Another long post, sorry. If you don’t have time to browse right now, I’ll just highlight the oft-mentioned Tony Manero and the Sasha Grey film right now. I know there are Malick fans here. He's got a new one with Brad Pitt that shockingly might be out in '09.



35 Shots of Rum -
synopsis: http://www.tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/35rhums
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1100048/
Finished 4th place behind The Wrestler; Goodbye, Solo; and Still Walking in a critics poll for TIFF 08. Denis is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers. Godard is one of my all-time favorite cinematographers. They make visually and aurally impressive and ambitious films that seep into you and entrap you slowly. Ozu is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers, and this is inspired by Ozu and particularly Late Spring, one of my all-time favorite films. Seems like a film with a lot of heart.


Ain’t Scared -
trailer: http://www.myspace.com/regardemoilefilm
synopsis: http://www.ifccenter.com/film?filmid=63209
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1063693/
Parisian housing project. The filmmaker is only 23 years old, too.


Still walking –
trailer: http://www.aruitemo.com/trailer.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1087578/
If you haven’t seen a Kore-eda film yet go see Nobody Knows and After Life.


In the City of Sylvia -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0809425/
“…much of its 84 minutes is spent lingering on a seemingly endless sea of beautiful female faces.” – Andrew Grant
I’m in. Haha. Even though lots of reviews have brought up that film academic term that irks me, the male gaze, I’m still very interested in this flick. Some say it has elements of Vertigo, but from what I gather, it’s like an arty enigmatic Rear Window in its use of editing and the part about a character looking at objects and people. The cinematographer Natasha Braier did amazing work in Glue and XXY.


Somers Town –
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf1CI5jcJJg
http://www.somers-town.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172206/
Meadows and Turgoose.


Jerichow –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1224153/
A German The Postman Always Rings Twice? Got some very positive reviews from Venice and Toronto screenings.


Dust of Time -
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42143
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765442/
Bruno Ganz, Irene Jacob, Piccoli, and Dafoe. Oh yeah, and the lovely Alexandra Maria Lara. The first installment in the trilogy was great. Angelopoulos is a master filmmaker who hasn’t fallen off.


The Beaches of Agnes -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129435/
I wish there were more filmmakers like Varda. Was the top documentary in a critics poll for TIFF 08. Doesn’t really sound like what one would expect a documentary to be, though.


RR -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1261422/
I pretty much have no chance at catching this.


The Limits of Control –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135092/
Jarmusch put together a fuckin’ great cast. Some cat named Chris Doyle is the DP.


Munyurangabo -
http://www.almondtreefilms.com/index.php?pr=Munyurangabo
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031947/
Sounds like a hell of an ambitious project for one’s feature-length debut.


Lake Tahoe -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1101675/
Simply off of the strength of Duck Season. Rent that one now.


Lunch Break –
http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/lunch_break
I’m pretty sure this won't be coming my way.


Prince of Broadway –
trailer: http://www.princeofbroadway.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1000769/


Tony Manero –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1223975/
A serial killer obsessed with Tony Manero. A pretty popular film. Finished 3rd best undistributed film in IndieWire’s Critics Poll and 9th best unreleased film in Film Comments upcoming poll.
Some words used in reviews for the flick: crude, disturbing, magnificently deranged, shock, unique, brutal, facile. Someone called the filmmaking ugly, I think.


Linha de passe –
trailer: http://www.paramountpictures.com.br/linhadepasse/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803029/


Art & Copy -
http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/art_copy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333631/
I like Scratch and Surfwise.


South Main -
http://www.southmainfilm.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189906/


Birdsong -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1143891/
Arty minimalist film on the Three Wise Men?


Tulpan -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436854/
Simply because it’s set and was shot in Kazakhstan. Also because of the positive reviews.


Estomago –
review: http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/mj08/distributorwanted.htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1039960/
“…one of the most arresting foodie films to come along in some time.”
I’ll keep an eye out for this. More Brazil.


Mukhsin -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0863091/
First, because it’s set and was shot in Malaysia. Second, it was in 2 critics’ top-ten of ’08.


Mutum –
trailer: http://www.mutumofilme.com.br/trailer.htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848596/
Positive reviews. It’s set and was shot in Brazil. Called one of the gems of this year’s Film Society @ Lincoln Center Latinbeat program. I like a lot of what David Walsh doesn’t like, but I also like a lot of what he likes. It made his top-ten.


Treeless Mountain -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1143155/
Kim’s directorial debut is fantastic. It seemed like it was her, like, 3rd feature under her belt. Kudos for the sound design. I like her taste in films and directors, and she said this film references Nobody Knows and Andrei Rublev.


Four Nights with Anna –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1225290/
Reviewers brought up Rear Window, Chungking Express, A Short Film About Love, The Decalogue, and Bela Tarr. Some negative reviews, but there are some positive ones.


The Rest of the Night –
synopsis: http://www.tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/restofthenight
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1223971/


Five Minutes of Heaven -
synopsis: http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/five_minutes_of_heaven
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1238291/


Unrelated –
trailer: http://www.unrelatedfilm.com/unrelated_film_trailer.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1107850/
Trailer doesn’t look good, but it got positive reviews. It won the FIPRESCI International Critics Award at the London FF, and it also was Amy Taubin’s 4th best undistributed film of ’08.


Visages –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262420/
Not a Tsai fan, but I do love WTIIT? and GDI. A great cast with the great Moreau and Leaud and the sexy (MILF? GMILF?) Nathalie Baye. Laetitia Casta is in it and I wonder if Tsai is gonna have her do some weird sexual stuff like in his previous films. I just don’t know what the hell to expect.


Liverpool -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1002539/
"This one struck me as a Bela Tarr movie left to die in a snowbank." – Ty Burr
Yikes. Some hate it, some love it. Color me interested. Los Muertos was interesting.


Tetro -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964185/
I doubt it’ll be out in ’09. We’ll see, though.


The Girlfriend Experience -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103982/
I don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned in PTP. Surprising since Sasha Grey is in it.


Splice -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1017460/
Brody and Polley. And I’m a sucker for DNA stuff.


Howl -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049402/
Great cast.


Charly –
synopsis: http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/Charly.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494045/
Some positive reviews.


Sita Sings the Blues –
trailer: http://www.archive.org/details/SitaSingsTheBluesTrailer2008
http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172203/
It’s on quite a few top-ten lists.


The Turin Horse -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316540/
Inspired by the story of the cause or beginning of Nietzsche’s breakdown. Sounds promising. If anything, I expect to feel drugged while watching it.


The Tree of Life -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/
Not a Malick fan, but I’ll still watch it because there’s a chance I might like it. There are some moments in his films that I like.


Humpday -
http://www.humpdayishere.com/about.php
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334537/


The White Tape or the Teacher's Tale -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149362/


Mammoth -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038043/


Maradona by Kusturica –
trailer: http://www.maradona-lefilm.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454976/


Alexandra –
trailer: http://cinemaguild.com/alexandra/
On a couple of top-ten lists. I’ll watch any Sokurov.


The Headless Woman -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1221141/
Some praise it. Some hate it. Sounds enigmatic as hell. Her previous features were interesting and a little frustrating.


Me and Orson Welles -
http://www.tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/meandorsonwelles
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1175506/
Even those who thought the film was mediocre praised McKay's performance. Efron's supposed to be good, too.


Hadewijch –
synopsis: http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=38943&Category=
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1257562/


Foster Child -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031930/


I Love You Phillip Morris -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045772/
Maybe.


Rudo and Cursi -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405393/
Maybe.


Happy Tears -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219828/
Maybe.


Afterschool
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1224366/
Critics seem split on it. Some marvel at the techniques; some hate it.


Lion’s Den –
trailer: http://www.leoneralapelicula.com/index-en.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022606/


I’m Going To Explode -
http://www.voyaexplotar.com/VoyAExplotar_trailer.mp4
http://www.voyaexplotar.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080857/
I don’t know about this. But I’m gonna give it a chance because it got 12 mentions in IndieWire’s Critics Poll and finished tied as the 8th best undistributed film.


The Mugger –
review: http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/so08/distributorwanted.htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1006823/
http://www.films-sans-frontieres.fr/lassaillant/


Captain Ahab –
http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/ma08/distributorwanted.htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824298/


Princess Ka’iulani –
teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_lSJ3wrGPo