Movie City Indie: May 2008 Archives

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May 29, 2008

The Pledge to Hedley Lamarr: RIP Harvey Korman

Somewhere, Tim Conway is not corpsing.

Posted by Ray Pride at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)

Aki Kaurismäki named youngest Finn Academician of Art

Helsingin Sanomat reports on the ascension of director Aki Kaurismäki to the 8-member Finnish Academy. Reports Esa Mäkinen, "'The day that I get an invitation to the President’s Palace is when I will immediately commit suicide”, said the young film director Aki Kaurismäki [in 1984]. “I mean that I don’t want to make a contract with society that would lead to me getting invited there.” That kind of a contract is happening on Friday, when President Tarja Halonen appoints Kaurismäki as Academician of Art. “Academician” is an honorary title without pay. It is a recognition from the state that as a film director, Kaurismäki is a genius before his death... During his career of 30 years he has given hundreds of interviews, from the Finnair in-flight magazine to the communist Tiedonantaja. In spite of this, he is seen in people’s minds as someone who avoids publicity. From one year to the next, Kaurismäki is depicted as a heavy smoker, who consumes unusually large amounts of alcohol. Above all he is trying to be the leftist intellectual, who has unusually honest truths to say about what he sees as the inferior people who are in power in Finland. “If you start looking at others from above, then you might as well put a bullet in your skull. In the leading tiers there are only contemptible people”, he said in 1983 in Ylioppilaslehti, the newspaper of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki... “Finns have not thought of anything other than money in the past decade.” ... Kaurismäki himself is rich - or at least he could be. The film company Sputnik, which is in his wife’s name, had a bank balance of EUR 1.1 million in 2005. In the same way that doctors and lawyers have recently been taking tax-free income from their companies, Kaurismäki’s production company has paid its owners EUR 90,000 without tax... Kaurismäki also owns all kinds of things: a part of the Corona and Kiasma restaurants, and a house in Karkkila. He spends his winters on a wine estate in Portugal, and has included among his hobbies “collecting old Cadillacs”. He has only one such car... “At a late-night party when everyone else came in through the door, you never knew if Aki would come in through the window”, says his former roommate from the 1970s, Jarmo Lähteenmäki, ex-President of the Paperworkers’ Union....

“When he is truly being himself, he is rather melancholy and even morose. It would seem that the soul of a sensitive artist feels angst that the whole world is such a crappy place”, Häkli says." From an earlier dispatch: "Today, he lives in a wooden house in the town of Karkkila in Southern Finland and drives a Volvo station wagon. In April the Arts Council of Finland proposed that [he] be named an Academician representing the Finnish film industry, to succeed film director Rauni Mollberg who died last autumn.... Academician is an honorary title which can be given to persons of outstanding merit representing science and the arts. There can be no more than eight Academicians representing the arts at any one time. Kaurismäki is the youngest of the eight living academicians, while the other seven academicians representing the arts are: poet and playwright Paavo Haavikko, graphic artist Outi Heiskanen, theatre and film director Ralf Longbacka, architect Juha Leivisko, writer Veijo Meri, textile designer Vuokko Nurmesniemi, and conductor and composer Jorma Panula."

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May 28, 2008

The Muppets take Manhattan

[Via The Reeler.]

Posted by Ray Pride at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2008

"You were a tomato!": RIP Mr. Pollack

Posted by Ray Pride at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)

Phillippe Starck, comment faites-vous pour dire?

Ready to sleep but hoping to find more appreciations of Sydney Pollack, I happened upon this TED talk by Phillippe Starck... what do you say?

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:21 AM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2008

Sydney Pollack was 73; 10 interviews and 3 trailers

A few glimpses of the man explaining his work, and several trailers. First, on the virtues of widescreen images.

On Jeremiah Johnson.

On The Yakuza.

On 3 Days Of the Condor.

On Electric Horseman and Absence of Malice.

On The Way We Are.

Talking to Charlie Rose about Sketches Of Frank Gehry.

Talking to Charlie Rose about The Interpreter.

On acting and directing in Tootsie.

In Deauville for the 25th anniversary of the Sundance Institute.

Trailer for The Way We Were.

Trailer for Tootsie.

Trailer for 3 Days Of The Condor.

Posted by Ray Pride at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

Sydney Pollack, 1934-2008, movies had 'Scope

An interview. "For me, the beauty [of widescreen composition] comes out of practicality. I’ve spent my life viewing movies that have at their center, a relationship between a man and a woman. Every single movie. And so the heart of the movies are two-shots. And sometimes I like to be quite close. You can’t work in a close, tight two-shot and have any room for where you are or any sets and environment in a less wide frame. You just can’t. You can’t. A tight two-shot in 1.85 can be in limbo. You can just put up a piece of cardboard and shoot the tight two-shot. You might as well. And if you’re using the environment to tell story—if you take a picture like They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? or Jeremiah Johnson or any of these pictures where where the people are is essential, I mean, the studio kept fighting me with They Shoot Horses, saying, “You’re in one set, for godssake! Why are you using widescreen? It’s not the Grand Canyon. It’s the opposite of the Grand Canyon!” But that was precisely the point. I could shoot Michael Sarazin and Jane Fonda dancing or Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia, whoever, the pairs, and still see this sea of people dancing, or the bleachers, and the people staring at them. So there’s more redolence to each frame. It has a different impact. If I cut the edges off of those frames, and you just have those center people, without a context, I don’t think would be nearly as meaningful. I mean, on an absolutely practical, technical level, I can transmit more information per frame than I can with 1.85. I don’t say it’s more beautiful. I adore those old movies that were 1.33. They’re great. It’s not a question of beauty, it’s a question of… of what is the movie? The one movie I wish I’d done it in, this is when I stopped using ‘Scope, which was Out of Africa. Because I got so sick of it being butchered, y’know, DVDs weren’t in then, they were still doing VHS and they were always panning-and-scanning, chopping the edges off. And I just said, I can’t do this any more. More people see it in the aftermarket now, so they remember it that way. I didn’t frame it that way. I’ve had people come up now, who occasionally have seen a screening of Jeremiah Johnson or a screening of They Shoot Horses and it’s a different movie than what they ever saw. It’s a completely different movie."

Posted by Ray Pride at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2008

Orson and Zanuck over breakfast at Cannes

[Via Raymond De Felitta.]

Posted by Ray Pride at 08:27 PM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2008

When Jean-Luc met Woody: MEETIN' WA (1986)

One of the several odd diversions described in "Everything is Cinema," Richard Brody's hefty survey of the forces that forged Jean-Luc Godard's career.

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2008

Son of Rambow (2007, ***) Jennings & Goldsmith on its pop score

Among the many charming bits of Son of Rambow is the use of era-appropriate music: the older kids in the early-1980s-set charmer are all obsessed with "New Romantic" music from bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees. Writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith explain

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[LOOK] Cannes sales ad for Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant

Click here for large size.

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[LOOK] Poster for Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time Redux

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May 19, 2008

Uploading problems...

Which I hope to figure out how to fix soon...

Posted by Ray Pride at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2008

Uwe Boll: Words!

Somewhere, William Castle is tingling in his grave. Journalists received a form letter from the prolific German director Dr. Uwe Boll regarding the intentions of his latest movie, Postal, and it's much like an earlier one back in January for In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. From yesterday's incoming missive, in response to the widespread question of screen count for the release, with Dr. Boll's prose stylings left as is, with only an intense number of line breaks removed: "To all of you writing now about me and the fact that POSTAL is not getting screens. its okay ..its fun kicking a guy nonstop who is on the ground [break] you are all not getting it that i'm the guy who made it against the big hollywood system and you are all only busy to destroy me and finish me up and then you YOU WON WHAT ? the attention of the studios, michael bay .. ????? if you damage me you feel closer to Hollywood ? what is your game plan? you want only movies like JUMPER , SPEED RACER , WHAT HAPPENDS IN VEGAS ...? then keep going and your dreams will be fullfilled. POSTAL makes some very important points ..but you dont wanna see that .... : that Bush used the SEPTEMBER 11 to start a war against a country what had nothing to do with Bin Laden etc.... but this all doesnt matter because you are all busy to THINK that INDIANA JONES or NARNIA are important movies ... but in real they are empty shells of an industry what wants to make money and what wants to keep you looking "escape movies" with nothing in it. in between they are putting some CONTROVERSIAL movies to show that they can do also IMPORTANT movies ...but also this movies are not really critical....they only supporting the system and not showing the big picture. and POSTAL shows the BIG PICTURE ...it nails the absurd situation with all the stupid religions, races and nations we are living in. POSTAL is not accepting bullshit politics. POSTAL has not the opinion that Bush made mistakes - POSTAL has the opinion that it is a scandal that BUSH is not in jail. What happened in America in the last 7 years is the biggest joke since Columbus stepped on that land. but instead of seeing the courage i had in doing that movie against everybody who tried to stop me - you are sitting on your desks and you are working on stories about me ....and my image as the worst director on earth...and you fullfill what your editor wants from you in regards of uwe boll ...or you fullfill what you think makes you a cooler guy in the internet ...and you are not getting it that you are only interested in movies like IRON MAN or HULK or KUNG FU PANDA or the MUMMY 3 because the studios spending 60 mio. $ in advertising to make you interested in NON INTERESTING movies. how many times you wanna keep going in movies only because the TRAILER was so cool and the CGI was so great ?

thanks for reading this

uwe boll"
WIRED had a lovely run-in in August 2007. But here's the script from January, offering the auteur-istic notion that Boll is nothing if not consistent: "Now a few days before IN THE NAME OF THE KING gets out in USA I have to tell whats going on in the filmindustry. If you dont get out with a MAJOR company the exhibitors and the tv and radio stations are not supporting you. This is the reason that independent movies are like self fullfilling prophecies and they almost bomb all. Our competitor in USA FIRST SUNDAY with Ice Cube is a piece of shit and for NOBODY nearly so interesting as IN THE NAME OF THE KING. We have a better movie and a bigger movie with a better script, better cast and we proved in europe that our movie has the power to stay 3 weeks in the TOP TEN and that we can get at least 50% good reviews. FIRST SUNDAY is a direct to DVD title in europe but in USA Sony puts 40 mill. $ in advertising to win that weekend. And this is completly absurd. Sony will not even recoup the advertising costs with that movie. The MAJORS own the TV Stations and the Radio Stations and they use that for free advertising and so the wide audience believes at one point that FIRST SUNDAY is the movie of that weekend - and they go and buy a ticket. The biggest problems in todays market is that nobody believes anymore in word of mouth or gives a film a chance without seeing upfront all 5 seconds in TV a spot. So to all my fans in America or everybody who like Jason Statham or our other actors or loves fantasy or period piece movies or action movies or videogame based movies: go on january 11 in IN THE NAME OF THE KING and show that its not only advertising."

Posted by Ray Pride at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2008

Manoj Shyamalan compares The Happening to Godfather and Exorcist

Among the joys in this 4:44 clip, Manoj speaks of this "90-minute paranoia movie that you just come out tattooed with this experience, you come out just shaking like the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Birds or something." Didn't Dr. Uwe Boll just say the same thing about Postal?

Posted by Ray Pride at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2008

First Run Features folded into Icarus Films

The company lives, but a familiar micro-distribution label disappears: "FIRST RUN/ICARUS FILMS BECOMING ICARUS FILMS." Seymour Wishman, President of First Run Features, and Jonathan Miller, President of First Run/Icarus Films, announced today that First Run Features has sold its interest in First Run/Icarus Films back to the company. The result of this transaction is that First Run/Icarus Films is now wholly owned by Jonathan Miller, who will continue as President of the company. Additionally, First Run/Icarus Films will change its name to Icarus Films, as of June 1, 2008.

First Run/Icarus Films was formed in 1987 when Icarus Films (founded in 1978) and First Run Features merged their non-theatrical divisions to create a new company to serve the non-theatrical marketplace.Founded in 1979, First Run Features is a leading distributor of fiction and documentary films, with a library of approximately 450 titles. First Run releases between 10 and 15 films annually in theatres, and around 50 new films per year on DVD. Recent releases have included Michael Apted’s 49 UP, Daniel Karslake’s FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO and Oren Jacoby’s CONSTANTINE’S SWORD.

First Run Features will continue its distribution in the theatrical, home video, and television markets, and also offer many of its titles to the non-theatrical market through Icarus Films. In the coming months it will announce plans to offer a select number of its titles directly to the non-theatrical market exclusively through a new division of First Run Features. Its website is www.firstrunfeatures.com

First Run/Icarus Films is a leading distributor of documentary films in North America, with a library of almost 900 titles and releasing approximately 50 new documentary films each year. Recent releases have included I FOR INDIA (directed by Sandhya Suri), and FOREVER (directed by Heddy Honigmann). Upcoming is Nina Davenport’s OPERATION FILMMAKER, opening at the IFC Center in New York on June 4th.

First Run/Icarus Films will be doing business as Icarus Films as of June 1st, and will soon be announcing plans for new theatrical, non-theatrical, home video and digital releases and initiatives. Its website iswww.frif.com

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

Mr. O'Reilly's Dance Remix (Um, Not Safe For Work)

Worth at least two distractions of 1:37 each. 1980s footage remixed in 1980s idiom.

Posted by Ray Pride at 05:50 AM | Comments (0)

Chris Ware animation for "This American Life"

O my.

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May 14, 2008

Indie is transcribing

While Simon Brook reclines.

Posted by Ray Pride at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2008

Rain rain go away

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:07 AM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2008

Hovering

Posted by Ray Pride at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)

New litanies promised for Monday...

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:42 AM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2008

PR: Lionsgate's Got Ollie's Dubya

ewmag.050808.jpg Here's EW's telling of the unfolding tale. And now from over the transom:
"LIONSGATE CASTS VOTE FOR QED INTERNATIONAL’S BUSH BIOPIC W, DIRECTED BY OSCAR® WINNER OLIVER STONE
Studio Acquires Distribution Rights In North America, U.K., Australia, New Zealand
All-Star Cast Include Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Oscar® Winner Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott Glenn, Ioan Gruffud

Set For Release October 17, 2008

SANTA MONICA, CA (May 8, 2008) – LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that in a deal with Omnilab Media it has acquired North American distribution rights from QED International to W, a biopic about President George W. Bush directed by Academy Award® winner Oliver Stone (WORLD TRADE CENTER, PLATOON, WALL STREET) from a screenplay by Stanley Weiser (WALL STREET). Lionsgate will also distribute W in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The announcement was made today by Lionsgate President of Theatrical Films Tom Ortenberg.

W stars Josh Brolin (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) as George W. Bush, Elizabeth Banks (SEABISCUIT) as Laura Bush, James Cromwell (THE QUEEN) as George Herbert Walker Bush, Academy Award® winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) as Barbara Bush, Thandie Newton (CRASH) as Condoleezza Rice, Jeffrey Wright (SYRIANA) as Colin Powell, Scott Glenn (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) as Donald Rumsfeld, and Ioan Gruffud (FANTASTIC FOUR) as Tony Blair. The film’s producers are Moritz Borman, Jon Kilik and Bill Block.

W begins production on May 12th in Louisiana. Lionsgate is releasing the film on October 17, 2008.

“It’s an honor to be in business with Oliver Stone, a brilliant and consistently adventurous filmmaker,” said Ortenberg. “With W, he again demonstrates his creative vitality and genius for speaking to our times.”

Commented Block, “W is in the most innovative hands with Lionsgate and Omnilab Media. With the backdrop of the election this fall, W will be an event picture that will be eagerly anticipated. Oliver Stone, Moritz Borman and myself could not be more excited about Lionsgate leading the charge this October.”

Christopher Mapp said, “We had a great experience with Lionsgate on THE BANK JOB, and we are delighted to reunite with them as we continue our strategy in investing in quality films that are made by innovative and unique storytellers.”

Said Stone, “The impact of George W. Bush’s presidency will be felt for many years to come. Despite a meteoric, almost illogical rise to power, and a tremendous influence on the world, we don’t really know much about Mr. Bush beyond the controlled images we’ve been allowed to see on TV. This movie’s taking a bold stab at looking behind that curtain. I’m real pleased that Liongate [sic] has the independence necessary to bring this provocative story to an American audience.”

Financing the film alongside QED are Omnilab Media, led by Christopher Mapp, David Whealy and Matthew Street; China-based Emperor Group, led by Albert Yeung and Feron Lau; Condor Films, led by Thomas Sterchi; and Global Entertainment Group, led by Johnny Hon, Adam Palin and Teresa Cheung.

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Ortenberg, Wendy Jaffe, Executive Vice President Legal & Business Affairs, Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Zygi Kamsa, Chief Executive Officer Lionsgate UK; for Omnilab Media by Managing Director Christopher Mapp, Executive Director Matthew Street and Executive Producer David Whealy; and for QED International by Bill Block, Chief Executive Officer, and Paul Hanson, Chief Operating Officer.

SYNOPSIS
Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. In an unprecedented undertaking, acclaimed director Oliver Stone is bringing the life of our 43rd President to the big screen as only he can. W takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life -- his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

ABOUT QED INTERNATIONAL
QED is a Beverly Hills based independent film company that represents theatrical motion picture projects for sales and distribution in the worldwide marketplace. The company also acquires, develops, finances and produces its own motion pictures, either independently or in partnership with major studios, talent, and key foreign distributors.

QED Managing Partners include CEO, Bill Block; Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, Kimberly Fox; Chief Operating Officer, Paul Hanson; and Vice President of Production, Elliot Ferwerda.

ABOUT OMNILAB MEDIA
Omnilab Media is an Australian and New Zealand based globally focused vertically integrated entertainment company involved in the production, visual effects, post production and financing of a diverse range of film and television properties. Amongst the funding deals recently concluded by Omnilab Media are THE BANK JOB (Charles Roven, Roger Donaldson, Jason Statham), and THE MESSENGER (Mark Gordon, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster). Omnilab Media has also created a new digital film company with Kennedy Miller Mitchell to use groundbreaking digital storytelling, animation and visual effects. This will include HAPPY FEET 2, BABE 3 & MAD MAX 4 and a range of other blue-chip properties in development.

Christopher Mapp is Managing Director, Matthew Street Executive Director and David Whealy Executive Producer. www.omnilab.com .

ABOUT EMPEROR MOTION PICTURES
Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) is the visual entertainment division of Emperor Group, a long-established Hong Kong corporation. The company produces feature films, TV series and other programming aimed at three distinct markets: local, Asian and international. It works within a broad range of genres, languages and budgets, with the sole connecting factor being its demand for quality. EMP is also developing its own videogame division to take advantage of the latest advances in home entertainment technology. The company also operates its own management company, which creates and executes career strategies for some of Asia's hottest talents.

ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning the 2005 Best Picture Academy Award® for CRASH, and the Company is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of nearly 12,000 motion picture titles and television episodes is a valuable source of recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.

Posted by Ray Pride at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)

May 08, 2008

Some will fall...: Goodbye Warner Independent, Picturehouse, hello "spectrum of genres" New Line

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May 07, 2008

Salvador Dali on heartburn

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Standard Operating Procedure: two clips and a trailer

This clip of Lynndie England—"It's a man's world"—is one of the marvels of Errol Morris' Standard Operating Procedure.

Clip below: "Iraq war torture."

Below: trailer.

Posted by Ray Pride at 02:44 PM | Comments (0)

Battle For Haditha (2007, *** 1/2)

Nick Broomfield's Battle for Haditha, which depicts the notorious 2005 massacre of twenty-four Iraqi civilians draws on all the qualities of his decades-long practice as a documentary filmmaker, and its greatness may be indicated by the utter disinterest by U.S. distributors. Comparisons of its vérité approach to seeking all sides of the conflict have led to comparisons to Apocalypse Now, but its most direct forebear would be Gillo Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers. Fearlessness in the pursuit of picturing the world is necessary. Writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times: "Even as he creates an almost unbearable level of tension in his film — mostly through deft parallel editing that draws the marines, the victims and the insurgents inexorably together — Mr. Broomfield maintains a level of cool detachment throughout. That’s to the good of the movie, which, though technically exemplary, falters dramatically on occasion, becoming dangerously close to overheated whenever the characters speak for any length. The performers apparently did a fair amount of improvisation, and too often their talk veers into exposition, which, however heartfelt and true, paradoxically sounds (badly) scripted. At times there is a kind of therapeutic quality to the entire enterprise, almost as if the marines, the Iraqis and Mr. Broomfield were collectively trying to work through a nightmare from which none have awakened." [Opens today in NYC at Film Forum; print via its international distrib, Hanway Films.]

Posted by Ray Pride at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

Bubblegum for the internet: candy conglom skeetches on dump-Uwe Boll initiative

PR of the day: one of the products from the Cadbury Adams confectionary conglomerate piles on the unstoppable Uwe Boll, joining in the campaign for the online petition to stem his career. As received: "It’s a scientific fact that Uwe Boll makes the worst movies on planet earth. The only person that disagrees is Uwe Boll . The man himself said he’ll cease making movies if 1 Million people signed the petition at StopUweBoll.Org. To sweeten the incentive to sign, Stride Gum announced today that it will give out a million packs of gum IF the petition number reaches 1 million. It’s too late to stop Postal..., but with your help, we can reclaim our theaters...

STRIDE® GUM DECLARES ITS SUPPORT FOR STOPUWEBOLL.ORG

The Makers of Stride, The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum®, Offer
A Total of One Million Packs of Gum to Signers of the Anti-Uwe Boll Petition*

May 7, 2008, Parsippany, NJ – In an effort to protect the childhood dreams of millions of video gamers everywhere, the makers of Stride gum announced today that they are launching a special campaign supporting the efforts of StopUweBoll.org in their attempt to convince famed film director Uwe Boll to stop making video game-based films.

For years, Uwe Boll has piqued the ire of the gaming community by adapting many of their favorite games into universally panned films. On April 4, 2008, Uwe Boll remarked to legendary horror site FearNet that he'd consider acquiescing to his critics and abandoning making films in this genre if an online petition reached one million signatures. As of press time, the petition is just about 234,000 names, which is why Stride has decided to jump in.

“Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we’ve been looking for ways to return the favor,” said Gary Osifchin, Stride North American Marketing Director. “And what better way is there to get gamers’ backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll ?”

In an effort to help boost signings, the makers of Stride have put out a special bounty. If the petition reaches the required 1 million signatures by May 14 at 5pm EDT, each signer will receive a digital coupon* for a pack of gum, downloadable on May 23, 2008, a day that could really use some long-lasting refreshment, particularly as it will see the debut of his latest videogame-based film.

"Look, it's nothing personal against the guy. Maybe his non videogame-based films are unbelievable! But we've seen such intense passion for this cause that we couldn't help but get involved," said Osifchin. "Let the signing continue." [The release continues below.]

* Stride will provide a downloadable coupon (good for one pack of gum) to each petition signer that will be downloadable on May 23, 2008, if the target of one million signatures is reached between May 7 and 14, 2008. Additional details will be forthcoming.

About Stride®
Stride® The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum® was launched in 2006 to give gum chewers a fun, unique and long-lasting chewing experience. Stride, a Cadbury Adams, USA brand comes in seven flavors – Winterblue, Spearmint, Sweet Peppermint, Forever Fruit®, Sweet Berry, Sweet Cinnamon, and new Always Mandarin™. To find out more about Stride, our friends and what the brand is up to visit STRIDEGUM.COM.

About Cadbury Adams
Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, Cadbury Adams USA LLC, is the U.S. confectionery business unit of Cadbury Schweppes plc - the world's top confectionery company (and the only confectionery company with market leading positions around the world in chewing gum, candy and chocolate categories).

The brand portfolio of Cadbury Adams USA LLC includes some of the best-loved confections in the US, including Trident®, Dentyne®, Halls®, Bubblicious®, Sour Patch®, Swedish Fish®, Chiclets®, Certs® and Stride™, The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum™ and Green & Black’s® organic chocolate. Cadbury Adams USA “firsts” include the first vanilla pellet gum (Dentyne Ice® Vanilla Chill™), sugar free pellets with two contrasting flavors in every pack (Trident Strawberry fusion flavor), easy close envelope packaging, and the first center-filled pellet gum in the US (Trident Splash®). Trident ®Tropical Twist® was one of the first fruit flavored gums to lead the gum category. Green & Black’s organic chocolate is one of the best selling chocolates in the natural food channel. Our people create brands people love with passion, dedication and drive. For more information visit www.cadburyadams.com

Posted by Ray Pride at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

A moment of contemplation

Posted by Ray Pride at 02:03 AM | Comments (0)

May 06, 2008

Brian Eno loves Barry Lyndon

Posted by Ray Pride at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)

Trailering Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight

Twilight in HD

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May 05, 2008

Cinco de Mayo!

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May 04, 2008

What is indie?

At the MP3 blog Moistworks, commenters consider "what is indie rock"? The reflections offer some glancing notions that are as valid when thinking about where the heck movies are going... Douglas Wolk, author and critic: "Indie is short for "independent." There are four major labels: EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner. If a label ultimately answers to one of those four companies - if one of those companies has the power to make direct decisions about what the label does, or signs its paychecks--then it has a dependent relationship with that company, and the artists affiliated with it aren't "independent" either. That's a definition, not a value judgement, although it sometimes has value judgements attached to it. And it's a very useful tool for understanding where certain recordings and artists and labels fit into the economic matrix - what resources they have available to them, etc. "Indie rock" has a generally understood meaning, largely associated with what a bunch of guitar bands on independent labels did in the '80s and '90s. It is, in fact, a subset of rock released on independent labels - an aesthetic that got its name from its economic circumstances. But the reason it got its name that way is that the idea of deliberate financial independence from a few large companies was, and sometimes still is, an important part of the intention and meaning of a lot of "indie rock" artists' work. To claim that a band can be "indie" without being financially independent of the major labels is to pretend that industrial capitalism does not exist." Luc Sante differs: "The way I see it, "indie" is a definable genre, not just a declaration of limits vis-a-vis the market (since, after all, there are tens of thousands of variously rebarbative musical units far less market-friendly than anything that can be labeled "indie"). If punk is descended from the Stooges, indie is descended from the Modern Lovers. Both subgenres come down from '60s garage rock, but indie takes the introspective, romantic, self-conscious, self-doubting road. Indie is usually friendly, catchy, and openhearted enough that it seems as though it should be accessible to all and therefore mass-popular in that old AM-radio way, but in fact it represents a formerly centrist aesthetic that's been pushed out to the fringes by a bunch of large historical forces. Its self-doubt, a crucial element, also tends to limit its appeal, and I'll let you guess what demographic unit feels sufficiently secure to countenance it. When something that sounds indie makes it to the big show, it's usually either because a freak weather pattern broke its way, or else because an indie wrapping coats something slick and shallow. Indie is a lot like the kind of American novelists who are kept in print by the French. Jim Thompson may speak to the soul of the nation, but Americans would generally rather read James Patterson." More comments at the link from John Wesley Harding, novelists Christopher Sorrentino and Jonathan Lethem, among others. Video: Sebadoh performs "Gimme Indie Rock." [Via Ben Greenman.]