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2009 | 2008 | 2007

10 articles from 2009

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Z Criterion DVD Review

1 November 2009 7:34 AM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Costa-Gavras’s Z is the ultimate political thriller. Much like the earlier Battle of Algiers (1968)  it takes a real event, and uses it as fodder for cinema. And as a paranoia piece, 1969’s Z is a masterpiece.  It’s an angry film, spurned by the events of 1963, where a Greek politician was assassinated, and was murdered partly by the police, and the regime at the time. It’s a film that can make you angry about events of nearly a half century ago, and yet the echoes of the actions are still resonant. My review after the jump.

The leftist politician at the center of the film is called The Doctor (Yves Montand), and he’s brought in to have a political rally, but the organizers are denied their first location, and locals in with a half gang/half political organization - that hates the leftists and typifies them as »

- Andre Dellamorte

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Chan-wook Park to remake Le Couperet (The Ax)

13 October 2009 1:37 PM, PDT | Affenheimtheater | See recent Affenheimtheater news »

Variety reports that Mr. Vengeance, Korean director Chan-wook Park will remake the dark French comedy thriller Le Couperet (The Ax). Costa-Gavras, director of the 2005 original said he’s glad that Park wants to remake his film and that he will support him as much as possible. Le Couperet tells the story of a chemist (played by José Garcia in the original version) who gets fired after a merging operation of his company. After several years of unemployment, the loss of his middle-class standards for his family and his self-esteem, he decides to improve his chances on the job market by killing of his competitors. Sounds like perfect material for somebody like Chan-wook Park, don’t you think? »

- Ulrik

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Does the Brotherhood of Fame Endow You With a Lifetime Exemption From Accountability?

30 September 2009 3:57 PM, PDT | Huffington Post | See recent Huffington Post news »

When I saw the petition protesting the recent arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland was signed by some of my most cherished artists -- the likes of Pedro Almodovar, Ariel Dorfman, Costa Gavras, Jonathan Demme, Sam Mendes -- men who I believed to be champions of women's and human rights, frankly, I was shocked. It made it distressingly clear to me that all our years of work have not yet penetrated or changed the culture so that it understands that rape is a legal crime and a crime against the soul. As a survivor, I can attest to the fact that rape forever changes your life, robbing you of dignity, self-worth, agency over your body, and comfortability with intimacy and trust, while also escalating a pervasive sense of isolation and shame. After 11 years of traveling the world »

- Eve Ensler

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Shock in Zurich as Young Fest Reels from Polanski Arrest

30 September 2009 12:49 PM, PDT | IndieWIRE | See recent indieWIRE news »

Organizers of the 5th Zurich Film Festival certainly couldn’t have imagined that they would be at the center of an international incident drawing the attention of the worldwide media. With only a half decade under its belt and a lineup that includes 60 international titles, the festival has nonetheless attracted high-profile names in recent years, including Oliver Stone in 2007 and Oscar-winner Costa Gavras and Sylvester Stallone in 2008. Actress Debra … »

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Polanski Lawyers Seek His Release

29 September 2009 12:58 PM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Lawyers for Roman Polanski have filed a motion with the Swiss Criminal Court asking that he be released. Early today (Tuesday), the court said that it will issue a decision within the next few weeks. Herve Temime, Polanski's attorney, also said that the director plans to fight extradition to the U.S., a country that he fled 31 years ago after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein observed Monday that Polanski's arrest comes at a time when federal authorities are demanding that California release 40,000 inmates because of prison overcrowding. "You'd hope that L.A. County prosecutors had better things to do than cause an international furor by hounding a film director for a 32-year-old sex crime, especially one that Polanski's victim wants to put behind her." That furor continues to grow. As of early today more than 100 entertainment industry professionals from Europe, Asia and the U.S. had signed a petition asking that Polanski be released. Among the signers are the directors Pedro Almodóvar, Wong Kar Wai, Wim Wenders, Michael Mann, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Costa Gavras, Monica Bellucci and Martin Scorsese. In a letter to the editor of Britain's Independent newspaper, Harvey Weinstein said that he plans to help circulate the petition. Moreover, he said, "I'm not too shy to go and talk to the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and to ask him once and for all to look at this." »

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Park Chan-Wook Has an 'Axe' to Grind

9 September 2009 2:25 PM, PDT | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »

We’re not sure how reliable Star News is, but according to Twitch, the site has reported Thirst director Park Chan-Wook’s next project will be a remake of Costa-Gavras' Le Couperet (The Axe).

The premise revolves around a middle-aged, middle class salary man who loses his job after a downsizing. After spending the next two years downsizing his lifestyle, his sanity is the next thing to go, and he decides to overcome the competition in an unusual way: By chopping down anyone who might be more qualified than him.

Costa-Gavras’ original film, which itself was adapted from a novel by Donald E. Westlake, is certainly topical given today’s economic climate where there are often too few open positions for the number of applicants.

Lee Gyeong-Mi is writing the script, and the film is expected to shoot in New York. The Le Couperet remake will likely be a »

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In Pictures: 'Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2009 on May 18th'

19 May 2009 4:52 AM, PDT | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

Model Doutzen Kroes arrives for the gala screening of the film 'Looking for Eric' by Ken Loach, running in competition in the 62nd edition of the Cannes film festival in Cannes, France, 18 May 2009. Epa/Guillaume Horcajuelo An unidentified guest arrives for the gala screening of the film 'Looking for Eric' by Ken Loach, running in competition in the 62nd edition of the Cannes film festival in Cannes, France, 18 May 2009. Epa/Guillaume Horcajuelo Director Costa Gavras arrives for the gala screening of the film 'Looking for Eric' by Ken Loach, running in competition in the 62nd edition of the Cannes film festival in Cannes, France, 18 May 2009. Epa/Christophe Karaba "Slumdog Millionaire" actor Ayush Manesh Khedekar »

- James Wray

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Cannes 2009 Producer's Patch: Pathé Pictures International

13 May 2009 | ioncinema | See recent ioncinema news »

- When the official announcement was made for the line-up – I was disappointed that Sylvain Chomet's The Illusionist did not appear in the lineup. It was wishful thinking on my part that international sales rep Pathe Pictures International would have the animated film here – when I know all to well that a post production “label” for an animated film means: it will take a bit longer. Nonetheless, Pathe brought Jane Campion's Bright Star to the main competition and buyers will have the opportunity to get in on early on Julian Schnabel's Miral (this should be competing in Cannes in 2010) and what should be a packed Market screening showing for Neil Marshall's latest, Centurion. Bright Star  by Jane Campion - Completed Centurion  by Neil Marshall - Production Cheri  by Stephen Frears - Completed Cineman  by Yann Moix - Post-Production Eden Is West (Eden Est A L'ouest)  by »

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Gabriel Byrne: The Hollywood Interview

10 April 2009 2:49 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »

Actor Gabriel Byrne.

Gabriel Byrne: Talk To Me

By

Alex Simon

Editor's Note: The following article appears in the April issue of Venice Magazine.

Gabriel Byrne was born in Dublin May 12, 1950, the eldest of six children. After schooling under the stern tutelage of The Christian Brothers and five years in Catholic seminary, Byrne attended University College in Dublin, where he studied linguistics and archeology, as well as honing his love of soccer, playing with the renowned Stella Maris Football Club.

Byrne discovered acting late compared to most of his peers, spending his 20s working in a variety of professions including schoolteacher, where his students inadvertently helped him discover his true calling (see below for more details). Since then, he has starred in over 45 films for some of cinema's finest contemporary directors both in the Us and Europe (John Boorman, Costa Gavras, Michael Mann, Ken Loach, David Cronenberg, and the Coen Brothers, »

- The Hollywood Interview.com

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Berlinale 09: More competition and Panorama titles

15 January 2009 11:42 AM, PST | QuietEarth.us | See recent QuietEarth news »

With the addition of the following 26 titles (14 of which have been invited), the competition section is almost completed. You'll notice the kid with wings flick Ricky by Francois Ozon that we reported on earlier. Also having it's world premier is Mitchell Lichtenstein's (Teeth) newest film Happy Tears which sounds nothing it's predecessor (a genre piece) as it's a family drama.

You can check out the list after the break.

Competition (some out)

Cheri UK

By Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons)

With Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones

World premiere

Darbareye Elly (About Elly) Iran

By Asghar Farhadi (Fireworks Wednesday)

With Golshifteh Farahani, Taraneh Alidousti, Mani Haghighi

World premiere

Deutschland 09 Germany - Out of Competition

Compilation film by Fatih Akin, Tom Tykwer, Wolfgang Becker, Sylke Enders, Dominik Graf, Romuald Karmakar, Nicolette Krebitz, Isabelle Stever, Hans Steinbichler, Hans Weingartner, Christoph Hochhäusler, Dani Levy and Angela Schanelec

World »

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2009 | 2008 | 2007

10 articles from 2009

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