Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace, which tells the story of the singer’s 1972 gospel album, is subject of more legal issues.
The film, which was mired in limbo for 46 years as a result of various legal battles, is now the subject of a suit from producers including Alan Elliott, against distributor Neon and CEO Tom Quinn.
The crux of the issue also involves the Hollywood trade press, including Deadline, which covered the news that Neon had acquired the U.S rights to the film in December 2018. There was one small problem, the producers allege, it hadn’t signed a deal, and in fact, the producers were in talks with other buyers, including Apple, when Neon announced the deal.
The suit (read it here) alleges that Neon “fraudulently induced” the producers to accept a distribution deal by publicly announcing the pact.
“In a plan commandeered by Quinn, Neon acquired the coveted...
The film, which was mired in limbo for 46 years as a result of various legal battles, is now the subject of a suit from producers including Alan Elliott, against distributor Neon and CEO Tom Quinn.
The crux of the issue also involves the Hollywood trade press, including Deadline, which covered the news that Neon had acquired the U.S rights to the film in December 2018. There was one small problem, the producers allege, it hadn’t signed a deal, and in fact, the producers were in talks with other buyers, including Apple, when Neon announced the deal.
The suit (read it here) alleges that Neon “fraudulently induced” the producers to accept a distribution deal by publicly announcing the pact.
“In a plan commandeered by Quinn, Neon acquired the coveted...
- 8/11/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, MTV announced the premiere date and cast for the 35th season of “The Challenge,” and the CW announces premiere dates for three summer shows.
Casting
MTV has revealed the lineup for season 35 of the reality-competition series “The Challenge,” dubbed “The Challenge: Total Madness.” To commemorate the landmark season, the 28-member cast features a mix of series veterans and newcomers competing in challenges for a million-dollar prize. Among the veterans are Mattie Breaux, Tula “Big T” Fazakerley and Jennifer West, each back for their second-ever challenge; third-time challengers Josh Martinez, Dee Nguyen, Melissa Reeves, Rogan O’Connor and Stephen Bear; fourth-time challenger Tori Deal; fifth-time challengers Kailah Casillas and Kyle Christie; sixth-time challengers Nelson Thomas and Jordan Wisely; seventh-time challengers Ashley Mitchell and Cory Wharton; and eighth-time challenger Jenna Compono. Additionally, mega-veterans such as 13-time challengers Aneesa Ferreira and Wes Bergmann, 17-time challenger Ct Tamburello; and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio,...
Casting
MTV has revealed the lineup for season 35 of the reality-competition series “The Challenge,” dubbed “The Challenge: Total Madness.” To commemorate the landmark season, the 28-member cast features a mix of series veterans and newcomers competing in challenges for a million-dollar prize. Among the veterans are Mattie Breaux, Tula “Big T” Fazakerley and Jennifer West, each back for their second-ever challenge; third-time challengers Josh Martinez, Dee Nguyen, Melissa Reeves, Rogan O’Connor and Stephen Bear; fourth-time challenger Tori Deal; fifth-time challengers Kailah Casillas and Kyle Christie; sixth-time challengers Nelson Thomas and Jordan Wisely; seventh-time challengers Ashley Mitchell and Cory Wharton; and eighth-time challenger Jenna Compono. Additionally, mega-veterans such as 13-time challengers Aneesa Ferreira and Wes Bergmann, 17-time challenger Ct Tamburello; and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio,...
- 3/5/2020
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
FX Networks has set their first documentary feature Aka Roe which puts the spotlight on the real-life Norma McCorvey who was known as “Jane Roe” in the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case. The docu will premiere May 22 at 9 pm Et/Pt on FX and will be available the following day on FX on Hulu.
The film follows the true story of McCorvey in the landmark ruling on abortion rights. The docu will feature her final series of interviews prior to her death and reveals the unvarnished truth behind her journey from pro-choice to pro-life and beyond – in what she calls her “deathbed confession.
Aka Jane Roe is the latest addition to FX’s growing slate of non-fiction series and documentary features. The network is currently airing the first season of The Weekly, a narrative docuseries with The New York Times, and the four-part docuseries The Most Dangerous Animal of All...
The film follows the true story of McCorvey in the landmark ruling on abortion rights. The docu will feature her final series of interviews prior to her death and reveals the unvarnished truth behind her journey from pro-choice to pro-life and beyond – in what she calls her “deathbed confession.
Aka Jane Roe is the latest addition to FX’s growing slate of non-fiction series and documentary features. The network is currently airing the first season of The Weekly, a narrative docuseries with The New York Times, and the four-part docuseries The Most Dangerous Animal of All...
- 3/4/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace,” the moon-mission chronicle “Apollo 11” and the first film from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, “American Factory,” have made the short list for the International Documentary Association’s 2019 Ida Documentary Awards, the Ida announced on Thursday.
The announcement narrows the field to 30 feature films and 21 shorts that will move on to a second round of voting.
The IDA’s short list of 30 feature films contains 10 films that were on Doc NYC’s recent 15-film list of the year’s likeliest nonfiction awards contenders: “American Factory,” “The Apollo,” “Apollo 11,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “The Cave,” “Diego Maradona,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “For Sama,” “Honeyland” and “One Child Nation.”
Additional films on the Ida’s list include “Amazing Grace,...
The announcement narrows the field to 30 feature films and 21 shorts that will move on to a second round of voting.
The IDA’s short list of 30 feature films contains 10 films that were on Doc NYC’s recent 15-film list of the year’s likeliest nonfiction awards contenders: “American Factory,” “The Apollo,” “Apollo 11,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “The Cave,” “Diego Maradona,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “For Sama,” “Honeyland” and “One Child Nation.”
Additional films on the Ida’s list include “Amazing Grace,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Joyous Aretha Franklin music doc Amazing Grace has sold around the world for Endeavor Content.
The stirring Doc NYC and Berlin Film Festival title charts the Queen of Soul’s brilliant 1972 performance at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles. Neon released the film in U.S.
Deals have closed with Metropolitan in France, Weltkino in Germany, You Planet and Caramel Films for Spain, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Iceland and Baltic States, Paradiso in Benelux, Alambique in Portugal, Seven Films in Greece, and Salim Ramia in the Middle East.
The film has also landed with Edko in Hong Kong, Shaw in Singapore, Jinjin in South Korea, Movie Cloud in Taiwan, Spi International in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Czech, and Captive for airlines.
Neon released stateside on April 5 and StudioCanal released in the UK on May 10 and will launch Australia/Nz later this year.
The stirring Doc NYC and Berlin Film Festival title charts the Queen of Soul’s brilliant 1972 performance at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles. Neon released the film in U.S.
Deals have closed with Metropolitan in France, Weltkino in Germany, You Planet and Caramel Films for Spain, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Iceland and Baltic States, Paradiso in Benelux, Alambique in Portugal, Seven Films in Greece, and Salim Ramia in the Middle East.
The film has also landed with Edko in Hong Kong, Shaw in Singapore, Jinjin in South Korea, Movie Cloud in Taiwan, Spi International in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Czech, and Captive for airlines.
Neon released stateside on April 5 and StudioCanal released in the UK on May 10 and will launch Australia/Nz later this year.
- 5/17/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
It took nearly 50 years for “Amazing Grace” to land in theaters, but one aspect of its journey appears unfinished. Variety reports that Chiemi Karasawa has filed an arbitration case against Alan Elliott for what she says is unpaid work on the Aretha Franklin documentary. “I have not been paid a dime of my Producer Fee or the amounts that I am entitled to contractually,” she told Variety. “I’m saddened that it’s come to this point, but thrilled that the film is being released for a public audience where it belongs.”
Aspects of her account are backed up by several collaborators. “Chiemi really made everything happen,” Charles Hobson, who produces documentaries and introduced Karasawa to Elliott, said. “I know she got the production house in L.A. She deserves a lot of the credit.” Stephanie Apt, president of Final Cut in New York, confirmed that Karasawa hired Jeff Buchanan...
Aspects of her account are backed up by several collaborators. “Chiemi really made everything happen,” Charles Hobson, who produces documentaries and introduced Karasawa to Elliott, said. “I know she got the production house in L.A. She deserves a lot of the credit.” Stephanie Apt, president of Final Cut in New York, confirmed that Karasawa hired Jeff Buchanan...
- 4/8/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
After 47 years, the Aretha Franklin concert documentary “Amazing Grace” finally arrives in theaters Friday. Alan Elliott has told the story of how he rescued the unreleased footage from the Warner Bros. vault, had it restored and assembled, and then spent years negotiating with Franklin and her estate to secure the film’s release.
But absent from that story is producer Chiemi Karasawa, who alleges that she played a critical role in bringing the film to screen and has not been paid for her work.
Karasawa recently filed an arbitration case against Elliott, alleging that she is owed a producer fee and other compensation for years of work on the project. Among other things, she says she arranged to retrieve the footage and process it, oversaw the editing of the film, and set up screenings for industry figures that ultimately led to its theatrical release.
“I have not been paid a...
But absent from that story is producer Chiemi Karasawa, who alleges that she played a critical role in bringing the film to screen and has not been paid for her work.
Karasawa recently filed an arbitration case against Elliott, alleging that she is owed a producer fee and other compensation for years of work on the project. Among other things, she says she arranged to retrieve the footage and process it, oversaw the editing of the film, and set up screenings for industry figures that ultimately led to its theatrical release.
“I have not been paid a...
- 4/5/2019
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
A new trailer for Amazing Grace, the long lost Aretha Franklin concert documentary set for an April 5 release by Neon, showcases the late singer delivering a stunning performance of the title song.
Filmed by Sydney Pollack in 1972 at the then-29-year-old Franklin’s concert in the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, the film was mired in legal technicalities for decades before getting screenings last year at Doc NYC and AFI Fest for Oscar-qualifying runs. Neon has now set the April 5 theatrical release in select theaters prior to expansion.
Neon acquired the North American rights in December. The film was produced by Alan Elliott, Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.
In a December, Spike Lee hosted a private screening of the film in Los Angeles, calling Amazing Grace “One of the greatest concerts ever put to film. As we know,...
Filmed by Sydney Pollack in 1972 at the then-29-year-old Franklin’s concert in the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, the film was mired in legal technicalities for decades before getting screenings last year at Doc NYC and AFI Fest for Oscar-qualifying runs. Neon has now set the April 5 theatrical release in select theaters prior to expansion.
Neon acquired the North American rights in December. The film was produced by Alan Elliott, Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.
In a December, Spike Lee hosted a private screening of the film in Los Angeles, calling Amazing Grace “One of the greatest concerts ever put to film. As we know,...
- 3/6/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon has acquired the North American rights to “Amazing Grace,” the Aretha Franklin documentary film that made its world premiere at Doc NYC and then screened at the AFI Film Festival in November, the distributor announced.
The company is planning a March 2019 theatrical release, and it has already opened in New York and Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run.
Directed by the late Sydney Pollack and produced by Alan Elliott, the 1972 concert film presents Aretha Franklin with a choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts back when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years old and at the peak of her vocal powers.
The late soul singer previously brought legal action against the film in 2015, successfully blocking it from screening at several film festivals and arguing that the concert footage couldn...
The company is planning a March 2019 theatrical release, and it has already opened in New York and Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run.
Directed by the late Sydney Pollack and produced by Alan Elliott, the 1972 concert film presents Aretha Franklin with a choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts back when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years old and at the peak of her vocal powers.
The late soul singer previously brought legal action against the film in 2015, successfully blocking it from screening at several film festivals and arguing that the concert footage couldn...
- 12/7/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Late singer’s estate rep and niece says, ’This film is authentic and is my aunt to her core.’
After decades of delays and an eleventh-hour intervention by the late singer herself, Us viewers will finally get the chance to see the Aretha Franklin concert doc Amazing Grace in theatres. Neon announced on Friday (7) it had picked up North American rights and has set an Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles
Amazing Grace premiered at Doc NYC and went on to play AFI Fest. Neon, who launched awards contender and box office hit Three Identical Strangers earlier in...
After decades of delays and an eleventh-hour intervention by the late singer herself, Us viewers will finally get the chance to see the Aretha Franklin concert doc Amazing Grace in theatres. Neon announced on Friday (7) it had picked up North American rights and has set an Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles
Amazing Grace premiered at Doc NYC and went on to play AFI Fest. Neon, who launched awards contender and box office hit Three Identical Strangers earlier in...
- 12/7/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired the North American rights to the Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace,” a month after the movie premiered at Doc NYC.
Neon said it’s planning an early 2019 theatrical release.
The film, shot in 1972 by Sydney Pollack at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, was originally planned by Warner Bros. Pictures as a companion documentary to the double live album “Amazing Grace,” which became Franklin’s best-selling album, but technical issues prevented the release of the pic.
Producer Alan Elliott acquired the movie rights in 2007 and worked with a team of producers, including Joe Boyd, Robert Johnson, Chiemi Karasawa, Sabrina Owens, Jerry Wexler, Tirrell D. Whittley, and Joseph Woolf. Franklin, who died in August, went to court repeatedly to stop its release. “Amazing Grace” is being launched with the support of Franklin’s estate.
The movie includes an 11-minute version of “Amazing Grace,” “Mary Don’t You Weep,...
Neon said it’s planning an early 2019 theatrical release.
The film, shot in 1972 by Sydney Pollack at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, was originally planned by Warner Bros. Pictures as a companion documentary to the double live album “Amazing Grace,” which became Franklin’s best-selling album, but technical issues prevented the release of the pic.
Producer Alan Elliott acquired the movie rights in 2007 and worked with a team of producers, including Joe Boyd, Robert Johnson, Chiemi Karasawa, Sabrina Owens, Jerry Wexler, Tirrell D. Whittley, and Joseph Woolf. Franklin, who died in August, went to court repeatedly to stop its release. “Amazing Grace” is being launched with the support of Franklin’s estate.
The movie includes an 11-minute version of “Amazing Grace,” “Mary Don’t You Weep,...
- 12/7/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Boutique Neon has picked up the North American rights to “Amazing Grace,” the long-delayed concert documentary that follows Aretha Franklin during a seminal 1972 show. The film had its world premiere at Doc NYC and also screened at AFI Fest. Neon will release the film theatrically in 2019, although it has already received an Oscar-qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles.
Per its official synopsis, the long-awaited documentary has now been “realized by Alan Elliott” and “presents Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years-old and at the peak of her vocal powers. Elliott produced alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.” A young Sydney Pollack was hired to direct the project, though it remained unfinished for decades.
As IndieWire’s Anne Thompson wrote earlier this year, “Pollack captured...
Per its official synopsis, the long-awaited documentary has now been “realized by Alan Elliott” and “presents Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years-old and at the peak of her vocal powers. Elliott produced alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.” A young Sydney Pollack was hired to direct the project, though it remained unfinished for decades.
As IndieWire’s Anne Thompson wrote earlier this year, “Pollack captured...
- 12/7/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Neon has acquired North American rights to Amazing Grace, the Aretha Franklin concert film that has taken 45 years to get to a big screen. The 1972 concert documentary, shot by Sydney Pollack, chronicles Franklin’s famed performance with the choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts when she was 29, which became the genesis of the biggest-selling gospel album of all time. It has been mired in legal technicalities ever since.
The pic finally had its world premiere at Doc NYC and then screened at AFI Fest as part of an Oscar-qualifying run that began last month in L.A. It continues that run beginning today in New York at the Film Forum. Neon is now planning an early 2019 theatrical release.
Alan Elliott produced alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.
“Amazing Grace is the heart and soul of Aretha Franklin,...
The pic finally had its world premiere at Doc NYC and then screened at AFI Fest as part of an Oscar-qualifying run that began last month in L.A. It continues that run beginning today in New York at the Film Forum. Neon is now planning an early 2019 theatrical release.
Alan Elliott produced alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf.
“Amazing Grace is the heart and soul of Aretha Franklin,...
- 12/7/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
AFI Fest has added a screening of the Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace” on Nov. 15 at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres.
The film, shot in 1972 by Sydney Pollack at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, premiered Monday at the Doc NYC festival. Warner Bros. Pictures captured the footage for a companion documentary to the double live album “Amazing Grace,” which became Franklin’s best-selling album, but technical issues prevented the release of the pic.
Producer Alan Elliott acquired the movie rights in 2007 and worked with a team of producers, including Joe Boyd, Robert Johnson, Chiemi Karasawa, Sabrina Owens, Jerry Wexler, Tirrell D. Whittley, and Joseph Woolf. Franklin, who died in August, went to court repeatedly to stop its release. “Amazing Grace” is being launched with the support of Franklin’s estate.
The movie includes an 11-minute version of “Amazing Grace,” “Mary Don’t You Weep,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,...
The film, shot in 1972 by Sydney Pollack at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, premiered Monday at the Doc NYC festival. Warner Bros. Pictures captured the footage for a companion documentary to the double live album “Amazing Grace,” which became Franklin’s best-selling album, but technical issues prevented the release of the pic.
Producer Alan Elliott acquired the movie rights in 2007 and worked with a team of producers, including Joe Boyd, Robert Johnson, Chiemi Karasawa, Sabrina Owens, Jerry Wexler, Tirrell D. Whittley, and Joseph Woolf. Franklin, who died in August, went to court repeatedly to stop its release. “Amazing Grace” is being launched with the support of Franklin’s estate.
The movie includes an 11-minute version of “Amazing Grace,” “Mary Don’t You Weep,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,...
- 11/14/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
My look at 2014 continues as I review the best documentaries of 2014. Documentaries can serve a multitude of purposes. You will have your change the world docs that pick a certain cause and attempt to spread the word so people will rise up and do something. You have those that are just about a particular story that is just too incredible to believe. You also have those experimental docs that are all about playing with the perimeters with film and experience. My list covers those categories and much more. It shows documentaries can really be used to do just about anything.
10. Kids for Cash Directed By: Robert May
Synopsis: Kids For Cash is a riveting look behind the notorious judicial scandal that rocked the nation. Beyond the millions paid and high stakes corruption, Kids For Cash exposes a shocking American secret. In the wake of the shootings at Columbine, a small...
10. Kids for Cash Directed By: Robert May
Synopsis: Kids For Cash is a riveting look behind the notorious judicial scandal that rocked the nation. Beyond the millions paid and high stakes corruption, Kids For Cash exposes a shocking American secret. In the wake of the shootings at Columbine, a small...
- 1/6/2015
- by Dan Clark
- Nerdly
If there was any doubt awards season was in full swing, this week’s growing list of screening events featuring lunches, dinners and receptions all aimed at luring Academy and Golden Globe voters should erase any question.
As I pointed out last week, the Academy’s “official” foreign-language screenings began on Monday night with Poland’s Ida and Hungary’s demanding but very fine White God. But that is just the beginning for both those films.
On Friday afternoon at Century City’s Craft restaurant, a private luncheon was held that drew several Oscar voters for an intimate opportunity to chow down with Ida director Pawel Pawlikowski.
White God’s filmmakers come into town next week for similar treatment with a private screening and reception aimed at those same voters. Saturday night, the terrific Swedish entry, Force Majeure, had a packed Beverly Hills screening followed by a Bouchon dinner reception...
As I pointed out last week, the Academy’s “official” foreign-language screenings began on Monday night with Poland’s Ida and Hungary’s demanding but very fine White God. But that is just the beginning for both those films.
On Friday afternoon at Century City’s Craft restaurant, a private luncheon was held that drew several Oscar voters for an intimate opportunity to chow down with Ida director Pawel Pawlikowski.
White God’s filmmakers come into town next week for similar treatment with a private screening and reception aimed at those same voters. Saturday night, the terrific Swedish entry, Force Majeure, had a packed Beverly Hills screening followed by a Bouchon dinner reception...
- 10/19/2014
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline
Bernadette Peters, Michael Feinstein, Patti Lupone, Hal Prince and an array of Broadway stars will present a tribute to the late Broadway and cabaret star Elaine Stritch on Nov. 17 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, the organizers of “Everybody, Rise! A Celebration of Elaine Stritch” announced on Thursday. The event comes as director Chiemi Karasawa's documentary “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” lobbies for votes in the Oscar documentary category, and the races for other doc prizes. See photos: 9 of Elaine Stritch's Most Memorable Roles (Photos) Participants in “Everybody, Rise!” include Peters, Feinstein, Lupone, Prince, Betty Buckley, Christine Ebersole and Stritch's longtime musical director.
- 10/16/2014
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
When Joan Rivers died last week, a common refrain resounded throughout the movie sphere of Twitter: “Watch Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.” It was good advice. Anyone who wants to understand her importance as a media figure, or just as a person, would do well to check out that documentary. And after seeing it, you might have a hankering to check out more docs about entertainers who are devoted to making people laugh. Here are ten, including the Rivers film, to catch up with: Elaine Stritch at Liberty (2002) and Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013) The Broadway legend kept working right up until her death earlier this year. At Liberty is Elaine Stritch in her own words, a filmed version of her acclaimed one-woman show. She won an Emmy for her riotous recounting of her life and work, a two-hour cavalcade of memories shot by a team of directors led by D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. Shoot Me...
- 9/9/2014
- by Nonfics.com
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Beloved actress Elaine Stritch, a Broadway legend who in recent years earned attention for a brilliant recurring role on 30 Rock, died Thursday in her home in Birmingham, Michigan, The New York Times reports. She was 89.
The Best '30 Rock' One-Liners
Stritch began her career in the mid-40s and arrived on Broadway in 1946 in the show Loco; but her career began to truly take off in the 1952 revival of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and John O'Hara's Pal Joey. In 1961 she picked up her third Tony nomination for her staring role in the musical,...
The Best '30 Rock' One-Liners
Stritch began her career in the mid-40s and arrived on Broadway in 1946 in the show Loco; but her career began to truly take off in the 1952 revival of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and John O'Hara's Pal Joey. In 1961 she picked up her third Tony nomination for her staring role in the musical,...
- 7/17/2014
- Rollingstone.com
London’s Birds Eye View Film Festival will include 10 UK premieres and titles from Girls star Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
The Birds Eye View Film Festival (April 8-13), celebrating women’s work in film, has revealed details of its 2014 programme including works by British director Destiny Ekaragha and Laura Checkoway to films by Lena Dunham and Kelly Reichardt.
The festival will also celebrate inspiring female filmmakers and actors of recent times including the late pioneering animator Joy Batchelor, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch and award-winning British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.
The festival will comprise 19 features including 10 UK premieres such as German director Katrin Gebbe’s debut Nothing Bad Can Happen and the London premiere of Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s Watermark, the follow-up to their 2006 documentary hit Manufactured Landscapes.
The programme also includes an American Indie strand featuring Kelly Reichardt’s thriller Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning; Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and the...
- 3/10/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Directed by Chiemi Karasawa
USA, 2013
The worst thing you can say about Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is that it’s too damn short, clocking in at just over 80 minutes. Within only a few of those minutes, it’s clear that the subject of this up-close-and-personal documentary could fill at least 2 hours with stories from her eclectic past, working with such legends as Stephen Sondheim, Rock Hudson, Bela Lugosi, Edward Albee, and more. Instead, the documentary follows her around New York City and Detroit over a short period in early 2012, displaying how feisty, fierce, and wonderfully alive Ms. Stritch is at 87. (And, as this film is being marketed around the country upon its release, it’s clear that, at age 89, she hasn’t slowed down much.)
From the start, Stritch is at her unfiltered best. (For those who delighted at her saying “fuck” on The Today Show recently,...
Directed by Chiemi Karasawa
USA, 2013
The worst thing you can say about Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is that it’s too damn short, clocking in at just over 80 minutes. Within only a few of those minutes, it’s clear that the subject of this up-close-and-personal documentary could fill at least 2 hours with stories from her eclectic past, working with such legends as Stephen Sondheim, Rock Hudson, Bela Lugosi, Edward Albee, and more. Instead, the documentary follows her around New York City and Detroit over a short period in early 2012, displaying how feisty, fierce, and wonderfully alive Ms. Stritch is at 87. (And, as this film is being marketed around the country upon its release, it’s clear that, at age 89, she hasn’t slowed down much.)
From the start, Stritch is at her unfiltered best. (For those who delighted at her saying “fuck” on The Today Show recently,...
- 3/7/2014
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
As a CIA agent, Kevin Costner aims for a box-office bull's-eye in 3 Days to Kill. But is the espionage thriller right on target? Plus: Animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki unveils his supposed swan song, The Wind Rises, and Elizabeth Olsen goes for literate, period prestige in In Secret. Here's what to see and what to skip in theaters this weekend. Skip This 3 Days to Kill var brightcovevideoid = '3231991949001'; It wouldn't be so egregious that 3 Days to Kill is six different movies in one, if any of them were actually decent. As it is, the spy/action/terminal-illness/coming-of-age/cultural-exchange/family...
- 2/21/2014
- by Alynda Wheat, PEOPLE Movie Critic
- PEOPLE.com
Somehow, some way, a documentary about an aging actress/comedienne dealing with fear and mortality just might be the most life-affirming film that’s come around in a long time. “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,” follows the inimitable force of nature that is Broadway veteran Elaine Stritch, and is a shot in the arm of humor, heart and humanity (with a jolt of adrenaline just for kicks). Director Chiemi Karasawa has a light touch that showcases Elaine in all of her eccentric charm and truly captures her irascible spirit. Hilarious and touching, “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” is one of the most entertaining and moving documentaries of 2014, and it’s only February! For those who don’t know, Elaine Stritch is the 89-year-old Broadway vet who has been treading the boards since the 1940s, and more recently, as Jack Donaghy’s mother in “30 Rock,” in a role that’s sort of facsimile of her own persona.
- 2/21/2014
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Title: Elaine Stritch Shoot Me Director: Chiemi Karasawa Starring: Elaine Stritch, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, James Gandolfini, John Turturro, Cherry Jones, Hal Prince, George C. Wolfe, Nathan Lane. The acclaimed documentary producer, Chiemi Karasawa, makes his directorial debut, depicting the life of the feisty and extraordinary 87 year old Broadway legend, Elaine Stritch. The revealing and poignant ‘Elaine Stritch Shoot Me’ showcases the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress on and off stage, through some very fine and rare footage. The cinema vérité approach is rewarding, since Elaine conveys her incredible humour as well as her most delicate emotional moments, as she proves to be a match for her colleagues [ Read More ]
The post Elaine Stritch Shoot Me Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Elaine Stritch Shoot Me Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/21/2014
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
You’d have to be inept not to get good material when you turn a camera on the irrepressible Elaine Stritch. Fortunately, first-time director Chiemi Karasawa earned the actress’ complete trust, so we get to see her in every facet of her life, on stage and off—bounding along Manhattan streets, greeting fans, rehearsing with her adoring accompanist, working on 30 Rock, even enduring a short stay in the hospital. Stritch is a magnetic force and this briskly-paced documentary captures her in all her glory. (It was filmed as the Broadway legend was about to turn 87, two years ago.) She has been called larger than life, which is not a bad description for the acerbic,...
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- 2/21/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Chiemi Karasawa is fascinated by people. So having worked in the film industry for over 20 years as a line producer on dozens of films both narrative and documentary, among them High Fidelity and Adaptation, Karasawa founded her production company Isotope Films in 2005, which she’s devoted to creating intimate studies of interesting characters. Karasawa has produced several documentaries, including the award-winning Billy the Kid – a coming-of-age film about a confused teenager, and the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning The Betrayal, a film shot over the course of 23 years about a family’s will to survive after moving from Laos to […]...
- 2/20/2014
- by Arielle Grinshpan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Chiemi Karasawa is fascinated by people. So having worked in the film industry for over 20 years as a line producer on dozens of films both narrative and documentary, among them High Fidelity and Adaptation, Karasawa founded her production company Isotope Films in 2005, which she’s devoted to creating intimate studies of interesting characters. Karasawa has produced several documentaries, including the award-winning Billy the Kid – a coming-of-age film about a confused teenager, and the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning The Betrayal, a film shot over the course of 23 years about a family’s will to survive after moving from Laos to […]...
- 2/20/2014
- by Arielle Grinshpan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It takes about 12 seconds for Elaine Stritch to drop her first F-bomb in Chiemi Karasawa’s hugely entertaining “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,” and she’s just getting started. Karasawa’s candid portrait derives much of its appeal from the 87-year-old Broadway star’s vulgar energy — although now she’s 89 and still going strong — which is liberated by the camera’s fixation on her combustible presence. By playing herself, looking back on decades of show business tales while struggling with the demons of alcoholism in the present, Stritch may very well deliver her best performance to date. Karasawa’s slick production, which includes the usual assemblage of talking heads (Stritch pals like Alec Baldwin, Nathan Lane and Tina Fey offer insight into the aging diva’s appeal) alongside verite footage of Stritch both in her cluttered Manhattan and on the road with her delightful cabaret act, offers little surface appeal outside...
- 2/20/2014
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
If you thought Alec Baldwin was cantankerous, even he pales compared to the veteran Broadway and TV star Elaine Stritch. In Chiemi Karasawa’s new documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, opening in limited release this Friday, the 89-year-old actress (and Today show F-bomb-dropper) recounts her turbulent life on the stage and screen, her battles with alcoholism, and her improbable comeback in the last decade. In this exclusive clip, we see Stritch on the set of 30 Rock, where she played the wasp-tongued mother of Alec Baldwin’s network exec Jack Donaghy (a role that earned the actress her third Emmy Award in 2008). On set,...
- 2/18/2014
- by Thom Geier
- EW - Inside Movies
It's not often that documentary subjects admit to disliking the films about them -- especially in the presence of their directors. Then again, Elaine Stritch isn't known as a gal who plays by the books. The uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winning legend is profiled in producer Chiemi Karasawa's directorial debut "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," an uproarious and highly entertaining peek into the life of the 88-year-old Broadway star that doesn't shy away from chronicling her struggle with alcoholism and diabetes. The film, which includes interviews with Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince, Alec Baldwin and others, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and opens this Friday (it's also available to view On Demand). [Editor's Note: This interview was originally published during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.] I got a chance to sit down with Stritch and Chiemi at the actress' former residence, the famed Carlyle Hotel, to discuss the year-long process of making the film, how a hairdresser...
- 2/18/2014
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Today we are setting our sights on one of the most iconic Broadway leading ladies alive and looking back at her astonishingly rich and varied career onstage and onscreen, having worked with many of the most important entertainment figures of the 20th and 21st century over her 60-year career and winning multiple awards and honors in the process - the one and only Elaine Stritch. Touching upon her time in many notable theatrical entities ranging from her early work at The New School under director Erwin Piscator to rubbing elbows with legends like Bertolt Brecht, William Inge, Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando to her unforgettable turns in Stephen Sondheim's Company and Follies In Concert, Stritch also shines a light on her indelible performances in the plays of Edward Albee and looks ahead to a staged reading of Three Tall Women she is pursuing later this year. Most importantly,...
- 2/17/2014
- by Pat Cerasaro
- BroadwayWorld.com
Stage and screen legend Elaine Stritch moved back to Michigan a year ago - but on Monday, Feb. 17 she returns to New York for a rare public talk at 92nd Street Y. Stritch will discuss her extraordinary life and career with director Chiemi Karasawa, whose new filmElaine Stritch Shoot Me, features the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner. The event includes clips from the new film, which features Stritch on and off stage via archival footage and intimate cinema verite, candid reflections that are punctuated with photographs from Stritch's personal collection, and words from friends, including Alec Baldwin, Hal Prince, George C. Wolfe, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Tina Fey, James Gandolfini and John Turturro.
- 2/13/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Stage and screen legend Elaine Stritch moved back to Michigan a year ago - but on Monday, Feb. 17 she returns to New York for a rare public talk at 92nd Street Y. Stritch will discuss her extraordinary life and career with director Chiemi Karasawa, whose new film Elaine Stritch Shoot Me, features the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner. The event includes clips from the new film, which features Stritch on and off stage via archival footage and intimate cinema verite, candid reflections that are punctuated with photographs from Stritch's personal collection, and words from friends, including Alec Baldwin, Hal Prince, George C. Wolfe, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Tina Fey, James Gandolfini and John Turturro.
- 2/5/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winning legend Elaine Stritch is profiled in producer Chiemi Karasawa's directorial debut "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," an uproarious and highly entertaining peek into the life of the 88-year-old Broadway star that doesn't shy away from chronicling her struggles with alcoholism and diabetes. The film, which includes interviews with Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince, Alec Baldwin and others, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and opens February 21st via Sundance Selects. Watch the newly released trailer for the documentary below, and go here for our interview with Stritch.<br>...
- 1/18/2014
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
For years in her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch sang Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” from Follies. It became her signature number, a defiant anthem for a woman — “a lean, glaring lion of a woman,” The New York Times once wrote — who’s done it all, seen it all, and has absolutely no intention of going quietly.
Now 88 years old, the Tony-winner and three-time Emmy winner has finally slowed down a tad. (She “retired” last spring from her regular one-woman show at Manhattan’s Carlyle Hotel and moved back to Michigan, where she grew up.) But Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary,...
Now 88 years old, the Tony-winner and three-time Emmy winner has finally slowed down a tad. (She “retired” last spring from her regular one-woman show at Manhattan’s Carlyle Hotel and moved back to Michigan, where she grew up.) But Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary,...
- 10/23/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
For years in her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch sang Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” from Follies. It became her signature number, a defiant anthem for a woman — “a lean, glaring lion of a woman,” The New York Times once wrote — who’s done it all, seen it all, and has absolutely no intention of going quietly.
Now 88 years old, the Tony-winner and three-time Emmy winner has finally slowed down a tad. (She “retired” last spring from her regular one-woman show at Manhattan’s Carlyle Hotel and moved back to Michigan, where she grew up.) But Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary,...
Now 88 years old, the Tony-winner and three-time Emmy winner has finally slowed down a tad. (She “retired” last spring from her regular one-woman show at Manhattan’s Carlyle Hotel and moved back to Michigan, where she grew up.) But Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary,...
- 10/23/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Browse all the sections of the 57th London Film Festival (Oct 9-20) including the galas, competition titles and individual sections.
Alphabetical list of titles by section including feature premiere status
Wp = Wp
Ep = European Premiere
IP = International Premiere
UK = UK Premiere
Gala’s
Opening Night
Captain Phillips, Paul Greengrass (Us) Ep
Closing Night
Saving Mr Banks, John Lee Hancock (Us/UK) Ep
Philomena, Stephen Frears (UK) UK12 Years A Slave, Steve Mcqueen (UK) EPGravity, Alfonso Cuaron (Us) UKInside Llewyn Davis, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (Us) UKLabor Day, Jason Reitman (Us) EPThe Invisible Woman, Ralph Fiennes (UK), EPThe Epic Of Everest, John Noel (UK) WPBlue Is The Warmest Colour, Abdellatif Kechiche (France) UKNight Moves, Kelly Reichardt (Us) UKStranger By The Lake, Alain Guiraudie (France) UKDon Jon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Us) UKMystery Road, Ivan Sen (Australia) UKOnly Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch (Us) UKNebraska, Alexander Payne (Us) UKWe Are The Best!, Lukas Moodysson (Sweden) EPFoosball 3D, Juan Jose Campanella (Argentina...
Alphabetical list of titles by section including feature premiere status
Wp = Wp
Ep = European Premiere
IP = International Premiere
UK = UK Premiere
Gala’s
Opening Night
Captain Phillips, Paul Greengrass (Us) Ep
Closing Night
Saving Mr Banks, John Lee Hancock (Us/UK) Ep
Philomena, Stephen Frears (UK) UK12 Years A Slave, Steve Mcqueen (UK) EPGravity, Alfonso Cuaron (Us) UKInside Llewyn Davis, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (Us) UKLabor Day, Jason Reitman (Us) EPThe Invisible Woman, Ralph Fiennes (UK), EPThe Epic Of Everest, John Noel (UK) WPBlue Is The Warmest Colour, Abdellatif Kechiche (France) UKNight Moves, Kelly Reichardt (Us) UKStranger By The Lake, Alain Guiraudie (France) UKDon Jon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Us) UKMystery Road, Ivan Sen (Australia) UKOnly Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch (Us) UKNebraska, Alexander Payne (Us) UKWe Are The Best!, Lukas Moodysson (Sweden) EPFoosball 3D, Juan Jose Campanella (Argentina...
- 9/4/2013
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – The 2013 Chicago International Film Festival is almost here and the programmers have unveiled their first slate of titles, including hits from other festivals like “Blue is the Warmest Color,” “Heli,” “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.” The 49th annual fest runs from October 10-24, 2013. Official, Ciff-provided descriptions below of what we know will play there so far:
Big Bad Wolves (Directors: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado • Israel): When the lead suspect in a brutal child murder is released due to a police blunder, a vigilante police detective and a grieving father take the law into their own hands in this fantastically intense, darkly funny revenge thriller from one of the pioneers of Israeli horror cinema.
Blue is the Warmest Color (Director: Abdellatif Kechiche • France): Teenager Adèle’s life is turned upside down the night she meets blue-haired Emma in this scandalous winner of the top prize at Cannes.
Big Bad Wolves (Directors: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado • Israel): When the lead suspect in a brutal child murder is released due to a police blunder, a vigilante police detective and a grieving father take the law into their own hands in this fantastically intense, darkly funny revenge thriller from one of the pioneers of Israeli horror cinema.
Blue is the Warmest Color (Director: Abdellatif Kechiche • France): Teenager Adèle’s life is turned upside down the night she meets blue-haired Emma in this scandalous winner of the top prize at Cannes.
- 8/19/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
When we asked the 2013 Tribeca filmmakers what schools they went to, we were not expecting such a diverse crop of responses. While a fair number did not attend film school, Nyu was heartily represented. Boston University, Tel Avivi University and the program at University of Florida (now at Wake Forest) all were fairly well represented. Compare this list to the Sundance filmmakers from earlier this year. Academy of Film and Television in Warsaw Tomasz Wasilewski ("Floating Skyscrapers") AFI Kat Coiro ("A Case of You") Jenée Lamarque ("The Pretty One") Boston University Chiemi Karasawa ("Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me") Ben Safdie ("Lenny Cooke") Josh Safdie ("Lenny Cooke") California College of the Arts Banker White ("The Genius of Marian") Carnegie Mellon University Kat Coiro ("A Case of You") Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia Claudio Giovannesi ("Alì Blue Eyes") Danish Film School Michael Noer ("Northwest") Interlochen Arts Academy Kat Coiro ("A...
- 5/29/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Sundance Selects announced today that the company is acquiring North American rights to Chiemi Karasawa's directorial debut Elaine Stritch Shoot Me, a feature documentary about the stage and screen icon that made its world premiere last week at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was produced by Karasawa and Elizabeth Hemmerdinger, and executive produced by Alec Baldwin and Cheryl Wiesenfeld.
- 4/30/2013
- by Movies News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Sundance Selects has acquired North American rights to Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. Karasawa’s directorial debut offers a portrait of the legendary 87-year-old Broadway star and saloon singer whose resume ranges from her signature role in Stephen Sondheim’s Company to her recent appearances playing the mother of Alec Baldwin’s character in 30 Rock. It includes interviews with Hal Prince, George C. Wolfe, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Tina Fey, James Gandolfini and John Turturro. Review: 'Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me' The film was produced by Karasawa and Elizabeth Hemmerdinger and
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- 4/29/2013
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance Selects announced today that the company has acquired North American rights to Chiemi Karasawa’s directorial debut "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," a feature documentary about the stage and screen icon that made its world premiere last week at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival (check out Indiewire's interview with Stritch from the festival). The film as described by Sundance Selects: At 87, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains indisputably in the spotlight. In the revealing and poignant Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner is showcased both on and off stage via rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité. By turns bold, hilarious and moving, the film’s journey connects Stritch’s present to her past, and an inspiring portrait of a one-of-a-kind survivor emerges. In stolen moments from her corner room at New York’s Carlyle Hotel and on breaks from her tour and work, candid reflections about her...
- 4/29/2013
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
Elaine Stritch is an iconic actress of both the stage and screen. Now well into her mid-80s she is still pushing herself to produce quality performances. But between her battle with alcoholism and combating a serious case of diabetes, Stritch is starting to grow weary. Not that she’ll let that stop her from helming yet another one-woman cabaret show (with a multi-city tour to boot). So one week after spotting Stritch at her hair salon, filmmaker Chiemi Karasawa agreed with her hair stylist’s suggestion that she should make a documentary about Stritch.
Karasawa immediately went home to research Stritch, having only a passing knowledge of her career. And after only a brief examination, Karasawa was hooked on the actress. Through Stritch’s close friend and music director Rob Bowman, Karasawa was able to woo the actress; and the result was the enlightening documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me.
Karasawa immediately went home to research Stritch, having only a passing knowledge of her career. And after only a brief examination, Karasawa was hooked on the actress. Through Stritch’s close friend and music director Rob Bowman, Karasawa was able to woo the actress; and the result was the enlightening documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me.
- 4/24/2013
- by John Keith
- JustPressPlay.net
Chiemi Karasawa's documentary "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, is a quintessential New York film – a portrait of the bold, brassy actress, singer, Broadway and cabaret star who began acting career in 1944 and has been a legend in Manhattan theater and café circles for decades. A decade removed from "Elaine Stritch at Liberty," the one-woman show that won her an Emmy, Stritch is now 88. Karasawa's cameras follow the star – who is argumentative, hilarious, difficult, vulnerable and inimitable – as she...
- 4/24/2013
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
In the entertainment industry, a lot of women get forsaken in the public’s consciousness even before they reach middle age. In Chiemi Karasawa’s documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, the legendary Elaine Stritch celebrates her 88th birthday. And per one of her oft-performed Stephen Sondheim songs, “she’s still here.” The title of the doc is clearly a play on words – Stritch is hardly a fatalist, but instead she demands to be the center of attention, to be filmed. “Shot” in that way. The documentary follows Stritch as she gears up for her last tour as she battles the ravages of aging and diabetes. Karasawa paints a well-rounded portrait of Stritch here, because in addition to filming Stritch being her glorious brash self, Karasawa films her forgetting song lyrics, without her makeup, and dealing with her sobriety, among other things. Because of this multifaceted look at Stritch, the film succeeds in being enjoyable, especially...
- 4/24/2013
- by Caitlin Hughes
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
On Friday night, April 19, the Tribeca Film Festival presented Elaine Stritch Shoot Me, directed by Chiemi Karasawa. In the film, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains in the spotlight at eighty-seven years old. Join the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner both on and off stage in this revealing documentary. With interviews from Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince and others, Elaine Stritch Shoot Me blends rare archival footage and intimate cinema verite to reach beyond Stritch's brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and an inspiring artist.BroadwayWorld was there for the special screening and you can check out rep carpet interviews with Stritch and friends below...
- 4/22/2013
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
New York -- Elaine Stritch would rather get on with it.
The 88-year-old Broadway legend and New York icon – as much a fixture as the Statue of Liberty, but with a whole lot more to say – has made her way slowly into the Chelsea theater where the documentary "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" was premiering Friday at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Led to a green room before the show starts, she's displeased about the seating options, and, coming off a hip surgery, would prefer to go directly into the theater. She isn't shy about it. First, though, she grips a reporter by the forearm, fixes her gaze on him, and says in that unmistakable, feisty voice:
"There are ways around my life, if you know what I mean."
She has lived a full one, from defining performances of Stephen Sondheim tunes on Broadway to the Tony- and Emmy-winning one-woman show "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty...
The 88-year-old Broadway legend and New York icon – as much a fixture as the Statue of Liberty, but with a whole lot more to say – has made her way slowly into the Chelsea theater where the documentary "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" was premiering Friday at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Led to a green room before the show starts, she's displeased about the seating options, and, coming off a hip surgery, would prefer to go directly into the theater. She isn't shy about it. First, though, she grips a reporter by the forearm, fixes her gaze on him, and says in that unmistakable, feisty voice:
"There are ways around my life, if you know what I mean."
She has lived a full one, from defining performances of Stephen Sondheim tunes on Broadway to the Tony- and Emmy-winning one-woman show "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty...
- 4/20/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York -- An outpouring of bittersweet media tributes followed the announcement earlier this month that Broadway veteran Elaine Stritch was packing up her Carlyle Hotel digs of the last decade and moving back to her home state of Michigan to retire from show business. It was almost as if the Chrysler Building were being ripped from its foundations and relocated to Des Moines. Chiemi Karasawa’s tender documentary salute, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, marks that painful separation with fitting poignancy. For Stritch devotees – and you can’t breathe in a New York theater or cabaret haunt without knocking into a clump
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- 4/20/2013
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's not often that documentary subjects admit to disliking the films about them -- especially in the presence of their directors. Then again, Elaine Stritch isn't known as a gal who plays by the books. The uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winning legend is profiled in producer Chiemi Karasawa's directorial debut "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," an uproarious and highly entertaining peek into the life of the 88-year-old Broadway star that doesn't shy away from chronicling her struggle with alcoholism and diabetes. The film, which includes interviews with Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince, Alec Baldwin and others, premieres tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival. I got a chance to sit down with Stritch and Chiemi at the actress' residence, the famed Carlyle Hotel, to discuss the year-long process of making the film, how a hairdresser brought them together, and Stritch's fondness for wearing tights over pants any day. You're moving...
- 4/19/2013
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Now in its 12th year, the Tribeca Film Festival is one of the premiere artistic showcases and industry marketplaces for independent cinema. Sundance might still be the place to go to discover new talent on the cheap, Toronto is the festival to generate Oscar buzz, but Tribeca has an eclectic mix that both reflects the soul of native New Yorkers and what the city means to the rest of the world as a cultural international capital. In between tonight’s opener — the music documentary Mistaken for Strangers about the National — and the closing night’s special screening of Martin Scorsese...
- 4/17/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
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