Lars Von Trier

Keanu Reeves Documentary SIDE BY SIDE Tackles Film vs. Digital Debate; Includes Interviews with Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and David Fincher

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am

A curious little website has popped up announcing a new documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that tackles one of the foremost issues facing filmmakers today: the advent of digital filmmaking. Entitled Side by Side, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of film vs. digital, and “examines all aspects of filmmaking – from capture, to edit, to visual effects, to color correction, to distribution to archive.” Through interviews with numerous well-respected masters of the medium, Side by Side “explores what has been gained, what is lost and what the future might bring.” Take this sample quote from Christopher Nolan:

“No credible source really has been claiming to have invented something that is aesthetically superior to film at this point.”

The documentary will feature Reeves interviewing filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Lana and Andy Wachowski, George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, and many more. Hit the jump for more details.

Charlotte Gainsbourg in Talks to Reteam with Director Lars von Trier in THE NYMPHOMANIAC

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Exonerated of the charges concerning comments he made about Nazis at the Cannes Film Festival this past May, director Lars von Trier is moving forward with his next feature film. Variety reports that actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, who starred in von Trier’s last two films Antichrist and Melancholia, is in talks to reteam with the director for The Nymphomaniac. The film is described as “an explicit exploration of a woman’s erotic life,” and production is scheduled to get underway either next summer or fall. The pic will apparently be divided into eight chapters and, given the explicit subject material, released in two versions: a “softcore” cut for mainstream distribution and a “hardcore” one (I don’t even wanna know what von Trier has planned for the hardcore cut).

No other details about the project are known, but von Trier has previously stated that the film will cover the lead character’s erotic life from zero to the age of 50. Von Trier also apparently wants Stellan Skarsgard, who starred in Melancholia, to appear in the film as well. Gainsbourg won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her work in Antichrist.

MELANCHOLIA Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 11th, 2011 at 6:33 am

[This review is a re-print of my review from the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival]

Lars Von Trier‘s Melancholia opens in magnificent, operatic fashion. Birds fall from the sky, strands of light stream forth from the finger tips of Kirsten Dunst, the ground sinks beneath Charlotte Gainsbourg‘s feet and then a bigger planet obliterates our planet. This is all beautifully shot, set to classical music from a booming orchestra, and played in slow motion. It’s a prelude to the film’s big ideas, terrific performances, and thoughtful examination of what it means to be happy and if happiness is even worth pursing. But for all of its grandiosity and introspection, Melancholia never manages to strike an emotional connection.

New Posters for WAR HORSE and MELANCHOLIA

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 27th, 2011 at 7:54 am

New posters have gone online for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse and Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia.  War Horse continues to be a tough sell mainly because the lead character is a horse and the horse doesn’t talk.  You can put Mr. Ed in your World War I drama, Mr. Spielberg, but a non-talking horse?  How will that play in Peoria?  At least the poster is pretty-looking.

As for Melancholia, it’s a collection of character posters plus one interesting addition.  Von Trier gets his own poster.  It’s the first time I’ve seen a director who wasn’t also an actor in the movie get his or her own character poster.  Of course, Von Trier is a bit of a character and his poster even bears a fake seal proclaiming “Official Persona non Grata – Cannes 2011″.  Hit the jump to check out the posters.  War Horse opens December 28th.  Melancholia hits OnDemand on October 7th and opens in theaters on November 11th.

TIFF 2011: MELANCHOLIA Review

by Monika Bartyzel    Posted: September 17th, 2011 at 5:59 am

Lars von Trier’s depression is well-documented. He’s a visionary plagued by his own personal demons. His fears and phobias have kept him out of the skies and the rush of international film promotion. In 2007 they even led him to say, “basically, I’m afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking.” His depression was so crippling, in fact, that it had made him “a blank sheet of paper” that year, unable to create. Luckily, his struggles did not keep him from the directorial chair. The self-proclaimed “melancholy Dane” returned to work and dug to the very depths of empathy with his harrowing Antichrist, and now he’s dared to display his emotional demons front and center with the apocalyptic Melancholia. My review after the jump:

TIFF 2011: MELANCHOLIA Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 8th, 2011 at 4:41 pm

Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia opens in magnificent, operatic fashion.  Birds fall from the sky, strands of light stream forth from the finger tips of Kirsten Dunst, the ground sinks beneath Charlotte Gainsbourg’s feet and then a bigger planet obliterates our planet.  This is all beautifully shot, set to classical music from a booming orchestra, and played in slow motion.  It’s a prelude to the film’s big ideas, terrific performances, and thoughtful examination of what it means to be happy and if happiness is even worth pursing.  But for all of its grandiosity and introspection, Melancholia never manages to strike an emotional connection.

Lars Von Trier Wants NYMPHOMANIAC to Star Stellan Skarsgard; Gary Oldman Wants Colin Firth for Next Directorial Effort

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 5th, 2011 at 1:24 pm

Normally I don’t care much for “Wants” stories unless they give some hint as to the tone of a particular production.  Wish lists are easy to make and they give zero indication to any concrete deal.  But it’s Labor Day, news is almost non-existence, and we have to feed the content beast, so here’s two “Wants” stories.  First up, E! News reports that Lars Von Trier wants his next film, the “sexually graphic” Nymphomaniac to star the prolific Stellan Skarsgard (most recently seen in Thor and latest this year in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  Skarsgard tells E! “Lars called me and said, ‘Stellan, my next film will be a porno film, and I want you to play the lead in it,’” he said, laughing. “But then he said, ‘You will not get to fuck.’”  The film reportedly centers on “the erotic life of a woman from the age of zero to the age of 50,” so I’m not sure how Skarsgard figures in.  Then again, with Von Trier it’s almost impossible to know what to expect beyond a vague outline.

Hit the jump for news regarding Gary Oldman’s next directorial feature.

New Trailer for Lars von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 3rd, 2011 at 8:13 am

The U.S. trailer for writer/director Lars von Trier’s Melancholia has landed online. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgård and John Hurt, the film pits Justine and Michael’s (Dunst and Skarsgård) wedding against the backdrop of the end of the world. As I’ve written before, I’m not hopelessly devoted to von Trier’s previous work, but Melancholia looks beautifully reflective and I can’t wait to check it out.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Melancholia premieres on VOD on October 7th, hits U.K. theaters on October 30th and will enjoy a limited theatrical release in the U.S. beginning on November 11th.

UK Trailer for MELANCHOLIA

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 29th, 2011 at 6:25 pm

The UK trailer for Lars von Trier’s upcoming sci-fi/disaster drama Melancholia has landed online. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård and Kiefer Sutherland, the film features Justine (Dunst) and Michael’s (Skarsgård) wedding taking place against the backdrop of impending doom. I can’t claim to be a huge fan of von Trier’s previous work, but everything I’ve seen from Melancholia has intrigued me. It looks beautifully tragic and, for whatever reason, kind of nostalgic to the point that I can’t wait to see it.

Check out the UK trailer after the jump. Click here to watch the first trailer from the film. Melancholia will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month as well as the New York Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. It hits UK theaters on October 30th before getting a VOD release in the United States on October 7th. It will receive a limited theatrical release in the U.S. beginning on November 11th.

New Posters for GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE, MELANCHOLIA, and ABDUCTION

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 18th, 2011 at 5:32 pm

New posters for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Melancholia, and Abduction are now available online. Beginning with Ghost Rider, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, and Ciaran Hinds. The pic centers on Cage’s reprised Johnny Blaze who, while kicking it in Eastern Europe, is called upon to stop the Devil (Hinds) from taking human form. Although I prefer the teaser promos found at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, this new sheet seems effective enough in positioning the film as a grittier take on the character than its predecessor. The new Melancholia poster is essentially the full, hi-res shot of a Kirsten Dunst image we seen back in April while the Abduction sheet features star Taylor Lautner running from a city skyline.

Check out each of the posters after the jump. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opens on February 17th, 2012. Written/directed by Lars von Trier, Melancholia will hit VOD platforms on October 7th before opening in theaters on November 11th. Directed by John Singleton, Abduction will be released on September 23rd.

Lars Von Trier’s Next Film Entitled NYMPHOMANIAC; Shooting Slated for Summer 2012

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 8:43 am

Before today, if I were forced to take a wild guess as to what the subject of filmmaker Lars Von Trier’s next project would be, there is probably like a 60 percent chance that I would have said nymphomania. As it turns out, I would have likely guessed correctly. It’s believed that the controversial writer/director/producer has began researching his next film, currently entitled Nymphomaniac, with a mind to begin shooting the pic during Summer 2012. If you’re at all familiar with Von Trier’s previous work and the compulsive condition sometimes referred to as nymphomania, there’s a great chance you can already fill in the blanks regarding the film’s plot and its inevitably graphic nature. Nevertheless, for more on the project, hit the jump.

First/New Images From THE LADY, MELANCHOLIA, TAKE THIS WALTZ and PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 26th, 2011 at 10:04 am

With the Toronto International Film Festival announcing which films are part of their Galas and Premieres at this year’s festival, we’re getting our first official looks at a number of high profile films.  With so many new images hitting the net at once, we’ve decided to break up the image articles.  So hit the jump if you’d like to see the first official images/new images from Luc Besson’s The Lady (starring Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis), Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard), Bruce Beresford’s Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (starring Jane Fonda, Chace Crawford, Elizabeth Olsen, Catherine Keener) and Sarah Polley’s Take this Waltz (starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby).  We’ve also provided the synopses.  The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8th – 18th.  Expect coverage everyday from the Festival.

Lars Von Trier Banned from Cannes for Nazi Comments

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 19th, 2011 at 8:18 am

Which is more likely: That filmmaker Lars Von Trier, known for making provocative statements, decided to come out at Cannes as a secret Nazi-sympathizer or that he was making a bad joke in response to dull press conference questions?  The Cannes Film Festival has apparently decided it’s the former and banned the Danish director from the festival indefinitely by declaring him “persona non grata”.  While Von Trier’s new film, Melancholia, is still eligible for the Palme d’Or, Von Trier will be unable to receive it if the film wins.

Hit the jump for what Von Trier said yesterday, his apology, the statement from Cannes, and my thoughts on the festival’s hypocrisy.

Lars Von Trier to Remake THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS with Martin Scorsese

by Phil Brown    Posted: May 13th, 2011 at 8:28 am

The best part about the Cannes Film Festival for those of us sadly unable to walk to Croisette are the upcoming movie announcements that slip out from that magical land. There’s only one place where Werner Herzog could announce a Bad Lieutenant remake with Nicholas Cage and today the first of what is sure to be many odd movie announcements has crossed the pond from Cannes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lars Von Trier will be remaking his 2003 movie The Five Obstructions in which he challenged filmmaker Jorgen Leth to remake his short film five times, each with some sort of insane filmmaking restriction that could only spring from the mind of a certain torturous Danish director. However, this time it’s Martin Scorsese who will be struggling to create under Von Trier’s malicious supervision. The idea of hearing Scorsese’s machine gun delivery trying to out talk Von Trier’s laconic mischievous tone has the makings of a hilarious documentary custom-made for movie geeks. Hit the jump for further details on this deeply bizarre, but exciting project.

First Clip from Lars Von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA

by Phil Brown    Posted: May 11th, 2011 at 10:38 am

What better way could there be to celebrate a Wednesday than by watching a deeply depressing clip from an upcoming movie? And what filmmaker could fuel that mid-week depression better than Lars Von Trier? The eccentric Danish Dogme founder will be making his regular appearance at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival this year with his latest feature Melancholia, and will inevitably cause a media shitstorm of controversy as he does every time he walks the Croisette.

Today a new clip from the appropriately titled Melancholia has found its way to the internet, depicting a tearful Kristen Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg discussing the evil nature of earth. It should give you a sense of the tone of Von Trier’s impending apocalyptic tale and darken the mood of the rest of your day in less than a minute. In other words, it’s vintage Von Trier. The film will premiere in Cannes later this month with plans for a November North American release from Magnolia Pictures (expect it to make the summer/fall film festival run first). Melancholia stars Dunst, Gainsbourg, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgard, and Udo Kier. Hit the jump to check out the clip.

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