THE SPRING ISSUE
Film
Oscilloscope Pictures
“Indie” is one of those words that gets thrown around with far too much frequency—what does it mean to be an “indie label” or an “indie production house”? Oscilloscope Pictures’ co-founders Adam Yauch and David Fenkel won’t define it for you, but they know what it means to them. “Yauch saw the correlation between film […]
Darren Aronofsky
A dark character study of obsession Darren Aronofsky has been talking about a cup of coffee he had with Natalie Portman quite a bit in the past few weeks. While some might be inclined to recount the intimate sips and informal pleasantries they might have with Ms. Portman, for the acclaimed director of Requiem for […]
Ye Old Ink
After a trip to Coney Island, tattoo artist “Philadelphia” Eddie Funk recounts: “I wanted a skull and crossbones like the pirate flag!” Drinking, sex and body art (“stewed, screwed and tattooed”) are the muses of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, a documentary featuring artists like Funk and Ed Hardy recounting tales of the infamous “F**in’ Sailor […]
Dennis Hopper’s 9 Lives
Dennis Hopper Signs of the Times Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, September 12–October 24, 2009 Dennis Hopper didn’t just create memorable roles; he defined entire epochs. Hopper, a cool cat with some nine lives—actor, filmmaker, photographer, painter, sculptor, drug-fueled maniac and redeemed man—died on May 29, 2010, at the age of 74, leaving behind a body of […]
Christian McKay
An unapologetic performance from an Inspired Newcomer Christian McKay is a natural born storyteller. The little-known English actor has had his fair share of intriguing anecdotes off stage, including walking door to door to posh London hotels as a classically trained pianist, selling office furniture to corporations, and working as a golf tourism marketing salesman. […]
American Me
The story of contemporary auteur Ramin Bahrani There is a moment in the 2008 Spirit Awards that gives a glimpse of how out of touch mainstream Hollywood is to-wards independent filmmakers; particularly Ramin Bahrani. American born and raised, Bahrani was given the “Someone to watch” award for Chop Shop, the story of a adolescent Latino […]
Michael Stuhlbarg
In the Coen Brothers newest film, the actor is not “A Serious Man” The Coen Brothers have always found witty and inventive ways of introducing audiences to their larger-than-life characters and stories. But the Cohens’ latest black comedy, A Serious Man, springs to life on a more personal note for the two cult filmmakers. In […]
The Story of a Fashion Icon
Director Anne Fontaine gives us a glimpse of Coco Avant Chanel Those unfamiliar with the enigmatic prowess of Coco Chanel will surely have a fashion history lesson upon viewing Anne Fontaine’s newest cinematic exploration, Coco Avant Chanel. The film tells the story of how the iconic designer created an empire from humble beginnings and surpassed […]
Beauty and the Bottom Line
Editing the trends with Anna Wintour To outsiders, the fashion industry may seem no less chaotic and perplexing than a three-ring circus, what with its overproduced runway shows, and power players often known for their outré visions. In this world of costumed eccentrics and unabashed excess, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour plays ringleader, her whip being […]
Behind the Veil of Diane Pernet
Illuminating Fashion From a Shaded View Diane Pernet carries a dark and mysterious elegance that can often intimidate. Intentionally fading into the black uniform of her signature dress, she is quite a beauty if one is lucky to see her even partially unveiled. Diane’s voice is a soft whisper; yet her words ring true to […]
Zaire ’74
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte’s Soul Power releases Zaire ’74 from the vault In its day, Zaire ’74 was in the same league as concerts like Woodstock, Monterrey Pop, and Altamont. Planned by renowned South African musician Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine to accompany the legendary Ali-Foreman boxing match, “Rumble in the Jungle,” was a three-day concert that aimed […]
An Axe to Grind
Davis Guggenheim and Three Generations of Rock Documentarian Davis Guggenheim gives a brief history of the electric guitar, as explored through the eyes of three rock goliaths in his latest feature film. To the careless observer, It Might Get Loud bears some of the ostensible trappings of what we’ve come to know as the “rockumentary.” […]
Platinum Submarine Dreams
Guided by his own compass, Wyatt Cenac divines the humor in race, identity and ultra-wealthy jackasses There was a time when Wyatt Cenac worried that he might actually become a hobo. One might argue that he would have made a great (if not the greatest) hobo to walk the streets of Los Angeles. He’s gregarious, […]
Into the Void
Tom DeCillo’s When You’re Strange resurrects Jim Morrison’s cosmic wandering myth. Tom DeCillo has never made a documentary film before. The New York-based director, who gave Brad Pitt his first leading role in the film Johnny Suede back in 1991, generally leans towards dreamy, darkly comedic filmmaking. Genre-jumping is no easy feat and directing a film […]
Deconstructing Rudo Y Cursi
Carlos Cuarón unravels universal themes in the language of cinema’s new era. A fraternity of Mexican filmmakers is credited with ushering in a new cinematic movida, an epoch during which prescribed storytelling maxims have been dismantled and the visibility of Latin American films has swelled internationally. These men, of course, are Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro […]
Far From Tinseltown
The Berlinale bares the unadorned cinematic spirit The usually tame Potsdamer Platz came alive when journalists, film executives, and international A-listers descended upon Berlin’s quadrangle of theaters for the 59th annual Berlinale in February, one of Europe’s longest running international film festivals. While Berlin’s grey skies and frigid temperatures don’t leave much room for glamour […]
Waltz With Bashir: A new direction in documentary film making
Text by Jesi Khadivi Waltz With Bashir impressively navigates the cross-currents of anguish, fantasy and war, all the while reminding us through the veil of post-traumatic reverie that war’s vagaries are very, very real. In the summer of 1982, Israeli soldiers invaded Southern Lebanon with the intent of “stabilizing” the civil war-torn country that was […]
The Western
The Western: The American Genre. We could be heroes. (but why bother?) Gran Torino Text by David N. Meyer Westerns—once the American myth, America incarnate. Now, hardly relevant. Once it was easy to be a manly man; easy because Westerns told us how. A manly man never expressed emotion, never stopped until he achieved his […]
Matteo Garone
Married to the Mob: Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone shares his experience with making his harrowing yet brilliant film Gomorrah, as well as subverting the mafia genre Text by Adam Keleman “At the beginning, I was really worried to work in the ‘real’ territory,” filmmaker Matteo Garrone states, cautiously. He’s referring to the Italian region inhabited […]
Parts of a Whole: Scenes that echo above the din
Text by Markus von Pfeiffer If we were each to stop and consider for a moment, or perhaps an hour, each of us who consider ourselves fans of cinema would be able to finger one scene, one moment in the multitudes, which resonates persistent above all. For me, it is the opening sequence to Ridley […]
There’s Always Time for a Change: Brit Eddie Marsan on His Role in Mike Leigh’s New Film, Happy-Go-Lucky and How His “Strange” Looks Have Served Him Well
Text by Adam Keleman “You can never sell a film on me,” reveals a candid Eddie Marsan, one of the players in Mike Leigh’s new film Happy-Go-Lucky. “My job is not to be anybody. My job is for no one to know who Eddie Marsan is. My job is to be the out-of-focus best friend […]
The Six Shooter Film Series: Bending, Perhaps Even Breaking International Genre-Driven Cinema
Text by Jesi Khadivi Feeling broody? Go see a cop film. Want to sleep with your lights on for a week? Check out the latest Saw movie or any of its myriad spin-offs. There’s an appropriate film genre for whatever emotion you’re looking to elicit. Historically produced on-the-cheap to screen as opening pictures for bigger […]
A German Newcomer, A Veteran British Director Translate Bernhard Schlink’s Seminal WWII Novel The Reader to the Celluloid, One Page at a Time
Text by Heidi Atwal His youthful exterior consists of a rakish grin and kempt blonde locks, but in The Reader, German newcomer David Kross displays degrees of dramatic lyricism to rival that of a seasoned actor twice his 18 years. Kross plays opposite Kate Winslet in the film adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s best-selling novel. The […]
Meet Me in Mumbai
Up-and-coming actress, Freida Pinto, talks about her new movie Slumdog Millionaire and her experience with the slum kids in the ever-crowded streets of Mumbai, India Text by Adam Keleman Freida Pinto, one of the stars of Danny Boyle’s awarding-winning new film, Slumdog Millionaire, is stuck in heavy traffic on a blisteringly hot night in her […]
