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Taking Woodstock: A Pleasant Piece of Nostalgia

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:30:50 -0700

Like many people who weren't even alive in 1969, I have an irresistible, faux nostalgia for movies that capture the vibe of that time. So while Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock abounds with '60s cliches, I couldn't help but enjoy it.

As telegraphed in the title, Taking Woodstock offers an alternate perspective on the legendary New York music festival. The story swirls around Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) as he takes stock of his life, struggling to help his parents save their rundown Catskills motel while longing for the freedom he feels as a young gay man living in NYC. So he takes Woodstock out of its limbo after the event has been rejected by two other upstate towns. Though the movie is based on a true story, it's almost cartoonish at times, so hear more of what I thought.

Movie Preview: Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:30:59 -0700

You might see the word "Woodstock" and feel like we've seen enough about the famous music festival, but this trailer for Ang Lee's first English-language film since Brokeback Mountain actually looks like it might have something new to add to the story. Taking Woodstock is kind of hilariously hard to figure out: In the lead role there's comedian Demetri Martin (who you may know from his TV show Important Things With Demetri Martin) - and then people like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, and Eugene Levy pop up throughout the trailer and it's like, whaaa?

The movie is based on a memoir about a motel owner and his parents who are instrumental in helping the hippies pull off the seminal 1969 rock concert. This description from the book makes the movie all the more fascinating: "Hounded by the guilt that he can't live up to his parents' standards and riven by his own covert homosexuality, Tiber pokes fun at what he calls the Teichberg Curse, a scourge that won't allow the family to escape financial ruin." I wonder if that stuff is explored in the movie? We'll have to wait until Aug. 14 to find out.

I'm still wrapping my head around this trailer, but I'm optimistic. To see for yourself, read more.

Ang Lee Takes on Life of Pi

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:30:56 -0800

Speaking of the Oscars, the 2006 Best Director winner for Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee, is setting up his next big project: An adaptation of the bestselling novel Life of Pi. After releasing the intense Lust, Caution in 2007, Lee went on to direct a film adaptation of the memoir Taking Woodstock, which will be released in August. Now, he's chugging right along with yet another adaptation. Here's more:

Novel revolves around a youth who is the lone survivor of a sunken freighter and winds up sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan, and a hungry Bengal tiger.

The project has been through several incarnations, first with scribe Dean Georgaris, then M. Night Shyamalan. Lee will supervise a new script.

Brokeback Mountain was adapted from a short story and I was deeply impressed with the way the story visually leaped from page to screen under Lee's direction. There isn't even any dialogue for a good first chunk of the movie as the this cowboy universe is established scenically before our eyes. I have a feeling he'll do a good job with Life of Pi.

Have you read this book? What do you think of this director-project pairing?

Source and source

What's the New Hulk Movie's Biggest Challenge?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:30:25 -0700

Recently The LA Times ran a piece that analyzes the bumpy road it's been to bring the latest Marvel comic book hero, The Incredible Hulk, to the big screen.

First and foremost there's the question of "why?" Ang Lee's disappointing stab at it was out in theaters a mere five years ago. Fans feel burned by that adaptation and skepticism lingers that anyone can get it right.

More anxiety grew as the trailer was suspiciously delayed. Now that two trailers have been released it seems fans are feeling better about the film. Then again, behind-the-scenes rumors persist that the movie's star Edward Norton isn't thrilled with some of Marvel's choices. And while the trailers definitely look more action-packed than Ang Lee's movie, those CGI monsters running at each other in the end still strike me as a bit silly.

When all is said and done, I'm wondering if the good buzz will triumph over the bad in time for audiences to get on board by June 13. What do you think is the biggest hurdle the filmmakers are facing in getting people to see their movie? Do you have high hopes for The Incredible Hulk, or not so much?

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 4/23

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:30:45 -0700

Showtime's The Tudors has been renewed for a third season, USA Today reports.
Variety has news that Ang Lee's next directorial project will be Taking Woodstock, the autobiography of Elliot Tiber, a Catskills motel worker who played a pivotal role in making the Woodstock concert happen.
Naomi Campbell will guest-star on the season finale of Ugly Betty, the Associated Press reports.
Virginia Madsen has joined the cast of the Amelia Earhart biopic, which already included Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, writes ComingSoon.
Mariah Carey had her best album debut ever this week, easily landing at the top of the charts, Billboard reports.
TV Land will be airing a modeling competition focusing solely on women 35 and older; details are at The Futon Critic.
Tom Cruise's 13-year-old son Connor will have a minor, nonspeaking part as the younger version of Will Smith's character in the drama Seven Pounds, the AP reports.
Contestants from the VH1 game shows with "love" in the name (Flavor of Love, etc.) will compete in a new show called For Love or Money to win cash prizes, TV Guide reports.
Variety has the just-announced lineup for this year's Cannes Film Festival, which will include Clint Eastwood's 1920s thriller The Changeling starring Angelina Jolie, Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona . . . and Kung Fu Panda.

Photo courtesy of Showtime

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:30:00 -0800

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below, wartime movies Rendition and In the Valley of Elah are also out this week. If you missed Noah Baumbach's Margot at the Wedding starring Nicole Kidman, you can add that to your queue as well.

American Gangster
Great timing for this stirring drama to be released on DVD if you're trying to view Oscar nominees before the big ceremony. Director Ridley Scott recreates 1960s and 1970s Harlem to bring the true-life story of Frank Lucas to the silver screen. Played to eerie perfection by Denzel Washington, American Gangster follows Lucas as he comes to power in New York via a heroin drug ring. His savvy business instincts eventually put Lucas' business on par with that of the Italians, and catches the attention of one of the only non-corrupt law enforcement officials in town, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe).

This film earned Rudy Dee an Oscar nod for her role as Lucas' mother, and has been nominated for Best Achievement in Art Direction. Special features include a taping of the still-living Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts discussing the film and their roles in making it.

Two more interesting films, so read more

Michael Clayton
Tony Gilmore, whose screenwriting credits include The Devil's Advocate and The Bourne Ultimatum, took the director's seat for the first time for this legal thriller starring George Clooney. Michael Clayton follows a corporate lawyer (Clooney) who has made a career as his law firm's "janitor," cleaning up client legal messes. Clayton faces his biggest legal - and moral - challenge trying to help a colleague (played wonderfully by Tom Wilkinson) who has finally broken down and grown a conscience. The film has been showered with Oscar love including nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.

Lust, Caution
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee follows up his critically-acclaimed Brokeback Mountain with this thriller set in post-WWII Shanghai. Lust, Caution is part spy thriller, part haunting love story, and tells the tale of one Chinese woman's penetration into the world of a powerful Japanese collaborator in order to aid his assassination. Lee's ability to convey extreme yearnings of lust, combined with some drawn-out love scenes earned this film an NC-17 rating. Fans of this director's work will not be disappointed.

Buzz News Roundup, 9/12

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:33:48 -0700

Rolling Stone reports that the White Stripes have canceled their fall tour on account of Meg's "acute anxiety."
According to the BBC, Ang Lee has cut out 30 minutes of his sexy espionage thriller Lust, Caution for audiences in China.
Variety reports that if you have On Demand service, you can watch all of NBC's pilots for free right now.
Former "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Parnell has joined the cast of the ABC comedy "Miss/Guided," Zap2it reports.
Variety reports that Run, Fat Boy, Run is the No. 1 movie in the U.K.
Led Zepplin is reforming for one night only, at a tribute show for the late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, Billboard reports.
"The Closer" broke its own cable ratings record for its season finale on Monday, writes the Hollywood Reporter, drawing 9.2 million viewers.
Things weren't as rosy for "Tell Me You Love Me" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," both of which had disappointingly low ratings for their premieres, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Paul Morrison will direct Little Ashes, a movie about the young life and loves of Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, says Variety.
Hollywood Reporter has news that Naomi Campbell will star in a film adaptation of the novel Bad Love.
Don Cheadle will star in a live-action film version of the 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs, Variety reports.
Meanwhile, ComingSoon reports that Adam Brody and Josh Lucas have been cast in the drama Death in Love.

Source

Link Time! 9/11

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:31:53 -0700

Head over to Pop for a look at Mary-Kate Olsen on "Weeds"!
Cinematical has an intriguing interview with director Ang Lee.
Buddy TV's fall preview celebrates the nerds and geeks of the small screen.
Idolator posts the early numbers on the Kanye vs. 50 Cent album showdown.
The MTV Movies Blog chatted with Jason Bateman about the possibility of an "Arrested Development" movie sometime in the future.
The Music Slut shows us the new Mark Ronson video starring an Amy Winehouse lookalike.
Get the Kleenex ready: Fit previews tonight's quite possibly sob-inducing premiere of "The Biggest Loser."
Popwatch writer Dave Karger gives out his own form of Oscars to the films screening at the Toronto Film Festival, with Michael Clayton winning Best Picture.
Stereogum weighs in on the possible Blur reunion.
Give Me My Remote celebrates the fact that TBS will start showing repeats of "The Office" tonight.
TV Squad unwraps the press kit Fox recently sent for its Friday music shows - but doesn't say if the drum sticks smelled like petroleum the way the ones in my box did.

Photo courtesy of Showtime

Buzz News Roundup, 8/24

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:30:53 -0700

NBC is offering 1,000 "Friday Night Lights" fans a chance to throw a house party with a sneak preview of the show's second season, and the Futon Critic has the details. You have to enter by today, so hurry!
The movie based on the TV series "Dallas" will be a comedy directed by Betty Thomas and starring John Travolta as J.R. Ewing, Variety reports.
"Anchorwoman" has been canned after just one airing, Broadcasting & Cable reports.
"American Idol" runner-up Blake Lewis has just scored his own record deal, says E! Online.
The Smoking Gun has the contract parents had to sign before their kids could be on "Kid Nation."
Zap2It reports that Mummy director Stephen Sommers will direct the G.I. Joe movie.
Comedy writer Buddy Sheffield is suing The Walt Disney Co. for allegedly stealing his idea for the series "Hannah Montana" and never compensating him, the AP reports.
According to Variety, Ang Lee's fall espionage thriller Lust, Caution has received an NC-17 rating.
Drew Carey's first episode as "The Price is Right" host will air Oct. 13, according to TV Guide.

Source

Fall Movie Preview: The Period Pieces

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. For today's preview, let's go back in time and check out some of the period pieces coming to a theater near you.

Silk
One of the two period movies coming out this fall that stars Keira Knightley, Silk tells the story of "a married silkworm merchant-turned-smuggler [Michael Pitt] in 19th century France traveling to Japan for his town's supply of silkworms after a disease wipes out their African supply. During his stay in Japan, he becomes obsessed with the concubine of a local baron." Knightley plays the silkworm merchant's wife Helene. This film looks like it will be beautiful, and as it also stars Alfred Molina I'm already on board to see it when it comes out September 14.

More great period pieces coming out this fall, so read more

Lust, Caution
Ang Lee's follow-up project to his critically successful Brokeback Mountain is the much anticipated thriller Lust, Caution. This time he's trading in the lovestruck cowboys for lovestruck spies in post-WWII Shanghai. In the movie, "a young woman, Wang Jiazhi (Tang Wei), gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung)." From the trailer it seems that Lee continues to be a master of visual storytelling, every lush frame evoking passion, fear and sensuality without anyone saying a word. I'll be in line to see this one when it opens September 28.

Love in the Time of Cholera
Based on the beloved novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera follows "a love triangle set in turn-of-the-century South America, where two lovers wait out careers, marriages, affairs and deaths until they can reunite." There's an interesting cast attached to this one, which includes John Leguizamo, Liev Schreiber, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Javier Bardem and Benjamin Bratt. Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) directs. I'm surprised it took this long for the book to be adapted, but now that it has been, I'll be curious to see how it's done. Love in the Time of Cholera opens November 16.

Atonement
I couldn't resist posting the trailer for Atonement recently because the cast is just so darn attractive. Also, it looks like a successful and gorgeous WWII romantic drama. Keira Knightley and the beautiful James McAvoy star as lovers whose affair is interrupted when the young Briony (Saoirse Ronan, who is also in another movie this fall, and is set to play Susie in Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lovely Bones) makes a false accusation. If you haven't yet watched the lovely trailer, I suggest you do so before Atonement opens December 7 in the U.S. (or September 7 in the U.K.). Also, check out the Ian McEwan novel on which the movie is based.

Silk and Love photos source
Lust and Atonement photos source