What is a film festival? Controversy and confrontation or is it entertainment and glitz? While directors like Lars Von Trier and many other Europeans continue to enlist movies, film critics like Ebert convene mid-Spring and check out the best of cinema, Film d'Art. This all takes place on a seaport off the Mediterranean Sea not far from war in the Middle East/North Africa. The Cannes Film Festival selects it's best!
Jurors like Robert Dinero and movies with names like Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst go on display with the the greatest directors, Shekar Kapur. However, this year's festival left one director out of the press box after foul comments, Lars Von Trier. No surprise while another film had it's debut despite a country's displeasure with the story content. If we were to make a movie about a festival, Cannes would definitely be a great choice sure bet to captivate an audience. Cannes Film Festival confronts audiences, provides a worldview on cinema and erupts out of a sea to host a world audience amongst war and protest.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Serena Williams
According to NY Times headline, "Serena Williams said she will return and defend Wimbledon title." Serena will attend the AEGON International Tournament in Eastbourne and return to defend her title in Wimbledon. Serena has won Wimbledon four times but severed a foot tendon four days after winning Wimbledon a year ago. Later Williams had surgery for a blood clot in her lung, pulmonary embolism.
Serena won her first Grand Slam tournament in 1999. Rule is In order for Serena Williams and Venus Williams to maintain eligibility in the 2012 Olympics they must play in Fed Cup this year and next year. There are many supporters. Billy Jean King is optimistic about Serena's return after such a sudden illness. She attributes Serena's optimism and guts to her will power to return. Williams has shown her knack for jumping back in the game after time off and setbacks, after winning the Australian Open in 2007.
Formerly world ranked at Number 1 and currently world ranked at 25. Serena was first ranked number one in 2002 and again ranked number one in 2009. Presently she is ranked number 20 in doubles along with her sister Venus Williams. Serena Williams has twelve titles in women's doubles along with her two in mixed doubles. She has 13 in singles with a total of 27 Grand Slam titles putting her ninth on the all time list.
Serena Williams has won more career prize money than any other female athlete.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Talk about Good Films
After a conversation with Doug Sadler this week about the Chesapeake Film Festival and his life as an Independent Film Artist it has been more interesting to watch the film industry. The decentralization has impacted film and the artist within it. Independent filmmaking is proliferating all across the board with Documentaries on various subjects and Narratives focusing on relationships. How does the market survive as Doug explains the industry and curates a Film Festival on the Eastern Shore of Maryland along with his supporting cast and crew is the question. Doug says “Money!”
Let the festivals begin! Cannes theaters just let out while Sundance wrapped it up at the end of January. There are more big International Film Festivals like Cannes starting later in the year as Chesapeake Film Festival prepares for their Fourth Annual Film Event. Schedules are being created and movies are being talked about. Doug and the Crew scour all the latest films premiering this last year. One thing for sure they all know the best film and believe in Chesapeake Film Festival.
The Festival started planning five years ago after an initial spearhead group sparked it up, after Doug finished touring Swimmers a film shot in Easton, MD. Swimmers was nominated for the Humanitas Prize at Sundance Film Festival and Won a New American Cinema Award. Chesapeake Festival does not offer awards since they are only a small event. Nonetheless, they are always in the races showing the best everywhere from France to New York premiering Dogtooth last year, a controversial film and Cannes winner!
Doug Sadler is a resident of NY City where he is putting together his own team of film artists in the area of animators, directors, cinematographers and the likes. Doug is ready for this New Film Industry while Big Production houses are creating 3D cinema, working with those small distribution outlets, Doug knows indie film! He is working on scripts all the time and shopping for the next Big Story while trying to create a main event Festival on the Maryland’s Eastern Shore!
Let the festivals begin! Cannes theaters just let out while Sundance wrapped it up at the end of January. There are more big International Film Festivals like Cannes starting later in the year as Chesapeake Film Festival prepares for their Fourth Annual Film Event. Schedules are being created and movies are being talked about. Doug and the Crew scour all the latest films premiering this last year. One thing for sure they all know the best film and believe in Chesapeake Film Festival.
The Festival started planning five years ago after an initial spearhead group sparked it up, after Doug finished touring Swimmers a film shot in Easton, MD. Swimmers was nominated for the Humanitas Prize at Sundance Film Festival and Won a New American Cinema Award. Chesapeake Festival does not offer awards since they are only a small event. Nonetheless, they are always in the races showing the best everywhere from France to New York premiering Dogtooth last year, a controversial film and Cannes winner!
Doug Sadler is a resident of NY City where he is putting together his own team of film artists in the area of animators, directors, cinematographers and the likes. Doug is ready for this New Film Industry while Big Production houses are creating 3D cinema, working with those small distribution outlets, Doug knows indie film! He is working on scripts all the time and shopping for the next Big Story while trying to create a main event Festival on the Maryland’s Eastern Shore!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Cannes Film Depictions
This year a controversial festival kicked off with films kicked out. Lars Von Trier was booted from the festival after having the press in his hands for once according to Filmlinc.com. Lars Von Trier told press he understood Hitler after entering a controversial film titled Melancholia. With a jury headed up by Robert Dinero the winner was a Brad Pitt hit.
“Terrance Malick’s latest wins Top Cannes,” states headlines while Malick was too shy to accept the award. The Tree of Life after a booing in opening nights won the Palm D’or. Pitt defended Malick by stating, “an artist should not have to be a salesman.” With mixed messages initially for the film Brad Pitt plays “a brutally stern father.”
The festival contestants undergo trials amongst a jury after they have left. The consideration and deliberations are constant amongst critics as they remain and offer constant thoughts chewing and digesting the films played and replayed in Cannes a small beach resort.
“Terrance Malick’s latest wins Top Cannes,” states headlines while Malick was too shy to accept the award. The Tree of Life after a booing in opening nights won the Palm D’or. Pitt defended Malick by stating, “an artist should not have to be a salesman.” With mixed messages initially for the film Brad Pitt plays “a brutally stern father.”
The festival contestants undergo trials amongst a jury after they have left. The consideration and deliberations are constant amongst critics as they remain and offer constant thoughts chewing and digesting the films played and replayed in Cannes a small beach resort.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bridesmaids or Thor?
If numbers are enough to drive you to the movies you might want to pick Thor or Bridesmaids, based on ratings either or will suffice. But movies are personal preference or character driven, right? With an unexpected 24.6 million dollars during opening weekend who is in Bridesmaids? I know for a raunchy comedic chick flick this is your ideal date movie touching friendship, love, transformations and beginnings. Men are allowed representing 33 percent of Bridesmaids viewers.
In this all too ordinary film, Bridesmaids is all about women spewing their heart and bodily instincts to reach happily ever after. From the producer of Knocked UP and Forty Year Old Virgin Judd Apatow shows he has a formula for comedies in the box office and a feel for human transformations as he aims for a broader audience. Although Thor, which attracts the whole family, is in its second week, leading the box office with the total family formula for success.
With Pirates of the Caribbean on its way, along with Kung Fu Panda II we have greater expectations. If Thor can continue to captivate the family after Memorial Weekend despite cult followers who love Captain Jack and Jack Black numbers will definitely reveal something to studios about their next characters. Will Thor deserve a repeat for studios since tried and true seems to be the thing to do?
However, ladies chick flicks are on the rise too now if Bridesmaids can continue to do well and critics enjoy of course. Bridesmaids are full of laughs, not your typical sap tale drama tearjerker but offering hardcore grit. Meanwhile with numbers above the 50 percentile in opening weekend Bridesmaids is a cut above the rest. As Jumping the Broom an African American wedding story is creeping behind slowly opening the same weekend alongside Thor. One thing for sure going to the movies is still the ice cream on the “Cakebaby!”
No pun intended, just go see Bridesmaids….
In this all too ordinary film, Bridesmaids is all about women spewing their heart and bodily instincts to reach happily ever after. From the producer of Knocked UP and Forty Year Old Virgin Judd Apatow shows he has a formula for comedies in the box office and a feel for human transformations as he aims for a broader audience. Although Thor, which attracts the whole family, is in its second week, leading the box office with the total family formula for success.
With Pirates of the Caribbean on its way, along with Kung Fu Panda II we have greater expectations. If Thor can continue to captivate the family after Memorial Weekend despite cult followers who love Captain Jack and Jack Black numbers will definitely reveal something to studios about their next characters. Will Thor deserve a repeat for studios since tried and true seems to be the thing to do?
However, ladies chick flicks are on the rise too now if Bridesmaids can continue to do well and critics enjoy of course. Bridesmaids are full of laughs, not your typical sap tale drama tearjerker but offering hardcore grit. Meanwhile with numbers above the 50 percentile in opening weekend Bridesmaids is a cut above the rest. As Jumping the Broom an African American wedding story is creeping behind slowly opening the same weekend alongside Thor. One thing for sure going to the movies is still the ice cream on the “Cakebaby!”
No pun intended, just go see Bridesmaids….
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