A little while back we ran the first news of Sandy Collora’s Hunter Prey, the new feature length science fiction picture from the director of Batman: Dead End. Collora has a long history with practical effects, having started his career working at Stan Winston Studios when he was just seventeen, and is taking very much a throwback, build-it-and-shoot-it approach to his debut feature. We had the chance to talk with Collora about the project recently and not only does he prove to be hugely insightful into the film making process, he is also a very entertaining read and provided us with a stack of new, exclusive images from the picture. Read on!
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My interview with Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler proved something of a benchmark because Aronofsky claims the honor of being the first director I’ve interviewed twice, indicating—I guess—that I have lasted long enough to achieve such a benchmark and that I might stick around for a while to keep conversing with the makers and shapers of my favorite films. The Wrestler was indeed one of my favorite films of 2008. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice International, and has been nominated for three Golden Globes: Mickey Rourke for Best Actor, Marisa Tomei for Best Supporting Actress, and Bruce Springsteen for Best Original Song. The San Francisco Film Critics Circle likewise awarded Rourke Best Actor (in a tie with Sean Penn for Milk). We met in Aronofsky’s suite at the Ritz Carlton to discuss the film that has almost singlehandedly resuscitated Mickey Rourke’s career. Limping from a rock climbing accident outside of Phoenix, Aronofsky was otherwise in great spirits.
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Although my vote for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Academy Awards would be for Viola Davis for her powerhouse performance in Doubt, there’s no question that Davis will receive stiff competition from Marisa Tomei, whose performance as strip dancer Cassidy—the love interest in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler—recently garnered her a win in that category from the San Francisco Film Critics Circle. She’s likewise running neck and neck with Davis for that honor at this year’s Golden Globes. I recently had the opportunity to discuss how she developed her character for The Wrestler.
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The cascading accolades Viola Davis has received for her supporting turn as Mrs. Miller in John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his Broadway play Doubt confirm that this is the breakout performance every actor dreams of and which Davis unquestionably deserves. Best known for her performance in Antwone Fisher, Kenneth Turan writes at the L.A. Times that Viola Davis “brings a sense of decency, urgency and even fear to her rending performance.” At the Chicago Sun Times Roger Ebert praises the scene between Davis and Meryl Streep “as good as any I’ve seen this year. It lasts about 10 minutes, but it is the emotional heart and soul of Doubt, and if Viola Davis isn’t nominated by the Academy, an injustice will have been done.” At Slant, Dan Callahan writes that Davis’s performance is “stealthy and cautious, and her presence fills the screen with a rage she can barely contain.” My immediate reaction after seeing Doubt was that Davis was an obvious shoe-in for an Oscar nomination in the Supporting Actress category and that—if I could interview anyone from the film—I wished I could talk to her. As wishes go, mine was granted.
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There were two questions I purposely avoided asking Bruce Campbell: the first was the status—if any—of Evil Dead 4; a question which Bruce indicated in his Ain’t It Cool News interview as the one question “guaranteed” to be asked in nearly every Q&A on his two-month 22-city My Name Is Bruce (”MNIB”) tour. The second was why he was replaced by Ron Perlman to play Elvis in the Bubba-ho-Tep sequel; a question again answered in the AICN interview. Instead—in anticipation of this evening’s Midnight Mass screening of MNIB and on-stage chat with Peaches Christ—I invited Joshua Grannell to join us for an informal discussion of the MNIB tour.
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Earlier this year during Frameline 32 when I mentioned to friends that I had invited Alessandro Calza—one of the leading actors in Yen Tan’s Ciao—over to my house for wild rice sour cream waffles, they tried to invite themselves over … and it wasn’t for my infamous wild rice sour cream waffles! Fortunately, my withering glance was more than enough to keep them at bay so that I could conduct my interview with the film’s director and lead actor with a certain measure of professionalism; though I have to admit that the informal quality of our conversation made for a much more pleasant experience. Ciao was one of my favorite films from Frameline 32. It’s now in its theatrical run and though—as indicated by Dave Hudson’s aggregate of reviews at The Greencine Daily—the critical response has not been altogether favorable; I can, without hesitation, assert that some of the reviews have likewise not been altogether fair. An eye should be kept on the fact that a gay film with any crossover appeal whatsoever—a feat uniquely (unfairly?) negotiated by gay filmmakers—is cause for commendation. Yen Tan’s film is more than competent in this regard and such an accomplishment shouldn’t be deminimized. I suppose my impatience with some of the film’s dismissive reviews is because they underplay the fine achievements by cinematographer Michael Roy, film editor David Patrick Lowery, and production designer Clare Floyd DeVries. Ciao represents yet another example of the great divide between critics and audiences, having been quite well-received at Frameline 32.
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Though disgruntled that promotional obligations during his five-day stint at the Toronto International Film Festival prevented him from catching any other films in the festival line-up, Pablo Larraín was nonetheless appreciative of the opportunity to attend with his second feature Tony Manero, despite missing his wife and newborn daughter Juana back home in Chile. Born in Santiago de Chile in 1976, Larraín studied film direction and audiovisual communication at UNIACC University, after which he founded Fabula, a company devoted to audiovisual and communications development, where he has carried out the following projects: In 2005 he produced and directed his first feature film called Fuga, which was commercially released in March 2006. During 2006 he produced a film called La Vida Me Mata (Life Kills Me), directed by Sebastián Silva. In 2007 Pablo Larraín worked on Tony Manero, which won the top prize at the 26th annual Turin Film Festival, as well as the FIPRESCI prize for best film, and the best actor honor for Alfredo Castro. Tony Manero is Chile’s submission to the 81st Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Tony Manero concerns itself with Raúl Peralta (Alfredo Castro), a man in his fifties obsessed with the idea of impersonating Tony Manero, John Travolta’s character in Saturday Night Fever; an obsession situated in the midst of the tough social context of Augusto Pinochet‘s dictatorship. Raúl leads a small group of dancers regularly performing at a bar located in the outskirts of the city. Every Saturday evening he unleashes his passion for the film’s music by imitating his idol. His dream of being recognized as a successful showbiz star is about to become a reality when the national television announces a Tony Manero impersonation contest. His urge to reproduce his idol’s likeness drives him to commit a series of crimes and thefts.
My conversation with Pablo Larraín, conducted during the Toronto International Film Festival, is not for the spoiler-wary.
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Many years ago I was taught to dream in detail and that such details involve the discipline of placing one foot patiently in front of the other. Walking to my scheduled appointment with Kiyoshi Kurosawa—whose most recent film Tokyo Sonata screened during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival—I kept watching the tips of my shoes on the sidewalk; the fulfillment of some dreams are just that vivid. If there were only five filmmakers in the world I would ever be allowed to talk to, Kiyoshi Kurosawa would be first among them and I am deeply grateful to Fortissimo Films for arranging the interview and to Linda Hoagland for her translative assistance.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata is a portrait of a struggling Japanese family: a father Ryuhei Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa), who abruptly loses his job and conceals it from his family; the eldest son Takashi (Yu Koyanagi) who hardly ever returns home from college; the youngest son Kenji (Kai Inowaki) who furtively takes piano lessons without telling his parents; and the mother Megumi (Kyoko Koizumi) who knows deep down that her role is to keep the family together, but cannot find the will to do so. Somehow a single, unforeseeable rift has developed within the family, spreading quickly and quietly, and threatening to break them apart.
At the Greencine Daily, Dave Hudson has gathered together the critical response from both Cannes (where Tokyo Sonata won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize) and the New York Film Festival. In her Cannes report to Film Comment (July/August 2008, p. 54), Amy Taubin discerns: “The film would seem to be a turning point for Kurosawa; the sustained quiet anxiety that pervades the early scenes and the eruption of hysterical behavior toward the end are grounded in realism with no reference to the paranormal phenomena that have been at the center of his work.” At Senses of Cinema, Markus Keuschnigg writes that Kurosawa’s “somber family tale” exceeds expectations. “Kurosawa’s assured directing makes way for a new family structure that falls into place at the very end of the movie.” As Matt Riviera assesses in his write-up of Tokyo Sonata for the Sydney Film Festival: “Japanese society obeys strict laws and a rigid structure, but in Kurosawa’s dystopia, it takes very little to break the social contract. The eruption of the supernatural—or even the semblance of the supernatural—frees men and women from their responsibilities and renders meaningless the rules that ordinarily keep them in line. While it is devoid of supernatural elements and includes occasional forays into screwball comedy, Tokyo Sonata is not a total departure from Kurosawa’s genre offerings of the past 10 years. In fact, it could be his most frightening film to date. Thematically, it contains many of the motifs present in the director’s horror films: alienation in contemporary Japanese families, the fragility of the social fabric, the incapacity to articulate our fears.”
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We’ve been fascinated by upcoming Russian language anime First Quad since we first stumbled across it, initially attracted by the simple fact that the animation was being handled by Japan’s Studio 4C - arguably one of the finest animation houses in the entire world - and then drawn in further by the unusual subject matter and fantastic first teaser. We’ve had the chance to run some further imagery from the film since then and have just had the chance to send a handful of questions to First Squad creators Misha Shprits and Aljosha Klimov. You’ll find their answers - and the trailer, once again - below the break.
It is 1942. The Red Army is putting up a violent and effective resistance against the German invaders. 14 year-old Nadya is a medium. In a deadly air raid the girl is shell-shocked. Recovering from her concussion, Nadya discovers her new gift – the ability to foresee the “Moments of Truth” - the most critical moments of future combat encounters, in which one person’s actions will decide the outcome one way or the other.
Nadya’s ability is indispensable for the classified 6th Division of the Russian Military Intelligence, which is waging a secret war against the “Ahnenerbe” – an occult order within the SS. The Ahnenerbe summons from the realm of the dead the powerful prince of darkness, Baron von Wolff. With him on their side they hope to change the course of history and achieve world domination. To oppose the Baron Nadya decides to enlist the support of her old friends from the beyond – the Pioneers of the First Squad.
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Based on the strength of his four astounding short films - check the archives for word on them - we have become big, big fans and supporters of Spanish film maker Luis Berdejo in these parts. And over hte last year I’d say a whole lot of others have as well. After struggling unsuccessfully to make a feature in his native Spain Berdejo struck gold as a screenwriter last year, penning the enormous hit [REC] while Stefano Bessoni is currently putting the finishing touches on the Berdejo-scripted Imago Mortiis, and is himself putting the final touches on his feature length directorial debut - a Hollywood production titled The New Daughter with Kevin Costner in the lead. Think all the people in Spain who told Berdejo no are wishing they could have that decision back now? Yeah.
I had the chance to meet the man in person during AFM and asked a few questions about The New Daughter. You’ll find the interview below the break.
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The genial grandpa of Japanese anime, Hayao Miyazaki gives interviews about as often as he turns out new films - which is to say, not nearly often enough. He made a rare appearance last Thursday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo, where he fielded a wide range of questions from domestic and international media. Though visibly uncomfortable when getting mobbed by photographers at the start of the talk, Miyazaki-sensei (as the Japanese media call him) soon warmed to the occasion, proving an amusing, rambling and occasionally provocative speaker. He also proved very adept at dodging questions, as you’ll see.
Full disclosure: my MP3 recorder ran out of space early into the talk, meaning that I missed the half hour or so devoted to the future of Japan’s children and Prime Minister Taro Aso’s much-touted love of manga. (Okay, the latter subject occupied about 10 seconds of the running time.) The following, then, is just some excerpts from the press conference, as opposed to a complete transcript. This is all based on the consecutive interpretation provided during the event, but I’ve tidied up the translation to make it read better.
On Ponyo...
When we got together with our staff members to produce Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Gake no ue no ponyo), we found that one of them had just had a child. Therefore, in the production of this film, the members of staff were motivated to make something that would be the first film that that child would want to see.
On nationalism…
The problems of the world come from the fact that nationalism feels that the world’s problems are due to multi-ethnicity. So in my case, at least, I won’t create films where peace comes about when people destroy evil. I feel that, when making films, you need to be well aware of the fact that all problems that exist, exist inherently within yourself, within your society and among your family members. It’s possible that the towns or the country that we love may turn into something that’s not good for the world as a whole. This is something which we learned from the past war, and it’s a lesson which we should not forget.
Read on after the break for Miyazaki’s views on commercial success, inspiration and Pixar.
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Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent film classic The Passion of Joan of Arc is a renowned masterpiece whose rescue from obscurity is the stuff of legend. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981—in a Norwegian mental institution. I first heard of the film through the diaries of Anaïs Nin in her compassionate written portrait of Antonin Artaud, who portrayed the monk Massieu. Long interested in Artaud, I welcomed the opportunity to view the film when it achieved a digital restoration for its Criterion DVD release.
The film details the last hours of Joan of Arc after she has been captured by the English. Her trial, imprisonment, torture and final execution are rendered similarly to a passion play, particularly through Dreyer’s facial close-ups, effected through the use of recently-developed panchromatic film. Renée Jeanne Falconetti (aka “Maria” Falconetti) was commended for her multifaceted performance as Joan, which was her second and last movie role. New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael enthused Falconetti’s turn as Joan of Arc “may be the finest performance ever recorded on film.”
Lack of funds prevented Dreyer from employing the new technology of sound for his film so he elected to shoot it silent, intending it to be watched that way with no musical accompaniment. However, in 1994 composer Richard Einhorn wrote an oratorio based on the movie, entitled “Voices of Light”, which was offered as optional accompaniment on the Criterion DVD release. Einhorn’s oratorio combined with screenings of Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc proved to be a stunning evening of music theatre. The critically-acclaimed event brought sold-out houses to their feet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival; at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center; at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap with the National Symphony; and in dozens of major concert halls across the country. It has now made its way to San Francisco where it will be performed live at the Castro Theatre on Monday evening, November 17, 7:30PM in a co-presentation with Pacific Film Archive. There will also be an encore performance on Sunday, November 23, 7:30PM at Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus.
The concert features the University of California Alumni Chorus, UC Men’s and Women’s Chorales, Perfect Fifth, The Women of UC Berkeley’s Perfect Fifth as the Voice of Joan of Arc, and orchestra. Soloists are David Maier, tenor, and Martin Bell, bass-baritone. Tickets will be available at the door; General Admission $15, Seniors $12. For more information, call (510) 643-9645 or visit the UC Alumni Chorus website.
This spectacular concert will be conducted by Dr. Mark Sumner, director of the UC Choral Ensembles. I had the opportunity to touch base with Dr. Sumner in anticipation of this event shortly before his running out the door to fetch the 35mm print at FedEx. My thanks to Katie Woodruff for facilitating an introduction.
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Like a magnum of champagne, Arnaud Desplechin’s A Christmas Tale christened the launch of the San Francisco Film Society’s French Cinema Now series early last month. Desplechin flew in from France to take part in the festivities and earlier in the afternoon we sat down in his suite at the Fairmont Hotel to discuss his latest. My thanks to Donald McMahon for his interpretive assistance.
Photo of Arnaud Desplechin courtesy of Robin Holland.
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In September 2008, Yoshihiro Nishimura visited Austin, Texas where his film Tokyo Gore Police (Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu) won the first place prize in the AMD Next Wave competition at Fantastic Fest. The following interview was conducted while Nishimura was in Austin. Those who recall Todd Brown’s report about new Nishimura projects, including Drill Bra Sisters, and Ju-On will notice that he mentions entirely different projects here. The assistance of Yoko Hayama of Media Blasters, Mike Rosalies (translation), and Chiho Mori of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas (transcription) was essential in completing this interview.
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The Q&A session following the TIFF08 screening of Albert Serra’s Birdsong (El Cant Dels Ocells) started off contentiously with one fellow pointedly asking Serra: “Why?” Mark Peranson who played Joseph in the film and joined Serra on stage after the screening, commented that the same question had been asked of them a couple of days previously and Serra decided the appropriate response was, “Why not?” Serra added goodnaturedly, “Why are you alive?” The fellow who asked the question would have none of it and angrily retorted Serra’s response was not a fair answer. He insisted he had asked Serra a fair question and wanted Serra to give him a fair answer. The audience did not necessarily agree as the man’s one-word question was drenched in critical accusation and—because he would not let go and was disrupting the Q&A session—Serra summarily responded with exaggerated confidence: “Because it’s a masterpiece” and stressed that—long after the fellow was dead and gone and buried in his grave—his masterpiece of a film would live on. That earned him applause even as the man who asked the question sulked in silence.
Photo of Albert Serra courtesy of Mark Peranson, Cinema Scope.
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