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The Moment of Desperation: Prisoner Silviu (George Pistereanu, left) holds a social worker (Ada Condeescu) hostage in IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE.

For the first show of 2011, how about a little international perspective? We’ve got interviews with two directors whose latest films deliver gripping, cinematically daring glimpses into worlds rarely examined from our side.

First up is Romanian director Florin Serban, talking about IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE, a stark, naturalistic drama about an imprisoned juvenile offender willing to put an impending parole and his own personal safety on the line to avert a family disaster. We follow that up with Palestinian director Elia Suleiman and his film, THE TIME THAT REMAINS, a sardonic and deeply personal look at Israel’s claiming of

The More Things Change: Director Elia Suleiman weathers the years in THE TIME THAT REMAINS.

Nazareth in 1948 and how that event affected the family of  one Israeli-Arab who, in later years, bears a striking resemblance to the director himself (possibly because Suleiman plays him at that point).

The two films couldn’t be more different, WHISTLE’s raw immediacy playing against TIME’s wry, stylized observation. What unites them is that they’re both intriguing, revelatory experiences; two great ways to kick off the New Year.

Click on the player to hear the interviews.

IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE
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www.vreausafluier.ro

THE TIME THAT REMAINS
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www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-time-that-remains

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Real Fatherhood?: Prince Adu (right) and Aiden Noesi in PRINCE OF BROADWAY.

It would appear Sean Baker is equally comfortable with the real and the surreal. On TV, he’s one of the perpetrators of the satirical puppet show, GREG THE BUNNY. In the cinema though, he’s far more grounded, employing a documentary- like shooting style and recruiting a largely amateur cast to tell stories of New York populations that are too often ignored elsewhere. Previously, he looked into the arduous life of a restaurant delivery guy in TAKE OUT, now, with PRINCE OF BROADWAY, he’s casting light on the people who hawk counterfeit fashion to the gullible and the not-so-gullible, and how that market affects their ability to discern truth from fiction.

For Lucky (newcomer Prince Adu), it’s a crucial distinction: Early in the film, a former girlfriend of his (Kat Sanchez) shows up, shoves a baby in his arms, tells him the kid is his, and then lights out with her present boyfriend. Meanwhile, Lucky’s employer, Levon (Karren Karagulian), is having his own domestic problems: Turns out life with the woman he married purely to get his green card is not all that harmonious, particularly when he thinks the marriage certificate grants him certain rights to — as the lawyers say — consortia.

It’s a neat, understated story, well suited to Sean Baker’s stripped-down style and the cast’s naturalistic performances. Click on the player to hear my interview with Baker.

This Episode is Brought to You by:
NOKIA NURON
Watch David Lehre’s Take on TWILIGHT

PRINCE OF BROADWAY
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Behind the Dim Sum.

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Close Quarters, Damning Decisions: A tank crew (l-to-r: Oshri Cohen, Zohar Strauss, Yoav Donat, and Itay Tiran) gets its first taste of war in LEBANON.

I went into LEBANON convinced that I really didn’t want to see another examination of the moral quandary that is the Middle East conflict. I came out of it — head and heart racing — convinced that I had seen one of the best films of the year. That’s a considerable achievement, considering that LEBANON takes place primarily on one dark, constricted set, and that that set recreates a place that few of us would care to spend five minutes in, much less the 90 minutes of the film, much less — from the characters point of view — the desperate hours that form the opening day of the Lebanon War in 1982.

Save for the opening and closing shots, LEBANON is set completely within the confines of an tank, observing its crew — four Israeli boys in their twenties — as they get their first taste of war. Whatever we see of the outside world is only what they can see from inside, views limited to what can be observed through tiny windows and (tellingly) a gunsight. Whatever we can divine of the situation is only what they can figure out from those windows, from terse radio communications, and from limited dialogue with whichever superiors or purported allies drop down through their hatchway. In short, info is limited, which does not exempt the crew from making split-second decisions, many of them life-or-death. The experience is tense, claustrophobic, occasionally brutally graphic, and absolutely compelling; gripping drama with a higher goal.

It was a pleasure talking with Maoz about the motives and challenges of this incredible film. Click on the player to hear the interview.

LEBANON
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More wartime candor.

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Clowntime is Over: Dany Boon confronts the enemy in MICMACS.

The premiere audio review of science fiction, fantasy, and horror is back with another exciting episode! This time, Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski eschew the big-time summer blockbusters in favor of the French comedy-fantasy MICMACS (Micmacs a tire-lairgot, or “Non-stop Madness”), latest surreal confectionery from supreme stylist Jean-Pierre Jeunet (who charmed audience with AMELIE). Also this week, we bring you the latest news, the Cinefantastique Calendar of upcoming events, and previews of the week’s home video releases. All in all, it’s more fun than a Jerry Lewis festival!

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Why Do They Laugh at My Mighty Sword? - Jake Gyllenhaal in PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME

In the sixteenth episode of Cinefantastique’s weekly Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction Podcast, Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski sift through the Sands of Time as they search PRINCE OF PERSIA for hidden political metaphors and/or weapons of mass destruction. The big screen film version of the popular video game stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Gemma Arterton – but, strangely enough, no Persians. Also in this episode: a fond farewell to Dennis Hopper; a preview of the WOLF MAN unrated director’s cut DVD; and the usual news and previews.

Continue reading »]]> Y’know, people probably shouldn’t be this gleeful about issues of mortality, but in the cases of the movies being discussed in this episode, we’re kinda glad they are. This episode features interviews with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and George A. Romero, both of whom have previously addressed matters of life-and-death in their own, unique ways, and have decided that there’s still more sport to be had from the subject.

In MICMACS, Jeunet gives us a cockeyed protagonist in the person of Bazil (Dany Boon), a man who quite by chance winds up at the precipice of the eternal when a stray bullet gets lodged in his brain. This makes him not so charitably inclined towards the manufacturer of said bullet, a matter only exacerbated when he discovers that the land mine that killed his father in the Middle East was created by a neighboring company. His only recourse: Take down both corporations, with the help of a ragtag assortment of unusually talented junkyard misfits. For such a dire theme, the film turns out to be quite a lighthearted adventure, with Jeunet deploying all his powers of visual invention into the narrative, while also making copious nods to film history, particularly to the works of silent comedians and Sergio Leone.

George Romero is also taking a few pages from cinema history, most specifically from classic westerns. In SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, the group of renegade guardsmen we met in DIARY OF THE DEAD — led by Alan Van Sprang — decides they’ve had enough of zombies, and aim themselves for a respite on an island off the coast of Delaware. Problem is: Not only is the place already infested with the walking dead, but they’ve become a rather peculiar stake in a kind-of range war between waged between two feuding clans. As always, Romero mixes zombie assaults with some particularly vivid death scenes — for both living and dead — along with some trenchant observations of our current, fractious times. Turns out the departed still have something to say to their survivors, and it has nothing to do with moving into the light.

Click on the player to hear the show.

This Episode is Brought to You by:
HALO: REACH – Autumn 2010

MICMACS
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www.sonyclassics.com/micmacs

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====================================

SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
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www.magnetreleasing.com/survivalofthedead

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It’ll make you smile.

]]> http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/05/21/survival-of-the-dead-and-micmacs/feed/ 0 Activism,Art,Comedy,Death,Emotion,Explosions,Fantasy,Gore,Horror,Indie,Justice,Love Y'know, people probably shouldn't be this gleeful about issues of mortality, but in the cases of the movies being discussed in this episode, we're kinda glad they are. This episode features interviews with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and George A. Romero, Y'know, people probably shouldn't be this gleeful about issues of mortality, but in the cases of the movies being discussed in this episode, we're kinda glad they are. This episode features interviews with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and George A. Romero, both of whom have previously addressed matters of life-and-death in their own, unique ways, and have decided that there's still more sport to be had from the subject. Twisted Love: Dany Boon (left) and Julie Ferrier meet peculiar in MICMACS. In MICMACS, Jeunet gives us a cockeyed protagonist in the person of Bazil (Dany Boon), a man who quite by chance winds up at the precipice of the eternal when a stray bullet gets lodged in his brain. This makes him not so charitably inclined towards the manufacturer of said bullet, a matter only exacerbated when he discovers that the land mine that killed his father in the Middle East was created by a neighboring company. His only recourse: Take down both corporations, with the help of a ragtag assortment of unusually talented junkyard misfits. For such a dire theme, the film turns out to be quite a lighthearted adventure, with Jeunet deploying all his powers of visual invention into the narrative, while also making copious nods to film history, particularly to the works of silent comedians and Sergio Leone. Home on Deranged (Sorry): Joris Jarsky (left) wrangles Kathleen Munroe in SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD. George Romero is also taking a few pages from cinema history, most specifically from classic westerns. In SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, the group of renegade guardsmen we met in DIARY OF THE DEAD -- led by Alan Van Sprang -- decides they've had enough of zombies, and aim themselves for a respite on an island off the coast of Delaware. Problem is: Not only is the place already infested with the walking dead, but they've become a rather peculiar stake in a kind-of range war between waged between two feuding clans. As always, Romero mixes zombie assaults with some particularly vivid death scenes -- for both living and dead -- along with some trenchant observations of our current, fractious times. Turns out the departed still have something to say to their survivors, and it has nothing to do with moving into the light. Click on the player to hear the show. This Episode is Brought to You by: HALO: REACH - Autumn 2010 MICMACS Trailer [youtube TjKW0tG7I8s nolink] www.sonyclassics.com/micmacs IMDB Listing ==================================== SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD Trailer [youtube aFqUbY-pWqQ nolink] www.magnetreleasing.com/survivalofthedead IMDB Listing Subscribe to MMP on iTunes Sign Up for E-Mail Updates [amazonify]B0000640VO[/amazonify] It'll make you smile. Dan Persons no 38:48 http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/04/09/attention-listeners-in-great-britain-help-send-mmp-to-camp/ http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/04/09/attention-listeners-in-great-britain-help-send-mmp-to-camp/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:33:39 +0000 Dan Persons http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/?p=1714

Continue reading »]]> Okay, let’s be blunt about this: I know nothing about comic actor Omid Djalili or screenplay writer David Baddiel, or their new film, THE INFIDEL, which is currently running in Great Britain. But the plot — about a British Muslim who discovers he was actually born Jewish — has potential and, more to the point, if MIGHTY MOVIE PODCAST listeners in GB click on the video, it’ll cover our hosting fee for a few months.

The trailer is less than half a minute long, so checking it out won’t put too much of a time-sink on your day and will really help us out. Just to whet your appetite further, here’s the synopsis that was supplied to us:

In Cinemas Now! Written by David Baddiel and starring Omid Djalili, UK’s premiere comic talents!

Meet MAHMUD NASIR, loving husband, doting father and something of a “relaxed” Muslim.

He may not be the most observant, but in his heart he is as Muslim as it gets. But after his mother’s death a discovery turns Mahmud’s world upside down. He finds his birth certificate which reveals that not only was he adopted at birth…but he’s Jewish, and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz!

Okay, not sure about that whole “Solly Shimshillewitz” thing, but get a look at the trailer and, who knows, maybe you’ve got your weekend entertainment all set up!

And coming up later today or on Saturday: My interviews with the directors of THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS and THE SQUARE.

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A baptism at the River Jordan from WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON

I’ll admit I have little patience for people who confuse religious mythology for real-world politics. You want to believe that, when the earthly going gets tough, you’re going to be zapped up to heaven and have a front row seat for the conflagration and the return of your deity? Cool, swell, no skin off my nuts. You want the U.S. to model its domestic and foreign policies on such fantasies, that’s when I politely have to object.

Which is to say that I probably couldn’t have sat where the directors of WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON did while interviewing people who dearly believe in the looming spectre of the End Times — including a couple who have come to their beliefs after, ahem, “scientific” analysis and a guy who leads tours through Israel and gets all giggly at the thought of the razing of the Dome of the Rock — and not wound up stabbing a pencil in my brain. I’m just not that strong.

Fortunately, directors Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, and Franco Saachi are, and their forbearance pays off in a documentary that gives you a good look into what a vocal and influential segment of our population believes is the world’s ultimate destiny, and what the risks may be in trying mold our politics to that worldview. It’s an important film for anyone concerned about the continuing incursion of religion into our public policy, and a balanced warning in particular for those who have noted the religious right’s involvement in Middle East politics without considering its possible costs.

Click on the player above to hear my interview with Kate Davis and David Heilbroner.

Trailer

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firstrunfeatures.com/armageddon_synopsis.html

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More of the Highly Motivated

Continue reading »]]> Turns out there may be some trouble downloading the (500) DAYS OF SUMMER episode on iTunes, so this is a repost that hopefully will fix things. If you had trouble downloading on iTunes before, give it a shot again. If you wind up getting two copies of this ep, well, consider that twice the MMP for your money! (I know, I know, it’s free.)

If you’re still having trouble downloading, I’d appreciate being contacted. Your satisfaction is my only goal (that, and having dinner with Martin Scorsese, but you know…).

In addition, the release date I cited in the IN THE LOOP episode came from old info. Turns out the film is being released in New York on July 24th. Hope that didn’t mess up your plans for the weekend.

That’s all for now. Resume living.

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Angling for Survival: Mimi Kennedy and James Gandolfini plot their next moves in IN THE LOOP

I’m not going to say that IN THE LOOP — the new British political comedy directed by Armando Iannucci and based on his award-winning BBC sitcom THE THICK OF IT — is going help put the last eight years of U.S./Great Britain relations into context, but at the very least, I think it provides some bracing insights into how politicians on both sides of the Atlantic fulfill the pressing demands of their jobs. That is to say: Not all that well.

On the G.B. side, you’ve got, amongst others, a minister (Tom Hollander) whose every encounter with the press seems destined to provoke an international incident, and a director of communications (the superb Peter Capaldi) who wields his power with such vitriolic zeal that sulfur trails linger when he leaves the room. Here in the good ol’ U.S. of A, there’s an assistant secretary for diplomacy (Mimi Kennedy) who bristles at her isolation from all the good committees — you know, the ones that plan wars and stuff — and a Pentagon General (James Gandolfini) whose instincts for survival are maybe too finely honed.

They all come together over an impending conflict in the Middle East (Iannucci is discreet about which country is actually getting invaded) and a document that, if it ever reached the public, could derail the entire enterprise (said document having been drafted in America, so it’s not at all like the Downing Street Memo). In the course of the drum-up to war, there’ll be furtive love affairs (between government assistants Chris Addison and Anna Chlumsky), much ego stroking and destruction (Capaldi’s official flies all the way to Washington to discover that his exclusive, White House one-on-one is with a deputy assistant secretary who looks like an escapee from High School Musical), considerable jockeying for position, innumerable invocations of the f-word, and a stealth appearance by Steve Coogan (maybe you’ll have better luck finding him than I did).

In sum, it’s political vitriol in the grand, British tradition. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here’s my interview with Iannucci.

Trailer

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www.intheloopmovie.co.uk

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More Fine British Impertinence.

]]> http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2009/07/15/armando-iannucci-on-in-the-loop/feed/ 0 British,Comedy,Controversy,Indie,Middle East,New York,Off Beat,Success,War I'm not going to say that IN THE LOOP -- the new British political comedy directed by Armando Iannucci and based on his award-winning BBC sitcom THE THICK OF IT -- is going help put the last eight years of U.S./Great Britain relations into context, I'm not going to say that IN THE LOOP -- the new British political comedy directed by Armando Iannucci and based on his award-winning BBC sitcom THE THICK OF IT -- is going help put the last eight years of U.S./Great Britain relations into context, but at the very least, I think it provides some bracing insights into how politicians on both sides of the Atlantic fulfill the pressing demands of their jobs. That is to say: Not all that well. On the G.B. side, you've got, amongst others, a minister (Tom Hollander) whose every encounter with the press seems destined to provoke an international incident, and a director of communications (the superb Peter Capaldi) who wields his power with such vitriolic zeal that sulfur trails linger when he leaves the room. Here in the good ol' U.S. of A, there's an assistant secretary for diplomacy (Mimi Kennedy) who bristles at her isolation from all the good committees -- you know, the ones that plan wars and stuff -- and a Pentagon General (James Gandolfini) whose instincts for survival are maybe too finely honed. They all come together over an impending conflict in the Middle East (Iannucci is discreet about which country is actually getting invaded) and a document that, if it ever reached the public, could derail the entire enterprise (said document having been drafted in America, so it's not at all like the Downing Street Memo). In the course of the drum-up to war, there'll be furtive love affairs (between government assistants Chris Addison and Anna Chlumsky), much ego stroking and destruction (Capaldi's official flies all the way to Washington to discover that his exclusive, White House one-on-one is with a deputy assistant secretary who looks like an escapee from High School Musical), considerable jockeying for position, innumerable invocations of the f-word, and a stealth appearance by Steve Coogan (maybe you'll have better luck finding him than I did). In sum, it's political vitriol in the grand, British tradition. Wouldn't have it any other way. Here's my interview with Iannucci. Trailer [youtube 87Emyo23IeM nolink] www.intheloopmovie.co.uk IMDB Listing Subscribe to MMP on iTunes Sign Up for E-Mail Updates [amazonify]B0000DI88E[/amazonify] More Fine British Impertinence. Dan Persons no