One may think filmmaker Sam Green’s 32 Sounds is aimed at the sound community, but with his immersive exploration of the noises we hear, Green says he hopes to reach general audiences and inspire them to “hear the world in a different way.”
Sound designer Mark Mangini feels the same way, pointing to the narrative power of sound — for instance, the voice of Green’s late brother, preserved on an old answering machine. “That’s a very powerful moment in the movie for us,” says Mangini of the emotional segment during which Green listens to this recording. “We think that helps audiences connect with a vital aspect of their lives that they aren’t really aware of.”
32 Sounds begins with Green and composer Jd Samson speaking directly to viewers before proceeding on a journey through the auditory world, from the aforementioned answering machine recording to the work of...
Sound designer Mark Mangini feels the same way, pointing to the narrative power of sound — for instance, the voice of Green’s late brother, preserved on an old answering machine. “That’s a very powerful moment in the movie for us,” says Mangini of the emotional segment during which Green listens to this recording. “We think that helps audiences connect with a vital aspect of their lives that they aren’t really aware of.”
32 Sounds begins with Green and composer Jd Samson speaking directly to viewers before proceeding on a journey through the auditory world, from the aforementioned answering machine recording to the work of...
- 11/30/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Distribution platform Gathr and documentary distribution agency Roco Films have teamed to create Roco Voices, a new speakers bureau.
Roco Voices, launching Nov. 14, will offer live speaking engagements with filmmakers and subject matter experts from Roco Film’s docu film catalog. The initial cohort of filmmakers to debut with Roco Voices include Academy Award winners and nominees Oliver Stone (“Nuclear Now”), Ross Kauffman (“Born Into Brothels”), Justine Shapiro (“Promises”), Sam Green (“The Weather Underground”), David France (“How to Survive a Plague”), Geralyn Dreyfous (“The Square”), and Roger Weisberg (“Sound and Fury”). (All Roco clients have the opportunity to opt-in.)
Powering Roco Voices is Gathr’s talent booking technology. (The company started beta-testing earlier this year.) The collaboration is a one-stop shop for Roco Films’ customers to search, discover, negotiate, and book filmmakers, doc talent and subject matter experts while also licensing impact-driven and educational film screenings.
“The shared experience of...
Roco Voices, launching Nov. 14, will offer live speaking engagements with filmmakers and subject matter experts from Roco Film’s docu film catalog. The initial cohort of filmmakers to debut with Roco Voices include Academy Award winners and nominees Oliver Stone (“Nuclear Now”), Ross Kauffman (“Born Into Brothels”), Justine Shapiro (“Promises”), Sam Green (“The Weather Underground”), David France (“How to Survive a Plague”), Geralyn Dreyfous (“The Square”), and Roger Weisberg (“Sound and Fury”). (All Roco clients have the opportunity to opt-in.)
Powering Roco Voices is Gathr’s talent booking technology. (The company started beta-testing earlier this year.) The collaboration is a one-stop shop for Roco Films’ customers to search, discover, negotiate, and book filmmakers, doc talent and subject matter experts while also licensing impact-driven and educational film screenings.
“The shared experience of...
- 11/14/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
“32 Sounds,” an immersive and experiential documentary, has sold North American rights to Abramorama following its premiere at Sundance Film Festival.
The movie, which explores the phenomenon of sound through 32 specific sonic experiences, will begin its nationwide theatrical rollout at New York City’s Film Forum on April 28.
To complete the unique auditory experience, several venues, including Film Forum, will offer audience members individual sets of headphones so they can watch “32 Sounds” the way the filmmaker intended.
“32 Sounds” had its world premiere at Sundance, where it played to positive reviews. Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote that the movie is “bursting with humor, emotion and curiosity” and praised it as a “rare and rewarding sonic journey with the potential to enrich our lives.”
London-based sales agent and financier Architect are handling international sales and introduced 32 Sounds to distributors during last month’s EFM.
Directed and written by Sam Green...
The movie, which explores the phenomenon of sound through 32 specific sonic experiences, will begin its nationwide theatrical rollout at New York City’s Film Forum on April 28.
To complete the unique auditory experience, several venues, including Film Forum, will offer audience members individual sets of headphones so they can watch “32 Sounds” the way the filmmaker intended.
“32 Sounds” had its world premiere at Sundance, where it played to positive reviews. Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote that the movie is “bursting with humor, emotion and curiosity” and praised it as a “rare and rewarding sonic journey with the potential to enrich our lives.”
London-based sales agent and financier Architect are handling international sales and introduced 32 Sounds to distributors during last month’s EFM.
Directed and written by Sam Green...
- 3/2/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Back in May, Moonage Daydream – the hypnotic, experimental documentary abstraction that encapsulates David Bowie’s life, art, and philosophy – blew the top off of an already buzzing Cannes Film Festival. Brett Morgen, the film’s veteran director, writer, editor, and producer, has made a career out of expressive, atypical documentaries, like The Kid Stays in the Picture and Cobain: Montage of Heck.
A student of Brechtian philosophy, he is a searcher (or debunker) of truth as much as a filmmaker, the former through the latter, the latter simply a medium of choice. And if you know anything about Bowie, you know how wildly and wonderfully subjective truth can be, a perfect challenge for Morgen to capture the infinite artist post-mortem.
On the day of its nationwide IMAX release, I sat down with him to talk Moonage Daydream – style, history, approach, and where it all began.
—
Brett Morgen: It was 2007. I...
A student of Brechtian philosophy, he is a searcher (or debunker) of truth as much as a filmmaker, the former through the latter, the latter simply a medium of choice. And if you know anything about Bowie, you know how wildly and wonderfully subjective truth can be, a perfect challenge for Morgen to capture the infinite artist post-mortem.
On the day of its nationwide IMAX release, I sat down with him to talk Moonage Daydream – style, history, approach, and where it all began.
—
Brett Morgen: It was 2007. I...
- 9/21/2022
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
The pandemic-fueled national revival of the classic American drive-in movie theater continues, and even the dense Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood is getting into the act.
Arena Cinelounge Sunset is backing the Arena Cinelounge Drive-in Hollywood. The venue will be located behind the landmark Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood at 1625 North Las Palmas Avenue, and plans to be open seven days a week.
The first screening will bow on Dec. 1, 2020 with Wander, a thriller starring Aaron Eckhart, Katheryn Winnick, Heather Graham, Roger Dorman and Tommy Lee Jones.
“Our aim is to bring the same bespoke charisma Arena Cinelounge is known for as an independent theater to the Drive-In experience,” owner Christian Meoli told NBC News. “We’re excited to be exhibiting and curating again and look forward to continuing to offer audiences new, classic and culturally relevant content.”
Other films on the schedule include the documentary The Weather Underground from 2002 and Breach,...
Arena Cinelounge Sunset is backing the Arena Cinelounge Drive-in Hollywood. The venue will be located behind the landmark Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood at 1625 North Las Palmas Avenue, and plans to be open seven days a week.
The first screening will bow on Dec. 1, 2020 with Wander, a thriller starring Aaron Eckhart, Katheryn Winnick, Heather Graham, Roger Dorman and Tommy Lee Jones.
“Our aim is to bring the same bespoke charisma Arena Cinelounge is known for as an independent theater to the Drive-In experience,” owner Christian Meoli told NBC News. “We’re excited to be exhibiting and curating again and look forward to continuing to offer audiences new, classic and culturally relevant content.”
Other films on the schedule include the documentary The Weather Underground from 2002 and Breach,...
- 11/21/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Praised documentary filmmaker Bill Siegel, known for The Trials Of Muhammad Ali and The Weather Underground among others, has died. He was 55.
Chicago-based Kartemquin Films announced Siegel’s death on its website Tuesday. “Bill was an erudite, passionate and intelligent activist and independent thinker as well as being a gifted filmmaker and cherished friend,” the statement read. “He has been a valued member of the Kartemquin community since he first worked as a researcher on Hoop Dreams (1994). We will miss him greatly.” The cause of death is not immediately known.
Siegel won an Emmy for his 2013 documentary, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, and he shared an Oscar nomination in the best documentary category for The Weather Underground.
The Trials of Muhammad Ali documented the heyday of boxer Muhammad Ali’s career, with special focus on his conversion to Islam and his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. In addition to the Emmy win,...
Chicago-based Kartemquin Films announced Siegel’s death on its website Tuesday. “Bill was an erudite, passionate and intelligent activist and independent thinker as well as being a gifted filmmaker and cherished friend,” the statement read. “He has been a valued member of the Kartemquin community since he first worked as a researcher on Hoop Dreams (1994). We will miss him greatly.” The cause of death is not immediately known.
Siegel won an Emmy for his 2013 documentary, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, and he shared an Oscar nomination in the best documentary category for The Weather Underground.
The Trials of Muhammad Ali documented the heyday of boxer Muhammad Ali’s career, with special focus on his conversion to Islam and his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. In addition to the Emmy win,...
- 12/11/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Siegel, producer of the Emmy-winning documentary “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” has died at the age of 55.
“Bill was an erudite, passionate and intelligent activist and independent thinker as well as being a gifted filmmaker and cherished friend,” read a statement from Kartemquin Films, which announced his death on Tuesday.
Also Read: Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks Lead Singer, Dies at 63
“He has been a valued member of the Kartemquin community since he first worked as a researcher on ‘Hoop Dreams.’ We will miss him greatly,” the statement added.
Siegel’s career in documentaries spans more than 20 years and was highlighted by “Trials of Muhammad Ali,” which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on PBS’ “Independent Lens.” The series followed the late boxer’s struggles outside the ring as he converted to Islam, changed his name and fought to overturn the prison sentence he received for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.
“Bill was an erudite, passionate and intelligent activist and independent thinker as well as being a gifted filmmaker and cherished friend,” read a statement from Kartemquin Films, which announced his death on Tuesday.
Also Read: Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks Lead Singer, Dies at 63
“He has been a valued member of the Kartemquin community since he first worked as a researcher on ‘Hoop Dreams.’ We will miss him greatly,” the statement added.
Siegel’s career in documentaries spans more than 20 years and was highlighted by “Trials of Muhammad Ali,” which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on PBS’ “Independent Lens.” The series followed the late boxer’s struggles outside the ring as he converted to Islam, changed his name and fought to overturn the prison sentence he received for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.
- 12/11/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Chicago documentary producer and director Bill Siegel, who earned an Emmy for The Trials of Muhammad Ali, died on Dec. 9. He was 55.
"With great sadness and shock, we share the news that Kartemquin associate Bill Siegel, director of the Academy Award-nominated The Weather Underground (2003) and Emmy Award-winning The Trials of Muhammad Ali (2013), has passed away," Kartemquin Films announced Tuesday on its website.
No cause of death was immediately available. Siegel, who was born Dec. 24, 1962, in Orlando, Florida, graduated from The Blake Schools before earning a degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Siegel ...
"With great sadness and shock, we share the news that Kartemquin associate Bill Siegel, director of the Academy Award-nominated The Weather Underground (2003) and Emmy Award-winning The Trials of Muhammad Ali (2013), has passed away," Kartemquin Films announced Tuesday on its website.
No cause of death was immediately available. Siegel, who was born Dec. 24, 1962, in Orlando, Florida, graduated from The Blake Schools before earning a degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Siegel ...
- 12/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Chicago documentary producer and director Bill Siegel, who earned an Emmy for The Trials of Muhammad Ali, died on Dec. 9. He was 55.
"With great sadness and shock, we share the news that Kartemquin associate Bill Siegel, director of the Academy Award-nominated The Weather Underground (2003) and Emmy Award-winning The Trials of Muhammad Ali (2013), has passed away," Kartemquin Films announced Tuesday on its website.
No cause of death was immediately available. Siegel, who was born Dec. 24, 1962, in Orlando, Florida, graduated from The Blake Schools before earning a degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Siegel ...
"With great sadness and shock, we share the news that Kartemquin associate Bill Siegel, director of the Academy Award-nominated The Weather Underground (2003) and Emmy Award-winning The Trials of Muhammad Ali (2013), has passed away," Kartemquin Films announced Tuesday on its website.
No cause of death was immediately available. Siegel, who was born Dec. 24, 1962, in Orlando, Florida, graduated from The Blake Schools before earning a degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Siegel ...
- 12/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Honeywell TE923W is a wireless weather station that provides everything you need to keep track of the weather at home. The station can also be connected to your computer if you want to keep records.
It’s also packaged with an infrared remote control so that you can control the digital weather station and remote sensor from a distance. You can find the Honeywell TE923W for an average price of $245. Let’s take a look at some of the features offered by the best home weather station.
The Honeywell TE923W comes packaged with sensors including a barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, rain gauge, and Uv sensor. You can also attach up to four additional sensors to the weather station. The hygrometer and Uv sensors can work up to 328 feet away from the Honeywell TE923W, while the anemometer and rain gauge has a 100-foot range.
The Honeywell TE...
It’s also packaged with an infrared remote control so that you can control the digital weather station and remote sensor from a distance. You can find the Honeywell TE923W for an average price of $245. Let’s take a look at some of the features offered by the best home weather station.
The Honeywell TE923W comes packaged with sensors including a barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, rain gauge, and Uv sensor. You can also attach up to four additional sensors to the weather station. The hygrometer and Uv sensors can work up to 328 feet away from the Honeywell TE923W, while the anemometer and rain gauge has a 100-foot range.
The Honeywell TE...
- 10/9/2017
- Hollywonk
It’s 1972 and the United States is facing challenges both at home and abroad. The Vietnam War is still raging but public opinion has turned strongly against it, while on home soil, groups like The Weather Underground are becoming increasingly violent in their anti-government action. Meanwhile, Richard Nixon is preparing for a looming election, and then, roughly four months before ballots are cast, the Watergate Hotel is broken into with the aim of wiretapping the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee.
Continue reading Liam Neeson’s ‘Mark Felt’ Attempts To Bring Down The White House [Tiff Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Liam Neeson’s ‘Mark Felt’ Attempts To Bring Down The White House [Tiff Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/10/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
These fugitives on the run aren’t innocent young lovers. Still wanted for anti-war violence from years before, an ex-radical couple struggles to remain free just as their children become old enough to think for themselves. Screenwriter Naomi Foner and director Sidney Lumet’s fascinating movie is a sympathetic look at an untenable lifestyle.
Running on Empty
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1988 / Color / 1:85 enhanced widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date June 27, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Christine Lahti, River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Abry, Martha Plimpton, Ed Crowley, L.M. Kit Carson, Steven Hill, Augusta Dabney, David Margulies, Lynne Thigpen, Bobo Lewis, Daniel Dassin.
Cinematography: Gerry Fisher
Film Editor: Andrew Mondshein
Original Music: Tony Mottola
Written by Naomi Foner
Produced by Griffin Dunne, Amy Robinson
Directed by Sidney Lumet
1988 suddenly seems much farther in the past than it did just a few months ago. The small town high school in Running on Empty has a dedicated, classically trained music teacher on the payroll. He earns enough to afford a rather nice house. The public school system is not being undermined, with all the wealthy students going to new kinds of exclusive, alternative schools siphoning off public money. We all have our own ideas about what ‘making America great again’ means, I suppose.
It doesn’t happen any more, but we used to read about ex- radicals from the Vietnam War days surfacing to turn themselves in. Not that many were directly involved in violent acts, but some had lived for decades under assumed identities, while their wanted photos were posted down at the Post Office. Some of them tried to raise families.
“We are all outlaws in the eyes of America.
Everything they say we are, we are.
. . . And we are very proud of ourselves.”
— The Jefferson Airplane
Naomi Foner’s Running on Empty is basically a ‘what comes next?’ chapter in the lives of former political public enemies like The Weather Underground. An unusual family is on the lam. The parents are militant radicals from the Nixon years, who went underground when one of their bombs maimed a janitor. Now they are nearing their forties, and must move from town to town whenever they think the Feds have picked up their trail. The couple chose their life and has accepted the consequences, but where does that leave their growing children, who are likewise forced to live like gypsies under assumed names?
I should think that this good movie would have a tough time in today’s market. If the online mob harps on Wonder Woman for promoting non-traditional values, what would they make of a movie ‘glorifying terrorism?’ Half of America still wants to see Jane Fonda strung up by her thumbs, and death threats for ‘enemies’ singled out on the web are now routine. Our channels of information are so jammed with stories elbowing each other for attention, I don’t think anybody could rouse the general public to even consider the problems of this kind of fugitive. Who has time for scurrilous pleas for sympathy for ‘undeserving’ people, when the public responds better to patriotic pieces about veterans . . . or cute animals?
Always watching for signs of F.B.I. surveillance, young Danny Pope (River Phoenix) alerts the rest of his family through pre-arranged signals. Annie and Arthur Pope (Christine Lahti & Judd Hirsch) abandon their jobs, their belongings and even their dog and flee to a new state with Danny and their other son Harry (Jonas Abry). With new identities they start new lives. Arthur and Annie find off-the-books employment as a cook and a medical receptionist and the boys are enrolled in school with ‘previous transcripts on the way.’ We see the unusual preparations that must be made, with secret arrangements so that any family member can alert the others if they’re found out; we also see that the family is supported to some degree by a network of post-radical (or still radical?) sympathizers, such as a doctor (David Marguiles) who tends to political fugitives. But the Popes are cut off from their own families. Annie’s disapproving father (Steven Hill) can only see her in an extraordinary circumstance arranged by a third party. Potential trouble comes when former comrade Gus Winant (L.M. Kit Carson) drops by. He’d like to sleep with his old flame Annie, and is carrying guns in the assumption that Arthur will agree to rob a bank with him. But a more troubling problem is closer to home. Young Danny has inherited his mother’s musical talent, and his teacher Mr. Phillips (Ed Crowley) is encouraging him to apply to Julliard in New York. Danny is also stuck on Phillips’ teenage daughter Lorna (Martha Plimpton), a girl to whom he might be ready to commit. As far as Arthur is concerned, Danny can’t do any of those things because his first duty is to help his family in the undercover life. Annie doesn’t know what to do. If she leaves her son behind, she may never see him again.
Practically speaking, Running on Empty will only play well to a certain segment of the public. Are you the kind that sympathizes with draft deserters that fled to Canada, or the kind that wants to hand them long terms in prison? The Popes aren’t victims of injustice, at least not directly; they knew what they were doing when they went militant, and the injuries they caused can’t simply be dismissed as youthful idealism. They are also hopelessly associated with fanatics they inspired, like the Sla. And there’s no statute of limitations on armed insurrection. I think almost all of the radical fugitives that went underground are now accounted for. Some served prison time and others got off because courtroom prosecutions would reveal or publicize the government’s own illegal doings. Running on Empty dramatizes what might have been reality for just a few of these ‘outlaws in the eyes of America.’ Some radicals reportedly found it easy to live undetected while still on various Most Wanted lists. Others found ways to turn themselves in, square themselves with the authorities and re-commence academic lives interrupted years before to oppose the government. *
Running on Empty is a fascinating show, with a cast that clearly had to work hard to make their characters believable. Christine Lahti puts up with her bossy, security-minded husband. He himself gets drunk one night and starts shouting his real name loud enough to wake the neighbors. Judd Hirsch and director Lumet know that these can’t be ordinary people. He doesn’t try to make them Ozzie and Harriet types, somehow (sniff!) trapped by their youthful mistakes. No, they’re still promoting various Union and social justice causes here and there, although Arthur must back away whenever he becomes visible enough to appear in a news photo. Every year they celebrate a birthday to Sam, the man struck by their bomb. It’s not a joke, but a ritual so they won’t forget their crime.
At the center of the movie is the cult actor River Phoenix, who graduated briefly to good roles after his appearance as an adolescent space voyager in the fantasy film Explorers. Phoenix is excellent as Danny, a kid raised to never let down his guard. The show begins with Danny detecting a plainclothes tail and executing what must be ‘escape plan 9.’ The family is out of town in a matter of minutes. Danny’s a sensitive, smart guy. If he plays by the rules, he must keep himself a complete mystery to his new girlfriend Lorna. The boy is committed to his family, but feels the pull to go off on his own, where a decent future awaits. In a way, it’s not a situation wholly unique to these former radicals. This must happen all the time when someone breaks away from a strongly structured family, or a religious cult.
The movie’s tension level doubles when Danny takes the forbidden step of telling Lorna everything. How many of us living normal lives (well, reasonably normal lives) could trust our sweethearts with such a volatile secret: “I and my whole family are fugitives from justice. Anybody helping us is a potential accomplice. Just by letting you know, I’m putting you in legal jeopardy. Will you turn me in, or become a criminal with me?”
At this age Martha Plimpton might remind one of a teenage Lauren Bacall. A survivor of Goonies, she is featured in what I think is the best Cannon film, Shy People. Plimpton and Phoenix have several worthy melodramatic romantic scenes to play, and they’re excellent together.
With the ace director Sidney Lumet in charge the strange relationships seem credible, even when the flaky, reckless Gus Winant breezes through. The former radical patriot is now nothing but an outlaw bum. In a nice choice, Gus is played by L.M. Kit Carson, the original fake counterculture hero in the classic experimental faux-documentary David Holzman’s Diary. With dangerous idiots like Gus on the loose, the Popes can’t even consider themselves part of a noble creed. Some of their old colleagues are indeed armed and dangerous.
I don’t think the Popes would stand a chance of evading the cops in today’s security state. One can no longer simply find the name of a dead infant and apply for a new birth certificate and passport. The Popes aren’t hiding in a shack in the woods, but are out and about in the public, working and rubbing elbows with schools and doctors. I guess that back in the 1980s Arthur could become a cook and Annie a receptionist without references, but it’s less likely now, when one can’t buy bubble gum without leaving a data trail. Traffic and security surveillance cameras are now everywhere. Billions of smart-phone photos are taken at public gatherings, and routinely posted on the web. A high-level security agency could be (is?) scanning the web with face recognition software.
Sidney Lumet wrote that his movies Running on Empty and Daniel had the same theme: “Who pays for the passion and commitment of the parents?” This is an even-handed and insightful drama. Lumet made a wide range of great entertainments, and some of the best- ever ‘New York Jewish Liberal Movies.’ He’s also one of the few directors who could take on fundamentally controversial material like this, and continue to maintain a busy career.
The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of Running on Empty is a good encoding of what was already a very good Wac Mod disc from just two years ago. The improved picture and sound reveals the expected quality of a top Sidney Lumet product. The small town we see is very attractive, a political landscape completely different from the corporate/banking rapacious wasteland of last year’s Hell or High Water. ‘Radicals unselfishly trying to stop a war in 1971’ is still anathema, while Mr. and Mrs. U.S.A. now considers it justifiable for ‘radicals to selfishly try to rescue their ruined finances.’
Madonna is on the soundtrack for a scene in Daniel’s music class. The final James Taylor song Fire and Rain works extremely well in context: “. . . and I always thought that I’d see you again.”
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Running on Empty Blu-ray rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: none
Deaf and Hearing Impaired Friendly? Yes; Subtitles: English (feature only)
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: June 21, 2017
(5451empt)
* I remember a major case from 2001. A radical who had evaded capture for thirty years finalized arrangements to turn herself in, after a delicate negotiation aimed at running her quietly through the legal system to let her get on with her life. She was reportedly not personally responsible for any violent acts, and under her assumed identity had worked for decades in a socially productive job. I followed her story for a couple of days in the newspaper . . . and then 9/11 happened. In the storm of security-minded post-attack chaos that followed, her story thread just vanished from the media-scape. I don’t have a clue what happened to her next. The timing couldn’t possibly have been worse for a former Enemy of the State.
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Text © Copyright 2017 Glenn Erickson...
Running on Empty
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1988 / Color / 1:85 enhanced widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date June 27, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Christine Lahti, River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Abry, Martha Plimpton, Ed Crowley, L.M. Kit Carson, Steven Hill, Augusta Dabney, David Margulies, Lynne Thigpen, Bobo Lewis, Daniel Dassin.
Cinematography: Gerry Fisher
Film Editor: Andrew Mondshein
Original Music: Tony Mottola
Written by Naomi Foner
Produced by Griffin Dunne, Amy Robinson
Directed by Sidney Lumet
1988 suddenly seems much farther in the past than it did just a few months ago. The small town high school in Running on Empty has a dedicated, classically trained music teacher on the payroll. He earns enough to afford a rather nice house. The public school system is not being undermined, with all the wealthy students going to new kinds of exclusive, alternative schools siphoning off public money. We all have our own ideas about what ‘making America great again’ means, I suppose.
It doesn’t happen any more, but we used to read about ex- radicals from the Vietnam War days surfacing to turn themselves in. Not that many were directly involved in violent acts, but some had lived for decades under assumed identities, while their wanted photos were posted down at the Post Office. Some of them tried to raise families.
“We are all outlaws in the eyes of America.
Everything they say we are, we are.
. . . And we are very proud of ourselves.”
— The Jefferson Airplane
Naomi Foner’s Running on Empty is basically a ‘what comes next?’ chapter in the lives of former political public enemies like The Weather Underground. An unusual family is on the lam. The parents are militant radicals from the Nixon years, who went underground when one of their bombs maimed a janitor. Now they are nearing their forties, and must move from town to town whenever they think the Feds have picked up their trail. The couple chose their life and has accepted the consequences, but where does that leave their growing children, who are likewise forced to live like gypsies under assumed names?
I should think that this good movie would have a tough time in today’s market. If the online mob harps on Wonder Woman for promoting non-traditional values, what would they make of a movie ‘glorifying terrorism?’ Half of America still wants to see Jane Fonda strung up by her thumbs, and death threats for ‘enemies’ singled out on the web are now routine. Our channels of information are so jammed with stories elbowing each other for attention, I don’t think anybody could rouse the general public to even consider the problems of this kind of fugitive. Who has time for scurrilous pleas for sympathy for ‘undeserving’ people, when the public responds better to patriotic pieces about veterans . . . or cute animals?
Always watching for signs of F.B.I. surveillance, young Danny Pope (River Phoenix) alerts the rest of his family through pre-arranged signals. Annie and Arthur Pope (Christine Lahti & Judd Hirsch) abandon their jobs, their belongings and even their dog and flee to a new state with Danny and their other son Harry (Jonas Abry). With new identities they start new lives. Arthur and Annie find off-the-books employment as a cook and a medical receptionist and the boys are enrolled in school with ‘previous transcripts on the way.’ We see the unusual preparations that must be made, with secret arrangements so that any family member can alert the others if they’re found out; we also see that the family is supported to some degree by a network of post-radical (or still radical?) sympathizers, such as a doctor (David Marguiles) who tends to political fugitives. But the Popes are cut off from their own families. Annie’s disapproving father (Steven Hill) can only see her in an extraordinary circumstance arranged by a third party. Potential trouble comes when former comrade Gus Winant (L.M. Kit Carson) drops by. He’d like to sleep with his old flame Annie, and is carrying guns in the assumption that Arthur will agree to rob a bank with him. But a more troubling problem is closer to home. Young Danny has inherited his mother’s musical talent, and his teacher Mr. Phillips (Ed Crowley) is encouraging him to apply to Julliard in New York. Danny is also stuck on Phillips’ teenage daughter Lorna (Martha Plimpton), a girl to whom he might be ready to commit. As far as Arthur is concerned, Danny can’t do any of those things because his first duty is to help his family in the undercover life. Annie doesn’t know what to do. If she leaves her son behind, she may never see him again.
Practically speaking, Running on Empty will only play well to a certain segment of the public. Are you the kind that sympathizes with draft deserters that fled to Canada, or the kind that wants to hand them long terms in prison? The Popes aren’t victims of injustice, at least not directly; they knew what they were doing when they went militant, and the injuries they caused can’t simply be dismissed as youthful idealism. They are also hopelessly associated with fanatics they inspired, like the Sla. And there’s no statute of limitations on armed insurrection. I think almost all of the radical fugitives that went underground are now accounted for. Some served prison time and others got off because courtroom prosecutions would reveal or publicize the government’s own illegal doings. Running on Empty dramatizes what might have been reality for just a few of these ‘outlaws in the eyes of America.’ Some radicals reportedly found it easy to live undetected while still on various Most Wanted lists. Others found ways to turn themselves in, square themselves with the authorities and re-commence academic lives interrupted years before to oppose the government. *
Running on Empty is a fascinating show, with a cast that clearly had to work hard to make their characters believable. Christine Lahti puts up with her bossy, security-minded husband. He himself gets drunk one night and starts shouting his real name loud enough to wake the neighbors. Judd Hirsch and director Lumet know that these can’t be ordinary people. He doesn’t try to make them Ozzie and Harriet types, somehow (sniff!) trapped by their youthful mistakes. No, they’re still promoting various Union and social justice causes here and there, although Arthur must back away whenever he becomes visible enough to appear in a news photo. Every year they celebrate a birthday to Sam, the man struck by their bomb. It’s not a joke, but a ritual so they won’t forget their crime.
At the center of the movie is the cult actor River Phoenix, who graduated briefly to good roles after his appearance as an adolescent space voyager in the fantasy film Explorers. Phoenix is excellent as Danny, a kid raised to never let down his guard. The show begins with Danny detecting a plainclothes tail and executing what must be ‘escape plan 9.’ The family is out of town in a matter of minutes. Danny’s a sensitive, smart guy. If he plays by the rules, he must keep himself a complete mystery to his new girlfriend Lorna. The boy is committed to his family, but feels the pull to go off on his own, where a decent future awaits. In a way, it’s not a situation wholly unique to these former radicals. This must happen all the time when someone breaks away from a strongly structured family, or a religious cult.
The movie’s tension level doubles when Danny takes the forbidden step of telling Lorna everything. How many of us living normal lives (well, reasonably normal lives) could trust our sweethearts with such a volatile secret: “I and my whole family are fugitives from justice. Anybody helping us is a potential accomplice. Just by letting you know, I’m putting you in legal jeopardy. Will you turn me in, or become a criminal with me?”
At this age Martha Plimpton might remind one of a teenage Lauren Bacall. A survivor of Goonies, she is featured in what I think is the best Cannon film, Shy People. Plimpton and Phoenix have several worthy melodramatic romantic scenes to play, and they’re excellent together.
With the ace director Sidney Lumet in charge the strange relationships seem credible, even when the flaky, reckless Gus Winant breezes through. The former radical patriot is now nothing but an outlaw bum. In a nice choice, Gus is played by L.M. Kit Carson, the original fake counterculture hero in the classic experimental faux-documentary David Holzman’s Diary. With dangerous idiots like Gus on the loose, the Popes can’t even consider themselves part of a noble creed. Some of their old colleagues are indeed armed and dangerous.
I don’t think the Popes would stand a chance of evading the cops in today’s security state. One can no longer simply find the name of a dead infant and apply for a new birth certificate and passport. The Popes aren’t hiding in a shack in the woods, but are out and about in the public, working and rubbing elbows with schools and doctors. I guess that back in the 1980s Arthur could become a cook and Annie a receptionist without references, but it’s less likely now, when one can’t buy bubble gum without leaving a data trail. Traffic and security surveillance cameras are now everywhere. Billions of smart-phone photos are taken at public gatherings, and routinely posted on the web. A high-level security agency could be (is?) scanning the web with face recognition software.
Sidney Lumet wrote that his movies Running on Empty and Daniel had the same theme: “Who pays for the passion and commitment of the parents?” This is an even-handed and insightful drama. Lumet made a wide range of great entertainments, and some of the best- ever ‘New York Jewish Liberal Movies.’ He’s also one of the few directors who could take on fundamentally controversial material like this, and continue to maintain a busy career.
The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of Running on Empty is a good encoding of what was already a very good Wac Mod disc from just two years ago. The improved picture and sound reveals the expected quality of a top Sidney Lumet product. The small town we see is very attractive, a political landscape completely different from the corporate/banking rapacious wasteland of last year’s Hell or High Water. ‘Radicals unselfishly trying to stop a war in 1971’ is still anathema, while Mr. and Mrs. U.S.A. now considers it justifiable for ‘radicals to selfishly try to rescue their ruined finances.’
Madonna is on the soundtrack for a scene in Daniel’s music class. The final James Taylor song Fire and Rain works extremely well in context: “. . . and I always thought that I’d see you again.”
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Running on Empty Blu-ray rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: none
Deaf and Hearing Impaired Friendly? Yes; Subtitles: English (feature only)
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: June 21, 2017
(5451empt)
* I remember a major case from 2001. A radical who had evaded capture for thirty years finalized arrangements to turn herself in, after a delicate negotiation aimed at running her quietly through the legal system to let her get on with her life. She was reportedly not personally responsible for any violent acts, and under her assumed identity had worked for decades in a socially productive job. I followed her story for a couple of days in the newspaper . . . and then 9/11 happened. In the storm of security-minded post-attack chaos that followed, her story thread just vanished from the media-scape. I don’t have a clue what happened to her next. The timing couldn’t possibly have been worse for a former Enemy of the State.
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Text © Copyright 2017 Glenn Erickson...
- 6/23/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
What looks to be a stellar high-profile collaboration between two Filmmaker favorites is Brent Green and Sam Green: Love Cinema, running for four nights, December 7 – 10, as part of Bam’s Next Wave series. The two filmmakers aren’t related other than sharing a skill for charismatically fronting live performances blending their movies with live performance and narration. Brent first appeared in Filmmaker way back in 2005, when he led our 25 New Face list that year. We’ve assiduously covered his work since, as we have with Sam Green, whose works include the documentary, The Weather Underground, and then live […]...
- 11/20/2016
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Complete Unknown (Joshua Marston)
Armed with two top-notch leads and a compelling premise, Joshua Marston‘s third feature, Complete Unknown, spends a lot of time hinting at which direction it will go, without going anywhere at all. Tom (Michael Shannon) is living with his wife Rehema (Azita Ghanizada) in New York City, spending the majority of his days drafting agricultural policy emails in a cramped government office. It is...
Complete Unknown (Joshua Marston)
Armed with two top-notch leads and a compelling premise, Joshua Marston‘s third feature, Complete Unknown, spends a lot of time hinting at which direction it will go, without going anywhere at all. Tom (Michael Shannon) is living with his wife Rehema (Azita Ghanizada) in New York City, spending the majority of his days drafting agricultural policy emails in a cramped government office. It is...
- 10/28/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress, as presented by the creators themselves. At the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Diamond Diplomacy
Logline: Devotion to baseball has been tossed between the U.S. and Japan since the late 1800s, and mirrors profound shifts in diplomacy between the two nations. “Diamond Diplomacy” charts this story revealing pivotal moments of often-controversial duality.
Elevator Pitch:
Baseball is the national pastime of two very different countries. “Diamond Diplomacy” is the never-before-told story about the dramatic ups and downs of U.S. and Japan diplomacy, since 1872, through the lens of a shared love of baseball. Several players and managers (including Babe Ruth and Lefty O’Doul) have been important ambassadors through baseball.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Diamond Diplomacy
Logline: Devotion to baseball has been tossed between the U.S. and Japan since the late 1800s, and mirrors profound shifts in diplomacy between the two nations. “Diamond Diplomacy” charts this story revealing pivotal moments of often-controversial duality.
Elevator Pitch:
Baseball is the national pastime of two very different countries. “Diamond Diplomacy” is the never-before-told story about the dramatic ups and downs of U.S. and Japan diplomacy, since 1872, through the lens of a shared love of baseball. Several players and managers (including Babe Ruth and Lefty O’Doul) have been important ambassadors through baseball.
- 10/24/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
From Ferguson, Missouri to Hong Kong, 2014 has been a tumultuous year of protests against unfairness and brutality. While some of the issues still haven’t been resolved—Mike Brown’s murderer still hasn’t been charged and forty-three missing Mexican students still haven’t been found—these protestors made the world pay attention to injustice. Here is a list of documentaries, from Brother Outsider to The Weather Underground and stopping along the way at This Is What Democracy Looks Like, Berkeley in the Sixties and The Sixth Side of the Pentagon, that not only support the act of protest, but highlight the importance of resistance as the catalyst of change.>> - Alece Oxendine...
- 1/18/2016
- Keyframe
From Ferguson, Missouri to Hong Kong, 2014 has been a tumultuous year of protests against unfairness and brutality. While some of the issues still haven’t been resolved—Mike Brown’s murderer still hasn’t been charged and forty-three missing Mexican students still haven’t been found—these protestors made the world pay attention to injustice. Here is a list of documentaries, from Brother Outsider to The Weather Underground and stopping along the way at This Is What Democracy Looks Like, Berkeley in the Sixties and The Sixth Side of the Pentagon, that not only support the act of protest, but highlight the importance of resistance as the catalyst of change.>> - Alece Oxendine...
- 1/18/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
SundanceNow Doc Club brings three enticing panels to Park City throughout the next week, all of which are tied to the digital programming already on offer via the documentary streaming service. The panels will focus on short films, black lives on film and documenting celebrities, with featured panelists including award-winning directors Lucy Walker, Liz Garbus, Morgan Neville and Daniel Junge. Full info below. Panels go down at the SundanceTV HQ and will be moderated by SundanceNow Doc Club Curator and documentary impresario Thom Powers. Panels will stream online in the coming weeks. Also, check out Doc Club's Sundance Festival Favorites program, curated by festival programmers including Sundance's Director of Programming Trevor Groth. Now available online, the slate includes "5 Broken Cameras," "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," "Black Power Mixtape," "Hoop Dreams," "The Weather Underground," "The Red...
- 1/23/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sundance Institute announced Thursday that the 2015 Sundance Film Festival will take an unprecedented look at the art and craft of filmmaking with its new ‘Art of Film Weekend’ series of offscreen programming.
This year’s festival runs from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 in Utah, and the Art of Film Weekend (Jan. 29-31) will highlight the unique roles of writers, directors, producers, actors, cinematographers, editors, production designers, art directors, costume designers, casting directors, sound designers, composers and the countless others who bring stories to life on screen.
Also Read: James Franco, Jennifer Lopez, Kurt Cobain Movies Highlight Sundance Premieres
The series will...
This year’s festival runs from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 in Utah, and the Art of Film Weekend (Jan. 29-31) will highlight the unique roles of writers, directors, producers, actors, cinematographers, editors, production designers, art directors, costume designers, casting directors, sound designers, composers and the countless others who bring stories to life on screen.
Also Read: James Franco, Jennifer Lopez, Kurt Cobain Movies Highlight Sundance Premieres
The series will...
- 1/9/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
The Sundance Film Festival announced today that it will hold a series of panels titled the "Art of Film Weekend" which will take place Jan. 29-31. This new initiative should create more buzz worthy moments during a period when the Festival is traditionally winding down. The slate will kick off with a conversation between Festival founder Robert Redford and George Lucas that will be streamed online at Sundance.org. In a release, Festival Director John Cooper noted, "Exploring cinema, body and soul, Art of Film Weekend will take aspiring filmmakers and film-loving audiences behind the scenes to see the creative, collaborative spirit of artists at every stage of the independent filmmaking process that is so core to our Festival." A full rundown of the panels are as follows: Power of Story: Visions of Independence — Kicking off Art of Film Weekend, join Robert Redford and George Lucas—two iconic filmmakers who...
- 1/8/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Sundance's Art of Film Weekend (January 29-31) will highlight writers, directors, producers and actors, along with cinematographers, editors and many more below-the-line cinematic craftsmen, and will kick off with a career-spanning discussion with fest founder Robert Redford and George Lucas. Additional panels on topics including artistry in film music, virtual reality, visual design, editing and documentary will follow. Highlights include talks with "Her" production designer K.K. Barrett, editing maestro Sarah Flack ("Lost in Translation") and doc filmmakers Ross McElwee ("Bright Leaves") and Sam Green ("The Weather Underground"). Full Art of Film Weekend lineup below. Sundance 2015 runs January 22 through February 1 in Park City, Utah. (Read our interview with the fest programmers here.) Power of Story: Visions of Independence — Kicking off Art of Film Weekend, join Robert Redford and George Lucas—two...
- 1/8/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
From Ferguson, Missouri to Hong Kong, 2014 has been a tumultuous year of protests against unfairness and brutality. While some of the issues still haven’t been resolved—Mike Brown’s murderer still hasn’t been charged and forty-three missing Mexican students still haven’t been found—these protestors made the world pay attention to injustice. Here is a list of documentaries, from Brother Outsider to The Weather Underground and stopping along the way at This Is What Democracy Looks Like, Berkeley in the Sixties and The Sixth Side of the Pentagon, that not only support the act of protest, but highlight the importance of resistance as the catalyst of change.>> - Alece Oxendine...
- 11/13/2014
- Keyframe
From Ferguson, Missouri to Hong Kong, 2014 has been a tumultuous year of protests against unfairness and brutality. While some of the issues still haven’t been resolved—Mike Brown’s murderer still hasn’t been charged and forty-three missing Mexican students still haven’t been found—these protestors made the world pay attention to injustice. Here is a list of documentaries, from Brother Outsider to The Weather Underground and stopping along the way at This Is What Democracy Looks Like, Berkeley in the Sixties and The Sixth Side of the Pentagon, that not only support the act of protest, but highlight the importance of resistance as the catalyst of change.>> - Alece Oxendine...
- 11/13/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Last Days in Vietnam focuses on the final weeks of the Vietnam War in April 1975 and the Americans who tried to rescue as many South Vietnamese refugees that they could — against White House orders — as the North Vietnamese Army approached Saigon. Kennedy has never been nominated for an Oscar, but her 2012 documentary Ethel, about Ethel Kennedy (Rory’s mother), was nominated for five Emmys. Last Days in Vietnam, which premiered at Sundance, could garner Kennedy her first Oscar nom.
Historically, Vietnam documentaries have done well in the documentary category at the Oscars, and that may be due to many Academy members having come of age during the war. Here are 11 Vietnam documentaries that have been nominated for best documentary (in chronological order):
The Anderson Platoon
Filmed in 1966 by Pierre Schoendoerffer, a war reporter and cameraman, the film follows a 33-man...
Managing Editor
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Last Days in Vietnam focuses on the final weeks of the Vietnam War in April 1975 and the Americans who tried to rescue as many South Vietnamese refugees that they could — against White House orders — as the North Vietnamese Army approached Saigon. Kennedy has never been nominated for an Oscar, but her 2012 documentary Ethel, about Ethel Kennedy (Rory’s mother), was nominated for five Emmys. Last Days in Vietnam, which premiered at Sundance, could garner Kennedy her first Oscar nom.
Historically, Vietnam documentaries have done well in the documentary category at the Oscars, and that may be due to many Academy members having come of age during the war. Here are 11 Vietnam documentaries that have been nominated for best documentary (in chronological order):
The Anderson Platoon
Filmed in 1966 by Pierre Schoendoerffer, a war reporter and cameraman, the film follows a 33-man...
- 10/24/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
Thanks to the increase in access to small scale non-fiction films through the barrage of streaming services viewers now have access to – Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Mubi, Vudu, etc – people are watching more documentaries than ever before. You can literally turn on any web ready device of your choosing and be watching any number of top quality docs within a number of seconds. It’s nothing short of incredible. But, with ease of access comes an over saturation of content used to fill in the curatorial gaps. For every Marwencol, Senna, Gimme Shelter or The Act of Killing, there are heaps of ordures cinéma clogging up precious bandwidth. And let’s not forget, cinemas themselves are enjoying a renewed trust in the non-fiction form, exhibiting over 100 documentaries on the silver screen last year and banking over $50 Million at the box office in the process, not including the hundreds of...
- 7/28/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The Academy has announced the new class of invited members for 2014 and, as is typical, many of which are among last year's nominees, which includes Barkhad Abdi, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Lupita Nyong'o and June Squibb in the Actors branch not to mention curious additions such as Josh Hutcherson, Rob Riggle and Jason Statham, but, okay. The Directors branch adds Jay and Mark Duplass along with Jean-Marc Vallee, Denis Villeneuve and Thomas Vinterberg. I didn't do an immediate tally of male to female additions or other demographics, but at first glance it seems to be a wide spread batch of new additions on all fronts. The Academy is also clearly attempting to aggressively bump up the demographics as this is the second year in a row where they have added a large number of new members, well over the average of 133 new members from 2004 to 2012. As far as...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2014.
“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2014 invitees are:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,...
- 6/26/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o of 12 Years a Slave were two of the 271 artists and industry leaders invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which determines nominations and winners at the annual Oscars. The entire list of Academy membership—which numbers about 6,000—isn’t public information so the annual invitation list is often the best indication of the artists involved in the prestigious awards process. It’s worth noting that invitations need to be accepted in order for artists to become members; some artists, like two-time Best Actor winner Sean Penn, have declined membership over the years.
- 6/26/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Pop quiz: What do Chris Rock, Claire Denis, Eddie Vedder and Josh Hutcherson all have in common? Answer: They could all be Oscar voters very soon. The annual Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences invitation list always makes for interesting reading, shedding light on just how large and far-reaching the group's membership is -- or could be, depending on who accepts their invitations. This year, 271 individuals have been asked to join AMPAS, meaning every one of them could contribute to next year's Academy Awards balloting -- and it's as diverse a list as they've ever assembled. Think the Academy consists entirely of fusty retired white dudes? Not if recent Best Original Song nominee Pharrell Williams takes them up on their offer. Think it's all just a Hollywood insiders' game? Not if French arthouse titans Chantal Akerman and Olivier Assayas join the party. It's a list that subverts expectation at every turn.
- 6/26/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
Kino Lorber will release, on DVD, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, a documentary from Kartemquin Films (the producers of Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters and more) and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground), on April 22nd. Ahead of that home video release, the acclaimed documentary will air on PBS tonight, April 14, starting at 10pm (check your local listings). The powerful documentary examines the life of Muhammad Ali beyond the boxing ring to offer a personal perspective on the American sporting legend. Investigating Ali's spiritual transformation - including his conversion to Islam, his resistance to the Vietnam War draft, and his...
- 4/14/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Kino Lorber has announced the DVD release of The Trials of Muhammad Ali, a documentary from Kartemquin Films (the producers of Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters and more) and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground). The powerful documentary examines the life of Muhammad Ali beyond the boxing ring to offer a personal perspective on the American sporting legend. Investigating Ali's spiritual transformation - including his conversion to Islam, his resistance to the Vietnam War draft, and his humanitarian work - the film connects Ali's transcendent life story to America's struggles with race, religion, and war in the twentieth...
- 3/27/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Oscar nominee Sam Green (The Weather Underground) has a new project premiering at Sundance next month. And if you don’t see it there, chances are you might not be able to see it at all. Titled The Measure of All Things, this project is part of the Frontier section and is a live documentary. That means it’s not something you can wait for the DVD with. You definitely won’t be able to stream it on Netflix. If anything, you might be able to check it out in some major metropolitan area when Green brings it around the country. But its touring life is unknown at this point. This sort of thing always is. But maybe if more people knew about it and were excited about it and maybe even contributed to its Kickstarter campaign, stuff like this will be more likely to do get to your part of the world. What...
- 12/28/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Above: Bill Siegel and Khalilah Camacho-Ali
Unlike other films about the controversial boxer, the recent documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali makes no pretense of telling Ali’s whole story. It presumes that most of us in the audience already know it and those of us who don’t can easily fill in the gaps with the wealth of other movies, books, and TV specials devoted to his legend. Produced by Chicago-based documentary company Kartemquin Films, Trials focuses on Ali’s conversion to the Nation of Islam and the controversies associated with his religious and political convictions. These subjects are addressed in Michael Mann’s Ali (2001) and referenced in other documentaries about him, but Trials examines them in greater depth, generally neglecting his athletic achievements to better focus on his radicalism.
We took some time to speak with the film’s director, Bill Siegel, whose first film was Kartemquin-produced The Weather Underground...
Unlike other films about the controversial boxer, the recent documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali makes no pretense of telling Ali’s whole story. It presumes that most of us in the audience already know it and those of us who don’t can easily fill in the gaps with the wealth of other movies, books, and TV specials devoted to his legend. Produced by Chicago-based documentary company Kartemquin Films, Trials focuses on Ali’s conversion to the Nation of Islam and the controversies associated with his religious and political convictions. These subjects are addressed in Michael Mann’s Ali (2001) and referenced in other documentaries about him, but Trials examines them in greater depth, generally neglecting his athletic achievements to better focus on his radicalism.
We took some time to speak with the film’s director, Bill Siegel, whose first film was Kartemquin-produced The Weather Underground...
- 12/17/2013
- by Ben and Kathleen Sachs
- MUBI
Two new films opening this weekend to add to your to-see list - if you live in New York or Miami anyway: First, Kino Lorber opens The Trials of Muhammad Ali, the feature documentary from Kartemquin Films, at IFCCenter, in NYC. Directed by Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground) and executive produced by Leon Gast (When We Were Kings) for Kartemquin Films, the film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. As a recap... here's a summary: As befitting its extraordinary and often complex subject, the film examines Ali's life outside the boxing ring, beginning with the announcement of his deeply held Islamic...
- 8/23/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Kino Lorber has announced that it will open The Trials of Muhammad Ali, the feature documentary from Kartemquin Films, on August 23 at IFCCenter, in NYC. And along with that news, we have our first look at the film's trailer embedded below. Directed by Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground) and executive produced by Leon Gast (When We Were Kings) for Kartemquin Films, the film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. As a recap... According to the press release announcement, the documentary is not a conventional sports documentary. As befitting its extraordinary and often complex subject, the...
- 7/31/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to The Trials of Muhammad Ali, the feature documentary from Kartemquin Films (the company behind a few documentaries we've covered here, like The Interrupters and the Bill T Jones profile A Good Man). Directed by Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground) and executive produced by Leon Gast (When We Were Kings) for Kartemquin Films, the film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. As a recap... According to the press release announcement, the documentary is not a conventional sports documentary. As befitting its...
- 7/24/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Shia LeBeouf, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Chris Cooper, Nick Nolte, Terrance Howard, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brendon Gleeson and Brit Marling teamed-up with and alongside Robert Redford for The Company You Keep, the 2012 Tiff preemed political action thriller comes out on Blu-ray/DVD release on August 13th. Here’s your first look at the cover and special feature details.
Special Features Include:
§ “Behind the Scenes: The Movement” – Cast and Crew discuss the movement that inspired a group of young activists to form “The Weather Underground.”
§ “Behind the Scenes: The Script, Preparation and The Cast” – This featurette focuses on the process of writing the script, preparing to shoot and casting the amazing talent.
§ “On The Red Carpet” – On the red carpet at the New York premiere
§ The Company You Keep Press Conference with Robert Redford, Stanley Tucci, Brit Marling & Jackie Evancho...
Special Features Include:
§ “Behind the Scenes: The Movement” – Cast and Crew discuss the movement that inspired a group of young activists to form “The Weather Underground.”
§ “Behind the Scenes: The Script, Preparation and The Cast” – This featurette focuses on the process of writing the script, preparing to shoot and casting the amazing talent.
§ “On The Red Carpet” – On the red carpet at the New York premiere
§ The Company You Keep Press Conference with Robert Redford, Stanley Tucci, Brit Marling & Jackie Evancho...
- 6/25/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Robert Redford’s latest directorial effort, The Company You Keep, features a number of well-known character actors such as Sam Elliot, Chris Cooper, Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson and Stanley Tucci. It also has in its cast some of the hottest young actors of today like Shia LeBeouf, Anna Kendrick and Brit Marling.
It even has some of the finest actresses of our generation like Susan Sarandon and the great Julie Christie. But when it came time for The Company You Keep to have its press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, only one of the actors from the film came to talk about it, and that was Nick Nolte.
In the movie Nolte plays Donal Fitzgerald, an old friend of Jim Grant (played by Redford) who was once a member of anti-Vietnam War militant group known as The Weather Underground. Donal these days is now the owner of a lumber yard,...
It even has some of the finest actresses of our generation like Susan Sarandon and the great Julie Christie. But when it came time for The Company You Keep to have its press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, only one of the actors from the film came to talk about it, and that was Nick Nolte.
In the movie Nolte plays Donal Fitzgerald, an old friend of Jim Grant (played by Redford) who was once a member of anti-Vietnam War militant group known as The Weather Underground. Donal these days is now the owner of a lumber yard,...
- 4/3/2013
- by Ben Kenber
- We Got This Covered
The thing I love about Robert Redford movies is how insightful and opinionated they are, never existing as just a bland surface experience. I’m not only talking about his directorial efforts with that statement either, I’m talking about anything the man is really involved in. Sure, there are some duds which are blemishes on his illustrious career, but no actor can avoid that, and most other projects he’s worked on are rich with subtext and provide insight on their topics.
The Company You Keep is no different from the better work he’s participated in, offering a thought-provoking take not only on the storied history of The Weather Underground, but the hard-hitting and morally ambiguous world of journalism – which of course sparked my interest.
Following the story of Jim Grant (Robert Redford), we watch as his past as a Weather Underground activist comes back to haunt him,...
The Company You Keep is no different from the better work he’s participated in, offering a thought-provoking take not only on the storied history of The Weather Underground, but the hard-hitting and morally ambiguous world of journalism – which of course sparked my interest.
Following the story of Jim Grant (Robert Redford), we watch as his past as a Weather Underground activist comes back to haunt him,...
- 4/3/2013
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Another trailer has been released for Robert Redford's great looking new political thriller The Company You Keep. The story follows a young newspaper reporter played by Shia Labeouf, and after the arrest of a Weather Underground suspect (Susan Sarandon), Labeouf sets out on a journey to track down another at-large member (Redford) of the American radical left organization.
The movie has an amazing supporting cast as well that includes Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brit Marling, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, and Chris Cooper.
I'm looking forward to this movie, I enjoy watching Redford's films. If you're not familiar with the 1970's Weather Underground movement you can find a detailed explanation below the trailer.
The script for the film was written by Lem Dobbs (The Limey, Haywire), and here's the synopsis for the film:
Jim Grant (Redford) is a widowed single father and attorney living in Albany.
The movie has an amazing supporting cast as well that includes Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brit Marling, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, and Chris Cooper.
I'm looking forward to this movie, I enjoy watching Redford's films. If you're not familiar with the 1970's Weather Underground movement you can find a detailed explanation below the trailer.
The script for the film was written by Lem Dobbs (The Limey, Haywire), and here's the synopsis for the film:
Jim Grant (Redford) is a widowed single father and attorney living in Albany.
- 2/14/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
While the 2013 Sundance Film Festival is in full swing this weekend, we thought it would be fun to look back a decade and remember the best films of the 2003 event. The award winners that year include American Splendor, Capturing the Friedmans, All the Real Girls, My Flesh and Blood, The Station Agent, Stevie, Thirteen, A Certain Death and Whale Rider. And other major movies premiering at the fest include The Cooler, The Shape of Things, Tupac: Resurrection, Pieces of April, The Weather Underground, Northfork and the Bob Dylan disaster Masked and Anonymous. The U.S. also got its first look at 28 Days Later, In America, Bus 174, Bend It Like Beckham, Laurel Canyon, The Secret Lives of Dentists and Irreversible. To commemorate such a great Sundance (which spotlighted some filmmakers returning this year, like David Gordon Green and Michael Polish), we’re spotlighting some of our favorite scenes from some of the movies listed above. Not...
- 1/21/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
When the outstanding trailer for The Iceman appeared across the web the other day, an almost equally stunning preview for Robert Redford's next film, The Company You Keep was lost in the shuffle. So, I decided to post the first look at this new thriller that sees Redford return to a leading role and the director's chair one more time.
In The Company You Keep, stars Shia Labeouf, wearing a real tacky pair of glasses, as an investigative journalist who discovers the identity of a former anti-war activist (Redford) from a radical group called The Weather Underground.
In The Company You Keep, stars Shia Labeouf, wearing a real tacky pair of glasses, as an investigative journalist who discovers the identity of a former anti-war activist (Redford) from a radical group called The Weather Underground.
- 9/3/2012
- by Get The Big Picture
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Just last week we reported that Robert Redford’s latest film, The Company You Keep, managed to score a distribution deal before it even played any festivals. Well, the film is gearing up to play Venice and Toronto regardless, so Tiff has released a trailer promoting it. Complete with typewriter sounds and vintage news footage, said trailer starts off by making The Company You Keep look like it’s going to be an authentic, journalistic look at the history of the radical anti-war group The Weather Underground, but then we’re suddenly dumped into present day, and it’s revealed that this is actually going to be a fun-looking chase movie about the last few members of the movement still being on the run from the law. The Company You Keep is full of grizzled old activists/bank robbers, plucky young reporters, plucky young F.B.I. agents, action, intrigue, murder...
- 8/31/2012
- by Nathan Adams
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Robert Redford once played a determined reporter in All The President’s Men, but in his new film, The Company You Keep, he’ll pass on that role to Shia Labeouf. Redford, who also directed and produced the project, will instead play the man being investigated – a suspected member of ‘70s radical-left activist group The Weather Underground who has tried to create a new life for himself under a different name. Photos: 'Lawless' Stars Suit Up for the Big Time A new trailer for the thriller, which will screen at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 9 and 10, shows
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- 8/30/2012
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The first trailer has been released for Robert Redford's new political thriller The Company You Keep. It looks like a great movie, the story of which follows a young newspaper reporter played by Shia Labeouf. After the arrest of a Weather Underground suspect (Susan Sarandon), Labeouf sets out on a journey to track down another at-large member of the American radical left organization played be Redford.
The movie has an incredible supporting cast as well that includes Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brit Marling, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, and Chris Cooper.
The movie looks great, and for those of you not familiar with the 1970's Weather Underground movement you can find a detailed explanation below the trailer.
The script for the film was written by Lem Dobbs (The Limey, Haywire), and here's the synopsis for the film:
Jim Grant (Redford) is a...
The movie has an incredible supporting cast as well that includes Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brit Marling, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, and Chris Cooper.
The movie looks great, and for those of you not familiar with the 1970's Weather Underground movement you can find a detailed explanation below the trailer.
The script for the film was written by Lem Dobbs (The Limey, Haywire), and here's the synopsis for the film:
Jim Grant (Redford) is a...
- 8/30/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Somewhere in his busy schedule of drinking moonshine, taking acid, having real sex on camera, borrowing John Mayer’s hermit-period facial hair, and generally doing everything he can to freak out Mia Wasikowska, Hollywood renegade and three-time Transformers star Shia Labeouf found time to star in The Company You Keep, a new thriller from Robert Redford.
Redford himself stars as a fugitive member of ’70s militant-left crew The Weather Underground, while Labeouf plays a reporter with glasses. Oh, and the movie also stars everyone: Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Brendan Gleeson, Anna Kendrick… heck, at one point, Nick Nolte...
Redford himself stars as a fugitive member of ’70s militant-left crew The Weather Underground, while Labeouf plays a reporter with glasses. Oh, and the movie also stars everyone: Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Brendan Gleeson, Anna Kendrick… heck, at one point, Nick Nolte...
- 8/30/2012
- by Darren Franich
- EW - Inside Movies
Cinemad’s Mike Plante sits down for a highly entertaining and enlightening chat with experimental documentary filmmaker Sam Green, who has gone from being nominated for an Academy Award for his film The Weather Underground to personally performing “live” documentaries such as Utopia in Four Movements and The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller.
There’s lots of things to learn here, like how to impress your doctor with one of your Oscar-nominated DVDs to more serious discussions of the power of live cinema. Plus, a surprise appearance by Vanessa Renwick!
Another great listen from the amazing Cinemad podcast series. Collect ‘em all!
Portrait of Sam Green by Vanessa Renwick.
There’s lots of things to learn here, like how to impress your doctor with one of your Oscar-nominated DVDs to more serious discussions of the power of live cinema. Plus, a surprise appearance by Vanessa Renwick!
Another great listen from the amazing Cinemad podcast series. Collect ‘em all!
Portrait of Sam Green by Vanessa Renwick.
- 8/21/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
With the world premiere of “The Love Song of Buckminster Fuller” at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Sam Green is reviving the legacy of the prophetic engineer and architect who promoted independent design and sustainability when America was clear-cutting forests, paving wetlands and driving the wasteful cars that almost put General Motors out of business. This twist on the bio-doc genre is not just a film, but a performance, with narration from Green and music from the band Yo La Tengo. Perhaps most importantly: Both May 1 live shows are sold out. He promises shows in other cities soon. Green sees this approach as a new business plan for independent film. That promise couldn’t be more timely. “It’s all the elements of a movie – images, narration and soundtrack – but it all happens live,” said Green, 45, who was nominated for an Oscar for “The Weather Underground” (2004). The Fuller...
- 5/1/2012
- by David D'Arcy
- Indiewire
With less money, more platforms and more projects, PBS is in trouble -- again. Slammed by National Endowment for the Arts funding cuts, no longer shielded from campaign ads, and threatened by the arrival of new media platforms (not to mention a Republican presidential candidate who shuns it), PBS -- and the producers of its content -- are experiencing particularly tough times. On Wednesday, the Nea released its most recent round of funded projects. It also confirmed major cuts to such established PBS programs as Independent Lens and P.O.V. -- home to some of the best lauded American nonfiction, from Oscar nominees "Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room," "The Weather Underground" and "Waste Land" to this year's "Hell and Back Again" -- as well as shows like "American Masters" and "Art 21." Much to the chagrin of the independent documentary community, Independent Lens will see its funds slashed...
- 4/26/2012
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
The AmérAsia Film Festival is proud to announce the five principle subcategories – Asian Treasures, Animation Spotlight, WeDistribute, Québécois Special and AmerAsia(AA) Shorts – for this third edition of Montreal’s premiere festival celebrating the latest Asian and Asian-Canadian cinema, taking place on the first two weekends of March.
Asian Treasure
The full line-up of blockbuster Asian films that will screen over the course of the festival has been chosen from the best of the continent’s creative talent. Oscar-nominated Chinese blockbuster Aftershock, the international premiere of Kyung-soon’s “Red Maria”, funny and moving major festival selection ”The Day He Arrives“ by director Hong Sang-soo, the Cannes award-winning ”Arirang – Movie” by renowned Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk, Best Newcomer nominee at the 2012 Asian Film Awards I Wish, and Vietnamese director Cuong Ngo’s captivating personal portraits in Pearls of the Far East will all feature.
Also included is 24th Tokyo International Film Festival selection Power of Two,...
Asian Treasure
The full line-up of blockbuster Asian films that will screen over the course of the festival has been chosen from the best of the continent’s creative talent. Oscar-nominated Chinese blockbuster Aftershock, the international premiere of Kyung-soon’s “Red Maria”, funny and moving major festival selection ”The Day He Arrives“ by director Hong Sang-soo, the Cannes award-winning ”Arirang – Movie” by renowned Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk, Best Newcomer nominee at the 2012 Asian Film Awards I Wish, and Vietnamese director Cuong Ngo’s captivating personal portraits in Pearls of the Far East will all feature.
Also included is 24th Tokyo International Film Festival selection Power of Two,...
- 2/26/2012
- by Tiger33
- AsianMoviePulse
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