Jayne's 2007 SIFF Preview
The Seattle International Film Festival starts up on May 24th, and I thought I would offer up a preview of some of the films.
Currently I have tickets to 23 movies over the course of 24 days...lets get started.
Son of Rambow - UK
The new flick from Garth Jennings (The Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy). It's the story of two little kids who get a hold of a pirated copy of "First Blood". They love the flick so much that they decide to make their very own Rambo movie.
Early reviews of the film have been absolutely fantastic and this has even been the film selected to open the festival (and here's hoping that Mr. Jennings makes an appearance at the opening night gala!)
The Aerial - Argentina
The film is described as taking place in "the year X, in the city without a voice" and is about a fascist government that keeps everyone forcible silent.
The film is supposed to emulate the look of early 20th Century German expressionist cinema and is primarily a silent film.
I really don't know much more than that about it, but it looks fascinating.
Trailer:
Red Road - Denmark
The story of a widowed security guard who sees a man from her past appear on a security camera. Naturally, things kind of unravel from there.
I know very little about this film, but it did win the Jury prize at the Cannes Film festival, and the director won the best short film Oscar in 2003. Still...it's been compared to the works of Michael Haneke, a filmmaker I loathe.....
Trailer
Paris Je T'Aime - France
This is a movie I've been dying to see for a long time now (it came out a year ago in France). It's a series of 18 short films all about love, and they all take place in Paris. A lot of really great filmmakers took part in this project, including:
The Coen Brothers (Big Lebowski), Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), Vincenzo Natali (Cube), Alexander Payne (Sideways), Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy).
This really looks to be really cool film!
Trailer:
Superbad - United States
From the guys that made "Feaks & Geeks" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin". That's pretty much good enough for me.
The Trailer looks hysterical!
Trailer:
Severance - UK
A movie described as a cross between "The Office" and "Deliverence". An office has a team building weekend in the mountains, only to become the victims of a group of crazed killers. So far, I've heard nothing but really great things about this movie.
Trailer:
Glue - Argentina
A coming of age story about a couple of 15 year old slackers who have a weekend tripping out on glue.
I really don't know much more than that...sounded interesting though.
Death at a Funeral - United States
The new Frank Oz film! I've heard really great things about it, and it stars Alan Tudyk from "Firefly" (Just had get a geeky for a second). Here's to hoping the film is less "Stepford Wives" and more "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Trailer:
Never On A Sunday - Mexico
A man trying to bury his dead uncle gets sent on a gruesome adventure. From what I've read the film is supposed to be an exceptionally dark comedy. I've yet to come across a bad review...should be interesting.
Eagle versus Shark - New Zealand
A quirky looking movie that has a bit of a Napolean Dynamite vibe going for it. The big draw for me was the fact that it stars one of the members of the comedy duo, the flight of the conchords. From all I've read, it's been pretty well received on the festival circuit. The trailers really what sealed the deal, though...
Trailer:
Fido - Canada
This looks wonderfully wierd....
Little Timmy wants a pet more than anything in he world...instead he gets a (mostly) housebroken zombie.
It's the kind of premise that reminds me of something a young Tim Burton would do.
Trailer:
The Last Winter - United States
Ron Perlman starring in a horror film that has a very strong "The Thing" vibe going for it.
Trailer
The Ten - United States
Most of the cast of the 90's MTV sketch comedy show "The State" reunite for this comedy about the ten commandments. Joining them is a pretty stellar cast, including Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen, Winona Ryder & Liev Schrieber. I've got pretty high hopes for this one.
Trailer:
Black Sheep - New Zealand
It's a movie about killer sheep. I couldn't say much more if I wanted to.
Trailer
Waiter - Netherlands
The premise of this flick seems awfully similar to "Stranger Than Fiction" (a film I really enjoyed). It's about a disgruntled waiter hates his life in the movie, so he leaves the film to take up his grievence with the screenwriter. I've been assured this movie is awesome, but we'll have to see. I've been burned by the Dutch before (see Director Christopher Boe. I've given that guy way to many chances...but that's another story for another time).
Trailer
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - UK
A documentary about the guitarist of the only band that matters! I love the Clash and I'm really excited to see this. Word from Sundance is that it's a fantastic documentary....
Trailer
The Perverts Guide To Cinema - UK
I'm not 100% sure what this film is going to be. I've read some reviews that just rave about it, and apparently if you're a movie buff it's a really enjoyable viewing experience, but it looks kinda wierd.
It seems to be about this documentary filmmaker who goes to the locations where various movies were filmed and psychoanalyzes them.
Excerpt from the film about Coppola's "The Conversation":
The Signal - UK
Strangely this film has exactly the same premise of the Steven King novel "Cell", so I'm actually a little bit skeptical. Still, I've heard the movie is really well done and even the person who sold me my SIFF tickets mentioned that it was a really great flick.
Trailer
Expired - United States
I really couldn't find anything on this movie. No official website, no real reviews, nothing. I know it played Sundance, it's a comedy about a parking meter attendant and it stars Samantha Morton. That's really just about all I know...
One Day Like Rain - United States
This film is actually having it's world premiers at SIFF, so I have heard zero word of mouth about it. It's described as a kind of cross between "Donnie Darko" and "Ghost World". Imdb lists the plot as "A teenage girl living in California suburbia devises a metaphysical experiment designed to save the world from what she sees as an impending doom...but the results of such an experiment prove to be both beneficial and destructive."
At the very least, the preview looks pretty interesting...
Trailer:
Alien Autopsy - UK
A film based on the true story of a couple of guys who made a fake Alien Autopsy video. The preview looks funny as hell, and is supposed to feature some great cameos from Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), and Harry Dean Stanton (Alien).
Trailer:
The Interview - United States
The new film written and directed by Steve Buscemi about a fading political journalist. Starring Buscmi, and Sienna Miller. It seemed to be pretty well received at Sundance, and I've enjoyed Buscemi's other directorial features "Tree's Lounge" & "Lonesome Jim".
Aachi and Ssipak - South Korea
I think I'm just gonna have to past in the premise of the film: "In the future, societies have depleted all natural resources save one: human excrement. Good producers are rewarded with highly addictive—and rapidly mutating—Juicybars. However, scatological pandemonium ensues when the title characters meet Beautiful, a wannabe actress who earns a wealth of Juicybars every time she "powders her nose."
Uhm...yeah.
Trailer:
Stuff that I'm not gonna be able to see at the festival, but may be worth checking out....
Rescue Dawn - United States
The new Werner Herzog film starring Christian Bale. It's a vietnam film about a pilot whose plane is shot down and has to find his way through enemy territory. This will be getting a theatrical release later in the year.
Trailer:
Slipstream - United States
Anthony Hopkins writes and directs this film about a screenwriter who lives in two planes of existence. I'm actually pretty bummed I'm gonna have to miss this one...
Angel-A - France
The first new live action Luc Besson film in a decade. Sadly the reviews have been less than kind. I'll probably catch this one on DVD.
Trailer:
Outing Riley - United States
I actually have no desire to see this movie except for the fact that it stars Nathan Fillion (Firefly). Let's just move on...
Daywatch - Russia
The sequel to "Nightwatch" is finally here. The preview looks awesome, and the only reason I'm gonna miss it is because it's getting a theatrical release in June and you can rent the imported DVD at Scarecrow video
Trailer:
2 Days In Paris - France
Actress Julie Delpy's directorial debut. I do love me some Julie Delpy...
Trailer:
Mushishi - Japan
The new film from the director of Akira. Apparently the reviews have been pretty awful so far...
Trailer
Goyas Ghost - Spain
The new Milos Forman movie starring Natalie Portman. Not sure why I'm not going to see this...
Trailer:
Currently I have tickets to 23 movies over the course of 24 days...lets get started.
Son of Rambow - UKThe new flick from Garth Jennings (The Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy). It's the story of two little kids who get a hold of a pirated copy of "First Blood". They love the flick so much that they decide to make their very own Rambo movie.
Early reviews of the film have been absolutely fantastic and this has even been the film selected to open the festival (and here's hoping that Mr. Jennings makes an appearance at the opening night gala!)
The Aerial - Argentina
The film is described as taking place in "the year X, in the city without a voice" and is about a fascist government that keeps everyone forcible silent.
The film is supposed to emulate the look of early 20th Century German expressionist cinema and is primarily a silent film.
I really don't know much more than that about it, but it looks fascinating.
Trailer:
Red Road - Denmark
The story of a widowed security guard who sees a man from her past appear on a security camera. Naturally, things kind of unravel from there.
I know very little about this film, but it did win the Jury prize at the Cannes Film festival, and the director won the best short film Oscar in 2003. Still...it's been compared to the works of Michael Haneke, a filmmaker I loathe.....
Trailer
Paris Je T'Aime - France
This is a movie I've been dying to see for a long time now (it came out a year ago in France). It's a series of 18 short films all about love, and they all take place in Paris. A lot of really great filmmakers took part in this project, including:
The Coen Brothers (Big Lebowski), Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), Vincenzo Natali (Cube), Alexander Payne (Sideways), Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy).
This really looks to be really cool film!
Trailer:
Superbad - United States
From the guys that made "Feaks & Geeks" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin". That's pretty much good enough for me.
The Trailer looks hysterical!
Trailer:
Severance - UK
A movie described as a cross between "The Office" and "Deliverence". An office has a team building weekend in the mountains, only to become the victims of a group of crazed killers. So far, I've heard nothing but really great things about this movie.
Trailer:
Glue - Argentina
A coming of age story about a couple of 15 year old slackers who have a weekend tripping out on glue.
I really don't know much more than that...sounded interesting though.
Death at a Funeral - United States
The new Frank Oz film! I've heard really great things about it, and it stars Alan Tudyk from "Firefly" (Just had get a geeky for a second). Here's to hoping the film is less "Stepford Wives" and more "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Trailer:
Never On A Sunday - Mexico
A man trying to bury his dead uncle gets sent on a gruesome adventure. From what I've read the film is supposed to be an exceptionally dark comedy. I've yet to come across a bad review...should be interesting.
Eagle versus Shark - New Zealand
A quirky looking movie that has a bit of a Napolean Dynamite vibe going for it. The big draw for me was the fact that it stars one of the members of the comedy duo, the flight of the conchords. From all I've read, it's been pretty well received on the festival circuit. The trailers really what sealed the deal, though...
Trailer:
Fido - Canada
This looks wonderfully wierd....
Little Timmy wants a pet more than anything in he world...instead he gets a (mostly) housebroken zombie.
It's the kind of premise that reminds me of something a young Tim Burton would do.
Trailer:
The Last Winter - United States
Ron Perlman starring in a horror film that has a very strong "The Thing" vibe going for it.
Trailer
The Ten - United States
Most of the cast of the 90's MTV sketch comedy show "The State" reunite for this comedy about the ten commandments. Joining them is a pretty stellar cast, including Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen, Winona Ryder & Liev Schrieber. I've got pretty high hopes for this one.
Trailer:
Black Sheep - New Zealand
It's a movie about killer sheep. I couldn't say much more if I wanted to.
Trailer
Waiter - Netherlands
The premise of this flick seems awfully similar to "Stranger Than Fiction" (a film I really enjoyed). It's about a disgruntled waiter hates his life in the movie, so he leaves the film to take up his grievence with the screenwriter. I've been assured this movie is awesome, but we'll have to see. I've been burned by the Dutch before (see Director Christopher Boe. I've given that guy way to many chances...but that's another story for another time).
Trailer
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - UK
A documentary about the guitarist of the only band that matters! I love the Clash and I'm really excited to see this. Word from Sundance is that it's a fantastic documentary....
Trailer
The Perverts Guide To Cinema - UK
I'm not 100% sure what this film is going to be. I've read some reviews that just rave about it, and apparently if you're a movie buff it's a really enjoyable viewing experience, but it looks kinda wierd.
It seems to be about this documentary filmmaker who goes to the locations where various movies were filmed and psychoanalyzes them.
Excerpt from the film about Coppola's "The Conversation":
The Signal - UK
Strangely this film has exactly the same premise of the Steven King novel "Cell", so I'm actually a little bit skeptical. Still, I've heard the movie is really well done and even the person who sold me my SIFF tickets mentioned that it was a really great flick.
Trailer
Expired - United States
I really couldn't find anything on this movie. No official website, no real reviews, nothing. I know it played Sundance, it's a comedy about a parking meter attendant and it stars Samantha Morton. That's really just about all I know...
One Day Like Rain - United States
This film is actually having it's world premiers at SIFF, so I have heard zero word of mouth about it. It's described as a kind of cross between "Donnie Darko" and "Ghost World". Imdb lists the plot as "A teenage girl living in California suburbia devises a metaphysical experiment designed to save the world from what she sees as an impending doom...but the results of such an experiment prove to be both beneficial and destructive."
At the very least, the preview looks pretty interesting...
Trailer:
Alien Autopsy - UK
A film based on the true story of a couple of guys who made a fake Alien Autopsy video. The preview looks funny as hell, and is supposed to feature some great cameos from Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), and Harry Dean Stanton (Alien).
Trailer:
The Interview - United States
The new film written and directed by Steve Buscemi about a fading political journalist. Starring Buscmi, and Sienna Miller. It seemed to be pretty well received at Sundance, and I've enjoyed Buscemi's other directorial features "Tree's Lounge" & "Lonesome Jim".
Aachi and Ssipak - South Korea
I think I'm just gonna have to past in the premise of the film: "In the future, societies have depleted all natural resources save one: human excrement. Good producers are rewarded with highly addictive—and rapidly mutating—Juicybars. However, scatological pandemonium ensues when the title characters meet Beautiful, a wannabe actress who earns a wealth of Juicybars every time she "powders her nose."
Uhm...yeah.
Trailer:
Stuff that I'm not gonna be able to see at the festival, but may be worth checking out....
Rescue Dawn - United States
The new Werner Herzog film starring Christian Bale. It's a vietnam film about a pilot whose plane is shot down and has to find his way through enemy territory. This will be getting a theatrical release later in the year.
Trailer:
Slipstream - United States
Anthony Hopkins writes and directs this film about a screenwriter who lives in two planes of existence. I'm actually pretty bummed I'm gonna have to miss this one...
Angel-A - France
The first new live action Luc Besson film in a decade. Sadly the reviews have been less than kind. I'll probably catch this one on DVD.
Trailer:
Outing Riley - United States
I actually have no desire to see this movie except for the fact that it stars Nathan Fillion (Firefly). Let's just move on...
Daywatch - Russia
The sequel to "Nightwatch" is finally here. The preview looks awesome, and the only reason I'm gonna miss it is because it's getting a theatrical release in June and you can rent the imported DVD at Scarecrow video
Trailer:
2 Days In Paris - France
Actress Julie Delpy's directorial debut. I do love me some Julie Delpy...
Trailer:
Mushishi - Japan
The new film from the director of Akira. Apparently the reviews have been pretty awful so far...
Trailer
Goyas Ghost - Spain
The new Milos Forman movie starring Natalie Portman. Not sure why I'm not going to see this...
Trailer:
posted by Casey at 1:10 PM
8 Comments:
MCP vs. Michael Haneke...Battle Royale!!!!
I like the post and at some point I'm headed to Netflix to put a lot of these in my queue, but does it have to be so long?
sidenote--I'm working my way through all four discs of Firefly this weekend...and I must say that it is better on second viewing...am I ready to throw my hatred down?...we'll see how the last disc and a half does me, but when you're stuck in the middle of Bombay with nothing else to watch...it works...(they should use that as a promotional review)
since I don't want to bump any more posts for the travel blog...you can head to check out the continuing adventures...
By the time your done reading the post, you've got nothing left in you to comment on it.
Yeah...I think the only film I'd pay money for is the Joe Strummer Doc...although Reverence looks like a DVD winner...
I'm unfortunately probably only going to see four films this year. One of which will be Daywatch since we saw the first in theatre and its only fitting i see the second as such. I'm going to keepy my eye out on Rescue Dawn, but I'll most likely gorge on Asian films.
good effort on getting - the most videos embedded in a post -
Ug...I really do hate Michael Haneke. Ever since "Funny Games". That movie damages my calm....
I figured you would have been all over "The Ten" Jimbo. I thought you were an old school "The State" fanboy.
Hope you're diggin' the Firefly...
and i watched Chronicles of Riddick again on cable t.v. yesterday... loved it way better than this bug movie i keep hearing about...
after typing the comment I realized that I blundered not saying The Ten, although I probably wouldn't go to the theater for the film...
and...I hate to say this...but, you've won a convert...it might be that I'm going crazy over here with nothing to watch, but I enjoyed the series and was a little pissed that it never got what it deserved...the completion of at least one season...where the hell was the Sci-Fi channel?...
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