“RZA’s Directorial Debut ‘The Man With The Iron Fists’ Currently Shooting In China!” and other joints…
Tambay: “Then came news that Russell Crowe had signed on to costar with RZA in the kung fu flick, though RZA wouldn’t say what role Crowe will play in the film, only stating, ‘I won’t spoil it for you, but Russell’s gonna be the baddest man alive… That man is in fighting shape. That man will knock you out… He’s a master of the craft. I’m quite sure that I may learn something from him**.’”
“First Teaser For Wong Kar Wai’s THE GRANDMASTERS”
Todd Brown: “If the first teaser for Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmasters is anything to judge by then the film will be featuring some lovely calligraphy and not much else. I kid, but just a little bit, because there aint nothing in this but text and no footage at all.”
“‘Seduce Me’ by Isabella Rossellini at The Wolfsonian-FIU”
Vernissage TV: “After her highly praised ‘Green Porno’, Isabella Rossellini’s Award-winning comical series on how animals mate, she and her collaborators Andy Byers and Rick Gilbert realized another series titled Seduce Me. For the presentation of Seduce Me at The Wolfsonian, Andy Byers realized a site-specific installation that features the complex and imaginative paper sculptures made by Andy Byers that are used in the videos for sets, props, and costumes. The site also features episodes of Green Porno and the Seduce Me videos that have been created, produce, directed, written, and performed by Isabella Rossellini and produced and art directed by Rick Gilbert.”
“‘Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who sat by the Door’ Will Premiere Next Month [This Month]!”
Tambay: “Back in June, I alerted you all to a work-in-progress documentary directed by University of California-Davis film Professor, Christine Acham, titled Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who sat by the Door, about the making of the Ivan Dixon-directed political firebrand of a film.”
“Video Home Invasion: Third Window Films’ Korean Collection”
J Hurtado: “I got into Korean cinema around 1999/2000 and thought my favourite year was 2001 where many great genre-mix-up films were released. I loved Korean cinema as I felt they were making their films for the Korean market and the tastes of their audience, but as Korean cinema became more and more popular in the West and Japan they started to make too many films for other markets. As their popularity grew, their budgets grew and so did their asking prices, but it wasn’t the high costs that put me off as much (though of course that was an issue), it was the fact they started making their films more for the international market instead of their own.”
“Bright Lights Film Journal :: Pauline Kael”
Alan Vanneman: “She knew that people didn’t respond to films for either high-flown aesthetic reasons or “moral” ones, and she waged endless war on critics who claimed they did. But she could display a remarkable affinity for the sins of the enemy. In ‘The Come-Dressed-As-The-Sick-Soul-of-Europe Parties,’ one of her best pieces from the early sixties, she takes the critical knife to La Notte, Last Year at Marienbad, and La Dolce Vita, ridiculing all the ‘big thoughts’ about modern decadence.”
“The Art Of Film Title Design Throughout Cinema History”
Julia May: “Film titles can be great fun. In them we see the bond between the art of filmmaking and graphic design—and perhaps visual culture as a whole. They have always served a greater purpose than themselves: to move the overarching story forward. Whether you are a motion graphic designer, a digital artist or a connoisseur of design, we hope you are inspired by these film titles and the ideas they suggest to your own creative endeavors. At the end of this post, you’ll find a listing of relevant typefaces and Web resources.”