Director John Crowley, Eric Bana, and Rebecca Hall discuss the constant surveillance the main characters are under in the new thriller Closed Circuit in this behind-the-scenes featurette. Opening in theaters on August 28, 2013, the Focus Features drama also stars Julia Stiles, Jim Broadbent, Ciaran Hinds, Riz Ahmed, Anne-Marie Duff, Kenneth Cranham, and Denis Moschitto.
The Plot:
One morning, a busy London market is decimated by an explosion. In the manhunt that follows, only one member of the suspected terrorist cell survives: Farroukh Erdogan (Moschitto), who is arrested and jailed. Preparations begin for what promises to be the trial of the century.
But there’s a hitch: the government will use classified evidence to prosecute Erdogan, evidence so secret that neither he nor his lawyers can be allowed to see it. Hence the need for the Attorney General (Broadbent) to appoint a Special Advocate, an additional government-approved defense lawyer (Claudia Simmons-Howe, played by Rebecca Hall), one who has clearance to see classified evidence and who can argue for its full disclosure when the trial moves to “closed” session. The rules for the Special Advocate are clear: once the secret evidence is shared with her, Claudia will not be allowed to communicate even with the defendant or with other members of the defense team.
But just as the case is on the eve of going to trial, Erdogan’s lawyer dies suddenly, and a new defense attorney, Martin Rose (Bana), quickly steps in. Martin is tenacious, driven, brilliant – and an ex-lover of Claudia’s. The two lawyers make an uncomfortable pact to keep their former affair hidden. But as Martin begins to piece the case together, the outlines of a sinister conspiracy emerge, one that will draw him and Claudia dangerously close again.
Joshua Jackson will be filling his downtime since the end of Fringe with a starring role in Showtime’s The Affair. Jackson will be joining Dominic West, Ruth Wilson and Maura Tierney in the drama series created by writer/producer Sarah Treem.
Treem co-wrote the original script with Hagai Levi after having worked with Levi on In Treatment. Described as “an intense and intimate exploration of two marriages and an affair that disrupts them,” The Affair will tell relationship stories from both the male and female perspectives.
Details on the Plot and Characters:
“Jackson will play the role of Cole, a hard-edged cowboy who manages a ranch on the eastern tip of Long Island that has been in his family for generations. Cole is married to Allison (Ruth Wilson) a young woman, working in a pancake house, trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragedy. Their emotionally charged marriage becomes even more complicated when Allison begins an affair with Noah (Dominic West), a New Yorker who is spending the summer with his family out on the island.
Maura Tierney will play Helen, Noah’s college sweetheart, best friend, mother of his children, lover and wife of 17 years, whose world will be buffeted by Noah’s infidelity and who, over time, will swing back and forth from understanding to furious, and from forgiving to vengeful.”
Jessica Lange participates in “American Horror Story: Coven” panel at the FX 2013 Summer TCA press tour. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Invision for FX/AP Images)
Filming had just begun on season three of FX’s critically acclaimed, award-winning anthology series American Horror Story: Coven when the cast and executive producer Tim Minear took part in the summer Television Critics Association press event in Beverly Hills, CA. But the small amount they’d shot, exactly who they’re playing, and how the characters interact with each other this season was being kept pretty much a secret, with only a few basic details dished out.
And when Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett were asked about their characters, Minear stepped in to say, “I’m going to have them not give away too much about their characters this year because we’re trying to keep some things close to the vest. If you’ve heard something online, it’s probably not true. We’re at the very beginning stages of shooting the show, and we’d like to keep a lot of the surprises on the screen. And I’d like to keep my job.”
“All of these women are playing very iconic, very strong female characters,” added Minear. “Not all of them are witches. Some of them are witches. But I think that if you look at this panel and this is just part of the cast, and the cast is off the hook. It’s amazing. If we could have gotten George Cukor to direct this pilot, we may have done that. FX is often thought of as kind of a boys’ network, but I think when you look up at this murderer’s row of actresses, you can see that this is in fact going to be the most friendly place for women on television this year is American Horror Story. Friendly until we start, well, the thing we do.”
The plot: “Coven tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.”
In addition to taking part in the American Horror Story: Coven panel, Oscar/Golden Globe/Emmy winner Jessica Lange also sat down with a small group of journalists for a more in-depth look at this upcoming season of the popular FX series.
Jessica Lange American Horror Story: Coven Interview
Can we expect any big surprises like “The Name Game” or another musical number?
Jessica Lange: [Laughing] “Wouldn’t that be delightful? I honestly don’t know. I mean, I’m sure there are going to be some lively little surprises there, but I don’t know if they’ll be of a musical nature or not.”
What did you think when you read that last year?
Jessica Lange: “You know, it was such a funny thing the way that came up because we were dealing with such dark, dark, material – you know, the thing of insanity and mental health and the incarceration and the warehousing of human beings. I mentioned to Ryan [Murphy], and this is the great thing about being in a show that’s as fluid as this, that it’s not all there on the page from the beginning.
I said, because I’ve done a little snippet of a musical number as a flashback as the second-rate lounge singer that I played, I said, ‘Can I have another musical number?’ and out of the blue came this, which I thought was absolutely brilliant because it comes out of her despair and her madness and that thing of being, you know, the question do you know who you are? Then, boom! You’re into this kind of crazy, Dusty Springfield musical number and it was so much fun to do.
The most fun about it was watching all of our extras, all the actors that played the inmates throughout the year. I mean, how much fun everybody was having and how great everybody was in it. Yes, it was a great treat. I hope there’s something like that in store. Like I said, I doubt if it’ll be another musical number. I think I probably exhausted my talent in that area.”
Are you astounded every single year? Do you know what you’ll be doing a year from now?
Jessica Lange: “No, I’m not sure yet. It will depend a lot on what the storyline will be. But they keep coming up with new things. I mean, it’s pretty amazing.”
Is there anything you wouldn’t do? It seems like you get to do so much in these sordid roles.
Jessica Lange: “I don’t want to do the overt, violent stuff. I mean, as long as it has some kind of emotion. That doesn’t set well with me. I’ve made that pretty clear.”
Since you’ve been a regular, is it easier or harder to have a new cast come in every year versus working with other regulars?
Jessica Lange: “Well, I do work with the same [actors]. This will be the third year working with a lot of these actors. Some of them skipped the second season and are coming back, some are. But, this group of actresses is pretty spectacular. [Laughing] I’m waiting to see if we get any men.”
In regards to witchcraft and working in New Orleans, is there anything that creeps you out or scares you being in the city and learning more about voodoo?
Jessica Lange: “I think there are areas that you don’t want to tempt. I think you need to have a kind of genuine respect for tradition and for those dark arts. I wouldn’t want to come up against anything. There’s something about this city that I’ve always loved and there is something about it that people have such a deep and profound respect for that place. I mean, the people who live there, and have such a tremendous passion about their town. That in itself is kind of, I don’t know. I’m in awe of it in a way.”
What are your favorite places in New Orleans since you love it so much?
Jessica Lange: “I love the river. I love being in the Quarter and I love the parks. There’s something quite magical about the place, I think. I love the trees and the flowers, and the smell at night.”
Where have you spent time in the Quarter? Have you been to all the old places?
Jessica Lange: “I’ve been to a lot of them. I try to avoid the ones that are most popular from a tourist’s point of view. I mean, for obvious reasons. They’re not as interesting. They’ve been tricked out for the tourists. Yeah, the Napoleon House is a great old place.”
Had you worked in New Orleans a lot prior to this?
Jessica Lange: “No. The first time I spent time there I was actually shooting in Baton Rouge. I was doing a film called Everybody’s All American. Every time I had a moment, I’d run down to New Orleans, of course. Then over the years I’ve made pretty good friends there. I’ve had a photography show there. I’ve had a show of my own collection of photographs at the Ogden Museum there. I’ve come and gone. I’ve worked with a photographer there making photograph viewers. It’s a very interesting city, not just for the film industry that has come but for a long tradition of arts and photography.”
Could you talk about getting to play Sarah Paulson’s mother? Can you see where that relationship is going, given the history of the characters you’ve both played in the past?
Jessica Lange: “Again, we don’t know where it’s going or what that’s going in there. I think, to a certain extent, I may have failed the character in that way. We have to see where it’s going.”
Did you ask for that dynamic to be changed?
Jessica Lange: “No. That was something that the writers and Ryan and the creators came up with this year.”
Will you have a close relationship with Jamie Brewer?
Jessica Lange: “Yes. She’s back. I mean, not as my daughter this time. Yes, she’ll be there and we have a unique relationship again.”
What’s the scariest film you’ve ever seen?
Jessica Lange: “I think maybe The Exorcist. I remember that one haunted me for a long time. Or I remember when I first saw Night of the Living Dead, when you walk out on the street and it’s like, ‘I know who you all are.’ Yes, I think probably The Exorcist. I’m not a horror film junkie. I haven’t seen a lot of them.”
Did you have a lot of Frances moments in your head shooting last season’s episodes?
Jessica Lange: “Yes. I mean, every once in a while when I do the shock treatment, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I better research on this and see what happens.’ Then I realized, ‘No, I have researched this and I know it.’ All those things are still in the body somewhere.”
You haven’t gotten to describe what type of witch you play. Could you elaborate if she’s a good witch or a bad witch?
Jessica Lange: “It’s fluid; it shifts. I hate to say it because I don’t know what direction it’s going to go yet, but I would imagine there’s a lot of darkness to all of it.”
What are your costumes like this year?
Jessica Lange: “I’m very glamorous this year. Very glamorous, yes.”
You have this sort of eternal youth. Where does that come from?
Jessica Lange: “I don’t know. I’m happy and I think maybe that’s partly it. I think the idea that I’m at a…I like to think of it as being at the third chapter of my life and it opening up and maybe being the best chapter. Who knows? But I want to embrace it with all the kind of enthusiasm that I had when I was young. I want to see where this next adventure, not necessarily, I’m not talking about work now but the next adventure of my life takes me. It could take me in a completely different direction.”
Do you just let it happen?
Jessica Lange: “Yes.”
Do you have some sort of plan or path set out?
Jessica Lange: “No, this one I want to go back to the way I did things when I was 18, and that was just by saying yes to everything and having no kind of predetermined idea about what it was going to be, and just seeing where the adventure could possibly take me.”
That sounds like a great life lesson. Do you share that with other people if they ask you for any advice?
Jessica Lange: [Laughing] “Well, I don’t know. People usually don’t ask me for advice.”
They should. You’re so inspirational.
Jessica Lange: “But I do want to try something maybe completely different from anything I’ve ever done before. I don’t know how long I’m going to keep acting. I may just do something unique, 180 degrees from what I’ve been doing for the last 35 years.”
* * * * * *
American Horror Story: Coven premieres on October 9, 2013 at 10pm.
Anna Faris and Allison Janney in ‘Mom’ (Photo Courtesy of CBS)
At the Television Critics Association panel for the CBS sitcom Mom starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney, series creator Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory) joked that he wanted to do a show about vampires but it had already been done before revealing how he actually came up with this new show. “Mom sprang from a desire on my part to finish something that I tried on a couple of occasions and failed to do successfully, which is to tell a story about a woman starting her life over again and redemption and all those really funny premises for a sitcom. And I tried it many years ago on Grace Under Fire, and I left that show after a year because…well…just because,” explained Lorre.
“I tried it again with Cybill and… But this is a story that’s very meaningful to me because it’s about starting your life over again, repairing the damage you’ve done. Nothing to do with me personally, but fixing the mistakes you’ve made in the past, restoring relationships, getting another start. Very much a story of Los Angeles in a way, even though it’s not set there, because we all get this is the city of second chances or I think it was – I may have missed fifth or sixth chances,” said Lorre. “But I approached Eddie [Gorodetsky] last August about doing this and we spent about two months failing miserably at it, getting absolutely nowhere. And we were about ready to give it up, and then Eddie had the very good idea to invite Gemma [Baker] into the process. Gemma’s been a writer on Two and a Half Men for the last couple years, and she saved us. She helped us open the story up. And then in December we sent it to Anna, and she said yes, which made it a series.”
The Plot: “Mom is a comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre starring Anna Faris as a newly sober single mom raising two children in a world full of temptations and pitfalls, and multiple Emmy Award winner Allison Janney as her critical, estranged mother. Christy is a waitress at a posh Napa Valley establishment who is four months clean and doing her best to be a good mom and overcome a history of questionable choices. Her sobriety is tested when her recovering alcoholic mom Bonnie reappears, chock-full of passive-aggressive insights into Christy’s many mistakes.
Bonnie joins Christy’s already complicated circle of relationships: her handsome, married boss – and lover – Gabriel; the restaurant’s hot-tempered chef, Rudy; her pretty, 16-going-on-25-year-old daughter, Violet; her sweet but overly honest son, Roscoe; her irresponsible ex and Roscoe’s father, Baxter; and Violet’s clueless boyfriend, Luke. Christy tries to remain positive as she pursues her new path in life, but she faces an uphill battle, surrounded by a dubious support system – and a copious amount of dysfunction.”
Faris’ and her husband, Chris Pratt, are now both balancing the duties of being new parents, working on feature films, and handling roles in television series (Pratt’s a regular on Parks and Recreation). And during the TCA event, I had the opportunity to sit down with Faris and find out more about juggling her time demands, her character, and Mom.
Anna Faris Mom Interview
Were you ever a waitress?
Anna Faris: “Yes.”
How good were you or bad were you?
Anna Faris: “I was so bad. I was a waitress at a senior citizen home so there’s two options. There’s like, ‘You can have the fish and chips or you can have the grilled chicken with no sodium.’ I was so bad. One time I walked back into the kitchen and I looked at my notepad and all I had done was just made little waves on the paper so I had to go back, take the order again. [Laughing] Luckily they were elderly, so maybe they didn’t remember.”
How do you relate to a 16 year old?
Anna Faris: “It’s really interesting. You know, both Bonnie [played by Janney] and my character, Christy, had their children as teenagers. There’s a little bit of sort of dreams left unfulfilled, but making the pilot I realized this lady is so great. She’s so lovely, but I did realize like I don’t know what 16 girls are like anymore. I have no idea. She’s a mystery to me.”
Did it give you lots of insight into the fact that you’re going to have one eventually?
Anna Faris: “Oh geez, I don’t think so.”
How are you balancing acting with motherhood?
Anna Faris: “I think that’s been one of the blessings of this job, being in town. My parents are down a lot. My baby is their only grandchild, so I’m sure they’re just doting on him right now, spoiling him, giving him chocolate cake or whatever my mom is doing.”
Can we talk about his makeover for a second? When he tweeted that picture – what was that about?
Anna Faris: “Yeah, he had a crazy…he’s been working really hard. He’s on a crazy diet and he looks amazing. But I tell you what, life isn’t quite as much fun.”
Do you prefer the old Chris or the new Chris?
Anna Faris: [Laughing] “Someplace in between, just like so he can go out and have a couple beers.”
What was your biggest bit of butting heads you had with your own mom? Was there a conflict that you guys kind of kept coming back to it?
Anna Faris: “There is a couple things. My mom is like Allison’s mom in a sense that she is a total…she’s very conservative, although she hates when I say that because she’s very liberal politically. That’s what she always wants me to say, but socially conservative. I grew up sort of in a bubble a little bit. When I did the first Scary Movie, it really broke her in quickly. There were a couple of moments where I was like, ‘Mom, you have to go to the bathroom right now. Go to the bathroom right now. Go to the bathroom right now.’
She’s so amazing, but she worries all the time. Like this morning she was worried about my garbage disposal sanitation. Worried that I wasn’t eating enough granola. Worried that I’m not wearing sunblock. Worried about anything you could possibly worry about. It’s like Mom, I guess.”
Has the show relieved a little pressure of feeling like you need to be a perfect mom yourself?
Anna Faris: “I don’t know. What I’ve learned about being a mom is that there’s, even though my baby is only 11 months, so much guilt. You just can’t escape the guilt. I think that’s a lifelong thing, apparently.”
Are your folks still in Seattle?
Anna Faris: “They live in Seattle, yeah.”
Did they try to talk you out of this kind of career?
Anna Faris: “No, that is kind of the amazing thing about my parents. When I decided to not pursue acting because it seemed impractical, they were kind of disappointed. That’s proud parents. They’re so sweet. Yeah, which is really kind of amazing. It was a gift.”
Are you finding components of your mom that you used to find annoying, are you seeing yourself turning into a little bit of that mentality?
Anna Faris: “A little bit. Although I do feel myself pushing back. My mom wants to baby-proof everything. I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t know mom. Not everything.'”
You were saying before that you were becoming known as ‘spoof girl.’ Did you actually worry about that? That that was going to follow you and you were never going to break out of that?
Anna Faris: “Yeah, definitely. I felt so lucky to be a part of those movies, but I couldn’t get auditions for anything dramatic for a long time. My first, sort of, it was a comedic role, but in Lost in Translation I really had to fight for that role. I auditioned for it about nine months before they actually gave me the role.”
Do you have any time to promote Meatballs? Do you even have time to go to the premiere, with how busy you are working on this show and being a mom?
Anna Faris: “Yes, I think I will go to the premiere. But the next couple months will be a little intense for me, but I think with Chris being gone it’s really good for me to be busy.”
How is it for him though because with the new baby at home and he’s away, it must be so hard for him? How’s he dealing with it?
Anna Faris: “We Skype. That’s all you can do. I did go to visit him and I brought my baby to London, which I hope I don’t have to do again.”
How was traveling with him?
Anna Faris: “He was really good, but the thing is that you just don’t sleep. In the situation we had, I had to hold him pretty much the entire flight. You’re trying to stuff a sandwich in your mouth or whatever. Anyway…”
What did Chris tell you about doing a series? Did he give you advice about it?
Anna Faris: “We talk a lot about our characters. He’ll give me advice sort of on how to deliver a joke or what I can adjust and things like that. His isn’t multi-camera, so it’s a little different.”
Are you looking forward to the schedule being a little bit more secure because it is on the stage?
Anna Faris: “I think all actors who, when you’re making films or one-hours, you really are working 14-15 hours a day so your life gets tidal waved. It’s really hard to have any kind of personal life. It’s amazing. But I also love the thrill of recording live. It was so terrifying, but kind of amazing. It felt like, you know there’s no second chance, even though there sort of technically is, but the pressure is on to get it right. That is really exciting because you get kind of lazy sometimes with film. ‘I don’t know, let’s break for lunch.'”
Where do you shoot this?
Anna Faris: “At Warner Brothers, yeah.”
Is that convenient for you?
Anna Faris: “Sort of. It’s one of those things where I’m only like four miles away, but it’s somehow it’s like a 45 minute drive.”
What show was in your stage before?
Anna Faris: “Never a multi-camera. It’s kind of exciting. They had to reconfigure everything to make it. Maybe, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
Chuck Lorre has got a history of great shows written for women. Why do you think he’s so good at getting these shows to work with the female leads?
Anna Faris: “Well, I think he’s really fascinated by people but women especially. I haven’t actually talked at length with him about it, but I’m really honored that he is making a show about two messy women. It’s really exciting.”
What did your mom think of the show? What did she say after she watched it?
Anna Faris: “She loved it but I did give her some wine before.”
************
Mom premieres on CBS on Monday, September 23, 2013 at 9:30pm.
The 23rd race around the globe will find baseball wives, NFL players, actors, doctors, and other teams competing for the $1 million prize. The Amazing Race returns on September 29, 2013 at 8pm with Emmy-winner Phil Keoghan once again as host.
According to CBS, the 11 teams will be able to use the Double Express Pass introduced into the competition last year. The special pass is awarded to the first team that makes it to the first pit stop. One pass is theirs to use as needed, and the other must be given to another team prior to the end of leg five.
Among the nine countries the competitors will race through this season are Norway where they’ll take a “bone-chilling plunge,” and Abu Dhabi where they’ll get to “buckle up for Formula One Racing.”
The Amazing Race Season 23 Teams:
1) Name: Hoskote Venkatesh
Age: 60
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Current occupation: ER Doctor
Name: Adam Switzer
Age: 34
Hometown: Chico, Calif.
Current occupation: Eco-friendly farmer
Connection: Childhood Friends
7) Name: Allison “Ally” Mello
Age: 22
Hometown: Los Angeles
Current occupation: The NHL’s LA Kings Ice Crew Girl
Name: Ashley Covert
Age: 25
Hometown: Los Angeles
Current occupation: The NHL’s LA Kings Ice Crew Girl
Connection: LA Kings Ice Crew
8) Name: Nicole Jasper
Age: 39
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Current occupation: ER Physician
Name: Travis Jasper
Age: 43
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Current occupation: ER Physician
Connection: Married ER Doctors
9) Name: Nicole “Nicky” Getz
Age: 27
Hometown: Splits time between Kansas City and Troy, Mich.
Current occupation: Baseball Wife/Training to be a Pilates Instructor
*Married to Chris Getz, who played for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals (currently)
Name: Kim DeJesus
Age: 32
Hometown: Chicago
Current occupation: Baseball Wife
*Married to David DeJesus who played for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays (currently)
Name: Marie “Reebs” Mazzocchi
Age: 29
Hometown: Morristown, N.J.
Current occupation: Fitness Trainer/Gym Owner
Connection: Exes
11) Name: Chester Pitts II
Age: 33
Hometown: Missouri City, Texas
Current occupation: Sports Analyst for “Texans Insider,” Executive Consultant for ZT Wealth and Altus HMS.
*Played for Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks for more than 10 years in the NFL
Name: Ephraim Salaam
Age: 36
Hometown: Studio City, Calif.
Current occupation: Co-host of “Fox Sports Live.”
*Played for Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons for 13 years in the NFL
Oscar Isaac stars in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ (Photo Courtesy of CBS Films)
More than 100 features, short films, and revivals will screen over the course of the 40th anniversary of the Telluride Film Festival. Running August 29 through Monday, September 2, 2013, the Telluride Film Festival will also include a special concert by the Punch Brothers featuring songs from the soundtrack of the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis.
“This year’s 40th anniversary is a celebration of what Telluride Film Festival has accomplished over the past four decades, as well as what we are doing now and forty years from now,” stated Telluride Film Festival Executive Director Julie Huntsinger. “We are committed to presenting groundbreaking films with the world’s most preeminent talent in technologically advanced, state-of-the-art facilities, including the brand new Werner Herzog Theatre. We look forward to continuing to explore the future in cinema through current masters of the art form and breakthrough talents.”
40th Telluride Film Festival New Films Screening in the Main Program:
Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following programs, five of which are preceded by short films:
· DIOR AND I (d. Frédéric Tcheng, U.S., 2013)
· HERE BE DRAGONS (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2013)
· JODOROWSKY’S DUNE (d. Frank Pavich, U.S./France, 2013)
· LOCATIONS: LOOKING FOR RUSTY JAMES (d. Alberto Fuguet, Chile, 2013) select screening will be followed by Francis Ford Coppola’s RUMBLE FISH (U.S., 1983)
· NATAN (d. David Cairns, Paul Duane, Ireland, 2013)
· MILIUS (d. Zak Knutson, Joey Figueroa, U.S., 2013)
· MULTIPLE VISIONS, THE CRAZY MACHINE (d. Emilio Maille, Mexico, 2012)
· MUSIDORA, THE TENTH MUSE (d. Patrick Cazals, France, 2013)
· PARTICLE FEVER (d. Mark Levinson, U.S., 2013)
· REMEMBRANCE – A SMALL MOVIE ABOUT OUUL IN THE 1950s (d. Peter Von Bagh, Finland, 2013)
· ROAD MOVIE: A PORTRAIT OF JOHN ADAMS (d. Mark Kidel, U.K., 2013)
· A STORY OF CHILDREN AND FILM (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2013)
Revival Screenings:
Novelist Don Delillo (TFF 2006) presents LA MORTE ROUGE (d. Victor Erice, Spain, 2006) and analyzes the 26-second ZAPRUDER film; screenwriter, director Buck Henry (TFF 2005) presents the “director’s cut” of THE TERMINAL MAN (d. Mike Hodge, U.S., 1972); writer Phillip Lopate (TFF 1995) presents NAKED CHILDHOOD (d. Maurice Pialat, France, 1969) with Pialat’s short, LOVE EXISTS (France, 1960); novelist Michael Ondaatje (TFF 2010) presents short films LA JETÉE (d. Chris Marker, France, 1962) and ELEPHANT (d. Alan Clarke, U.K., 1989); film scholar, curator and author B. Ruby Rich (TFF 1996) presents ONE WAY OR ANOTHER (d. Sara Gómez, Cuba, 1974); writer Salman Rushdie (TFF 2004) presents MAHANAGAR (d. Satyajit Ray, India, 1963).
Additional film revivals include Pierre Rissient’s selections, short MUSCLE BEACH (d. Irving Lerner, Joseph Strick, U.S., 1948) and TV episode A PIECE OF THE ACTION (d. Bernard Girard, U.S., 1962); “Pordenone Presents” has two selections: HE WHO GETS SLAPPED with The Alloy Orchestra performing their brand new score, and A SIMPLE CASE (d. Vsevolod Pudovkin, USSR, 1930) with a live musical performance by Gabriel Thibaudeau both presented by Paolo Cherchi Usai; PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (d. William Dieterle, U.S., 1948) presented by David Thomson; LE JOLI MAI (d. Chris Marker, Pierre Lhomme, France, 1963) presented by Colin MacCabe; LA POISON (d. Sacha Guitry, France, 1951) presented by Monique Montgomery; AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (d. Werner Herzog, Germany, 1972); and Michael Barker presents DEATH RIDES A HORSE (d. Giulio Petroni, Italy, 1967).
FX’s critically acclaimed series American Horror Story returns for season three with the title of American Horror Story: Coven and a premiere date of October 9, 2013 at 10pm. The date was revealed at the end of the short (as in 30 seconds) teaser trailer titled “Stakes.” Yes, it’s all about witches this coming season and returning for more grisly fun are Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, and Taissa Farmiga. The cast also includes Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LuPone, and Emma Roberts.
The Plot:Coven tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.
David Morrissey in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)
David Morrissey – The Walking Dead‘s evil governor – has signed on to the pilot episode of Line of Sight. Both shows are set up at AMC, and Morrissey would be working on both series at the same time.
“We are huge fans of David Morrissey and are glad he’ll be doing double duty for AMC viewers through his work on The Walking Dead and our pilot for Line of Sight, both of which are produced in Atlanta,” stated AMC executives.
Line of Sight was created by Blake Masters (2 Guns) who will also be writing and executive producing. Jonathan Demme is on board to direct the pilot and executive produce. The series marks the network’s first original sci-fi show, but not the first time they’ve tapped a Walking Dead actor to headline a series that doesn’t involve zombies. The Walking Dead‘s Lennie James (Morgan in seasons one and three) now stars opposite Mark Strong in the network’s new dramatic series, Low Winter Sun.
The Plot:
Line of Sight is the story of Lewis Bernt, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator who survives a mysterious plane crash, bringing him on a quest to discover the accident’s cause.
“Sometimes it takes a hustler to change the world.”
Matthew McConaughey lost 40 pounds to tackle the lead role in Dallas Buyers Club directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (The Young Victoria) and based on a true story. And Focus Features has faith that this one will attract some awards attention, moving the film up to a November 1, 2013 theatrical release and setting it up for an awards run.
The Plot: Matthew McConaughey stars in Dallas Buyers Club as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal.
Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts – who he once would have shunned – and established a hugely successful “buyers’ club.” Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.
Are you still mourning the end of Starz’ gritty, riveting dramatic series Spartacus? If so, then we have the perfect way to cheer you up. Spartacus: War of the Damned is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on September 3, 2013 and Anchor Bay has provided us with a few copies of the Blu-ray release to give away to Spartacus fans.
Here’s the contest details:
– (THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER. Send an email with “Spartacus Contest” in the subject line. Your email address will not be added to any lists.
– You must be 18 years or older to enter and reside in the continental United States. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. The contest ends on September 2, 2013 at 10pm PST. Winners will be notified on September 3rd.
The Plot: Spartacus: War of the Damned – The Complete Third Season takes place following the defeat of Roman commander Gaius Claudius Glaber. Spartacus and his men have amassed major victories against the Romans after the Battle of Vesuvius. These victories have not only forged the legend of Spartacus, but have greatly increased the ranks of the rebellion slaves to more than 30,000. Rome is indeed beginning to tremble at the threat Spartacus now represents.
The Bonus Features:
– SPARTACUS: The Legend Retold
– The Price Of Being A Gladiator
– A Bloody Farewell
– The Spoils Of War Revealed: Visual Effects
– Adorning The Damned
– The Mind Behind SPARTACUS
– BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVES – Extended Episodes and Audio Commentaries!
Director John Crowley, Eric Bana, and Rebecca Hall discuss the constant surveillance the main characters are under in the new thriller Closed Circuit in this behind-the-scenes featurette. Opening in theaters on August 28, 2013, the Focus Features drama also stars Julia Stiles, Jim Broadbent, Ciaran Hinds, Riz Ahmed, Anne-Marie Duff, Kenneth Cranham, and Denis Moschitto.
Stumble It! 
