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May 2007 Archive

May 1, 2007

Lisa Katzman, Tootie's Last Suit

"People have said King Lear, but I think it’s actually closer to Mommie Dearest. But it’s a universal story -- a familial thing."

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Carolla Hammers it Home

Also reviewed by Vadim Rizov: On the Downlow, The Polymath, Why didn't anybody tell me it would be this bad in Afghanistan, Santiago, Hard as Nails

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Air I Breathe A Little Stale

Also reviewed by Eric Kohn: The Cake Eaters, Avida, The King of Kong, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Rise: Blood Hunter

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Zak Penn's Grand Time

Director's mockumentary send-up of professional poker features stars from Harrelson to Herzog

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Spider-Mania Sweeps Astoria

Maguire and Co. hit the street as black carpet welcomes hero back to the States

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Tribeca Ticket Giveaway #2: Comic Geek Edition

Two pairs of Heroes for Hire panel tickets available to quick-thinking Eisner-philes

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May 2, 2007

Vivien Lesnik Weisman, The Man of Two Havanas

"I couldn't really give a darn about Cuba. It was the thing that came between me and normalcy."

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Suburban Guy

Writer/director Mark Klein opens up on the Gellar-Baldwin duet of Suburban Girl

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Matt Perry, Uncomfortably Numb

Also reviewed by Michelle Orange: Good Time Max, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, A Slim Peace, Autism: The Musical, Take the Bridge

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Meadows' England Worth Visit

Also reviewed by Vadim Rizov: The Gates, Fireworks Wednesday, Taxidermia, Towards Darkness, Blackout

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Postcards Arrive From Afghanistan

Osman and Dolak weave family doc through country's troubled history

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Sugar Curtain Latest Fest Acquisition

Sweet deal with First Run will land competition doc in theaters by summer

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Hara's "Different Definition of Freedom"

The bad boy of Japanese nonfiction premieres first drama for Japan Society crowd

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May 3, 2007

Devil Thrives in the Details

Also reviewed by Eric Kohn: My Father My Lord, The Bubble, The Last Jews of Libya, Dirty Sanchez, Palo Alto

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Black White + Gray Area

Also reviewed by Michelle Orange: Purple Violets, The Third Wave, Zolykha's Secret, Steep, The Power of the Game

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Abigail Child, On the Downlow

"I think there’s the issue of bisexuality, then there’s the issue within the black community -- there are those two directions of controversy."

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Lugacy Talks Dawson and Descent

Filmmaker's controversial NYC revenge drama premieres at Tribeca

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Civic Duty

Facile showdown works best as director's Hollywood hack calling card

By R. Emmet Sweeney

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A Treatment That Works

Doc veteran Rudavsky talks about the roots (and routes) of his narrative debut

By Jennifer Merin

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Spider-Man 3

Mega-budget franchise goes a little too heavy on the heart the third time around

By Matt Singer

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Screening Tribeca: 100 Percent Off the Price of Admission

Also: Michael Kang down on Europeans, Roger Friedman wants his money back

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May 4, 2007

My Father, Dark Side Finish on Top at Tribeca

Durst and Robinson also win big at fest's early awards show

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Away From Her

Polley finds grace with story of couplehood in a slow fade to white

By Michelle Orange

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With a Friend Like This...

Also reviewed by Eric Kohn: Fiestapatria, Nanking, Lillie and Leander: A Legacy of Violence, Music Inn, The Polymath

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A Walker Wonk's Wet Dream

Also reviewed by Vadim Rizov: Watching the Detectives, Normal Adolescent Behavior, The Optimist, Takva: A Man's Fear of God, The Man From the Embassy

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The Treatment

Big Apple yarn doesn't cop out with rom-com anti-intellectualism

By Eric Kohn

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The Paper They're Printed On

One filmgoer's plea to cure the comics adaptation cancer

By Lewis Beale

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Being Charlie Bartlett

Anton Yelchin on taking the lead, taking drugs and taking his clothes off

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Ludacris Live: Bridges on Stereotypes and Star Turns

Ferrell and Stiller come out strong, Osbourne and O'Reilly not so much

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Kathy Huang, Miss Chinatown USA

"For me, it’s more about building empathy between the audience and the protagonist."

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Marveling At It All

More comics talk: Penn, Church and others deliver critiques, plaudits and scoops for films to come

By Christopher Campbell

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May 5, 2007

Dern, Min and Co. Break Down Fame Game

Panel dissects the pride and pathology of American celebrity culture

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Live! With Eva Mendes

Getting up close and personal with the star and co-producer of Bill Guttentag's reality TV satire

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Marie Losier, Manuelle Labor

"Giving birth to Guy Maddin is like giving birth to a portrait. It's an homage to him."

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May 6, 2007

Alison Thompson, The Third Wave

"We had death threats. We were there to help, but there was all this craziness against us."

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We Are Together Gets Audience Love

Uplifting orphanage story wins $25,000, massive Cadillac trophy

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Gates Close Out Tribeca

Doc recalling struggle behind NYC's biggest public art project returns to fest after '06 preview

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May 7, 2007

Screening Gotham: Back to Reality Edition

Inside: Greed goes meta as Wall Street franchised; NYU courting next generation of ex-producers

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Tribeca Aftermath: Notes From the Wreckage

Life after the festival: Mostly good news (except for Suburban Girl) among critics, journalists

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May 8, 2007

His Brand is Memory

Guy Maddin talks about Brand Upon the Brain! and the cinema of remembrance

By Paddy Johnson

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Screening Gotham: Scott Rudin Now Mistreating Trades

Also: Harvey pinches pennies at Cannes; send me to Ebert & Roeper!

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NYM's Operating Instructions for Moviegoing

Magazine eschews conventional summer movie preview for bizarre package of helpful hints

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From Hal to Helena: The Pioneer's Starstruck Week

Prepare for supermodel sightings and a Henry Fool/Fay Grim double feature with Hal Hartley in attendance

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Bikes, Beers and Film

What better way to celebrate the Bicycle Film Festival than free... PBR?

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May 9, 2007

Day Night Day Night

Story of Times Square suicide bomber generates buzz around a void

By R. Emmet Sweeney

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Alice Neel's Ultimate Portrait

Art Fag City: Grandson's doc reveals the family below the surface of famous artist's work

By Paddy Johnson

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Screening Gotham: Awards Season Reprise Edition

Inside: In praise of Stuart Klawans; SVA hands out student hardware

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May 10, 2007

Screening Gotham: The Lindsay Index

Inside: Jesus saves (usually); the Garrels take Brooklyn

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Sneak Peek: New York Asian Film Festival

Festival boss Hendrix shares a few thoughts about the program developing for the fest's seventh annual run

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Tribeca Events Highlights: From Green to Gates

Panels, premieres and more -- all the festival happenings fit to (re)print

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28 Weeks Later

Surprisingly potent socio-political critique flips grisly bird at Bush administration

By Aaron Hillis

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Georgia Rule

Two good maternal melodrama performances stifled by turgid material, stiff execution

By Michelle Orange

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May 11, 2007

What We Learned at Tribeca, Vol. VI

Making the rounds to make sense (or something) of it all

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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The Ex

Braff/Bateman comedy delivers on its pure, dumb promise

By Vadim Rizov

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May 14, 2007

A Naked Date with the Commissioner

Kelly appraises Dassin's crime classic; reveals shocking truths about noir dramatization

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Screening Gotham: Do Reviews Suffer From Buzz Kill?

Also: Armond still driving world crazy; Polley hoping not too old for Allen

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"Looking Long-Term": Hartley Talks at Fool-Grim Double Bill

Filmmaker mines past, present and future with Ryan and Sylvarnes

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Mike White's Confounding Zoo Trip

Red asses, snow snakes breach the highbrow in latest issue of The New Yorker

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May 15, 2007

Once Upon a Time in Dublin

Carney and Hansard on chance, beauty and their crowd-pleasing verite musical

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Screening Gotham: Meistrich's Esh-ellent Adventure

Also: TONY's citizen reporters dodge Tribeca heavy lifting; Toback faces Tyson in new doc

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Festival Round-Up: NewFest Expands, High Line en Español

Also: The (new) Italians are coming; Human Rights Fest borrows heavily from Sundance

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May 16, 2007

Garden Variety: Scorsese Honored at MoMA

Filmmaker looks back with Bloomberg, Ovitz, Diller and others

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Screening Gotham: Blueberry Nights Flatlining at Cannes?

Also: A Cannes-going cheat sheet; Jeffrey Katzenberg, my hero

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May 17, 2007

Hoberman, Foundas to Help Pick 'Em at NYFF

Also: Fest sidebar to honor acclaimed Cinema Novo filmmaker de Andrade

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Lim Looks Back For Latest Project

New site to compile updates on rep, revival and restored titles screening worldwide

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Screening Gotham: Sleazoid Mogul Hyperbole Edition

Inside: De Niro, Pacino to make "history" (and low eight figures); remembering the Donut People with Henry Fool

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Severance

Weird genre fusion makes for an uneven but entertaining helping of "torture corn"

By Eric Kohn

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Brooklyn Rules

A mobbed up drama with enough heart and personality to freshen a stale genre

By Michelle Orange

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Bicycle Film Festival Rides Into NYC

Seventh annual run launches with high-profile features, international shorts

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May 18, 2007

Fay Grim

Earnestness and parody at cross-purposes Hartley's Henry Fool follow-up

By Michelle Orange

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The Wendell Baker Story

Luke channels Owen (badly) in low-concept comedy

By Matt Singer

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Playing by the Rules -- At Last

Corrente and Caan on genre-hopping Brooklyn Rules' troubled trip to screen

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Screening Gotham: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: The word is out on We Own the Night; Neel doc picked up for theaters

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May 21, 2007

Kon is On with Paprika

Japanese animator discusses dreams, nightmares and masterful new film

By John Lichman

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Screening Gotham: Knowing You Love Us is Enough

Also: Kaufman/Jonze back underway in NYC; revisionist history for Pirates

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Pick-Up Heads-Up: Night, Manda Bala Headed to Theaters

Fest faves go glitzy and indie in weekend sales

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Moore to Love: Sicko's Subjects Speak

9/11 first responders share travel secrets, pledge return to Cuba

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May 22, 2007

Close Encounters of the Werner Kind

A sneak peek at unfinished doc reveals filmmaker's "ecstatic truth" about Antarctica (among other things)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Screening Gotham: J'embrasse Mon Chien Sur La Bouche

Also: Even Harvey's dwarves started small; Polley and Poland tossed from NYC hotel

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New Line, Film Society Pair Up for NYFF

Society's biggest benefit ever honors 40 years of New Line, raises money for new film center

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"It's Just Good Storytelling"

Soderbergh and Co. remember Spalding Gray at special screening

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May 23, 2007

The Boss of it All

A demented von Trier tonic breaks up his miserablist USA trilogy

By R. Emmet Sweeney

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"Bizarre to Say the Least"

Stern, Watts, Dillon and others fête Klores' Crazy Love at NYC premiere

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Screening Gotham: Scorsese Rounds Up World Cinema All-Stars

Also: Hoberman backs the American contingent; Denby is as Denby does

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Plastic Explosive: Waiting for Fashion the Movie

Mysterious would-be blockbuster boasts Dunaway, Hannah and the trailer of the decade

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May 24, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Disney franchise's third installment a cynically incoherent spectacle

By Michelle Orange

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Love is All Around

The Whitney's Summer of Love exhibit reflects on films, light shows and other '60s visions

By Nick Hallett

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The Reeler's 2007 Guide to NYC Outdoor Cinema

An unofficial compendium of where to watch this summer

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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The Lower East Side of the Story

One-day LES Film Festival showcases four decades of community's work

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Bug

Friedkin's dumb-at-heart thriller still a solid nerve-wracker

By Vadim Rizov

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May 25, 2007

Angel-A

Besson out of his depth in soggy redemption drama

By Vadim Rizov

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Screening Gotham: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Manohla (hearts) Cannes; Luke Thompson's ego nominated for an award

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New York in the Cannes

Ferrara, Kalin, Coens and other local auteurs take over on the Croisette

By Eric Kohn

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Cruising Altitude: Friedkin's Reviled Drama Resurfaces

Bloggers revisit pervy gay serial killer thriller 27 years after its disappearance

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May 29, 2007

"A Hell of an Experience"

Exclusive: Kubrick actor and associate Leon Vitali looks back on 30 years of Barry Lyndon

By Jamie Stuart

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Screening Gotham: Once Bus Sex Edition

Also: Max Woodstocks up, NewFest interview frenzy underway

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May 30, 2007

In With the NewFest

Controversial Dorian Gray adaptation opens trailblazing LGBT festival's 19th run

By Elena Marinaccio

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"This Might Be Our Sellout"

Costner hits New York for special screening of serial killer drama Mr. Brooks

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Media That Matters Fest Has Issues

Seventh annual gives voice to underrepresented stories, communities and filmmakers

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Day Watch

High-flown sequel for Night Watch fans and devoted Russophiles only

By Vadim Rizov

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May 31, 2007

Ten Canoes

Sneak attack on problems of ethnographic filmmaking fails to find its sea legs

By Vadim Rizov

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Knocked Up

Pregnancy comedy for bong-headed boys takes place in oddly conservative dreamworld

By Michelle Orange

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Screening Gotham: Auteur Class War Edition

Inside: Woody reteams with Weinsteins; Fleck/Boden piling up projects

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Programming Note: Vote on Selections for Independent Features Fest

New event to comprise films chosen by viewers online; screenings set for July

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Jay Stern's $25,000 Secret(s)

NYC filmmaker reveals the microbudget basics for getting your work in the can

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Crazy Love

Tabloid romance doc goes heavy on the "how," light on the "why"

By Eric Kohn

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Coming Up Short in Brooklyn

Sundance at BAM: Programming boss Cooper on the past, present and future of Sundance shorts

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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Hip-Hop Hooray

Fifth annual H20 Film Festival showcases more than 80 new works from hip-hop cinema culture

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