign from an indie studio. The duo also incorporated a custom google map, that pinpointed where more fans were coming from, which allowed them to leverage the film themselves theatrically, by using the results of this crowdsourcing technique. The theatrical run, although short, was effective and successful (it helps to know exactly who one's audience is). The film partnered with Myspace, and went on to become the first feature film to play on Youtube (legally). Arin and Susan are now regulars on panels, public speaking engagements and in presentations about technology in indie filmmaking, and how to directly reach your audience online. Easily the most important DIY film of the decade (and a damn good one at that).



7) Quiet City (2007)

Made for less than 3 grand and beautifully shot on the HVX-200, Aaron Katz's first feature (technically, since his debut, Dance Party USA was less than 72 minutes) was also screened that famous 2007 year at SXSW, where several other notable films from this group of friends and frequent collaborators also premiered. 'City's accomplishment can be best catagorized as purely an aesthetic one - a film so pleasing visually and emotionally nuanced, yet honest, that it defied the accusations that these kinds of small, DIY films were visually limited, and confined to only the handheld camera to tell its stories (Katz's prior film, Dance Party USA, proved that this was no fluke, for it in fact, may be even more technically "sound"). Andrew Johnston of Time Out New York even called it "one of the most romantic portraits of Brooklyn ever captured on film." Quiet City would go on to perhaps its most impressive achievement - to be nominated for an Independent Spirit Cassavetes Award, which for its budget, I believe was a record for the lowest budgeted film ever to be nominated for a Spirit. It shared space for a week run with several other "New Talkies" other films made similarly that screened at the IFC theater in the village in the summer of '07 (along with Hannah Takes the Stairs which also played a full week). What followed was a DVD distribution deal from Benton films for both Dance Party and Quiet City together in the same package, and eventually a well respected literary agent for Katz. Not bad for less than one month of the average American's mortgage.



8) Medicine for Melancholy (2008)

Say what you want about the world of indie film, it certainly has a knack for redeeming itself. Several in the DIY community began wondering if the M-word thing (at least the coverage of it), or DIY film in general would ever be as an inclusive to non-white males (although not many, a couple of women had in fact made their marks). None were more vocal than known blogger Sujewa Ekanayake, who bravely began the murmurs by making his case (after he had seen Medicine and officially became the first to fully review it). As if to save the day, SXSW premiered the film, by a then unknown Barry Jenkins, a young black male who hadn't even hit his 30's. His film was inventive, lyrical, very smart, and downright beautiful. Thanks to him, people were able to see a different side of the black experience - one that some have admittedly never known existed - that of young, black "indie" or "punk" kids. But he managed to still keep it socially and ethnically conscious, and therefore made one of the most profound cinematic statements of the decade. The press took to it instantly, and it received some of the best press among this group, even being invited to Toronto International Film Festival by September that fall (in addition to Greece and Argentina). The director, and cast made the cover of this winter's Filmmaker Magazine. The film was released for nearly 2 weeks at IFC theater after IFC had acquired it, before it landed On Demand, and eventually (finally) on DVD. Indie film had answered the call, and now continues to do so. Better late than never.



9) Baghead (2008)

Now before some of you argue that the Duplass Brothers already had "a foot in the studio doors," lets remember that they first tried to get this film made in "the system." Of course the studio heads didn't get it, and made it more complicated with way more people and equipment than necessary, and the brothers decided to do it themselves, using their own money. What is significant about this film, is how nearly the same exact aesthetics that were used in their debut The Puffy Chair, were applied here. Handheld cameras, lighting the entire room from the ceiling, DIY alumni Greta Gerwig is one of the leads, subversion of genre, and even poking fun of the movement they were initially a part of. It was crazy to watch Sony Pictures Classics pick it up near its Sundance premiere (even though plenty of naysayers claimed Sony Pictures would "fuck it up" - maybe they did - the film ended up at a little under 150k thru a select theater US release, depending on how you look at it). Either way, all I know is I was watching a DIY digital feature film shot on a shoestring budget in a huge theater in Times Square with a bunch of strangers who had no cares as to how it was shot, edited, or even gave a damn what DIY was, or the m-word, or whatever you want to call it. The Duplass Brothers, quite frankly, are a DIY producer's dream: they are always fully aware of who their audience is, they look to fully engage and entertain yet "enlighten" that audience (its definitely not all about them), and the honest ways they resolve their films' conflicts keep their street cred fully in tact. They are easily my favorite DIY filmmakers of the decade.



10) Alexander the Last (2009)

Joe Swanberg's last feature broke ground in many ways; we watched Joe's camerawork and cinematography grow right before our eyes, as well as his attention to relationship details (sort of like a social scientist), as well as becoming the first of the pack to work with a name actor (Jane Adams), but it's release strategy quickly became the standard in this new age of releasing films alongside the festival premiere - the famous "day and date" release. IFC, who acquired the film earlier than any other of Swanberg's films, set things up so that Festival Direct On Demand would have the film available nationwide, the night of the film's SXSW premiere. So on the night of the premiere of Alexander the Last, my friends and I were able to join in on the festival experience of being amongst the first to see the film during its world premiere. This is a common plan now, where filmmakers in all genres (and budgets) are planning some kind of release in coordination with their film festival premiere.



11) Official Rejection (2009)

There seems to be a bunch of groundbreaking DIY films that were released in 2009, can't quite put my finger on why that is. But who can forget the bible for festival bound, indie filmmakers, Paul Osborne's Official Rejection? Bound to be a must-have in any filmmaker's collection, the film is so necessary as it does us the viewer/filmmaker a favor and exposes some of the top tier film festivals for what they are (you fill in the blanks when you see the film). It also achieves something else besides warning us - it highlights the better festivals, and underscores why film festivals, are still a very significant and necessary part of the independent filmmaking process. Lets not forget the irony here; we know about this film because of film festivals. Thats also why this film achieves so much. The DVD just became available on Amazon. A light and funny movie, yet still, a very, very important piece of work.



12) Humpday (2009)

The crossover appeal of this film, along with its director Lynn Shelton and co-star Mark Duplass, who paid their DIY dues, is the main reason this film is on this list. The film opened in several select theaters across the country, grossed well over its budget with a number a little higher than 400k at the box office, before hitting DVD.



13) Paranormal Activity (2009)

Who cares that after Oren Peli made the film the Hollywood machines got a hold of it? Who cares that they masterfully implemented social networking and internet marketing, something the indie community speaks tirelessly about? All I know is a movie originally made for less than $15,000, this year became the most profitable movie ever made. Nuff said.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Tom's Review of Extract


Tom Trombley dissects Mike Judge's Extract, after the jump:


Extract (Mike Judge, dir. 2009)

Peter Travers will tell you Extract is “smart and potently funny.” What the fuck is wrong with him? This flaming piece of shit had some good ingredients, but the overall affect felt...like less than a full movie. So, what went wrong?

Not Jason Bateman. Remember when he was in Arrested Development? He was hilarious. He can still deliver a line or two here. J.K. Simmons? Same part he's been playing everywhere: low-key character who is sort of a co-star but doesn't get enough lines to truly flesh out his character. David Koechner was funny in The Goods and many other movies. He plays Nathan, the world's most annoying neighbor here, and he's understated and truly irritating. Kristen Wiig, a so-called comedic actress, has never made me laugh. She's not funny here either. Mila Kunis plays Cindy. Am I the only one who hears her voice and instantly thinks of Meg Griffin? Ben Affleck plays Dean.

Oh, Ben Affleck. In my short reviewing career, I have waited to rip into you. You no-talent, cleft chinned, idiot grinning, Daredevil-ruining, Matt Damon sponging off of, Gigli starring in, white guy on Jennifer Lopezes' color wheel of significant others, only watchable in Kevin Smith movies cockmonkey. You, sir, added NOTHING to this film. Anyone, including a mentally challenged monkey with a spastic colon could've played your part. Oh God, it felt soooo good to let that out. Moving on....

Mike Judge wrote and directed this movie. Remember the last time he did that? It was a little movie called Office Space. I love Office Space. It was funny and real. You could RELATE to those characters. Folks, I'm gonna lay a little knowledge on you, and I want you to take it to heart. When every single movie poster and advertisement references the director or writer's previous film or films way too much, it means that the current film is trash. Oh, and a word about the ending: predictable.

Sorry to say, that's what Extract is. At best, it's a waste of 92 minutes...and completely forgettable. This will NEVER be your favorite movie, unless you've been paid off.

- Tom



Friday, December 25, 2009

A Short for Christmas

Here is the best short film I have seen this year, which was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival. To wish everyone a Happy Holiday season, here it is free! (via The Screening Room)

When Dennis, an introvert bodybuilder, invites a local girl out on a date his mother is hurt and disappointed. Despite the pressure she puts on him to cancel the date, Dennis ventures into a night that he will never forget.

Watch in full screen!



If you have trouble viewing this, simply go HERE.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

20 Points to Consider Before Your Festival Premiere

Jon Reiss, author of the innovative "Think Outside the Box Office" offers 20 points to consider when approaching your film festival premiere. He references Park City's Sundance a lot, but his approach can be utilized for just about any film festival premiere. Here is some of his article after the jump:



"One of the biggest discussions that came out of @Jon_Reiss on twitter a couple of weeks was about filmmaker preparation to launch a film at a film festival. I talk about this in the Film Festival chapter of Think Outside the Box Office I gave out on IndieWire last week. This concept of initiating the release of a film at the film’s festival premiere was spawned by my talks with filmmakers who had had big splashes at premiere festivals, but were never able to generate the same level of promotion or interest eight months later when their film was finally released. Further, there are a couple of companies pursuing this course of action as a strategy – IFC Festival Direct and Snag Films have launched releases of films at film festivals. In fact, specialty divisions have recognized the buzz generating power of festivals and have been using them for many years to launch films.

Premiering at Sundance and Slamdance provides a film with one of the biggest world stages to launch a film. A savvy filmmaker might consider using the festival to launch a national release of their film. Even though I am a fan of this idea (especially for the films that have been developing their marketing and distribution plans for many months) I want to provide a bit of caution to filmmakers who might consider this path without being prepared.

I do not recommend attempting to initiate the actual release of your film if you are just scrambling to get it finished and have not prepared for distribution or marketing.

One alternative if you are not ready at Park City to launch a full release, is to do so at your next big festival 4-6 months down the line. This approach was used by Weather Girl to good effect last year.

I am going to break up this discussion into 2 different posts. The first is what I feel that every filmmaker should consider before going to their premiere festival especially if if they are not ready to launch the full release of their film. (I will refer to Park City below – but it is interchangeable with any premiere festival)

1. You need to develop a distribution and marketing strategy for your film. This does not mean “sell my film for $ 5 million to Fox Searchlight”. That is not a strategy. Your strategy should takes into consideration Your Film, Your Needs, Your Resources, Your Audience. "

Read the rest of this list HERE.

Monday, December 21, 2009

One Fat Cigar reports that the creators of the well buzzed-about film Ink are embracing the recent piracy of their feature film. Another nod to where we are headed, in this new distribution and promotional landscape, called "the digital age." Here it is, after the jump:




"Dear Fans and Friends,

Over the weekend something pretty extraordinary happened. Ink got ripped off. Someone bit torrented the movie (we knew this would happen) and they posted it on every pirate site out there. What we didn’t expect was that within 24 hours Ink would blow up. Ink became the number 1 most downloaded movie on several sites having been downloaded somewhere between 150,000 to 200,000 times as far as we can tell. Knowing there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it, we’ve embraced the piracy and are just happy Ink is getting unprecedented exposure.

As a result, Ink is now ranked #16 on IMDb’s movie meter and is currently one of the top 20 most popular movies in the world.

This all started as a result of the completely underground buzz that you’ve each helped us create. We’ve had no distributor, no real advertising and yet the word of mouth that you’ve generated has made the film blow up as soon as it became available worldwide. So many of you came to see the movie multiple times, bringing friends and family and many of you have bought the DVD and Blu-ray from us. All of this built up and built up and suddenly it exploded.

We don’t know exactly where this will all lead, but the exposure is unquestionably a positive thing.

Ink hits Netflix, Blockbuster, iTunes and many more tomorrow! Remember to get your signed copies, t-shirts and posters at the Ink Store.

Thank you so much for the constant love and support.

Jamin and Kiowa, Double Edge Films”

Official INK website HERE.

2010: the Year of Empowerment for Indie Filmmakers


Producer's Rep Steven C. Beer gave IndieWire and DIY/indie filmmakers who are moving forward with the new empowerment model of distribution, five essential priority empowerment elements worth considering prior to going to Sundance or another key festival. Here is some of this inspiring piece after the jump:


"For many independent filmmakers and producers, 2010 - starting with the upcoming Sundance Film Festival - figures to be a watershed year and the beginning of a Decade of Filmmaker Empowerment. After years of disenchantment with traditional all-rights distribution deals, filmmakers and producers are poised to take matters into their own hands and forge a truly independent path to marketing and distributing their films.

For over 30 years, the Sundance Film Festival has been the jewel of the domestic film festival crown. Year after year, audiences flock to Park City to screen original films from new voices with fresh perspectives. Film industry executives attend the festival to discover and possibly work with a new class of promising filmmakers. For the new generation of filmmakers, Sundance is an unparalleled opportunity to gain recognition and screen films before appreciative audiences.

The economic climate over recent Sundance seasons has been harsh however. For many filmmakers pursuing traditional deals with multi-screen commitments and substantial minimum guarantees, January, 2010 is likely to represent another winter of frozen dreams. The once hot seller’s market where distributors chased producers with rich deals has cooled down considerably. The surviving mini-majors have concluded that marketing and distributing independent films can be risky business. The recent demise of Paramount Vantage and Warner Independent and downsizing at The Weinstein Company and Miramax contributes to a chilly forecast for this January.

The road from Park City to the urban art house cinema is icy and treacherous. Here is the good news: there are warmer days ahead offering a more stable course to distribution. The new terrain promises unprecedented control and maximum flexibility as filmmakers and producers hit the distribution trail.Taking advantage of new opportunities in the marketplace, savvy filmmakers and producers will approach Sundance 2010 and other key festivals with a customized empowerment strategy. This new paradigm contemplates the probability that they will contract with several distribution partners rather than seek traditional, one-stop/all rights distribution arrangements."

Read the rest of this piece HERE.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Closer

Throwback Sundays this week remembers one of the best, most well-acted, most intense, and at times brutal films of the decade, Mike Nichols' Closer.

Roger Ebert writing for Chicago Sun-Times said, "They are all so very articulate, which is refreshing in a time when literate and evocative speech has been devalued in the movies". Peter Travers writing for Rolling Stone said, "Mike Nichols haunting, hypnotic Closer vibrates with eroticism, bruising laughs and dynamite performances from four attractive actors doing decidedly unattractive things".

Here is the trailer:



www.netflix.com
www.amazon.com

Watch Carter Online for Free

The feature film CARTER is presented online, free of charge. During this holiday season, you can make a donation to a cool charity called "Musicians on Call." You can watch the full film HERE.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Top 10 DIY Posters of the Decade

Since people @ the blogs Like Anna Karina's Sweater , The Auteurs, and even Roger Ebert are picking their choices for best movie posters of the decade, we figured we would painstakingly take a couple days to choose my top 10 DIY posters of the decade - from films that were DIY and had ultra-low to no budget. These are in no particular order at all, some of these films we have seen, and some we haven't, and we chose them based on different criteria. There was no "rule" to it (besides design and effectiveness), we just selected 10 favorites. Feel free to leave your comments as to which ones you think we forgot about (for films with budgets less than 100k - in most of these cases, wayyy less).


Carbuncle
2006
Comments: These guys rule. Highly inventive, intricate design. Nice people too.


Hero the Great
(Year unknown)
Comments: Its hard for us to comprehend that this brilliant design, easily a favorite, was for a short film. The creators went all out on this one.


Five Across the Eyes
2006
Comments: The distributors of this film had the nerve to reach out randomly and compliment us for one of our poster designs, while we were busy being in awe of theirs.


The Pleasure of Being Robbed
2008
Comments: We've seen 3 versions of the poster for this film. This one is easily our favorite.


The Last International Playboy
2008
Comments: Completely ballsy. We would have loved it if they defiantly made this their official poster.


Mutual Appreciation
2005
Comments: Loved this thematically comprehensive, somewhat suggestive image so much, we shot an insert of it in our first feature film Cookies & Cream.

2009
Comments: It was a temp design, but it still gets us everytime.


Baghead
2008
Comments: Hilarious, Scenes From a Marriage homage.
2007
Comments: Here it is, in all its B-movie styled glory.

2007
Comments: We chose this one because it's impossible not to look at more than once.

Honorable Mention:

2005
Comments: There is no way we could forget this highly stylized, densely illustrated, gem of a design.

(By the way, for quality, affordable artwork to fit your film's needs, drop by HERE.)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Why You Should Begin Selling Your DVD NOW


Just in case there is some confusion as to why certain filmmakers, including ourselves, are selling their DVDs early DURING their film festival run, here is a full breakdown from the producers of the Sundance official selection Children of Invention. This multi award-winning feature film, directed by Tze Chun and produced by Mynette Louie is already available on DVD via their website, and here they give a wonderfully detailed explanation of exactly why. Check out most of it after the jump:



Why are we selling DVDs right now? Aren't we still on the film festival circuit?

"It may seem a bit unorthodox, but yes, we are indeed selling DVDs while on the festival circuit, and started to do so just two months after our Sundance premiere. As many of you may know, these are trying times for independent film. Many of the companies that have traditionally distributed specialty, indie, and arthouse movies have gone out of business or stopped acquiring films. As a result, fewer films are being picked up for distribution. And the deals that are being offered by the remaining distributors are smaller than ever before. A typical deal with a distributor now consists of a $0 to $50,000 advance, which is often the only return a filmmaker will see.

But all is not lost. Indie film has never seen so many intelligent and passionate people trying to fix the distribution model. People like Ted Hope and Peter Broderick, who pioneered the independent financing and distribution model that worked for most of the nineties, are trying to come up with a new model that will hopefully work for years to come. Websites like indieWIRE and Hammer to Nail have been helping as well to foster a dialogue about the subject. We’re trying to learn from the renaissance in independent music and adopt tactics that may fit for independent film. But we can’t really know how all of this experimentation will turn out until we have some case studies.

In the past few years, we’ve seen award-winning, critically lauded films such as BALLAST and MUTUAL APPRECIATION choose theatrical self-distribution over traditional distribution. We’re trying to go one step further by selling our DVDs at festivals and from our website while still on the festival circuit. Traditionally, doing such a thing would be taboo and relegated to the arena of shoddily made B-movies—certainly not award-winning films that premiere at Sundance. But because of technology, audience behavior has shifted and is continuing to shift dramatically. People are now consuming media in very different ways than they were just a few years ago.

In trying to change with the times, we’re thinking of our festival run as part of our theatrical run. This way, we can capitalize on the press coverage of our film to sell it on DVD—without the middleman. And what’s more, the festival circuit allows us to play in cities no distributor would even think to release our film in (we’re talking about you, Sarasota, Dallas, and Nashville!)."

Read the rest of this piece HERE.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Match Dot Com - A Romantic Comedy

I am personally supporting this film, and I wanted to invite and encourage you to do the same, by helping to produce truly independent, grassroots filmmaking.

My friend Anthony Grippa, who made his debut recently with the DIY film Running Funny which not too long ago was picked up and distributed by Lifesize Entertainment , is making a new short film that I'm excited about. If you saw Running Funny, you will see why I am so anxious - his way with actors, his timing, and attention to detail. Make sure to check it out now, its also on Netflix.

Anthony is raising money for his new short film "Match Dot Com" on kickstarter.com, a new website where artists can raise money for various projects through small donations by turning their fans into patrons. Taking this "crowdfunding" approach will allow him to interact with the audience by giving them an inside look at the filmmaking process of a movie that they help produce, and build awareness for it at the same time.

The film is a romantic comedy about how living in the digital age doesn't necessarily mean it's easier to make a connection with someone, and follows Kristen, a young actress living in New York, who ends one relationship and tries to start something new via an online dating website. It's a spin-off of a feature film that he's developing called "Falling for Gracie," a romantic comedy about a struggling young musician who meets the girl of his dreams on a New York City subway train, and goes to great lengths to find her.

Making "Match Dot Com" is the first step in the process of bringing "Falling for Gracie" to the screen, and it will be used to promote the development of the feature film as he continues his fundraising efforts. A very talented actress named Brianne Moncrief has signed on to play the lead role in the short film. Brianne was a regular on "All My Children" and she recently filmed a role in the upcoming Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg movie, "The Other Guys."

Visit his kickstarter page by clicking on this link: Match Dot Com where you can watch his fundraising video and learn more about how you can help produce the film. You will become an important part of a very exciting process, and you'll get some cool stuff out of it (how about a role as an extra in the movie or an invitation to the wrap party?) Plus your credit card will not be charged until he reaches his fundraising goal, hopefully by the end of February. No amount is too small and your support will bring him one step closer to shooting his next feature film.
Sharing this project with your friends, family, and colleagues will make a huge difference and is crucial to the success of Anthony's "crowdfunding" campaign, so please spread the word!


Thank you sincerely for your support.

- Princeton

Queens International Film Festival a Scam?

Seems like we have another shady film festival story that has broken. There has always been something about this fest that bothered me, and now I see why. Check out this news announcement, after the jump:

MYFOXNY.COM - The Fox 5 Shame spotlight is focused on the founder of a local film festival. Arnold Diaz reports that some former employees are blowing the whistle on a woman with a long history of dirty business.

Some people say that the founder of the Queens International Film Festival uses the event to line her pockets. Arnold confronted her about the claims, and now a local councilman is asking authorities to investigate her business practices.

Find the official Fox 5 newscast HERE.

Joe Swanberg Sets the Record Straight


"This all started at SXSW in 2005. The term "mumblecore" was a joke that the sound mixer of Mutual Appreciation came up with to categorize that film, KOTM (Kissing on the Mouth), The Puffy Chair, and Four Eyed Monsters. People around the festival were talking about the similarities between those four films and Andrew Bujalski made the mistake of using the word "mumblecore" in an interview. For some reason that name stuck, and none of us has been able to shake it since then. It has been really positive insofar as the films have all received more attention as a group than they would have individually, but it has also resulted in a backlash and a dismissive tone from a lot of critics.

To set the record straight, none of us knew each other before SXSW 2005. I had emailed with Andrew a few times, because I had seen his previous film, but I met the Duplass brothers and Aaron and Susan in Austin. There was no movement, or any master plan. It was just a coincidence of a few filmmakers in different parts of the country all making films about themselves and their friends. I met Frank Ross a few months later, and the following year at SXSW I met Aaron Katz and all of us were making films in our own style before we even knew the others existed."

- Joe Swanberg

This is from a new piece by Cinematical about the "M-word", of course. Jen Yamato ponders why so many of the artists that are lumped into this group are uncomfortable with the term, and some even with the association. Read the full piece HERE.

2009 Golden Globe Nominations

Here are the 2009 Golden Globe Nominations:



BEST PICTURE: DRAMA

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

BEST PICTURE: COMEDY OR MUSICAL

“500 Days of Summer”
“The Hangover”
“It’s Complicated”
“Julie & Julia”
“Nine”

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Clint Eastwood, “Invictus”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ACTOR: DRAMA

Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Tobey Maguire, “Brothers”

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA

Emily Blunt, “The Young Victoria”
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sibide, “Precious”

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal”
Marion Cotillard, “Nine”
Julia Roberts, “Duplicity”
Mery Streep, “It’s Complicated”
Meryl Streep “Julie & Julia”

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Matt Damon, “The Informant”
Daniel Day Lewis, “Nine”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Sherlock Holmes”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “500 Days of Summer”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Julianne Moore, “A Single Man”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“A Prophet”
“Baaria”
“Broken Embraces”
“The Maid”
“The White Ribbon”

BEST SCREENPLAY

“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“It’s Complicated”
“Up in the Air”
“Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Michael Giacchino, “Up”
Marvin Hamlisch, “The Informant”
James Horner, “Avatar”
Abel Krozeniowski, “A Single Man”
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, “Where the Wild Things Are”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“Up”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Cinema Italiano” from “Nine”
“I Want to Come Home” from “Everybody’s Fine”
“I Will See You” from “Avatar”
“The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”
“Winter” from “Brothers”

Monday, December 14, 2009

Are Directors Overrated?

Yes! Just kidding (kind of). Ann Hornaday has a great piece in the Washington Post about this. Thanks to our partner Cassandra for the lead to this!







Behind the screens

Are directors overrated? We challenge Jason Reitman, Richard Linklater and Tom Ford to explain the power of the invisible hand.



By Ann Hornaday

Washington Post Staff

Writer Sunday, December 13, 2009



"Directing a movie is a very overrated job, we all know it. You just have to say yes or no. What else do you do? Nothing. 'Maestro, should this be red?' Yes. 'Green?' No. 'More extras?' Yes. 'More lipstick?' No. Yes. No. Yes. No. That's directing."



Thus speaks an acerbic costume designer played by Judi Dench in "Nine," an upcoming musical about an addled movie director played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film, based on the Broadway musical, is about many things: men, women, sex, guilt, life, death. But it's also about the complicated meaning of the two words "Directed by."



We know when a movie's been well directed, right? It's been well directed when it works. When it looks great, sounds great, captures actors at their peak performances, leaves the audience feeling satisfied.



But wait: We liked the story and that dialogue was hilarious -- doesn't that mean the movie was well written? And that actress we love -- she's good in everything. The director didn't design the costumes. She didn't operate the camera for that unbelievably cool tracking shot. She didn't write that lush musical score or invent the sound effects that nearly rattled our teeth out of their gums.



Maybe Dame Judi is on to something -- maybe directors are overrated.



Er, not so fast wardrobe lady. Yes and No sound easy enough, until you say No when you should say Yes. Or say Yes to the wrong thing. "A director makes a thousand binary decisions a day," says Jason Reitman, who directed "Thank You for Smoking," "Juno" and, most recently, "Up in the Air," starring George Clooney. "Now, let's say I get one of those questions wrong. It wouldn't be a big deal. Even if I got 5 percent wrong, it'll probably fly by.



"But let's say I got half of it wrong," Reitman continues in a recent interview in Washington. "What if this was a really intimate scene and it didn't feel intimate because the location seemed too modern? Or the background actors brought too much attention upon themselves? All of a sudden enough questions come up that, for whatever reason, you've stopped believing in the reality of this movie. . . . And all of a sudden the movie is poorly directed.



Read the full piece HERE.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Can Twitter Save Movies?

Jim Louderback certainly thinks so. Not sure what I feel about this yet. What do you think? Here is some of his article after the jump:



"Earlier this year, Twitter was accused of killing Sascha Baron Cohen’s latest movie “Bruno”, “Land of the Lost” and “Year One”, as rapid fire, negative tweets doomed Saturday and Sunday attendance.

But it’s not all bad news. Social media marketing was behind the biggest movie you’ve never heard of, the amazing Paranormal Activity, which took in $22 million last weekend, making it the highest grossing flick of the week, nearly double its closest competitor. Oh, and all that despite being in about 35% less theaters than its competition.

How did it do so well? We had a front row seat here at Revision3, as we helped the company leverage the power of social media to drive demand around the country – at a tiny fraction of a traditional movie campaign.

The low budget Paranormal Activity, which was made for less than $15,000, was discovered by Steven Speilberg, who originally wanted to remake it. But then he decided, along with Paramount, to try releasing it through non-traditional means, which these days essentially involves Twitter, Facebook and online video."

Read full article HERE.

Friday, December 11, 2009

New York Times Talks More "Mumblecore"

Seems any article mentioning the DIY movement that the press has frightfully dubbed "Mumblecore" can't rest on a blog or website long before legions of "anti" comments follow it. Such is the case of this latest New York Times piece that seems to simply highlight this adverse but in some ways similar group of films and filmmakers. Here is some of it after the jump:



Despite a record-setting, recession-proof box office, the movie business has lost its middle. Blockbusters, based largely on toys and comic books, which can be turned into hugely lucrative franchises for the studios, have all but replaced movies aimed at a smaller and perhaps more discerning audience. In the recent past, the studios wanted their slates to contain all sorts of movies at different budgets, but today certain equations seem to dominate. Will the movie have a star attached? (Add $20 million to your cost.) Will it play around the world? (Add a no-English-necessary action component.) Will it appeal to the widest possible audience? (Meaning, males 18-49.)

In autumn, around awards season, the menu shifts toward more adult fare, but the studios’ emphasis is still on big. Last year, for instance, Warner Brothers decided not to release “Slumdog Millionaire” because it felt no one in America wanted to see a movie set in Mumbai, partially in another language. Despite the film’s low budget, the Warner execs decided that the considerable cost of distribution and promotion would far surpass the estimated profits. Instead, in 2008, they preferred to spend their money on hugely expensive movies like “Speed Racer” (which lost tens of millions of dollars) and the record-setting “Dark Knight” (which made $530 million). Like most studios, Warner preferred the big gamble to the small. And when “Slumdog” was scooped up by Fox Searchlight, where it made more than $140 million and won the Academy Award for best picture, Warner said it did not regret its decision. The thinking seemed to be: better a loud, super-expensive popcorn extravaganza than a quieter, smaller (and riskier) film.

In this big-is-better environment, a new independent movement has emerged. It has the (unfortunate) title of “mumblecore,” a cinematic genre that focuses on characters, mostly in their mid to late 20s, who are caught somewhere between college and adulthood. Although the characters in these films don’t actually mumble, they are, mostly, in a state of in-between-ness. Emotions are keenly felt but, as in life, not always clearly enunciated. Characters are neither poor nor rich, particularly successful nor unsuccessful — they’re a little aimless, but aware of that aimlessness. It’s a limbo world: stories of ill-timed love affairs, small misunderstandings between friends, missed cues and minor victories. The intimacy of the genre is its strength; the nature of youth — and all that represents, even into middle age — is the heartbeat of these movies.

Read the full piece HERE.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

20 for 2 at Paramount

According to Filmmaker Magazine, Paramount Pictures wants 20 for 2. The company seeks micro-budget films for $100k or less. Here are some details after the jump:



PARAMOUNT TO START MICRO-BUDGET ARM

"Is the sky no longer falling? Off the huge success of the low-budget Paranormal Activity, Paramount has decided to launch a division dedicated to movies budgeted at less than $100,000.

According to the
Los Angeles Times the studio plans to finance as many as 20 micro-budget movies annually starting in 2010. The division will not acquire films at film festivals or markets and its $2 million annual budget will be taken from Paramount's existing production budget.

Though studios have tried and failed at doing boutique arms in the past (mostly genre focused like 20th Century's Fox Atomic, Universal's Rouge Pictures), Paramount says not all of the projects in this division will be released theatrically and will operate like a development slate. Paramount will seek out both established filmmakers and newbies for the projects.
"

Read full piece HERE.

Whats Up Lovely Official Trailer

Here is the latest and official trailer from writer/director Gary King, who previously directed New York Lately (which I've been waiting anxiously to see for a while) entitled Whats Up Lovely.


SYNOPSIS:

Luci loses her job and times are tougher than ever. Unable to sleep, she begins an after-hours journey embarking on a series of strange encounters as she wanders the dark metropolis. During one unforgettable night, Luci comes face to face with her innermost fears and desires as she tries to find her way back home.

For more information about the film, please visit:

whatsuplovely.com

facebook.com/whatsuplovely

twitter.com/lovelyfilm

imdb.com/title/tt1461302/

"WHAT'S UP LOVELY"

Starring: Jenn Dees

Directed by GARY KING

Written by JENN DEES & GARY KING

Cinematography by JASON VARNER

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Advice for Actors to Save Money During Recession

Backstage Magazine has some advice for actors to save money during the recession. They list 10. Here are a couple, after the jump:



1. Use social networking websites to promote yourself or your project.

You could spend money creating a website of your own, but really, why? If you want to promote a play you're in or show off your headshots and reel, social networking sites like Facebook accomplish it beautifully. They're simple to use and free. And use Twitter to remind people that you have a show this Friday night. It's instantaneous promotion.

2. Use a good tax preparer.

I'm all for taking advantage of the free tax advice offered by the wonderful people at the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (available through SAG and Equity). But they don't have the time to work closely with you to save you money. And I say this having worked with VITA and with private tax preparers over the years. More important, in the event of an audit, a private tax preparer can accompany you and help prepare your case. That kind of help is beyond the scope of VITA.

Read the rest of this list HERE.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Lalo Goes to BLIFF

The short several of us worked on, Daniel Maldonado's dark comedy short LALO, is playing at the 8th Boston Latino International Film Festival on December 12, starting @ 4pm.

Lalo, a NYC Mexican delivery worker on the brink of losing his job, is given one last run to prove himself. Naturally, a series of mishaps ensue. When his bike is totaled, he steals a little pink one belonging to a 10 year-old girl, who enters in hot pursuit to get it back. The next thing he knows, Lalo finds himself in a race to the death against a Chinese delivery-man and a pimped-out punk rock bike messenger.

WINNER* BEST SHORT* HBO/NY Latino Int. Film Festival- 2009
WINNER* BEST SHORT COMEDY* Downtown Film Festival , LOS ANGELES- 2009



Join LALO's Facebook page HERE.

More about LALO and director Daniel Maldonado HERE.