Tim Roth has collaborated with Quentin Tarantino for as long as Tarantino’s been making movies, but that very nearly wasn’t the case. The star of “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “The Hateful Eight” explains on “Entertainment Weekly: The Show” that he initially refused to audition because he’s “crap” at reading for roles. How did they solve this problem? By getting drunk.
“Within 20 pages, I was going, ‘Oh, I want to be in this,’” Roth says of his first impression of the screenplay. “It’s so beautifully written. It’s so keenly and intelligently written, and it’s also very funny.” However, after meeting with Tarantino and Harvey Keitel, who starred in and co-produced “Reservoir Dogs,” Roth still wasn’t into the idea of auditioning.
Keitel left, and Roth and Tarantino went to a bar; on the way back to Roth’s apartment, they stopped at a liquor store for more booze — “and proceeded to read the entire script… every part in it about 10 times because we were hammered by then. And that’s how I got the job.” Watch his full interview below.
Source: IndieWire film
Nearly 30 specialized films debuted in New York and/or Los Angeles this week. And with Yom Kippur falling right during the weekend, it meant most potentially high-end titles avoided the date (unlike last weekend).
Perhaps the highest-profile among them, “Our Souls at Night” starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, is debuting on Netflix film at the same time it played a few scattered big city play dates (grosses are not available).
Among those that opened, “Lucky” (Magnolia), Harry Dean Stanton’s second to last acting role, opened ahead of the rest. The initial limited full week (prior to its one-day showings) of “Pearl Jam: Let’s Play Two” (Abramorama) showed some strength, while “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House” (Sony Pictures Classics) fared less well in its limited showings. An exclusive opening in Los Angeles of the surfer documentary “Take Every Wave” (IFC) in Los Angeles was impressive, more so as it is also available on Video on Demand.
Of greater interest is the limited expansion of “Victoria and Abdul” and much wider one for “The Battle of the Sexes” (Fox Searchlight), two top tier titles starting the fall onslaught. The former in fewer theaters continues to show significant promise. The latter in over 1,000 theaters was a leap of faith in going as wide as it has, with positive initial results but the determination of its future will be better seen next week.
Lucky (Magnolia) – Metacritic: 79; Festivals include: South by Southwest, Locarno 2017
$46,000 in 5 theaters; PTA: $9,200
The film nabbed decent reviews for its prime New York/Los Angeles dates, but even had Harry Dean Stanton not died two weeks ago, the iconic actor was playing an elderly man who knows his days are numbered, and scoring the best reviews of his career would have been the focus and draw for this film in any case. It landed top theater placement, with numbers that showed a good Saturday increase. Still, the under $10,000 PTA suggest this is a niche, not crossover, item.
What comes next: 10 more cities add on this Friday before a wider release.
Pearl Jam: Let’s Play Two (Abramorama) – Metacritic: 75
$55,274 in 7 theaters; PTA: $11,055
A concert film with a context, with the band playing at Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ historic 2016 season (Eddie Vedder’s fandom is front and center), opened in five cities for full week engagements. This release (200 additional Wednesday night engagements lie immediately ahead) is the latest successful hybrid event release (mostly music related, with “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” the high point) that Abramorama initiated some years ago and is now more common.
What comes next: These decent numbers should be followed by much larger ones midweek.
“Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House”
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 47; Festivals include: Toronto
$35,138 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,028
Mediocre reviews and outright pans doomed this dramatization of the real life Deep Throat starring Liam Neeson as Mark Felt, who served as the source for Woodward and Bernstein during Watergate. For the theaters and effort supporting this release, these are rock bottom numbers.
What comes next: Three more cities open next week with the usual SPC full country specialized release ahead.
Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton (IFC) Festivals include: Sundance, Seattle 2017; also available on Video on Demand
$13,819 in 1 theater; PTA: $13,819
Veteran documentary director Rory Kennedy’s latest got an initial Los Angeles awards qualfiying date for this recap of the life and career of surfer Laird Hamilton. The result is impressive, boosted by a strong Los Angeles Times review which emphasized the visual appeal of the film. Films like this often have a strong initial day with a second day falloff (hardcore fans tend to turn out early), but this went up Saturday, which suggests potential deeper appeal. What makes it more impressive is its concurrent Video on Demand availability.
What comes next: The plans had been for limited theatrical play, but this gross could encourage more interest. Two New York theaters open this Friday.
Te Ata (Paladin) – Festivals include: San Diego 2016
$28,640 in 14 theaters; PTA: $2,046
This first-ever Chickasaw Nation-produced feature (about a renowned early 20th Century storyteller) was released initially in Oklahoma to respectable results for a regional release.
What comes next: Around 50 additional theaters from Arkansas to the West Coast open this Friday.
“Battle of the Sexes”
Melinda Sue Gordon/Twentieth Century Fox
Battle of the Sexes (Fox Searchlight)
$4,073,000 in 1,213 theaters (+1,192); PTA: $2,803; Cumulative: $4,073,000
The wisdom of the rapid expansion for this retelling of the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs tennis exhibition will be clearer after next weekend. The initial result is positive (including a #6 placement overall on an off weekend), if somewhat below other Searchlight expansions, with a 32 per cent uptick for Saturday. The key is going to be how positive the response is. If they gambled correctly, the results should be seen shortly. With its commercial elements (including Emma Stone and Steve Carrell in lead roles), this still has a chance to be an early fall crossover success.
Stronger (Roadside Attractions)
$986,560 in 645 theaters (+72); PTA: $1,530; Cumulative: $3,229,000
The mediocre opening for this Jake Gyllenhaal Boston Marathon bombing survivor was followed by a more normal second weekend. But the film need signs of good word of mouth to sustain this for a much longer run. This isn’t showing that, with a $5 million ultimate total gross in view but not much more.
“Victoria and Abdul”
Screenshot/Focus Features
Victoria & Abdul (Focus)
$1,031,000 in 77 theaters (+73); PTA: $13,393; Cumulative: $1,252,000
This is one of the better second weekend expansions from Focus in recent years (ahead of, for example, their Oscar contender “Loving” last year). The Stephen Frears charmer starring Dame Judi Dench showed a very strong 56 per cent increase on Saturday. This will expand to 700 theaters this Friday, and looks well positioned to see a decent crossover result.
Loving Vincent (Good Deed)
$52,886 in 4 theaters (+3); PTA: $13,322; Cumulative: $89,692
An excellent second weekend for this intriguing animation of Van Gogh’s paintings, with a second Manhattan location and two Los Angeles theaters added to the mix. This looks like it could end up above several other higher profile established distributor releases.
“Unrest”
Unrest (Independent)
$12,096 in 6 theaters (+5); PTA: $2,016; Cumulative: $25,689
This documentary about chronic fatigue syndrome (from the perspective of a directed afflicted by it) expanded to three more cities its second weekend to modest but consistent results.
Wind River (Weinstein) Week 9
$600,159 in 892 theaters (-539); Cumulative: $32,790,000
The last stages for this impressive run for a contemporary drama which benefited from the timing and breadth of its release to reach the second best initial limited release specialized film of 2017.
“Brad’s Status”
Brad’s Status (Annapurna) Week 3
$404,000 in 453 theaters (no change); Cumulative: $1,770,000
Positive reviews and Ben Stillman’s presence are doing little to sustain Mike White’s Amazon Studio pickup, a midlife introspective father/son story. The gross dropped 58 per cent with the same theater count, with Yom Kippur a factor but still a very weak performance.
Viceroy’s House (IFC) Week 5
$108,624 in 108 theaters (-8); Cumulative: $910,739
This period historical drama set in 1947 India is holding on at at minor level, with little more than a $1 million total likely.
Columbus (Superlative) Week 9
$53,640 in 49 theaters (-8); Cumulative: $836,491
Inching its way to a potentially impressive $1 million total for this true American independent film. The quiet Indiana-set drama continues to do steady business across the country.
Also noted:
Dolores (PBS) – $46,695 in 27 theaters; Cumulative: $345,685
The Big Sick (Lionsgate) – $45,000 in 81 theaters; Cumulative: $42,788,000
Rebel in the Rye (IFC) – $26,548 in 72 theaters; Cumulative: $327,765
California Typewriter (Gravitas Ventures) – $18,075 in 20 theaters; Cumulative: $185,516
Beach Rats (Neon) – $17,495 in 20 theaters; Cumulative: $437,354
Ingrid Goes West (Neon) – $13,950 in 48 theaters; Cumulative: $3,003,000
Source: IndieWire film
“It” has set several box-office records, and there will be a sequel in fall 2019. In the meantime, those obsessed with the newest adaptation of Stephen King’s novel can avail themselves of an anime designed by Mike Anderson (also known as Mikuloctopus) and animated by Kevin Duran.
“Besides the fact that I thought the new Pennywise design already had a very ‘anime’ feel to it, I thought the concepts and subject matter of Stephen King’s book would be perfect for anime,” Anderson told Entertainment Weekly.
“There seem to be fewer limits in anime. Crazy concepts and unique storytelling are almost expected. The King novel delves into mythologies and settings that a live-action movie may not have the time or budget to fully realize. And even if they could, it may not appeal to mass audiences. Taking It to an anime series would ground the story in a genre where traveling between dimensions and giant monsters are more accepted.”
The project wasn’t without its problems, as Anderson notes that he was “pretty upset that [Duran] didn’t ask me to use the artwork at all” before animating it. Watch it below.
What if “IT” was an anime?
pic.twitter.com/EAKTbvUjF2
— Kev (@KevChelios) September 28, 2017
Source: IndieWire film
Major fall season film festivals attract audiences who love movies, and the crowds that fill theaters might suggest a promising future for the medium. Then again, they represent a pretty small sampling of the country, and declining box office figures tell a much darker story about the theatrical market. But is there a way to connect the dots between the communal aspect of the film festival environment and the dire situation facing theaters around the country?
That’s one of the big picture questions tackled by Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson in this episode of Screen Talk, recorded in front of a live audience during the 2017 New York Film Festival. The pair also discussed highlights from the lineup, why “Blade Runner 2049” didn’t make the cut, and took audience questions.
Listen to the full episode below.
Screen Talk is available on iTunes.
You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with Thompson and Kohn on Twitter or sound off in the comments. Browse previous installments here, review the show on and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk. Check out the rest of IndieWire’s podcasts on iTunes right here.
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Source: IndieWire film
An inside look at how Dolby Cinema aims to give you the absolute best movie-going experience.
Throughout history, movie theaters have evolved to attract new movie-goers. In the 1910s through the 1940s, movie “palaces” were ornately decorated theaters designed to provide patrons with an atmosphere mimicking an outdoor courtyard, complete with facades, fauna, and projectors called Brenograph that projected clouds and stars onto the ceiling.
Even though more modern cinemas don’t look anything like they did a century ago, theater owners still strive to give movie-goers a unique and immersive experience, whether it’s with the snacks and food, 3D, or stadium seating. Dolby Laboratories is one company that is aiming to take theater audio and visuals to places it has never been before, and the team over at RocketJump Film School got to take a tour of Dolby Headquarters based in San Fransisco to learn more about its premium cinema concept, Dolby Cinema.
Source: NoFilmSchool
They may not look like much on paper, but the shot lists of Nicolas Winding Refn turn into spectacularly colorful, extremely gorgeous imagery.
When it comes to style, director Nicolas Winding Refn is in a league of his own. His films demonstrate an extreme moodiness, blinding fluorescent color, and biting contrast, something that, interestingly enough, is not only one of his most beloved trademarks, but is also a result of his colorblindness.
Refn is clearly an auteur with more vision than you can shake a stick at, but to really understand his visual sensibilities it might help to break them down, determine what his cinematic choices are, and put them to paper in a shot list. As part of their ongoing video series “Mastering Shot Lists,” StudioBinder has done just that in the video below:
Source: NoFilmSchool