The Screengrab : snow angels

Faking Farts with Olivia Thirlby

Scott Von Doviak — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT

If you already have a crush on Olivia Thirlby based on her performances in Juno, The Wackness and/or Snow Angels – and of course you do – you may not want to read the new Papermag profile of the actress, which is specifically designed to instill or enhance such a crush whether you want it or not.

“With an urban sensibility that could only come from having grown up in New York City, Thirlby is the kind of girl that appeals to guys who might have a thing for Zooey Deschanel or a young Parker Posey (read: twenty-somethings who wear glasses, whether they need them or not),” writes Whitney Spaner, who obviously knows the Screengrab’s weaknesses all too well. But wait! She’s also “grounded and well-humored”! For example, Thirlby “has set her sights on playing Princess Fiona on Broadway in Shrek the Musical, if only to sing Fiona and Shrek's lovey-dovey song about, um, breaking wind, if you will. Fake fart noises are sort of Thirlby's M.O. "I saw it with my best friend, who's known me for years, and she grabbed my arm and said, 'Oh my god, it's you!' They were onstage farting for like a whole minute.”

But if a fondness for fake farting isn’t enough to sway your affections, how about the fact that she “operates on a strict monthly budget, depends on the subway and doesn't relish the idea of becoming so famous that she can't ride public transportation without being recognized. ‘I don't think it will ever get there,’ she says, genuinely hopeful. ‘Chris Noth rides the subway everyday, so if he can do it, I can do it.’” Obviously she has no idea which Screengrab personnel ride the New York subway.

Related:
Video of the Day: Ellen Page's Screen Test from "Juno"
Get Wacked!

All The Real Girls Is One of the Most Influential Movies of the Decade

Vadim Rizov — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Over the weekend I watched All The Real Girls for the first time since it came out for a couple of reasons. One, it's been a weird year for David Gordon Green fans, watching his two weakest films (Snow Angels — with its nervy naturalism eventually undercut by an all-too-schematic doom-and-gloom plot and heavy-handed symbols straight from the worst middlebrow novels — and the pointless '80s simulacrum of Pineapple Express) come out in quick succession. Was I overrating Green based on false memories, or is he just going through a weird transitional phase? Two, I was wondering if All The Real Girls is secretly one of the most influential films of the decade.

The answers are no and yes. Sort of.

Five years down the line, All The Real Girls retains its position as one of the most visually distinctive American independent films produced. Working with immensely talented DP Tim Orr, Green sets pretty much every scene to "stun." Unfortunately, that hasn't really rubbed off on followers; as in George Washington, Green wanted to bring a new way of looking at poor regional areas to the screen, making them as gorgeous as any movie set in ostensibly pretty settings. Instead, we got the self-consciously ugly Ballast. Oh well.

All The Real Girls' true influence extends in two directions, mostly pernicious. There's the issue of score: as in George Washington, Green loves droning, post-rock guitars suffusing everything in an atmospheric haze, punctuated by the occasional indie-rock ballad (Will Oldham for the opening!). I don't recall this happening in independent films before Green, but it seems to be everywhere now (e.g. Bubble, Half Nelson). This isn't really that big a problem, though sometimes it makes movies blur together. Presumably this and the post-Juno wave of twee pop soundtracks will get into a battle to the death.

The other influence is a broader, thematic one. All The Real Girls is nothing if not embarrassingly unmediated in presenting all the soppy and jejune things young couples can say to each other when no one is listening. Sometimes this leads to emotional honesty; unfortunately, occasionally it leads to stupidly "quirky" lines like Zooey Deschanel's infamous "I had a dream that you grew a garden on a trampoline and I was so happy I invented peanut butter." This realm of affectation and self-conscious quirk in the name of emotional truth (as opposed to what it actually is: stupid, youthful self-indulgence of everything you think being interesting to other people) is, of course, directly how we got to Garden State and all its off-spring. In many respects, Zach Braff's emo template seems more than ever like an unacknowledged steal of All The Real Girls' aesthetic and proclivity for mawkishness without any of the things that made it interesting. On the bright side, as Matt Dentler once said, it also seems like a direct path to mumblecore. Unless that makes you angry too.

DVD Digest for September 16, 2008

Paul Clark — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

This week is a busy one for lovers of classic cinema- to say nothing of the folks at Warner Home Video.

DVD(s) of the Week: Continuing their ongoing commitment to spotlight film history’s greatest filmmakers, the good folks at Criterion fill a glaring hole in the DVD market with this week’s release of three classics by Max Ophüls- La Ronde, Le Plaisir, and The Earrings of Madame De…. These three films, all made at Ophüls’ artistic and commercial peak, make a lovely introduction to the man’s work, with all the continental sophistication, exquisitely-wrought melodrama, and lavish production values that made his reputation. And stars? You bet- between the three films, you’ll find Jean Gabin, Simone Signoret, Anton Walbrook, Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux, and Simone Simon. If you can only shell out for one disc, go with Earrings, whose DVD features not only scholarly commentary and a number of featurettes (including an interview with Paul Thomas Anderson, whose complex camera movements were clearly inspired by Ophüls’ work), but also a new printing of the source novel, Louise de Vilmorin’s Madame De…. But really, they’re all worth your money. Now all we need is a Region 1 DVD of Letter From an Unknown Woman…

In addition, this week is a banner occasion for musical fans, led by a double dose of Oscar-winning Vincente Minnelli titles, An American in Paris and Gigi (both Warner), each presented in snazzy new Two-Disc Special Editions. There’s also Warner’s The Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2, which includes Gold Diggers of 1937, Gold Diggers in Paris, Hollywood Hotel and Variety Show. Other classics coming to DVD this week include: Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Warner); young Tom Cruise and his Ray-Bans in Risky Business 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Warner, also Blu-Ray); Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (Ryko Distribution), which was spotlighted last week by our very own Phil Nugent; Glenn Close in the live-action 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians (Disney); and The Charlie Chan Collection Volume 5 (Fox).

This week’s roster of recent releases on DVD is headed up by The Wachowski Brothers’ financial and critical bomb Speed Racer (Warner, also Blu-Ray), which I believe is still the most underappreciated movie so far this year. Other recent titles coming to DVD include: Patrick Dempsey in Made of Honor (Sony, also Blu-Ray); Al Pacino in 88 Minutes (Sony, also Blu-Ray); Mike Myers making an ass of himself again in The Love Guru (Universal, also Blu-Ray); the surprisingly affecting Young@Heart (Fox); David Gordon Green’s Snow Angels (Warner); the acclaimed documentary Constantine’s Sword (First Run); and two direct-to-DVD titles, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure (Disney) and Another Cinderella Story (Warner, also Blu-Ray).

This week’s new TV on DVD titles include: Chuck Season 1 (Warner); Criminal Minds Season 3 (Paramount); Dirty Sexy Money Season 1 (Disney); My Name Is Earl Season 3 (Fox); Private Practice Season 1 (Disney); and Pushing Daisies Season 1 (Warner, also Blu-Ray).

Finally, in Blu-Ray only titles, this week brings 1408 (Weinstein), Hulk (Universal), Madagascar (Paramount), The Mist (Weinstein), and Shrek the Third (Paramount).

Thursday Morning Poll for August 21, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I had the chance to attend a talk given by David Gordon Green earlier this year, and like practically everyone else who’s seen him speak, I was charmed by his boyish, easygoing manner. Like Richard Linkater, Green sends out a very laid-back vibe that makes you want to listen to him, especially when he ventures from the ostensible topic of conversation. But none of this would matter if Green wasn’t also one hell of a filmmaker, which thankfully he is. When we polled Screengrab readers about their favorite Green film, his beguiling 2003 relationship story All the Real Girls narrowly edged out his feature debut George Washington, 43% to 36%. All of his other features- the Southern chase saga Undertow, 2007’s Snow Angels, and Green’s recent mainstream debut Pineapple Express- tied at 7%. Seems that Screengrab readers, by and large, prefer Green’s earlier works, although all bets are off after he makes his alleged next project, a quasi-remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria.

Green might seem an unlikely filmmaker to direct a broad Hollywood comedy, but the same couldn’t be said of the subject of this week’s poll. With Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder recently becoming the first film in over a month to top the box office with a title that doesn’t rhyme with “The Clark Blight,” we figured the time was right to do a poll on movies Stiller has directed to date. We’ve included not only Stiller’s big-screen features but also his pilot for the never-picked-up series Heat Vision and Jack, which has become a kind of cult favorite. So, which film de Ben Stiller is your favorite?

Favorite Ben Stiller directorial effort? | BuzzDash

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Indie Box-Office Roundup: Weekend of March 21-23, 2008

Paul Clark — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Someone call up Shabba-Doo and Boogaloo Shrimp, because breakdancing is BACK! In a weekend full of new specialty fare, Benson Lee's documentary Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) snuck into the top spot on this week's chart, with an average of $13,889 on two screens. The film's distributor plans to take the film wider over the next month, beginning with San Francisco, San Diego and Washington D.C. next week.

All of this week's top spots were occupied by new openers, with Olivier Assayas' new thriller Boarding Gate (Magnolia) coming in second despite middling reviews. Also finishing strongly was #3 film Under the Same Moon (Weinstein Co.), which not only broke U.S. record to become the top-grossing opening weekend for a Spanish-language release, but broke into the top 10 grossers overall. Rounding out the top 5 were Christophe Honoré's Love Songs (IFC) and Race (UTV Communications).

Holding steady in this week's top 10 are the Oscar-winning The Counterfeiters and Ira Sachs' Married Life (both Sony Pictures Classics). Not so lucky was last week's champ, David Gordon Green's Snow Angels, which fell to #13.

Top 10, Weekend of March 21-23:
1. Planet B-Boy [Elephant Eye Films] ($13,889 per screen)
2. Boarding Gate [Magnolia Pictures] ($11,440)
3. Under The Same Moon [The Weinstein Company] ($10,414)
4. Love Songs [IFC Films] ($10,244)
5. Race [UTV Communications] ($8,357)
6. The Grand [Anchor Bay] ($8,227)
7. Praying With Lior [First Run] ($6,443)
8. The Counterfeiters [Sony Pictures Classics] ($5,398)
9. The Hammer [International Film Circuit] ($4,857)
10. Married Life [Sony Pictures Classics] ($4,459)

Source: IndieWire.

Indie Box-Office Roundup: Weekend of March 7-9, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Note: Due to a delay on the part of IndieWire's Box Office Charts, I was unable to post this until today. So for all of you who were hoping to read this week's Roundup over a mid-morning snack (hi Mom!), I'm truly sorry. I'll do my best to post on time in the future.

In a busy weekend for specialty releases, Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park came out on top, with an impressive per-screen average of $14,914 on two screens. The IFC Films release, which debuted at Cannes last year, led a weekend that saw eleven new arthouse releases plus a number of strong holdovers from previous weeks. According to Mark Boxer, IFC's VP of Sales and Distribution, "The audience for the film consisted of Gus Van Sant fans and a strong turnout from the youthful/skateboarding community. The reviews for the film have been very strong from New York and the film will roll out to the top fifteen markets within the next two weeks."

Holding steady at #2 was last weekend's champion, Ramin Bahrani's Chop Shop (Koch Lorber), which in its single-screen engagement dropped only 5% from last weekend's take. Debuting strongly at #3 was David Gordon Green's Snow Angels (Warner Independent), with another debut, Ira Sachs' Married Life (Sony Pictures Classics), coming in at #5. Rounding out the top five was the Oscar-winner for Best Foreign-Language Film, The Counterfeiters (Sony Pictures Classics).

Also of note was #7 finisher Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day (Focus Features), which was the weekend's highest-averaging release playing on more than 500 screens. Mostly middling reviews couldn't scare away crowds who were no doubt jonesing for more Amy Adams cuteness in a slightly more adult context. Meanwhile, The Duchess of Langeais fell to #9 (sigh) and longtime list mainstays The Band's Visit (Sony) and In Bruges (Focus) dropped off entirely.

Finally, I feel like I ought to mention this week's #10 film by a nose, the documentary Fighting For Life. I mention it not because I've seen it or even because I've heard anything about it, but because its distributor (Truly Indie) would no doubt like me to believe it's the only movie that truly belongs on this list, much like this week's #8 film would like to remind me that girls do indeed rock.

These are the jokes, people.

Top 10, Weekend of March 7-9:
1. Paranoid Park [IFC Films] ($14,914 per screen)
2. Chop Shop [Koch Lorber Films] ($7,944)
3. Snow Angels [Warner Independent Pictures] ($7,124)
4. The Counterfeiters [Sony Pictures Classics] ($6,820)
5. Married Life [Sony Pictures Classics] ($6,206)
6. Blindsight [Spark Entertainment] ($5,279)
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day [Focus Features] ($4,656)
8. Girls Rock! [Shadow Distribution] ($4,246)
9. The Duchess Of Langeais [IFC Films] ($3,723)
10. Fighting For Life [Truly Indie] ($3,423)

Source: IndieWire.

Trailer Review: Snow Angels

Paul Clark — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:00:00 GMT

With this summer's Judd Apatow-produced comedy Pineapple Express, David Gordon Green appears to be turning his back on the modestly-budgeted dramas that made his reputation. However, fans of his old style can rejoice in the fact that he's still got one more indie waiting to be released: Snow Angels, which premiered at Sundance last year. In his coverage of the festival, Nerve's Mike D'Angelo called this "Green’s most conventional work to date", and one gets the same impression from the trailer, which plays up the dysfunctional relationship between ex-marrieds Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale while only giving a few glimpses of the quirky All the Real Girls-style courtship between teens Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby. Still, I'm eager to see this, partly to check out Rockwell- who in my eyes gave the performance of 2007 in Joshua- but also to give Green a proper send-off before he makes the journey into Apatow-land.