Saturday, December 20, 2025
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Katie Holmes Finally Gets to Kiss a Guy On Stage

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Freedom from her past constraints means Katie Holmes gets to kiss a guy for real on stage in “Dead Accounts.” The guy she kisses is Josh Hamilton, and you can tell she has a good time doing it. “Dead Accounts,” by Theresa Rebeck, opens tonight on Broadway. It’s thin material, and probably should have been off Broadway or presented without an intermission. It’s really just an acting exercise for a strong cast that includes Norbert Leo Butz, Judy Greer, Holmes, Hamilton, and Jayne Houdyshell.

Even with director Jack O’Brien there’s not a lot to be made here unless you’re from Cincinnati and have a hankering for that city’s ice cream. Otherwise there’s one idea and very little plot: Butz has returned home from New York where somehow he’s managed to embezzle $27 million from his investment firm. He’s taken it from “dead accounts.” That’s it, not much more, Katie plays his sister, and Hamilton is his best friend. Greer is Butz’s uptight New York wife who wants a cut of the money. Houdyshell is the mid-western mother who believes in god and prays a lot. Unseen is a father who is passing a kidney stone, then is said to be dying. (I have kidney stones, and this is not the case. They should have called me.)

All eyes are on Katie, who is just fine. I think she’s very brave for wanting to jump into theater for the second time. (The first was a revival a few years ago of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”) Katie is obviously a name draw even though she’s not a seasoned stage actress. She would do well to try some off Broadway material, some classical theater, some rep companies. She rises to the occasion of the material, which is better for her in the second act. She’s very lively, projects well, gets good laughs in the right spots, and has the kiss. Bravo to her.

In our audience last night: Tim Daly with his sister who is not Tyne Daly but the other one (she was very nice), and comedian Jim Gaffigan with his wife. A few people — none of these– left the theater at intermission. They should have given Act 2 a chance. “Dead Accounts” is not doing great business right now, but it’s worth a look if for no other reason than to see NLB, who makes the whole thing come alive.

And Katie sounds like she’s living a normal life. Our host across the street at Junior’s told us later how Holmes stopped in the other night around 11pm for a piece of cheesecake to go, and three forks. “Maybe she a boyfriend,” said the young woman. You go, girl!

John Krasinski: “The Office” Will Finally Address Fictitious Documentary About the Group

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John Krasinski’s in town doing press with Gus van Sant and Matt Damon for “Promised Land,” a movie I like a lot about a small town in Pennsylvania trying to decide about fracking. More about that in a minute. Krasinski told us at lunch today that before “The Office” ends, we will see the fictional documentary that’s been shooting for the last nine seasons.

The premise of “The Office” has been that a film crew has been documenting everything going on at Dunder Mifflin. Krasinski says that before the series ends, “the documentary will be addressed.” He also said that he never would have left the series. “I owe it everything,” he said. We will miss Jim and Pam and the whole crew, but let’s face it– by now they would have all been fired or the company would have gone under.

Meantime, there’s “Promised Land” which Krasinski wrote with Matt Damon at their respective dining room tables. Since Damon has four daughters, Krasinski said he was very impressed by the Oscar winner’s focus considering that “four girls were constantly crawling all over him, and he was helping bathe and feed them.”

And lest you think “Promised Land” is anti-fracking movie, it’s not. While drilling for natural gas along the Marcellus shelf has been controversial, it’s also been financially advantageous for a lot of people needing money. “Promised Land” shows both sides.

One more thing: Krasinski says he and Damon considered for a minute having John’s wife, actress Emily Blunt, play the female lead in the film. But, John says: “Matt said she’d be perfect, then realized they’d just been in The Adjustment Bureau together.” Instead, they went with Rosemarie DeWitt, who had just co-starred with Blunt in “Your Sister’s Sister.”

Sundance 2013 Films Announced: Loads of Stars, Pussy Riot and Occupy Wall Street Coming to Park City

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There aren’t a lot of recognizable names among directors in the films just announced for Sundance 2013. Lots of known actors, though. And documentaries about Occupy Wall Street and Pussy Riot. I used a picture of Dakota Fanning and Lizzie Olsen because “Very Good Girls” was supposed to be on this list. Maybe tomorrow. Anyway, I liked the picture.

2013 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN U.S. AND WORLD COMPETITIONS

Afternoon Delight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) — In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost L.A. housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.
Austenland / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Jerusha Hess, Screenwriters: Jerusha Hess, Shannon Hale) — Thirtysomething, single Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. On a trip to an English resort, her fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman become more real than she ever imagined. Cast: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Georgia King, James Callis.
C.O.G. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kyle Patrick Alvarez) — In the first ever film adaptation of David Sedaris’ work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. Out of his element, he finds his lifestyle and notions being picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. Cast: Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario.
Concussion / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Stacie Passon) — After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can’t do it anymore. Her life just can’t be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor. Cast: Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff, Johnathan Tchaikovsky, Julie Fain Lawrence, Emily Kinney, Laila Robins.
Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Francesca Gregorini) — Emanuel, a troubled girl, becomes preoccupied with her mysterious, new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to babysit her newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Jessica Biel, Alfred Molina, Frances O’Connor, Jimmi Simpson, Aneurin Barnard.
Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.
In a World… / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lake Bell) — An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.
Kill Your Darlings / U.S.A. (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — An untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

The Lifeguard / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Liz W. Garcia) — A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager. Cast: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Alex Shaffer, Amy Madigan, David Lambert.
May in the Summer / U.S.A., Qatar, Jordan (Director and screenwriter: Cherien Dabis) — A bride-to-be is forced to reevaluate her life when she reunites with her family in Jordan and finds herself confronted with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. Cast: Cherien Dabis, Hiam Abbass, Bill Pullman, Alia Shawkat, Nadine Malouf, Alexander Siddig. DAY ONE FILM

Mother of George / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage. Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.
The Spectacular Now / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he attempts to “save.” As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and “saving” and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.
Touchy Feely / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother’s foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.” Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, Josh Pais.
Toy’s House / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that’s the plan. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie.
Upstream Color / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.
99% – The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film / U.S.A. (Directors: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read, Nina Kristic) — The Occupy movement erupted in September 2011, propelling economic inequality into the spotlight. In an unprecedented collaboration, filmmakers across America tell its story, digging into big picture issues as organizers, analysts, participants and critics reveal how it happened and why.
After Tiller / U.S.A. (Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson) — Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009, only four doctors in the country provide late-term abortions. With unprecedented access, After Tiller goes inside the lives of these physicians working at the center of the storm.
American Promise / U.S.A. (Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) — This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.
Blackfish / U.S.A. (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Blood Brother / U.S.A. (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find.
Citizen Koch / U.S.A. (Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin) — Wisconsin – birthplace of the Republican Party, government unions, “cheeseheads” and Paul Ryan – becomes a test market in the campaign to buy Democracy, and ground zero in the battle for the future of the GOP.

Cutie and the Boxer / U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband’s assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
Dirty Wars / U.S.A. (Director: Richard Rowley) — Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the truth behind America’s covert wars.
Gideon’s Army / U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — Gideon’s Army follows three young, committed Public Defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.
God Loves Uganda / U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law.
The Good Life / U.S.A. (Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine) — Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns fight to save their only son from Progeria, a rare and fatal disease for which there is no treatment or cure. In less than a decade, their work has led to significant advances.
Inequality for All / U.S.A. (Director: Jacob Kornbluth) — In this timely and entertaining documentary, noted economic-policy expert Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality, and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy.
Manhunt / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — This espionage tale goes inside the CIA’s long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.
Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an LA narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Twenty Feet From Stardom / U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Neville) — Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we’ve had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead – until now. DAY ONE FILM
Valentine Road / U.S.A. (Director: Marta Cunningham) — In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Circles / Serbia, Germany, France, Croatia, Slovenia (Director: Srdan Golubovic, Screenwriters: Srdjan Koljevic, Melina Pota Koljevic) — Five people are affected by a tragic heroic act. Twenty years later, all of them will confront the past through their own crises. Will they overcome guilt, frustration and their urge for revenge? Will they do the right thing, at all costs? Cast: Aleksandar Bercek, Leon Lucev, Nebojsa Glogovac, Hristina Popovic, Nikola Rakocevic, Vuk Kostic. World Premiere
Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere
Houston / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Bastian Günther) — Clemens Trunschka is a corporate headhunter and an alcoholic. Drinking increasingly isolates him from his life and leads him away from reality. While searching for a CEO candidate in Houston, his addiction submerges him into his own darkness. Cast: Ulrich Tukur, Garret Dillahunt, Wolfram Koch, Jenny Schily, Jason Douglas, Jens Münchow. World Premiere
Jiseul / South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Muel O) — In 1948, as the Korean government ordered the Communists’ eviction to Jeju Island, the military invaded a calm and peaceful village. Townsfolk took sanctuary in a cave and debated moving to a higher mountain. Cast: Min-chul SUNG, Jung-won YANG, Young-soon OH, Soon-dong PARK, Suk-bum MOON, Kyung-sub JANG. International Premiere
Lasting / Poland, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Jacek Borcuch) — An emotional love story about two Polish students who fall in love with each other while working summer jobs in Spain. An unexpected nightmare interrupts their carefree time in the heavenly landscape and throws their lives into chaos. Cast: Jakub Gierszal, Magdalena Berus, Angela Molina. World Premiere
Metro Manila / United Kingdom, Philippines (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers) — Seeking a better life, Oscar and his family move from the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega. World Premiere
Shopping / New Zealand (Directors: Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland, Screenwriters: Louis Sutherland, Mark Albiston) — New Zealand, 1981: Seduced by a charismatic career criminal, teenager Willie must choose where his loyalty lies – with a family of shoplifters or his own blood. Cast: Kevin Paulo, Julian Dennison, Jacek Koman, Alistair Browning. World Premiere
Soldate Jeannette / Austria (Director: Daniel Hoesl) — Fanni has had enough of money and leaves to buy a tent. Anna has had enough of pigs and leaves a needle in the hay. Cars crash and money burns to shape their mutual journey toward a rising liberty. Cast: Johanna Orsini-Rosenberg, Christina Reichsthaler, Josef Kleindienst, Aurelia Burckhardt, Julia Schranz, Ines Rössl. World Premiere
There Will Come a Day / Italy, France (Director: Giorgio Diritti, Screenwriters: Giorgio Diritti, Fredo Valla, Tania Pedroni) — Painful issues push Augusta, a young Italian woman, to doubt the certainties on which she has built her existence. On a small boat in the immensity of the Amazon rain forest, she faces the adventure of searching for herself. Cast: Jasmine Trinca, Anne Alvaro, Pia Engleberth. World Premiere
Wajma (An Afghan Love Story) / Afghanistan (Director and screenwriter: Barmak Akram) — A young man in Kabul seduces a girl. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he questions having taken her virginity. Then her father arrives, and a timeless, archaic violence erupts – possibly leading to a crime, and even a sacrifice. Cast: Wajma Bahar, Mustafa Abdulsatar, Haji Gul, Breshna Bahar. World Premiere
What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Mouly Surya) — Mouly Surya’s film explores the odds of love and deception among the blind, the deaf and the unlucky sighted people at a high school for the visually impaired. Cast: Nicholas Saputra, Ayushita Nugraha, Karina Salim, Anggun Priambodo, Lupita Jennifer. World Premiere
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmakers working today.

Fallen City / China (Director: Qi Zhao) — Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere
Fire in the Blood / India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) — In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere
Google and the World Brain / Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) — In the most ambitious project ever conceived on the Internet, Google has been scanning the world’s books for 10 years. They said the intention was to build a giant digital library, but that involved scanning millions of copyrighted works. World Premiere
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear / Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) — A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere
The Moo Man / United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer / Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) — Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere
A River Changes Course / Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere
Salma / United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) — When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere
The Square (El Midan) / Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) — What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere
The Stuart Hall Project / United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) — Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall’s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain’s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere
The Summit / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers’ code, he might still be alive. International Premiere
Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity proves the films selected in this section will inform a “greater” next wave in American cinema.
Blue Caprice / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandre Moors, Screenwriters: R.F.I Porto, Alexandre Moors) — An abandoned boy is lured to America and drawn into the shadow of a dangerous father figure in this film inspired by the real life events that led to the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks. Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams, Tim Blake Nelson, Cassandra Freeman, Leo Fitzpatrick.
Computer Chess / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — An existential comedy about the brilliant men who taught machines to play chess – back when the machines seemed clumsy and we seemed smart. Cast: Patrick Riester, Myles Paige, James Curry, Robin Schwartz, Gerald Peary, Wiley Wiggins.
Escape from Tomorrow / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Randy Moore) — A postmodern, surreal voyage into the bowels of “family” entertainment; an epic battle begins when an unemployed, middle-aged father loses his sanity during a close encounter with two teenage girls on holiday. Cast: Roy Abramsohn, Elena Schuber, Katelynn Rodriguez, Annet Mahendru, Danielle Safady, Alison Lees-Taylor.
I Used to Be Darker / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Porterfield, Screenwriters: Amy Belk, Matthew Porterfield) — A runaway seeks refuge with her aunt and uncle in Baltimore, only to find their marriage ending and her cousin in crisis. In the days that follow, the family struggles to let go while searching for things to sustain them. Cast: Deragh Campbell, Hannah Gross, Kim Taylor, Ned Oldham, Geoff Grace, Nick Petr.
It Felt Like Love / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eliza Hittman) — On the outskirts of Brooklyn, a 14-year-old girl’s sexual quest takes a dangerous turn when she pursues an older guy and tests the boundaries between obsession and love. Cast: Gina Piersanti, Giovanna Salimeni, Ronen Rubinstein, Jesse Cordasco, Nick Rosen, Case Prime.
Milkshake / U.S.A. (Director: David Andalman, Screenwriters: David Andalman, Mariko Munro) — In mid-1990’s America, we follow the tragic sex life of Jolie Jolson, a wannabe thug (and great-great-grandson of legendary vaudevillian Al Jolson) in suburban DC as he strives to become something he can never be – black. Cast: Tyler Ross, Shareeka Epps, Georgia Ford, Eshan Bay, Leo Fitzpatrick, Danny Burstein.
Newlyweeds / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shaka King) — A Brooklyn repo man and his globetrotting girlfriend forge an unlikely romance. But what should be a match made in stoner heaven turns into a love triangle gone awry in this dark coming-of-age comedy about dependency. Cast: Amari Cheatom, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Colman Domingo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Adrian Martinez.
Pit Stop / U.S.A. (Director: Yen Tan, Screenwriters: Yen Tan, David Lowery) — Two working-class gay men in a small Texas town and a love that isn’t quite out of reach. Cast: Bill Heck, Marcus DeAnda, Amy Seimetz, John Merriman, Alfredo Maduro, Corby Sullivan.
A Teacher / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Hannah Fidell) — A popular young teacher in a wealthy suburban Texas high school has an affair with one of her students. Her life begins to unravel as the relationship comes to an end. Cast: Lindsay Burdge, Will Brittain, Jennifer Prediger, Jonny Mars, Julie Phillips, Chris Dubeck.
This is Martin Bonner / U.S.A.(Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Martin Bonner has just moved to Reno for a new job in prison rehabilitation. Starting over at age 58, he struggles to adapt until an unlikely friendship with an ex-con blossoms, helping him confront the problems he left behind. Cast: Paul Eenhoorn, Richmond Arquette, Sam Buchanan, Robert Longstreet, Demetrius Grosse.

“Django Unchained”–Quentin Tarantino Epic–Rumored Ready for Screening This Weekend

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Rumors are swirling, but here’s the latest– Quentin Tarantino’s latest epic, “Django Unchained,” is said to be ready for screening this weekend in New York. Of course, it has to be if the various voting groups like the New York Film Critics Circle and the Screen Actors Guild–are going to see it in time. Then, of course, there are the Hollywood Foreign Press and the National Board of Review.

But Sunday will already be December 2nd, and the clock is ticking down. I’m told the final sound mix was conducted yesterday and on into today. Then Tarantino will carry a “wet print”–with much drama — to his waiting fans.

Is it true “Django” clocks in at three-and-a-half-hours? Holy moley, we’ll have to wait and see. In the past when his films were incredibly long–like “Kill Bill”–Harvey Weinstein broke it in half and issued 2 parts. Sources say “Django” is a mind-blower, and an epic. What a way to end the year, right?

“Django” is the first movie Tarantino has made without his longtime editor Sally Menke. She died in 2010 while hiking during a horrendous Los Angeles heatwave. Menke has been succeeded by Fred Raskin, her second in command on the “Kill Bill” movies. I’m told he did a great job.

Also being praised: Don Johnson, who took over his role after Kevin Costner dropped out. Tarantino likes to bring back all the crazy bad boys from eras past. This time around he also has Michael Parks, Bruce Dern and Robert Carradine.

 

“General Hospital” Up 19% from Last Year, Beating Katie Couric by 500K Viewers

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Remember when ABC Daytime thought they’d get rid of the soaps? Well, it didn’t work. They killed “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” before anyone could do anything, and left “General Hospital” to die another day. However: “General Hospital,” revitalized beyond belief by “OLTL” exec producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati is up a whopping 19% over last year at this time. It’s scoring a 2.8 mil in overall viewers, about a half million more than Katie Couric’s talk show–which replaced it at 3pm. Let’s not forget as well that the soap’s big replacement show, “The Revolution,” lasted a short time and was killed off like a soap character–except no twin will return one day.

It’s hard to believe that “General Hospital” staged this kind of insurrection. ABC would still probably like to see it go away. But Valentini and Carlivati combined elements from “OLTL” into the show, and revived old, favorite characters who’d been done away with by former megalomaniac  exec producers and head writers. CBS snapped up Jill Farren Phelps, who nearly destroyed “GH,’ for the number 1 soap “Young and the Restless.” That show continues a downward spiral in the ratings.

Meantime, “GH” scored an inside joke this week when the last will and testament of series patriarch Edward Quartermaine was read. The billionaire left half of his estate to Habitat for the Humanity and the other half to…PBS! That was a little jab at Mitt Romney, who was angling to get rid of Public Broadcasting. Very funny. Edward was played for two decades by beloved actor John Ingle, who passed away a few weeks ago. Carlivati frequently sneaks funny one liners into the scripts. A few weeks ago, someone on the show decried the need “for more talk shows.” Considering how badly most of those are faring in the ratings, maybe it’s time to re-start the soaps. Susan Lucci, are you out there?

Adele’s “21” Album Passes the 10 Million Mark in US

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Adele has crossed a very sacred line in the music business. Her “21′ album passed the 10 million mark this week, making it one of the CDs to attain that level since SoundScan began counting units sold. The “21” album sold 28,000 copies last week, bringing it just over the 10 mil line a few weeks shy of its second birthday. The album launched a few big singles including “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” Since its release, Adele has done little touring but she did have a baby. She also got a big new hit with “Skyfall,” the theme from the new James Bond movie. In the old days an artist with such success would be right back in the studio. But at the rate things are going, we might not see a new Adele album until 2014.

Meanwhile, Rihanna’s peeps are all excited that she sold 238,000 copies in her first week with “Unapologetic,” her second album in two years. It’s her biggest debut in the seven years of her career. But that seems like a small number given the massive amount of publicity Rihanna has gotten, and the zillions of dollars just spent on her Flight of the Damned, the 777 that took press and fans to seven cities in seven days while Rihanna spent most of the time sequestered. Rihanna is a first among strange new performers of this generation. She spends a lot of time stoking the flames of something–passion?– with the boyfriend who famously beat her to a pulp, singer Chris Brown. She also likes to pose naked a lot. Her life is like a carnival with many sideshows.

Dakota Fanning Film to Sundance; “Tim Buckley” Goes to Focus

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The 2013 Sundance Film Festival is lining up its big announcements for tomorrow at 4pm Eastern. So far I did hear that Naomi Foner’s “Very Good Girls” with Dakota Fanning and Lizzie Olsen, is in. Some other titles we’re thinking may have made it, who knows–include “The East,” written by Britt Marling and peppered with an all star cast including Alexander Skarsgard and Patricia Clarkson; also maybe “Kill Your Darlings,” which tells the story of the murder of Beat figure Lucien Carr, featuring Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsburg (played by Daniel Radcliffe); and “At Any Price” with Zac Efron and Dennis Quaid, and also Kim Dickens, which was shown in Toronto is set to be released next year by Sony Pictures Classics.

Meantime, I’ve learned that “Greetings from Tim Buckley,” directed by Dan Algrant, has gone to Focus Films for distribution. The movie will come out next spring, maybe with a premiere tied to the Tribeca Film Festival. (That would make sense.) Penn Badgley stars as Jeff Buckley, and Ben Rosenfield makes a disarming debut as Tim Buckley in flashbacks to when the singer-songwriter was young and just starting out. “Greetings” played in Toronto to much success. It’s an offbeat success of a film, hard to pull of since both father and son are now long dead.

Oscars: Academy Members Must Register to Vote by This Thursday Afternoon

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Attention members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Do you want to vote for the Oscars this year? I was told at lunch today by a friend at the New York branch, the following: all members must contact the Academy and register to vote online (or by paper if you have no access to a computer) by this Thursday, November 30th. If you’re not registered, you won’t be able to vote online or on paper. Period. There’s some fear now that a lot of people are still not signed up for the new system. In this, maybe the best year for Oscar potential films in a generation, it would be a debacle if someone tried to vote and found out they couldn’t. Visit the academy website for more info, or just call ’em.

Silver Linings, Moonrise Kingdom, Beasts Rule Indie Spirit Awards

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David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom,” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” got the bulk of nominations for the Indie Spirit Awards, announced this afternoon.  The Spirit noms reflect real indie films this year, and it’s a good mix. I’m particularly thrilled that Linda Cardellini is nomination from a very small, excellent film called “Return.” You may recall I raved about the film from Cannes. Meredith Vieira produced it. “Return” was in the the Directors Fortnight; I watched it on a video monitor, of all things. Also the talented Rashida Jones and Will McCormack were nominated for Best First Screenplay for “Celeste and Jesse Forever.” This was another little gem of the year, not seen by many people.

PS Sundance announces its main line up tomorrow. Check in here to see who made it. I’m told Naomi Foner’s “Very Good Girls” with Dakota Fanning and Lizzie Olsen was accepted. Congrats!

BEST FEATURE
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey & Josh Penn (producers)
Bernie
Liz Glotzer, Richard Linklater, David McFadzean, Dete Meserve, Judd Payne, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Ginger Sledge, Matt Williams (producers)
Keep the Lights On
Marie Therese Guirgis, Lucas Joaquin, Ira Sachs (producers)
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales, Scott Rudin (producers)
Silver Linings Playbook
Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon (producers)

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Julia Loktev, The Loneliest Planet
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)
Fill the Void
Rama Burshtein (director); Assaf Amir (producer)
Gimme the Loot
Adam Leon (director); Dominic Buchanan, Natalie Difford, Jamund Washington (producers)
Safety Not Guaranteed
Colin Trevorrow (director); Derek Connolly, Stephanie Langhoff, Peter Saraf, Colin Trevorrow, Marc Turtletaub (producers)
Sound of My Voice
Zal Batmanglij (director); Brit Marling, Hans Ritter, Shelley Surpin (producers)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky (director);  Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith (producers)

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Rama Burshtein, Fill the Void
Derek Connolly, Safety Not Guaranteed
Christopher Ford, Robot & Frank
Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, Celeste and Jesse Forever
Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
Breakfast with Curtis
Laura Colella (writer-director-producer)
Middle of Nowhere
Ava DuVernay (writer-director-producer); Howard Barish, Paul Garnes (producers)
Mosquita y Mari
Aurora Guerrero (writer-director); Chad Burris (producer)
Starlet
Sean Baker (writer-director); Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Kevin Chinoy, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Francesca Silvestri (producers)
The Color Wheel
Alex Ross Perry (writer-director-producer); Carlen Altman (writer)

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini, Return
Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Thure Lindhardt, Keep the Lights On
Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe
Wendell Pierce, Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister’s Sister
Ann Dowd, Compliance
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice
Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
David Oyelowo, Middle of Nowhere
Michael Péna, End of Watch
Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths
Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Yoni Brook, Valley of Saints
Lol Crawley, Here
Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Roman Vasyanov, End of Watch
Robert Yeoman, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer)
How to Survive a Plague
David France (director); David France, Howard Gertler (producers)
Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
Matthew Akers (director); Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre (producers)
The Central Park Five
Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon (directors-producers)
The Invisible War
Kirby Dick (director); Tanner King Barklow, Amy Ziering (producers)
The Waiting Room
Peter Nicks (director-producer); Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch (producers)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
(Award given to the director)
Amour (France), Michael Haneke
Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (Turkey), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Rust And Bone (France/Belgium), Jacques Audiard
Sister (Switzerland), Ursula Meier
War Witch (Democratic Republic of Congo), Kim Nguyen

16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
(The 16th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.)
Nobody Walks, Alicia Van Couvering (producer)
Prince Avalanche, Derrick Tseng (producer)
Stones in the Sun, Mynette Louie (producer)

19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
(The 19th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Pincus, David Fenster (director)
Gimme the Loot, Adam Leon (director)
Electrick Children, Rebecca Thomas (director)

STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
(The 18th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
Leviathan, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel (directors)
The Waiting Room, Peter Nicks (director)
Only the Young, Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims (directors)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Starlet, Sean Baker (director); Julia Kim (casting director); Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone (cast)

Jared Leto Says No One Passed Out from Not Eating on Set of “Dallas Buyer’s Club”

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by PAULA SCHWARTZ, Special to Showbiz411— Upsets began early last night at the Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street when the first award, the Audience Award, went to director Bartholomew Cubbins for his film “Artifact.” He beat out favored “Beasts of the Southern Wild” directed by Benh Zeitlin. Even Cubbins was shocked. “I feel like ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ should be up here with me,” he said. The movie is about the rock group 30 Seconds to Mars, fronted by musician-actor Jared Leto (“My So Called Life”).

Cubbins, in fact, is none other than Leto’s pseudonym. When Leto/Cubbins took the stage, most of the audience didn’t know what was going on. Leto is emaciated. (Editor’s note: he actually looks like a young Courteney Cox.) The musician-turned-actor-turned director was unrecognizable; he’s become gaunt for his first movie role in five years, as a transsexual in “Dallas Buyers Club.” He was so skinny that few journalists bothered interviewing him because they didn’t recognize who he was. The only give away that it was Leto was the actor’s piercing blue eyes. The actor, who was slender to begin with, dropped the weight because it was essential for his part in the film as a transgendered person.

The star of “Dallas,” Matthew McConaughey, who plays a man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, became even skinnier than Leto.  Pictures that have been circulating of the “Magic Mike” star are downright scary. Asked if people dropped like flies from hunger on the set, Leto said, “No one passed out.”

Leto explained how he prepared for the role. “I waxed my body and my entire eyebrows too. Feel if you want, nice and smooth,” Leto said, and motioned to a reporter to touch the back of his hand. “I just immersed myself in their culture and the people and I hope I can represent them as honorably as possible.”

A highlight of the evening was Matt Damon’s tribute and his very funny speech. (Also honored were Marion Cotillard, David O. Russell and Jeff Skoll of Participant Media). In the press room, the good-natured actor batted back questions that ranged from mundane to silly to surreal.

How does it feel at his still very young age to be honored for his career when he’s only, hopefully, half way through it? “I hope this is like a buoy marker. Like kind of a half-time thing and that I can do this for another 15 years. That would be cool.”

Fame can stunt some people, another journalist said. How did he guard against that?

“I have a team of people who do that for me,” he deadpanned.

Watching footage of his career tonight were there moments when he forgot what he’d done or moments that made him cringe with embarrassment. “I watch it and I just try to think, like who they don’t have a deal with? Who won’t release their footage, kind of like, ‘Those bastards!” (Clearly there was no problem getting footage from his classic ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance.’)

In his speech the actor mentioned how he got a free Calvin Klein suit early in his career. Someone asked what was his biggest fashion transformation? Was it the suit? “My wife would probably tell you that I haven’t transformed at all fashion wise. There are these things where they give you a suit, so it looks like you know what the hell you’re doing, but there are plenty of paparazzi shots of me walking around in my own clothes that prove that I have absolutely no fashion sense.”

Whose suit is he wearing tonight? “Calvin Klein again,” Damon said. “I actually forgot to say that because that was what made me think of it. I was putting it on and I saw it was Calvin Klein. You know it was another free suit. Again, that surreal part of my life.”

In an alternate universe, if you were elected president, a reporter started to ask, when Damon interrupted her with, “Can I fly? As long as we’re in an alternate universe can I have some superpowers?”

No, what would you do, the journalist asked? “What would I do if I were the president or if I could fly?”

As for whether it would be surreal if he and Ben Affleck — who won Oscars together in 1998 for writing “Good Will Hunting”– faced off against each other at the Oscars, Damon replied, “There’s no against at that point.”