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5 Best Bets on TV This Week: Marilyn In Her Own Words, 'Hannibal' In Its End Game

Alison Willmore — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:10:04 GMT

Sure, Sunday tends to be overcrowded with high-end TV, including "Mad Men," "True Blood," "Family Tree," and more, but what to watch the rest of the time? Every Monday, we bring you five noteworthy highlights from the other six days of the week. "Love, Marilyn": Broadcast Premiere Monday, Jun 17 at 9pm on HBO Liz Garbus' documentary about Marilyn Monroe focuses on the screen icon's interior life versus how she was perceived, interspersing her papers, journals and poems, as interpreted by actresses like Elizabeth Banks, Glenn Close, Viola Davis and Uma Thurman, with readings from what Norman Mailer, Truman Capote, Elia Kazan and Billy Wilder wrote about her. "Independent Lens": "The Revolutionary Optimists" Monday, Jun 17 at 10pm on PBS Maren Grainger-Monsen and Nicole Newnham's film looks at a Kolkata school run by former lawyer Amlan Ganguly who seeks to empower slum children to become activists to fight for human rights and to improve not just their own situation but...

John Cameron Mitchell Announces Neil Patrick Harris to Head to Broadway for 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'

Bryce J. Renninger — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:09:51 GMT

Today the New York Times announced that Neil Patrick Harris will be heading to Broadway for a stint as Hedwig, the East German transgender rocker that is the heart of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Before it became the film that would launch John Cameron Mitchell's ("Shortbus," "Rabbit Hole") film directing career, "Hedwig" was an off-Broadway musical with text by Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. In its original off-Broadway run, Mitchell played Hedwig. Harris, who had a career resurgence after taking a supporting role in CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," hosted this year's Tonys and is hosting this year's Emmys. Mitchell's currently working on a sequel to "Hedwig" and had a recurring role on the last season of "Girls." The one-man show, produced by David Binder ("Legally Blonde," "33 Variations"), is set to premiere in April 2014.

DreamWorks Animation Will Premiere New Original TV Series Based on Its Characters on Netflix

Madeline Raynor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:28:38 GMT

DreamWorks Animation is getting into the TV business with Netflix. Netflix announced today that it will be teaming up with DreamWorks for a multi-year deal to premiere web-original series from the company behind the "Shrek," "Madagascar," "Kung Fu Panda" and "How to Train Your Dragon" franchises on the streaming service. It's the largest deal for original first-run content in Netflix history, and also marks DreamWorks Animation's big venture into bringing the characters from its films to the TV medium (as well as ones from the Classic Media library it acquired, which includes "Casper the Friendly Ghost," "Lassie," "Rocky & Bullwinkle," "The Lone Ranger" and more). The initiative is part of DreamWorks' effort to expand television production and distribution worldwide, and will include over 300 hours of new programming, with the first series stated to air in 2014. READ MORE: DreamWorks is Partnering With Netflix on the Streaming Site's First Original...

Welcome to the 2013 Indiewire Influencers

Dana Harris — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:09:58 GMT

Indiewire has never done any kind of industry list because while there are stalwarts and success stories, independent film tends to show its strengths in many circuitous avenues. However, independent film is also in a state of full-on upheaval. It's never been easy, of course, but now that's true for everyone. As Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (of all people) recently noted, we're in a state of implosion. No movie star or genre can guarantee box-office and distribution, to put it politely, is in flux. We're living in a time where a movie's economic viability may live or die by where a title's placement falls in the alphabet. So, here's the deal: Indiewire Influencers is not the same sort of power list you're used to seeing. Nothing but love for those -- and we've certainly borrowed some of their tropes -- but we're doing something different. Indiewire Influencers is dedicated to 40 of the people and companies who have captured our attention as we watch them try to figure out what...

Is 'Mad Men' Recent Addition Bob Benson Just a Newer Version of Don Draper?

Alison Willmore — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:03:57 GMT

The article below contains spoilers for "The Quality of Mercy," the June 16th, 2013 episode of "Mad Men." Turns out, Bob Benson (James Wolk) is not a spy or a journalist tasked to infiltrate and tease out the dark secrets of Sterling Cooper & Draper. He's a fraud. "The Quality of Mercy," directed by Phil Abraham and written by Andre and Maria Jacquemetton, was an episode stacked with grandmaster-worthy manipulative feats and feints in the office and the domestic sphere, one that outed Sterling Cooper & Partners' relentlessly smiley new addition as a man who'd lied about his past, his education and his former employment, who's from West Virginia and previously spent three years as a "manservant to a senior VP" before showing up at SC&P with a shiny, fabricated resume and some serious ambition. He may not really be 28 years old -- he may not actually be named Bob Benson. That sounds... very familiar. And, fortunately for Bob, the man who found him out was Pete...

In Film Buying and Selling: Too Much Insider Information, Not Enough Data

Colin Brown — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:15:23 GMT

In his latest post for his Filmonomics blog, Slated Editorial Director Colin Brown makes the argument that the film industry needs to make more of its data available so that filmmakers -- and their distributors and sales agents -- can make more informed decisions on what kind of return other films have seen. He also shows off data that proves there's no clear correlation between budget and return on investment when it comes to film. So what do you think could be gained by having a little more big data into the film industry? Secrecy is such a hot-button issue right now that sales of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four have seen a dramatic spike on Amazon. One might expect the same for video streams of Coppola’s The Conversation or sales of any new Big Brother-themed scripts currently doing the pitching rounds – except that we have no reliable way of knowing. It is evidently easier to track all our individual phone calls and detailed purchasing habits than it is to carry out even...

'The Act of Killing' Tops Sheffield Doc/Fest

Bryce J. Renninger — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:13:31 GMT

At the conclusion of its 20th edition yesterday, Sheffield Doc/Fest honored big-personality commissioning editor Nick Fraser of BBC's Storyville with the Inspiration Award. The festival's main prize, the Special Jury Award went to Joshua Oppenheimer's film "The Act of Killing," which also won big at the Berlnale and CPH:Dox. "The Act of Killing" has been gaining notice as one of the most intense films ever to be released. In it, Oppenheimer works with a group of Indonesian death squad leaders to re-enact for a gangster noir film the genocidal murders they've done as a group in the late mid-to-late twentieth century. READ MORE: FUTURES | Joshua Oppenheimer On This Year's Most Disturbing Doc and Working with the Heads of Indonesian Death Squads to Re-Enact Mass Murders The complete list of winners: Inspiration Award: Nick Fraser (BBC Storyville) Special Jury Award: "The Act of Killing" (Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer) Youth Jury Award: "God Loves Uganda" (Dir. Roger Ross...

Here Are the 5 Docs to See from Sheffield, From Scientology to Nipple Play

Bryce J. Renninger — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:11:39 GMT

While Sheffield Doc/Fest is known for its MeetMarket and great European (especially British) and American industry presence, the festival has also developed an exciting digital media program (which has made its way into the festival's tagline) and a capable main slate of films. Five films, four of them world premieres, one of them a new gallery installation currently on display in Sheffield, made quite the impression on this writer; here's the list of the five Sheffield discoveries: "The Man Whose Mind Exploded," Toby Amies Though Drako Zarhazar, the aging subject of Toby Amies' tender film, has lost his memory after two road accident-induced comas, his wit is sharp and his interest in young men with big cocks is still robust. "That's my favorite picture!" he often exclaims, pointing to a man naked from the waist down, dressed in a tux from the waist up. In one of the film's most tender moments, Zarhazar plays with his nipples while simultaneously explaining to the...

Here Are the 5 Must-See Discoveries at BAMcinemaFest 2013

Eric Kohn — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:55:08 GMT

Entering its fifth year, Brooklyn-based BAMcinemaFest plays a crucial role on the crowded North American festival circuit. BAM's programmers sift through the massive crop of new American cinema that arrives at festivals like Sundance and SXSW to provide a cleaner window into some of the best national offerings of the year so far. The 25 features selected for the lineup reflect a shrewd eye for curatorial balance: Several movies that have gathered buzz and widespread acclaim fill the Special Screening section while many other narrative and documentaries in the program have yet to receive quite the same degree of exposure. This is their real chance to shine. The latest edition is no exception. Opening night selection "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," David Lowery's evocative, southern-fried outlaw drama co-starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, has rightfully found supportive audiences from Sundance to Cannes ahead of its August release. Closing night selection "Short Term 12," which won...

Watch: Leonardo DiCaprio Parties Like Gatsby In The Trailer for Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

Nigel M Smith — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:48:48 GMT

Fresh off his role as the titular 1920s playboy in "The Great Gatsby," Leonardo DiCaprio is back for more big spending and hard partying, '90s-style, in the first trailer for "The Wolf of Wall Street," his latest film with Martin Scorsese. After going the family route with 3D fable "Hugo," Scorsese looks to be back in "Goodfellas" territory with "Wolf," which tracks the rise and fall of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio). Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey both co-star and look to be in scene-stealing form. "The Artist" breakout Jean Dujardin is also part of the cast, but doesn't appear in the video below. "Boardwalk Empire" creator Terence Winter wrote the script. The film bows November 15. Watch trailer below.

A 'Press Release' From Peggy Olson Presents the New Logo and Brand for 'Mad Men' Agency Sterling Cooper & Partners

Alison Willmore — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:07:23 GMT

The end of "For Immediate Release," episode six of the current season of "Mad Men," found a none-too-pleased Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) tasked with writing up a press release announcing the surprise merger between Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and Cutler Gleason and Chaough. AMC's now put out another "press release" from Peggy in conjunction with last night's episode, one displaying the new Sterling Cooper & Partners logo with quotes from the senior partners. Don's (Jon Hamm) is particularly choice, if not all that tonally appropriate for a corporate memo: "'A name can mean a new beginning, a chance to see yourself as you would dream to be, and to leave the baggage you have accumulated over the years behind,' said SC&P partner Don Draper. 'At least that’s been my observation.'" Yeah, yeah, Don, go pour yourself a drink and gaze out the window moodily -- your Dick Whitman days are long behind you. Take a look at the full "release" below:

Watch: The Teaser for Showtime's 'Masters of Sex' Explores the Reasoning Behind Faked Orgasms

Alison Willmore — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:28:35 GMT

Showtime's debuting two new scripted shows this year -- the Liev Schreiber series "Ray Donovan." premiering on June 30th, and the period drama "Masters of Sex," starring Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen as Virginia Johnson and William Masters, pioneers of research into human sexual response. With racy subject matter, a "Mad Men"-esque historical gleam and a quirky, talented pair of leads, "Masters of Sex" is bound to be a little easier to push than the more complicated "Ray Donovan," as the first teaser below suggests. "Masters of Sex" kicks off on September 29.

Watch: Have a Happy Father's Day Care of Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Tony Danza In The Latest 'Don Jon' Clip

Peter Knegt — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:14:01 GMT

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the folks behind his directorial debut "Don Jon" have a gift for you this Father's Day: A new, paternally-centric (and Redband, so in case you're working this Sunday - it might not be safe for it) clip from the film, where the title character (Gordon-Levitt) introduces his new girlfriend (Scarlett Johannson) to his dad (Tony Danza). Check it out below. "Don Jon" is being released September 27th

Specialty Box Office: Sofia Coppola's 'Ring' Scores Serious Bling In Solid Limited Debut

Peter Knegt — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:44:55 GMT

This summer continues its parade of exceptional indie debuts, with Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" following in the footsteps of "Frances Ha," "Before Midnight," "The East" and "Much Ado About Nothing" to score an excellent limited debut, grossing $210,001 from just 5 locations for a $42,000 per-theater-average. Counter-programmed against the male-centric studio likes of "Man of Steel" and "This Is The End" (a trend this summer, with most of the specialty success stories being geared toward women while the studios continue to largely consider male audiences), "Bling" -- distributed by upstart A24 (which had a big success with the similarly themed "Spring Breakers" earlier this year) was a major improvement over Coppola's last film "Somewhere," which averaged $17,012 from 7 theaters back in 2010. And though their screen counts differ a bit too much to warrant a fair comparison, the film also topped the $40,221 "Lost In Translation" averaged from 23 locations in 2003 to find...

Do Filmmakers Need to Pay to Use 'Happy Birthday'?

Bryce J. Renninger — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:25:05 GMT

The assumed answer of this question has been yes, but one filmmaker, set to make a film about the history of the song, is questioning this assumption in a very public way. Jennifer Nelson filed for a class action suit against the publishing company, Warner/Chappell, who owns the right to the song's tune, originally a song called "Good Morning to All" written by two sisters in the late 19th Century. Nelson's tentatively titled documentary "Happy Birthday" includes a scene where the song is performed, and she arranged for a $1,500 licensing fee to secure the rights to use the song. Eventually, though, she came to realize that, under her interpretation of the law, Warner/Chappell didn't own the rights to the tune. Richard Brauneis, a George Washington University law professor who agrees with her, and he's written a 68-page article making that claim. The question is a particularly important one for documentary filmmakers who often want to mark the passage of another...

Watch: Rosemarie DeWitt and Ellen Page Get 'Touchy Feely' in Trailer for Lynn Shelton's Latest

Casey Cipriani — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:58:04 GMT

In Lynn Shelton's fifth feature "Touchy Feely," Rosemarie DeWitt plays Abby, a free-spirited massage therapist who develops a crippling aversion to human touch. DeWitt previously worked with Shelton on "Your Sister's Sister," another family-centric dramedy from Sundance 2011, which earned DeWitt an Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Actress nomination. DeWitt and the rest of the cast used a mixture of Shelton's script as well as improvisation to mesh their relationships. Ellen Page plays Abby's niece Jenny, whose lovesick pandering towards Abby's boyfriend, played by Scoot McNairy, causes a bit of family tension. Though considering that Abby is disgusted by physical contact, there may be other issues causing tension in that relationship. Allison Janney looks like she fills the new-age therapist vibe nicely as Abby's co-worker, and Josh Pais plays Abby's brother Paul, an uptight dentist whose healing abilities pop up right as Abby begins to lose her touch. "Touchy...

Watch: A Set of Ingmar Bergman-Inspired Promos for 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'

Alison Willmore — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:19:08 GMT

FX's long-running, generally depraved comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will be moving to the network's new spinoff channel FXX in September for its ninth and tenth seasons, and to tout the move Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito have looked to an unexpected inspiration -- deeply serious Scandinavian art film. Ingmar Bergman's the odd but amusing main influence on the promos below -- we're particularly fond of the "Seventh Seal"-citing "Door."

Here Are the New Indies (Hopefully) Playing In a Theater Near You: 'The Bling Ring,' 'Call Me Kuchu' and More

Casey Cipriani — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:51:36 GMT

Sofia Coppola's thieving celeb-wannabes in "The Bling Ring" invade select theaters today, but Coppola's film isn't the only indie entering the marketplace. Below find a list of the indies opening today, with synopses courtesy of the distributors. "200 Cartas" Opening In: New York Synopsis: Raul (Lin Manuel Miranda), a young newyorican man meets a beautiful Puerto Rican girl in a club in New York City. Her name is Maria Sanchez and before he can get to know her a fight breaks and they get separated. He can't stop thinking about her and decides to go to Puerto Rico with his good friend Juan (Jaime Camil) to look for her. Upon arrival he discovers that there are over 200 'Maria Sanchez' in the phone book! So, he decides to write 200 letters to find his dream girl. His quest for Maria will take Raul and Juan in a comical journey through out the beautiful island of Puerto Rico where they'll meet Yolanda (Dayanara Torres) a new friend that will help them find his 'Maria'....

Starz Greenlights 50 Cent-Produced Drama Series 'Power'

Clint Holloway — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:45:43 GMT

Premium cable channel Starz has just announced that it's given a series greenlight to "Power," a new drama executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and created by Courtney Kemp Agboh, the latter of whom was a supervising producer and writer on "The Good Wife." The hour-long series will focus on James "Ghost" St. Patrick, a New York nightclub owner with dreams of turning his business into a Fortune 500 success. The only problem is that he's also moonlighting as a lucrative drug kingpin. The series will capture Ghost's struggle to move on from a life of shady crime to one of success and respectability, and the effects it has on his marriage, family and business along the way. "STARZ has given our team an opportunity to explore a world of beauty, luxury, danger and death, all against the struggle of one man to define his nature and his soul," says Courtney Kemp Agboh in the announcement. "While the power and peril of Ghost's world are specific, we hope to address the truly...

Check Out a Group of Nifty, Neon-Drenched Posters for 'Only God Forgives' Featuring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas

Clint Holloway — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:18:30 GMT

With a little over a month until the film's stateside release after a divisive reception at the Cannes Film Festival in May, a group of nifty character posters for "Only God Forgives" have hit the web. Highlighting the roles portrayed by Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Vithaya Pansringarm in various states of intense and stylish posing, the posters prove a definite extension of the endless phosphorescent lights that director Nicolas Winding Refn obsessively fixates on in the film's vision of Bangkok's violence-ridden underbelly. There's a large emphasis on mood and style on display here, which seems entirely indicative of the film itself. "Only God Forgives" hits theaters on July 19. Read Indiewire's review of the film at Cannes.

Watch: '20 Feet From Stardom' Singer Darlene Love Steps to the Front on 'Late Show with David Letterman'

Ben Travers — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:15:08 GMT

After spending much of her career as a backup singer, Darlene Love is finally stepping to center stage. Love appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Wednesday night to help promote "20 Feet From Stardom," a music documentary focusing on the unknown lives of backup singers that opens today. Love performed a striking rendition of "Lean On Me," a song featured on the film's soundtrack. Love has been called the "world's most famous backup singer," but has also appeared on Broadway and in films — most notably as Trish Murtaugh in all four "Lethal Weapon" films. " She hosts a Christmas special in New York City every year, and Harper Collins released her new novel, "My Name is Love," on June 4. She's currently performing in an Australian production of "FAME" as the musical's lead performer."20 Feet From Stardom" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to glowing reviews before moving to the San Francisco and Montclair festivals in April. The film features interviews...

Happy Birthday Laurie Metcalf: The 5 Best Jackie Harris Scenes From 'Roseanne'

Peter Knegt — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:12:44 GMT

In honor of the great Laurie Metcalf's 58th birthday this weekend (and, more importantly, the recent viral internet meme "Hipsters Who Dress Like Jackie From Roseanne"), we figured we'd offer up a list of some of her best moments -- comedic, dramatic, or both -- as the ahead of her time hipster that was Roseanne Conner's sister Jackie. Though Metcalf deservedly won three consecutive Emmys for her work on the series, it still somehow feels underrated in retrospect, especially when you watch the below clips. Metcalf's post-"Roseanne" career has been nowhere near deserving of her talents (mostly guest acting roles on shows like "The Big Bang Theory" and "Desperate Housewives," though she has managed two Tony noms recently for "The Other Place" and "November," respectively). Just try and watch all these clips without laughing out loud, tearing up, and not firmly believing Metcalf's performance as Jackie was among television's greatest. 1. Jackie calls her and Roseanne's aunt to try and...

Watch: A Teaser for HBO's 'True Detective' Offers a Glimpse of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as Louisiana Cops

Alison Willmore — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:38:25 GMT

"True Detective," the limited series coming to HBO in 2014, is the kind of project that suggests it's a model for where high-end television could be headed. It features two major stars -- Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, the latter making his debut as a TV lead -- and a film director, Cary Fukunaga ("Jane Eyre"), helming all eight episodes. The deliberately curtailed run and unified direction seem to put it halfway between a movie and a series (and also have allowed it to lure in top drawer talent without requiring a problematically big ask of their schedules). READ MORE: Cary Fukunaga to Direct Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in 'True Detective' Written by Nic Pizzolatto (of the novel "Galveston" and a few episodes of "The Killing"), "True Detective" is centered around a pair of detectives (Harrelson and McConaughey, joined by Kevin Dunn, Michelle Monaghan, Elizabeth Reaser and others) whose search for a Louisiana serial killer spans 17 years. Should it be...

Is the 'Vice' Visit to North Korea With Dennis Rodman Daring Journalism or a Self-Promotional Stunt?

Alison Willmore — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:10:01 GMT

"Are you journalists or are you entertainers?" a member of the audience demanded of Vice's Shane Smith and Ryan Duffy after an advance screening of "The Hermit Kingdom: Basketball Diplomacy," the already infamous final episode of the current first season of their HBO news magazine show. The half-hour installment, which airs tonight, June 14th, at 11pm, is entirely devoted to Vice's headline-getting coup from earlier this year, when the magazine/media company scored a visit to North Korea under the aegis of a "foreign sports exchange program" involving three members of the Harlem Globetrotters, an exhibition game and Dennis Rodman. The basketball player ended up spending time with Kim Jong-un, whose love of the Chicago Bulls was the reason behind the trip's approval, the former NBA star quite possibly becoming the first American to meet with Kim since he became the supreme leader of the DPRK following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011. On one hand, it's easy to...

How the Human Rights Watch Film Festival Puts Activist Cinema In Context

Miriam Bale — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:54:47 GMT

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival celebrates its 24th edition this year by expanding to two venues (now with screenings not only at Film Society at Lincoln Center but also downtown at IFC Center). The festival opens with the documentary "Anita," about Anita Hill, and closes with realist fiction film "Tall as a Baobab Tree," which was filmed in Senegal by American Jeremy Teicher. With these wide-ranging styles in the 20-film program (including the hybrid masterpiece "The Act of Killing" by Joshua Oppenheimer) basic questions about the festival are brought up: What are the goals of these films? Is it education, activist recruitment, or the shifting of paradigms? And what role does storytelling play in these goals? One of the key stories to emerge is tenacity of activists, who often find themselves in that position through circuitous routes. When Anita Hill appeared before the senate in 1991 to speak out about the sexual harassment she experienced from Supreme Court nominee Clarence...