Spring / Summer 2008

Morristown Series

 

6/22 - SURVELLIANCE


t’s been a hell of a day on the highway. When Federal Officers Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman) arrive at Captain Billing's office, they have three sets of stories to figure out and a string of vicious murders to consider. One zealot cop, a strung out junkie and an eight year old girl all sit in testimony to the roadside rampage, but as the Feds begin to expose the fragile little details each witness conceals so carefully with a well practiced lie, they soon discover that uncovering 'the truth' can come at a very big cost...
Directed by
Jennifer Lynch
Written by
Jennifer Lynch
& Kent Harper
Produced by
Marco Mehlitz
Co-Executive Producers
Gary Hamilton
Jeff Geoffray
& Walter Josten
Executive Producer
David Lynch
Producers
Kent Harper
& David Michaels
Co-Producer
Stephen Onda

Host: Owen Gleiberman
6/17 - THE COVE



In the 1960's, Richard O'Barry was the world¿s leading authority on dolphin training, working on the set of the popular television program "Flipper." Day in and day out, O'Barry kept the dolphins working and television audiences smiling. But one day, that all came to a tragic end. This documentary tells the amazing true story of how director Louie Psihoyos, O'Barry and an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate a hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The mysteries they uncovered were only the tip of the iceberg.



Directed by: Louie Psihoyos
Produced by:
Paula DuPre' Pesmen,
Fisher Stevens,
Charles Hambleton


HOST - OWEN GLEIBERMAN



Official Site: Link
2nd Feature:

THE EDGE OF LOVE


Cast:
Keira Knightley,
Sienna Miller,
Cillian Murphy,
Matthew Rhys,
Simon Armstrong,
Director: John Maybury
Screenwriter: Sharman MacDonald
Producer: Rebekah Gilbertson, Sarah Radclyffe

Official Site


Profanity in 'Away We Go' is hot topic at Morristown film series
by George! - Thursday June 04, 2009, 11:16 AM


Photo by George!

A fun part of the New York Film Critics series in Morristown is the audience Q & A after new movies are screened. The subscription series attracts real film buffs, and their unscripted questions occasionally elicit unexpected responses from actors and directors.
More

6/10 - BEESWAX



Centers on charismatic twin sisters who live together: free-spirited Lauren, considering the opportunity to teach English abroad, and paraplegic Jeannie, co-owner of a local vintage store who has constant problems with her business partner.

Cast:
Alex Karpovsky
David Zellner
Kyle Henry
Nathan Zellner
Janet Pierson



Director: Andrew Bujalski
Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski
Producers: Ethan Voght, Dia Sokol
Executive producers: Houston King, Gary Stewart
Associate producer: Peggy Chen



Host: GLENN KENNY
Guest: PRODUCER ETHAN VOGT

Official Site
Summer Series Opener:

WEDNESDAY - 6/3 - Away We Go



The journey of an expectant couple as they travel the U.S. in search of the perfect place to put down roots and raise their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.



Starring:
John Krasinski,
Maya Rudolph,
Allison Janney,
Jim Gaffigan,
Jeff Daniels
Directed by: Sam Mendes

Produced by:
Edward Saxon,
Sam Mendes,
Marc Turtletaub
Host: Peter Travers
Guest: Producer Peter Saraf (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE CLEANING)

Spring Series Recap:

Morristown Closer:

5/27 - $9.99

Have you ever wondered what is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? The answer to this vexing question is now within your reach. The booklet, printed on the finest paper, contains illuminating exquisite color pictures and could be yours for a mere $9.99.
The ad alters the life of Dave Peck--unemployed, 28-years-old and still living at home. His story, along with several others are woven together, examining the meaning of hell and heaven on earth.

Director: Tatia Rosenthal

Actors:
Joel Edgerton
Ben Mendelsohn
Claudia Karvan
Anthony LaPaglia
Geoffrey Rush
Leeanna Walsman

Guest - Director Tatia Rosenthal
Host - Godfrey Cheshire
Offcial Site: Link
5/20 - DAY BREAK



In Iran, capital punishment is carried out according to Islamic law, which gives the family of the victim ownership of the offender's life. Day Break, based on a compilation of true stories and shot inside Tehran s century-old prison, revolves around the imminent execution of Mansour, a man found guilty of murder. When the family of the victim repeatedly fails to show up on the appointed day, Mansour's execution is postponed again and again. Stuck inside the purgatory of his own mind, he waits as time passes on without him, caught between life and death, retribution and forgiveness.



Cast:
Starring: Hossein Yari as Mansour
Supporting: Zabi Afshar as Hashem
Supporting: Hoda Nasseh as Atifeh
Supporting: Atash Taghipour as Heydar
Supporting: Maryam Amirjallali as Mother


Director: Hamid Rahmanian
Writer: Hamid Rahmanian
Writer: Mehran Kashani
Producer: Hamid Rahmanian
Director of Photography: Byrom Fazli


Guests: Director Rahmanian & Mellisa Hibbard (Producer)



Rian Johnson & Karina Longworth at the series having a blast of course!
5/13 - THE BROTHERS BLOOM



The world's greatest con men, the Brothers Bloom, have made a living off of swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Stephen (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody), and their silent partner and sidekick Bang-Bang (Kikuchi) team up for one last job, conning beautiful heiress Penelope (Weisz) by taking her on a tour of the world and relieving her of US$2.5 million. On the way, Bloom (who has no first name in the entire movie) falls for Penelope, which complicates the con severely.



Cast:
Rachel Weisz
Adrien Brody
Mark Ruffalo
Rinko Kikuchi
Robbie Coltrane
Maximilian Schell



Rian Johnson -Screenplay
Ram Bergman -Producer
James D. Stern -Producer
Wendy Japhet -Executive Producer
Douglas E. Hansen -Executive Producer
Tom Karnowski -Co-Producer



HOST: Karina Longworth



Karina Longworth is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of the film blog Cinematical. She has written about film, new media and popular culture for a variety of sites and print publications, including NewTeeVee, Netscape, TV Squad, and FILMMAKER Magazine. She currently blogs about film for Spout.com, where she also contributes to the Webby-nominated FilmCouch podcast. Karina is based in New York.
Offical Site: Link
5/6 - HEART OF STONE

Before 1960, the Weequahic section of Newark, NJ, was largely an enclave of first-generation working-class Jewish families. During this era, Weequahic High School graduated more PHDs than any other school in the United States. One of its more famous graduates is Philip Roth, who has made his career using the Weequahic environs as the backdrop to many of his novels. Life in Weequahic changed abruptly after the 1967 Newark Riots. The Jewish families moved out and were replaced by many poor African Americans. For the next 30 years, a culture of discipline was replaced by a culture of crime as academic performance plummeted and the Bloods and Crips ruled campus and the streets. It was not until 2001 that Weequahic High School saw a glimmer of hope with the arrival of a new principal, Ron Stone, who vowed to return the school back to its former glory.



Directed by
Beth Toni Kruvant
Produced by:
Beth Toni Kruvant
Helen Yum


Cast:
Rayvon,
Shariff,
Ricky,
Richie Roberts,
Hal Braff



HOST: Stephen Whitty

GUEST: Director Beth Kruvant


Beth Kruvant

Official Site
4/29 - LAST STOP 174
Based on a true story, Sandro is both criminal and victim, growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. After witnessing his mother’s murder at age 10, he falls in with a gang of local homeless kids. When the gang leader threatens the police, the police kill hundreds of the homeless children in the Candelaria Massacre. Sandro is one of the few survivors, but ends up in a reformatory jail where he befriends Ale and the two manage an escape. The streets offer nothing more than a criminal life and staying straight takes more effort than Sandro could imagine. His life is looking up until one day he goes to his fiancé’s house and finds her sleeping with Ale. Sandro cracks, furiously attacks Ale and in his despair hijacks a municipal bus – Bus #174, a ride that culminates in explosive consequences.


DIRECTOR:
Bruno Barreto

PRODUCER(S):
Bruno Barreto
Paulo Dantas
Luiz Carlos Barreto
Patrick Siareta
GUEST: Bruno Berreto



Bruno Berreto is a Brazilian film director born in Rio de Janeiro. He has been making feature-length films ever since he was seventeen years old and remains one of Brazil’s most accomplished and popular directors to this day.[1] The type of films he makes vary widely from light comedies like Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976) and Bossa Nova (2000) to tense political thrillers like Four Days in September (1997). Other films Barreto has directed films include Carried Away and View from the Top.

Bossa Nova (2000)
One Tough Cop (1998)
Carried Away (1996)
Four Days in September
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (USA)
View from the Top
HOST: Peter Travers

Official Site
4/22 - EASY VIRTUE
Based on the Noel Coward play, the film tells the story of an American divorcee (Jessica Biel) who heads to the South of France. Once there she jumps into a whirlwind romance and wedding with an English guy (Ben Barnes). Then the newly weds travel to the UK to face the music with his disapproving parents (Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas).
Cast:
Jessica Biel
Ben Barnes
Colin Firth
Kristin Scott Thomas
Cynthia Nixon
Directed by: Stephen Elliott
Produced by: James Spring, Douglas E. Hansen, Ralph Kamp

Hosted By -Glenn Kenny (Lead Critic of the late PREMIERE Magazine, National Society Film Critics -Some Came Running On Cinema and other quixotic pursuits, by film writer Glenn Kenny)
& KARINA LONGWORTH www.spout.com & www.vidiocy.com
Peter Travers (Rolling Stone Magazine, ABC-TV) and Michael O'Keefe discuss AMERICAN VIOLET starring Alfre Woodard, Tim Blake Nelson and others.

Photo: Lynn Butler

Photo: Lynn Butler
4/15 - AMERICAN VIOLET


Based on true events in the midst of the 2000 election, AMERICAN VIOLET tells the astonishing story of Dee Roberts (critically hailed newcomer Nicole Beharie), a 24 year-old African American single mother of four young girls living in a small Texas town who is barely making ends meet on a waitress’ salary and government subsidies. On an early November morning while Dee works a shift at the local diner, the powerful local district attorney (Academy AwardR nominee Michael O’Keefe) leads an extensive drug bust, sweeping her Arlington Springs housing project with military precision. Police drag Dee from work in handcuffs, dumping her in the squalor of the women’s county prison.



Cast:
Nicole Behaire,
Will Patton,
Alfre Woodard,
Michael O Keefe,
Tim Blake Nelson



Directed by: Tim Story
Writer: Bill Haney
Producer: Bill Haney
Associate producers:
Miriam Marcus
Lyz O'Keefe
Debra Longo

GUEST - Michael O'Keefe


Michael O'Keefe

HOST- Peter Travers

***BONUS DOUBLE FEATURE***
LEMON TREE



Salma, a Palestinian widow who lives on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank, has to stand up against her new neighbor the Israeli Defense Minister when he moves into his new house opposite her lemon grove. The Israeli security forces are quick to declare that Salma's trees pose a threat to the Minister's safety and issue orders to uproot them.


Cast:
Hiam Abbass
Ali Suliman
Doron Tavori
Tarak Copti



Directed by: Eran Riklis
Produced by:
Moshe Edry,
Leon Edry,
Dudi Zilber


THERE WILL BE NO SCREENING IN MORRISTOWN ON APRIL 8TH DUE TO PASSOVER
WE WILL RESUME IN Morristown on WED April 15th


"Some of the best movies never used to make it to our bigger movie theatres. But thanks to Ira and Mark Ehrenkranz, Jersey’s ultimate father-son film buffs, you’ll have an opportunity to watch these little films, alongside some big names, in larger venues."
Read More
Directing Team: Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden at the series on April 1st.




Wednesday 4/1 - Series Opener - SUGAR

Miguel Santos, a.k.a Azucar, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro de Macoris, struggles to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing professionally at the Kansas City Knights baseball academy, Miguel finally gets his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States' minor league system. Miguel travels from his tight knit community in the Dominican Republic to a small town in Iowa, corn country, where he and a couple other Latin American teammates are the only Spanish-speaking people in the vicinity.


Cast:
Algenis Perez Soto,
Rayniel Rufino,
Andre Holland,
Ann Whitney,
Ellary Porterfield

Directed by: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Produced by: Anna Boden, Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof
Guest(s) - Directing Team: Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden (HALF NELSON)


Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden
Host Peter Travers
Confirmed Films and *Those Under Consideration Include:
(*subject to studio and guest availability)


IS ANYBODY THERE? -
From the producers of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and HARRY POTTER comes IS ANYBODY THERE?, a heartwarming story about the unlikeliest of friendships. The film stars Academy Award winner Michael Caine and promising newcomer Bill Millner, recipient of a British Independent Film Award nomination for SON OF RAMBOW. IS ANYBODY THERE? premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival and will be released theatrically in April 2009.
Set in 1980s seaside England, IS ANYBODY THERE? tells the story of ten-year-old Edward (Bill Milner) whose parents have turned their house into a retirement home. While his mother struggles to keep the family business afloat and his father copes with the onset of a mid-life crisis, Edward becomes increasingly obsessed with the ghosts and afterlives of the residents when they die. Edward’s is a lonely existence until he meets Clarence (Michael Caine), the latest arrival at the home, a retired magician and grieving widower who refuses to give in gracefully to old age. Their relationship begins at odds until Clarence notices that the boy is growing up even more fitfully than he is growing old. As they begin to face life together, Clarence comes to terms with his past, Edward tames his obsession with the unknown and they are both reminded of what magic is possible when life is lived to its fullest.
IS ANYBODY THERE? - Sctreen Media 15-year old Scott Bartlett's family life is turned upside-down after an outbreak of Lyme disease hits the community spreading illness and paranoia. Scott's parents -- a workaholic father, Mickey, and an overprotective mother, Brenda -- are on the verge of a divorce as his older brother Jim is about to ship off for war.
Starring:
Alec Baldwin,
Cynthia Nixon,
Timothy Hutton,
Emma Roberts,
Jill Hennessy
Directed by: Derick Martini, Steven Martini
Produced by:
Martin Scorsese,
Leonard Loventhal,
Barbara De Fina
AMERICAN VIOLET



A twenty-something African-American single mom struggles to make ends meet in a small Texas town. When cops arrest her in a drug sweep, she insists on her innocence. Refusing a plea bargain that would allow her to avoid jail time, Roberts stands up against a corrupt law enforcement and judicial system.
Starring:
Nicole Behaire,
Will Patton,
Alfre Woodard,
Michael O Keefe,
Tim Blake Nelson
Directed by: Tim Disney

Produced by:
Peter Newman,
Bill Haney,
Debra Longo
EVERY LITTLE STEP -
The surprising story behind the revival of A Chorus Line – the longest running American musical in history with the original seen by more than six million punters - is a welcome corrective to the ritual spite of today’s reality TV shows such as X-Factor and Pop Idol. Far from a luvvie love-in, it’s a fascinating tale of a show that controversially for the time – the mid-1970s - dealt with gay liberation and women’s rights.
Starring:
Charlotte D'Amboise,
Chryssie Whitehead,
Bob Avian,
Donna McKechnie,
Marvin Hamlisch
Directed by: James D. Stern, Adam Del Deo
Produced by:
Douglas E. Hansen,
Christopher C. Chen,
James D. Stern
SLEEP DEALER -
Young Mexican man from the provinces, whose family and home are destroyed by terrorist-seeking drones, goes to Tijuana. There he joins a workforce of illegal workers whose labor is transported electronically across the border, and finds the means to avenge the violence.
Starring:
Leonor Varela,
Jacob Vargas,
Luis Fernando Pena,
Emilio Guerrero
Directed by: Alex Rivera
Produced by: Anthony Bregman
SUGAR



Miguel Santos, a.k.a Azucar, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro de Macoris, struggles to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing professionally at the Kansas City Knights baseball academy, Miguel finally gets his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States' minor league system. Miguel travels from his tight knit community in the Dominican Republic...
Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics
Starring:
Algenis Perez Soto,
Richard Bull,
Michael Gaston,
Karl Bury,
Ellary Porterfield (II)

Directed by: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Produced by:
Anna Boden,
Paul Mezey,
Jamie Patricof
TREELESS MOUNTAIN
- portrait of a young girl coming to terms with loss and abandonment, Six-year-old Jin and her younger sister Bin live on the edge of disaster, but they are not aware of it. In the small apartment where they reside with their single mother, the menacing sounds of the outer world disturb their precarious cocoon. One day, their mother packs all their belongings. For Jin, the days of going to school are... See Full Description
Starring: Song Hee Kim
Directed by: So Yong Kim (II)
Produced by:
Ian McGloin,
Bradley Rust Gray (II),
Ben Howe
EASY VIRTURE -



Based on the Noel Coward play, the film tells the story of an American divorcee (Jessica Biel) who heads to the South of France. Once there she jumps into a whirlwind romance and wedding with an English guy (Ben Barnes). Then the newly weds travel to the UK to face the music with his disapproving parents (Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas).
Starring:
Jessica Biel,
Ben Barnes,
Colin Firth,
Kristin Scott
Thomas,
Kris Marshall
Directed by: Stephan Elliott
GOTTA DANCE -
Chronicles the first-ever, senior citizen hip-hop dance team for the New Jersey Nets Basketball team, 12 women and man - all dance team newbies, from auditions through to center court stardom.
Directed By Dori Berinstein & Co-Written By Adam Zucker
DAY BREAK -



This powerful, harrowing Iranian drama from director Hamid Rahmanian, based on several true stories and filmed in the chilling interior of one of Tehran's oldest prisons, follows Mansour, a convicted killer who struggles to get through each day as his execution is postponed again and again, since the victim's family--required by Islamic law to witness his execution--consistently fails to turn up at the appointed time.
HEART OF STONE
Before 1960, the Weequahic section of Newark, NJ, was largely an enclave of first-generation working-class Jewish families. During this era, Weequahic High School graduated more PHDs than any other school in the United States. One of its more famous graduates is Philip Roth, who has made his career using the Weequahic environs as the backdrop to many of his novels.
Director:Beth Toni Kruvant
TYSON -



In TYSON, the former heavyweight champion looks at his own life in and out of the ring with a candor and eloquence that is by turns shocking, funny, hair-raising and never less than brutally honest. In other words, Tyson explores…Tyson.
James Toback’s film portrait ranges from Tyson’s earliest memories of growing up on the meanest streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing under the stewardship of his beloved trainer Cus D’Amato, his misadventures with Don King and his tortured marriage to Robin Givens, his rollercoaster ride through the funhouse of worldwide fame, his fortunes won and lost.
Through a deft mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a complex, fully-rounded human being emerges - a legendary and uniquely controversial international
Starring: Mike Tyson
Directed by: James Toback
Produced by:
Mike Tyson,
Nick Jarecki,
Bob Yari
Produced by:
James Spring,
Douglas E. Hansen,
Ralph Kamp
THE SOLOIST -



Journalist Steve Lopez discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers , a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives.
Starring:
Catherine Keener,
Tom Hollander,
Lisa Gay Hamilton,
Jamie Foxx,
Nelsan Ellis
Directed by: Joe Wright
Produced by:
Jeff Skoll,
Patricia Whitcher,
Tim Bevan
MY LIFE IN RUINS -



A Greek tour guide named attempts to recapture her "mojo" by guiding a ragtag group of tourists around Greece and showing them the beauty of her native land. Along the way, she manages to open their eyes to wonders of an exotic foreign land while beginning to see the world through a new set of eyes in the process.
Distributors: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Starring:
Nia Vardalos,
Richard Dreyfuss,
Harland Williams,
Rachel Dratch,
Caroline Goodall
Directed by: Donald Petrie
Produced by:
Tom Hanks,
Gary Goetzman,
Nathalie Marciano

LEMON TREE -



Salma Zidane lives in a tiny Palestinian village on the West Bank. She is 45 years old and a widow. Her children have left home, and she is alone. When the Israeli minister of defense builds a house on the other side of the green line, Selma's lemon trees come to the attention of his bodyguards. Her trees are a security risk. They can hide terrorists and impede the bodyguards in their work
Starring:
Hiam Abbass,
Ali Suliman,
Doron Tavori,
Tarak Copti,
Amos Lavie
Directed by: Eran Riklis
Produced by:
Moshe Edry,
Leon Edry,
Dudi Zilber
THE BROTHERS BLOOM -




The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust, intrigue and the most complex literary-inspired setups imaginable. Now they've decided to take on one last job -- showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress named Penelope the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world -- from New Jersey to Greece to Russia.
Distributors: Summit Entertainment, LLC
Starring:
Rachel Weisz,
Adrien Brody,
Rinko Kikuchi,
Mark Ruffalo,
Zachary Gordon
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Produced by:
Wendy Japhet,
Douglas E. Hansen,
Ram Bergman

GOODBY SOLO -



A friendship forms between a Senegalese cab driver named Solo and an ornery 70-year old man named William who plans to commit suicide.
Starring: Red West
Directed by: Ramin Bahrani
Produced by:
Ted Hope,
Anne Carey,
Brian Devine


I LOVE YOU , NEW YORK -



A collective work of twelve short films shot by renowned international directors in each of the city's five boroughs, with
the theme of finding love being interwoven between each of the five minute stories.
Distributors:
QED International,
Palm Pictures,
Vivendi Universal Entertainment
Starring:
Natalie Portman,
Orlando Bloom,
Shia LaBeouf,
Julie Christie,
John Hurt
Directed by: Zach Braff, Mira Nair, Chan-Wook Park
Produced by:
Galt Niederhoffer,
Celine Rattray (II),
Daniela Taplin Lundberg
LOVE N DANCIN -
Screen Media When a bored-with-life English teacher meets a former West Coast Swing dance champion, they have an instant connection. Both feel that the other can fulfill what was missing in their lives. But Jessica's got a workaholic fiancee who loves her and provides for her, and Jake¿s got his former partner in crime Corinne, who just won¿t let Jake away from the dangling carrot of a rekindled relationship.... See Full Description
Distributors: Screen Media Films
Starring:
Amy Smart,
Tom Malloy,
Billy Zane,
Caroline Rhea,
Rachel Dratch
Directed by: Robert Iscove
Produced by:
Robert Royston,
Sylvia Caminer,
Tom Molloy

Mesrine - Ennemi public n#1
First of the two-part film based on the true story of France's infamous public enemy during the 70s, Jacques Mesrine. He lead a life of bank robberies and high-profile kidnappings, escaped from prison twice, and was said to have killed at least 39 people.
Starring:
Vincent Cassel,
Alain Delon,
Sandrine Bonnaire,
Ludivine Saigner
Directed by: Jean-Francois Richet
Produced by:
Daniel Delume,
Thomas Langmann