Movies Til Dawn

Long ago, in my so-called "salad days" (I prefer to think of them as the "pre-dinner drink days") I was friends and collaborators with a group of young film-heads who were working on NYU short films. The work was strictly volunteer and the resulting films were--each and every one--catastrophes of the kind that only film students can produce. Which is to say ambitious, well meaning and totally incomprehensible. A number of us working on the films were not NYU students, but simply enthusiasts looking for any way to be on a set and learn our craft a bit. I usually performed the function of First Assistant Director, occasionally Unit Production Manager. The experience was invaluable--I learned quickly (and efficiently) how to schedule a film and how a good set was run. One of my non-NYU cohorts was a gifted soundman/editor/all around film buff/enthusiast named Leopold Wurm. In addition to possessing one of the finest names I'd ever heard, we were blessed to share t...

"City Island" opens in the United Kingdom on July 26th--or on 26 July as they'd probably put it in "Jolly Olde". Our publicity has been unusually thorough and hopes are high that the film will crossover the Atlanti-- like the proverbial QE2 in the night--exciting English speaking audiences in Europe, albeit English speakers with that charming, funny accent. Click here to read another "Guardian" piece on the movie --this one an interview with Andy Garcia. The English press is notoriously tough and there are moments in this piece that I'm not at all sure are fair to my friend and collaborator--he makes much of Andy's comment that being a producer on the movie means that he gets paid last. And so what? He's right. I can attest to that, being a producer on the movie and still waiting for half my salary. In general, with this piece, I feel the need of the interviewer to stir Andy up, to arouse some controversy which may or may not be present. No...

Welcome to London, as we electronically cross the Atlantic for a peek at the venerable paper, The Guardian, which last week profiled Emily Mortimer, who said so many nice things about "City Island" that besides clicking on the above to read the article I'm going to print a bit, just so I can see the words in cold type. Viz: "It is the things the Italian-American family at the heart of City Island do not tell each other that underpin this indie comedy, which has proved a surprise word-of-mouth hit in America. Mortimer says it is a "really sweet, old-fashioned" movie that has chimed with "unpretentious people who like going to watch a good film." Nobody doesn't like it, even if you're a bit snobby about what you watch." Thanks babe. And now for something completely different, he says Pythonically. Guess what news came in the electronic mail today? Congratulations to Andy Garcia (Best Actor/Feature Film) and Dominik Garcia-Lorido (Best S...

Selective vision is very useful. For instance, I can look at the Australian box office tally and be utterly delighted that my three favourite films of the year thus far occupy spots one, seven and ten, and ignore the remaining films which I either (a) didn't see, usually deliberately, or (b) loathed. Oh, speaking of great films, the word of mouth on CITY ISLAND has been amazing, and I finally caught up with it the other night. It's one of those situations where the word of mouth was dead-on. CITY ISLAND is absolutely brilliant, and one you'll kick yourself for missing at the cinema when you catch it on DVD. So see it now! Ain't It Cool News   Subscribe in a reader

Do some of these titles seem like Oscar longshots? They are. But awards voters last year recognized good work in "offbeat" pics as varied as "In the Loop" and "The Messenger," so hope springs eternal. It's definitely worth mentioning some smaller 2010 films that have garnered many fans, like Sony Classics' "Please Give" and "Mother and Child," Magnolia's "I Am Love" and Anchor Bay's "City Island.. Daily Variety Well I always new I loved and respected the folks at Variety and not just because of Ronnie Sheib's early positive notice posted when City Island premiered at Tribeca last year. But the above mention of our movie as a possible awards contender really knocked me out-- click here to read the whole piece. And if the lovely folks at Variety hadn't already earned my undying devotion and inestimable love and respect, click here to read a terrific piece from Weekly Variety which touts "...