The News: Apple's SoHo Hipster Explosion

Jason Schwartzmann and Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier, premiering tonight at the Apple Store SoHo (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--If you're not yet in line for tonight's screening of Wes Anderson's terrific short Hotel Chevalier at the Apple Store SoHo (and unless you're a Mac-wonk reading this on your iPhone, then you're probably not), don't bother heading down now. Anderson and stars Jason Schwartzmann and Natalie Portman will be on hand to discuss the film and be ironic and likely discuss Portman's increasing flirtation with honest-to-goodness screen nudity; I think you'd call her Hotel Chevalier disrobing "tastefully concealed" as opposed to Goya's Ghosts' "carefully exploited" or Closer's "cut out by that dick Mike Nichols," but she's a tease at any rate. Related: Lou Lumenick considers the Apple Store screening's implications for the New York Film Festival (where it's supposed to "premiere" at the NYFF Friday night before The Darjeeling Limited), and the L.A. Times's Chris Lee notes the film's availability starting Wednesday on iTunes.

--I admit that I never thought the myopic Jeffrey Lyons/Alison Bailes critic gabfest Reel Talk would make it out of the protoplasm of its murky opening week, but man, oh man, did I miscalculate: Reel Talk is going national this week with a syndicated broadcast and an interactive Web destination. Evidently for Lyons, one can fool all the people all the time. Anyway, mazel tov, and watch your back.

--Recount! Australian Belinda King, who claimed a pair of prizes at last year's debut of Tropfest @ Tribeca, won the big one over 10 New Yorkers at Sunday's screening: $10,000 and -- wait for it -- a trip to Australia. Yes! Deport her ass! "I am overwhelmed," King said in a press release. "It’s my first time out of Australia; I arrived in New York Saturday. I have been blown away by this city and this festival. I was here just to see it all and participate, and I can’t believe I won.” That makes two of us. Off you go.

Posted at September 25, 2007 10:38 AM