1936 - Project Greenlight: season three

And so comes the final Project Greenlight season.  Which is a shame - this is porn for me.  I love it.  I love watching it especially during prep - it's like comfort food that's both inspiring and makes me feel good about myself.  This season produced that most successful film - and easily the best of the series as well.  It's a very different journey to watch, which is nice for the series that it doesn't feel like it retreads.  I wish they would release this on DVD as I had to watch it via snippets of episodes through YouTube and this fantastic playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL00B4BE77F243C98B
So if you haven't seen this edition give it a go, and if this is your first venture into Project Greenlight, there's no bad season to start with and you can absolutely watch the season in whatever order you choose.  Enjoy - I highly recommend!

1935 - Project Greenlight: season two

I can't explain why - but whenever I'm in deep pre-production on a project I want to re-watch this series while doing paperwork or shotlists.  I think it helps prepare me, and also make me feel better that I seem to be better prepared and equipped than this folks.
For those who don't know, this was a reality series that HBO did with Chris Moore, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon, where they held a contest to help find talent outside of the Hollywood system.  It's comfort food for me.  Any film nerd or person who likes behind the scenes stuff, you can't do much better than this - it's completely fascinating and frustrating at the same time.  And I think I might have just tracked down a way to watch the third season (finally!)
Watch it, learn from it - don't repeat their fuck-ups :)

1786 - Dazed & Confused

Good goddamn I forgot just how perfect this film in.  I was in the mood for a solid ensemble film with a great soundtrack and there are few that are on the level of this one.  It's interesting though, when you see great ensemble films often the music takes a large role as well. 
If this film isn't part of your lexicon it's a damn shame - it's one of the best coming of age stories and all the better because of it's wife variety of tales.  It's the last day of school for a bunch of kids in a small Texas town.  Some about to become seniors, the others about to become freshmen - but all of them are on the cusp of change large and small.  It also features a pretty impressive cast of up-and-comers and even the delightful Richard Linklater couldn't have predicted how big many of them would become.
If you're looking to pick this up you'll probably want to spring for the Criterion Collection edition (I have the usual) as I'm sure it's worth the extra $$$.
This is easily one of the best films of the ninties and of it's genre, one of the best in general.  If you were every a teenager in high school I just can't imagine how this wouldn't resonate with you somehow.

1778 - The Town

I haven't seen this film since it was at TIFF, and this time I watched the director's cut.  It's been a while since I saw it so it's hard to know the exact differences (I didn't select the nifty option on the bluray which tells you) but I think it seemed to flesh out the characters a lot more, especially the relationship between Rebecca Hall and Ben Affleck. 
I stated in an early posting about Argo that Ben Affleck directs Ben Affleck better than anybody, and it's true as hell here.  What's great about this film is that it's not just a cool heist flick, it's about an area - it's about people.  Sure they've thrown in the plot convulsions to keep the story going, but at it's heart there's a strong character piece inside of it.  It's intriguing in those moments, and thrilling when it gets into the action. 
I watched the Hollywood Reporter's director's roundtable today with Affleck and he doesn't seem the most confident of director's - which is fine by me, if humility is what allows you to be this good at your behind the scenes craft then keep it up.
If you like dramatic thrillers and haven't seen this, you're really doing yourself a disservice.  Check it out ASAP.  I love it. 

1769 - Argo

I don't care what anyone says - nobody directs Ben Affleck better than Ben Affleck.  Hell, few direct as well as him period.  In three films Affleck has announced himself as a real talent behind the camera, and I hope he's not through yet.  I've always liked him well enough as an actor, but never been drawn to a film just because he's in it - but as a director - I'm there on opening night.
I didn't know about this story at all, and I went to see it with an American friend whom had heard about the 444 held in captivity, but not abbot the 6 that got away, and the story of what happened to them - even though it had been declassified over a decade ago.
It's the story of an American embassy overthrown and how six people who got away and were being searched for, got away.  Canada got all the credit for the mission originally, but in the film come off as little more than inn-keepers - I think that there's something in the middle that's most likely truer of the actual events and both sides involvements.  In addition, in the thrilling climax, I'm sure that the majority of it was invented for the sake of pure entertainment - and entertaining it is!!! 
Here's the bottom line - don't go to see the film as if it's history lesson - so to see it because it's a very entertaining thriller with some fantastic performances from Ben, Bryan Cranston, Alan Alda, John Goodman, and many others.  It's entertaining as hell, and despite some creative allowances gives you a pretty good glance into how fucked up some stuff has to be.  The bizarre issues between nations in this world of ours.  Highly recommend it. 

1736 - Project Greenlight: season one

Like I said when I re-watched the second season on this show, I find these highly rewatchable and highly addictive.  Especially when I'm doing some prep work and wanting something fun in the background. 
I can't imagine making a film, let alone a first feature, under the microscope that this series requires.  I really enjoy behind the scenes stuff and this show does it so well.  It just doesn't feel set-up at all - like we're just watching a wonderful train wreck.  It's the power of editing, but this season highlights a lot of the film's personalities good and bad and it feels... honest?
I don't think Pete Jones is a talented writer or director.  I partly feel like he was picked because he'd make good television fodder (and he did!).  I think their selection process was corrected by the second time around, and it's a shame that this only went 3 seasons (why, oh why, have they never released a DVD of it... :( ). 
If you like the magic behind moving making, this is a great show to watch - and it's extra entertaining considering all the fuck-ups and how much of a little bitch Pete Jones can be.  I'd like to think that a lot of the things I do, it's because I saw Pete Jones doing it wrong first here.  So thanks Pete!  I appreciate the help wherever I can get it!

1731 - Project Greenlight: season two

I started rewatching this series last week when I was doing prep for our weekend shoot for Sex After Kids.  It's a ridiculously addictive show and I always end up watching it in marathon blocks.  I've got the first two seasons (bastards never released the third on DVD that I've been able to find :( ). 
Being right in the thick of making my second independent feature film there's a certain pride I take in watching this show and seeing them bitch about how they've only got $1M dollars to make their movie.  Boo-fucking-hoo.  They probably spend more on lunch their first day then we're spending on our entire thing.  Not that I'd turn away from a chance to make a film with a (proper) budget, but there's also a lot of waste on film and television sets.  People tend to want and need things just because they've always had them as opposed to really, actually, needing them. 
This season was different from the first in that they had separate competitions for directors and writers.  I still wonder how much of their casting is about picking the contestants that'll be the most entertaining on screen.  I'm sure they'd like to make a decent film out of the whole thing, but I imagine that the TV show does more revenue and is, therefore, more important.
If you're a film nerd and interested in behind the scenes of making a film, there's few things as indepth as these.  Check 'em out if you can find them!

1712 - Chasing Amy

Its been a long time since I've seen this film (fun fact - it was the first DVD I ever bought!) and I didn't think I'd be revisiting it while gearing up for Sex After Kids, but here we are.  Kevin Smith was never considered a particularly strong visual filmmaker - and especially not in this time period of his career.  More often than not he just lets the camera run and the actors do their thing.  And while this film is not visually appealing it doesn't take away from the impact either.  It's funny watching this now, the script itself is a bit weak in terms of how 'speecy' it is.  There's kind of a lack of flow while characters are far more verbose than they ever actually need be.  I love a lot of it, but someone really needed to go through this script and be a bit brutal about the speeches.  A lot more could be said with a little.
That being said I still enjoy this and likely always will.  It was a shame that it didn't do more for Adams, as I think she's pretty wonderful here.  If you've never see it it's absolutely classic Kevin Smith, and it's also probably his artiest, more engaging film in that regard.  Well worth checking out, I do believe!

Jeremy's Film Fest Awards 2010

Over the course of twenty days I saw thirty-seven films at four international film festivals (Toronto, Sudbury, Edmonton, and Calgary) Obviously I have omitted my own film (which in addition to the thirty-seven films I saw four times as well) from below. Hopefully this helps you seek out the best of the best from my own festival experience.

Best Picture

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Rabbit Hole
Made in Dagenham
Jack Goes Boating
At World's End

And the award goes to… Rabbit Hole
This film was a surprise to me. I knew little about it outside of the premise and it just took me by storm. I consider myself a pretty movie savvy person so it takes a lot to get me to forget I'm watching a film and really get emotionally involved - it takes a hell of a lot more to make me sob like a little baby in a movie theatre. And this film does it without being manipulative. It's just a solid awesome film.

Best Canadian Film

Barney's Version
Good Neighbours
Trigger
Le Divan du Monde (Everybody's Couch)
Fathers & Sons

And the award goes to… Fathers & Sons
Another film that took me by surprise. I haven't seen this film's predecessor Mothers & Daughters (but I will now). You'd have no way of knowing that this film was improvised and, more or less, unscripted. It's funny and heartwarming and I think the themes in it are about as universal as you can get. I pray that this film gets the attention that it deserves. I loved it.

Best Actor

Aaron Eckhardt - Rabbit Hole
Will Ferrel - Everything Must Go
Michael Angarano - Ceremony
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Jack Goes Boating
James Franco - Howl

And the award goes to… Aaron Eckhardt
I've loved Eckhardt for a long time but this is him at his best. If he's not nominated for an Oscar this year it will be a crime. The rest of the people in this category were really good, but Eckhardt was great.

Best Actress

Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Kat Dennings - Daydream Nation
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Tracy Wright - Trigger
Sally Hawkins - Made in Dagenham

And the award goes to… Sally Hawkins
This is a role and a film that is designed for you to love, but Sally's performance goes above that. You root for her, of course you do, but it's so much more than that. It goes without saying that usually once someone has played a role it's hard to see another actor playing it - I dare say it's impossible here. She's perfect.

Best Supporting Actor

Vincent Cassel - Black Swan
Lee Pace - Ceremony
Bob Hoskins - Made in Dagenham
Jay Brazeau - Fathers & Sons
Michael C. Hall - Peep World

And the award goes to… Jay Brazeau
I got lucky enough to get to know Jay a bit at the Edmonton Film Festival, but I promise you that that's not why he wins this. He wins this because he took a role that could have been such a cliche, or gone for just pure absurd laughs, and he made it human. I laughed at this fool, and I wanted to hug him at the same time.

Best Supporting Actress

Mila Kunis - Back Swan
Rebecca Hall - Everything Must Go
Molly Parker - Trigger
Sarah Silverman - Peep World
Amy Ryan - Jack Goes Boating

And the award goes to… Amy Ryan
This is a fine category full of fine women in fine performances, but Amy takes it. Not only is she a phenomenally versatile actress, but when she's playing an underdog outcast, you can't help but love her more. Love her.

Best Director

Ben Affleck - The Town
Carl Bessai - Fathers & Sons
John Cameron Mitchell - Rabbit Hole
Woody Allen - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Jack Goes Boating

And the award goes to… Carl Bessai
This is not just because Carl is the only non-actor in the category - although it's funny how that happened. Because of how this film was made, and because of how tight it feels I can only imagine that this was a film that he lived and breathed tirelessly and all from the heart and the gut. I'm not saying that anyone else in this category put any less of themselves into their project - but this one feels special to me and so therefore I think it deserves to be awarded for that and for Carl in particular.

Best Screenplay

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Everything Must Go
Rabbit Hole
Jack Goes Boating
At World's End

And the award goes to… Rabbit Hole
This is a story that could easily be a movie-of-the-week but it's not, and that boils down to the strength of the script and the care put into it. If this film doesn't just explode on it's own then I'll be pushing people into the theatre. It's fantastic.

1396 - The Town

As a consolation of my film not getting into TIFF this year one of the Canadian programmers, Steve Gravestock, was very generous and gave me a free Industry Pass through something called the Irving Avrich Fund. I have a luncheon next week for it so I'm curious to know more, but in the mean time I'm using the pass to see pretty much everything I can. I get into screenings that aren't open to the public (which makes it super easy to see the films so long as you're there half hour or so before the film). So over the next week and a bit look forward to several reviews at the end of each day (with a lag come the weekend). But without further delay, my thoughts on this fine film:
Affleck has gotten kind of a pass an actor I think. I don't know why - I've always liked him. But I think that Affleck the director has just given Affleck the actor a second wind. As a director Affleck is as good, if not better, than anyone else working in this genre of film. Maybe it's the people he's hired to work with, maybe not - it doesn't matter. This film, which is by no means short, flows so goddamn well. It's a thriller with a shit-load of awesome character work. Rebecca Hall is really lovely in this film, and we're going to see A LOT more of her in the years to come. She's in at least one other film at the festival and I'm hoping to get to see that one as well. What's really great about this is it lives in that style of crime thriller where the good guys and bad guys are both on par in terms of their intelligence. The cat and mouse are on equal footing so to speak. The entire cast is pretty fantastic and Affleck knows how to lighten it up from time to time. The set-ups and pay-offs are well hidden within some lovely character moments, and there's a backstory side-plot about a characters mother that almost breaks your heart.
This is a great film and I know it's going to get a big release some time in the near future. Do yourself a favour and see it.

1391 - Extract

I like Mike Judge, Jason Batement, and a score of other actors that are in this film, so it wasn't hard for me to pick this one up. Sadly, it's even easier to set it right back down again. This is by no means a bad film. It just didn't do a heck of a lot for me. There were a few fun moments, but nothing that made me really laugh out, which is what I look for in a comedy these days - laughs that surprise me. The cast is delightful, if not underused given how many great actors are in this film in supporting roles. If you're a fan of Office Space then there is no reason to not check this one out, just manage your expectations and you'll be fine.