By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
Reeler Link Dump: Westward Ho Edition
Circumstances beyond its control have forced The Reeler to retreat to California for the next week, possibly two. While I expect to continue portions of my coverage from out west, odds are I will not be able to make the transcontinental commute to catch the Gen Art Film Festival or–gasp!–the Scary Movie 4 premiere April 10.
But at least I am always good for binging on wreckage surveyed from afar. To wit:
–The Reporter’s Gregg Goldstein offers a sweeping view of DIY distribution options available to independent filmmakers, with examples like New York’s Kristian Fraga (Anytown, USA) and Susan Buice and Arin Crumley (Four-Eyed Monsters) showing at least two of the many ways to skin this particular cat. That is, before it rears back to life, claws their hearts out and ever-so-mischievously sets their negatives on fire.
–According to Page Six, George Clooney’s publicist developed opposable thumbs functional enough the type out a plan for sabatoging the celebrity-sighting hotspot Gawker Stalker:
Flood their Web site with bogus sightings. Get your clients to get 10 friends to text in fake sightings of any number of stars. A couple hundred conflicting sightings and this Web site is worthless. No need to try to create new laws to restrict free speech. Just make them useless. That’s the fun of it. And then sit back and enjoy the ride. Thanks, George.
Great idea! Almost as brilliant as giving your enemy free publicity in the New York Post! And the Associated Press! And IMDB! Gawker responded a few hours ago by placing a bounty on Clooney’s head: Ocean’s 11 and Ocean’s 12 DVD’s go to the first stalker to send a clear photo of the Oscar winner–“and if you can get a picture of him giving the finger, we’ll even throw in a copy of Solaris.” Another publicist, another job well done.
–Only at Lincoln Center could Polish and African cinema somehow overlap, and that is exactly what is happening in April and May: The Film Society will host a virtually complete retrospective of the late Krzysztof Kieslowski’s work from April 5-23, while the 13th annual African Film Festival fires up for a month starting April 20.
–In other “festival” news, The Times’s Laurel Graeber has the scoop on the New York International Children’s Film Festival, which is now a year-round fixture at IFC Center and is on the verge of going national. Founder Eric Beckman calls it “art house for kids,” while rumor has it theater boss John Vanco has promised to introduce a film in a clown suit if Beckman can help him hit April’s attendance quota.
–Sure, it is relatively old news, but just say it out loud: Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Manohla Dargis. Fuck. Yes.