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Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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Sundance press conference

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The usual we're-Sundance-and-we're-proud-of- what-we-stand for themes were sounded by Robert Redford and festival program director Geoff Gilmore at the opening-day Sundance Film Festival press conference, which ended about 90 minutes ago. I don't know if anyone was knocked flat by theser statements, but it was good to hear the Sundance fundamentals restated in a clear and concise fashion.

(l. to r.) Sundance program director Geoff Gilmore, Robert Redford, Chicago 10 director Brett Morgen at the close of this afternoon's 2007 Sundance Film Festival press conference at the Egyptian theatre -- Thursday, 1.18.07, 3:20 pm

We're about movies and not parties or ambush marketing, Redford said. We're living in a very exciting, expansive and inclusive time, they both said. And I recall one of them saying that the line between narrative features and documentaries is blurring, and that's good, and the more this happens the better for everyone. (I agree.)

I recorded the whole thing, but I'll tell you right now that Redford spoke a little too softly and wasn't adequately miked, so don't expect much from the first five or six minutes. In fact, the whole recording is on the insufficient side. The clearest thing of all is me asking Redford and Gilmore a question; I was sitting right next to the Olympus recorder so duhhhh.

Chicago 10 director Brett Morgen joined them about halfway through the conference to talk about the genesis of his film, why he thinks a revisiting of the Chicago '68 riots is relevant today, or at least why it should be, and to what extent his film is "political" (scary word, that) and why he decided that the first thing to get right was to make the film entertaining.

Oppressive laughter<< previous | next >>Sundance pics #2

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 18, 2007 at 2:47 PM

comment #1

christian says ...

so you missed redford saying all this:

"Anyone with a rational mind and a sense of decency is being positioned as a lefty by the extreme right," he said, responding to an attendee who asked whether he thought Sundance selections were politically oriented to the left. "I believe in the tenets of democracy, and when they get pushed, it pisses me off," he said.

Redford maintained that Sundance films always have been politically diverse but said that "in light of what's happened in the past six years, we haven't adhered to snuffing attempts from the administration. ...

Posted by christian at January 18, 2007 7:54 PM

comment #2

christian says ...

so you missed redford saying all this:

Posted by christian at January 18, 2007 7:55 PM

comment #3

grener says ...

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NE TE METS PAS DERRIERE MOI THANKS ;)

Posted by grener at April 3, 2007 7:35 AM

comment #4

kimi98 says ...

Posted by kimi98 at July 25, 2007 8:16 AM

Hollywood Elsewhere

Upcoming

Sundance press conference

christian says ...

christian says ...

grener says ...

kimi98 says ...

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