Never Mind Pop Film

Kevin Spacey’s immortal turn as the sin-obsessed John Doe took Seven and launched it into the stratosphere of crime classic. The way he dispatched with sinners so heartlessly and with conviction lead me to ponder what others movie characters would have drawn his ire and scorn. Movies are, for better or worse, a medium that revels in sin of all sorts. It’s why teenagers line the block to see the latest scare-fest, or why 50 Shades of Grey is being made. Audiences love watching characters being bad and there is no shortage of actors and actresses willing to delve into those deep, dark recesses of humanity.

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Given that Shame has played in maybe 40 theatres across the entire world, the only real look at Steve McQueen's divisive film has been at posters and trailers. Fortunately, these posters have been great. And here is the latest one coming to you all the way from Hungary.

If you met Brandon (Michael Fassbender) on the sidewalk, you may be taken in by him. He is well-dressed, impeccably groomed, and confident. Women are attracted to him and men find him impossible to compete with. He is in complete control of himself, or so we are lead to believe. Underneath the veneer finish lies a secret: Brandon is an addict.

The random encounter at a bar, "the look" on the train, the smooth compliment at just the right time. He is an operator, nothing is out of reach for his sexual conquests. Yet, Brandon's troubles are beginning. The game is insufficient now. The chase is easy, the payoff is in the climax. Like every addict the stakes may be hiked in order to get the thrill anymore. And every time Brandon aims to raise them he sets himself further away from others. There's no connection with these women, just another way to wring pleasure from his existence.

That's the danger of chasing a high, it is never sated and the morning after deals a …

Bravo to the marketing team behind Steve McQueen's Shame! Impressive posters like this haven't been seen since Black Swan last year.
(Courtesy: EW)

Fox Searchlight has decided to take down the stigma attached to the NC-17 rating. Presidents Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley are planning a full push for Best Actor, Picture, and Supporting Actress, Cinematography and Original Screenplay.

"I think NC-17 is a badge of honor, not a scarlet letter. We believe it is time for the rating to become usable in a serious manner," says Gilula. "The sheer talent of the actors and the vision of the filmmaker are extraordinary. It's not a film that everyone will take easily, but it certainly breaks through the clutter and is distinctive and original. It's a game changer."

A film with such strong word-of-mouth will definitely see some benefits during the awards season, but will they manage to keep older voters in the seats? Only time will tell.

(Courtesy: THR)

I will be ignoring all trailers and t.v. spots for this until after I see Shame in theatres.

Very minimalist, yet it conveys everything it needs to say, just like the title. Keeping my fingers crossed this hits Reno before January.

(Courtesy: Fox Searchlight)

Shame was purchased today by Fox Searchlight. Whether the film would be bought or not was in question because Steve McQueen refuses to cut the film in any way. According to producer Iain Canning the film will not be edited in any fashion and a NC-17 release is likely:

I would hope that pushing the boundaries and pushing the level of performance as an actor would be recognized. Everybody that’s talking to us now about U.S. distribution understands that this film is in its final form.

(Courtesy: Deadline)

Steve McQueen's (no, not that one) latest smash from the Venice Film Festival has been receiving critical applause as of late. With no distributor as of yet, a relatively unknown lead actor (though Michael Fassbender apparently gives a haunting turn), no rating and strong subject matter you would think the bidding would be low. Not the case:
This year’s festival hasn’t started and already there are fireworks. Deadline broke news yesterday that Harvey Weinstein would start a VOD business, making the acquisitions market for fringe films more competitive; and last night, I heard that a bidding battle had already broken out for the Steve McQueen-directed Shame, which should be sold by the time it screens Sunday. Fox Searchlight is the favorite, Sony Pictures Classics is in the mix and I’ve heard that The Weinstein Company is hovering.
(Courtesy: THR)

Telluride starts tomorrow and for many of us the lineup would be a mystery until today. With the list of films released I think it's safe to say that this is a solid group. Notably, A Dangerous Method, The Artist, and Albert Nobbs. More announcements are expected in the days to come. After the jump check out the official feature films listed.
38th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program, the ‘SHOW’:

ALBERT NOBBS (d. Rodrigo Garcia, U.S., 2011)
THE ARTIST (d. Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2011)
BECOMING BERT STERN (d. Shannah Laumeister, U.S., 2011)
BITTER SEEDS (d. Micha X. Peled, U.S., 2011)
BONSÁI (d. Cristián Jiménez, Chile, 2011)
A DANGEROUS METHOD (d. David Cronenberg, U.K.-Switzerland-U.S.-Canada, 2011)
THE DESCENDANTS (d. Alexander Payne, U.S., 2011)
DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (d. Lisa Immordino-Vreeland, U.S., 2011)
FOOTNOTE (d. Joseph Cedar, Israel, 2011)
THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD (d. Joshua Marston…