Just a few more newsy nibbles.
1. The New York Times reports that Armand Jones, one of the teen actors recruited for Freedom Writers — for one of the more minor roles — was shot dead in a Denny’s several months ago, shortly after shooting on the film had been completed. Sad.
When [casting director Margery Simkin] and Richard LaGravenese, the writer and director of “Freedom Writers,” first watched the movie’s promotional trailer a few months after Mr. Jones’s death, they saw him in it and both started sobbing. Ms. Simkin said that Mr. LaGravenese recalled a scene from the film in which Ms. Gruwell asks her students to step on a line she has drawn down the middle of the classroom if any of them knew someone who had died in gang violence.
“Richard looked at me and said, ‘Now I can step on the line,’ ” Ms. Simkin said.
2. IGN.com has the new trailer for Amazing Grace. It’s heavy on cliches, but like all trailers, it’s a collection of soundbites, so I won’t hold that against the movie — yet. Incidentally, Variety says Amazing Grace will be the “centerpiece” of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which runs January 25 – February 4.
3. The always opinionated Jonathan Rosenbaum at the Chicago Reader makes some interesting remarks about the role that “genre” has played, for better and for worse, in allowing Mexican directors Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (Babel) to become makers of mainstream Hollywood movies.
4. Apocalypto opened with much hype and buzz at #1 four weeks ago, fell out of the top ten two weeks ago, and probably won’t even be in the top sixteen this weekend, to judge by yesterday‘s estimates. But even though it’s dying a quick death, the film still makes news. Variety reports that Juan Catlett, director of Return to Aztlan (1991), is suing Gibson for plagiarism. The Associated Press also reports that a storm is brewing in Italy over the fact that the film has been deemed acceptable for children there:
Adriana Medici, secretary for the Italian review board that rated “Apocalypto,” said the board, which usually is made up of parents, industry experts and a psychologist, decided on Dec. 19 to allow people of any age to see it.
“It’s a work of art. It’s a beautiful movie that tells the story without hiding anything. Wars are a part of life,” said Gian Paolo Cugno, an Italian director who was among the board members who voted in favor of not giving the movie an age limit.
“We are used to being subjected to images like the hanging of Saddam Hussein in all the newspapers,” Cugno said. “I don’t see what the scandal is just because we see a bit of blood.”
Variety adds:
Italy has long been quirky in its censorship decisions. It banned Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Last Tango in Paris” in the 1970s and is generally lenient toward violence but more severe about sexual or anti-religious content.
The country seems to have a bent for giving Gibson a break.
Besides clearing “Apocalypto” for all audiences, Italy is also the only country on the planet where “The Passion of the Christ” went out with a G rating.
5. Anne Thompson reports that the South by Southwest Film Festival, which runs March 9-17, has announced several of the titles receiving their world premiere there, one of which is:
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?
Directed by Rob Vanalkemade.
From producer Morgan Spurlock comes this entertaining and enlightening documentary look at the commercialization of the Christmas season. The famous Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping serve as the anchor for a disturbing and humorous portrayal of the way Christmas has evolved over centuries in America. (World Premiere)
6. Thomwade sings the praises of Christopher Lee — and reveals that Lee is collaborating with Robin Hardy on a “re-imagining” of their earlier hit, The Wicker Man (1973), to be called Cowboys for Christ. Well, it was news to me, at least. At any rate, this new “re-imagining” is not to be confused with that other remake that Neil LaBute produced last year. Speaking of which, I have been meaning to post some thoughts about the original film here, but haven’t had a chance to get around to it yet. Soon, hopefully.
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