Summer 2004 Season

Summer 2005 Series Recap

6/27 - Our Summer Closer - Hustle & Flow

“Hustle & Flow” is the redemptive story of a streetwise Memphis hustler trying to find his voice and realize his long-buried dreams. Though DJay (Terrence Howard) has always had a way with words, that gift has long been misused; this philosopher-hustler lives a dead-end life at the fringes of society. Anything more feels out of reach. Still, DJay wonders what happened to all the big dreams he had for his life.

Director: Craig Brewer
Screenwriter: Craig Brewer

Cast :
Terrence Howard,
Anthony Anderson,
Taryn Manning,
Taraji Henson,
DJ Qualls,
Ludacris

Executive Producer : Dwight Williams
Producers : John Singleton, Stephanie Allain
Cinematographer : Amelia Vincent
Editor : Billy Fox
Production Designer : Keith Brian Burns
Music : Scott Bomar

Guest – Director Craig Brewer

Host – Peter Travers

Offical Site: link

Paramount Classics

6/20 - Second Best

"Set in a New Jersey neighborhood, a group of regular guys launch into a tirade of introspection when their longtime friend and successful Hollywood producer has a homecoming. No one feels the gap more acutely than his best friend, a failed publishing exec, working on a screenplay, living in Jersey, wallowing in denial. Things are definitely not looking up. He dreams that his friend will be his ticket out, but his own ego may be both his downfall and salvation." CINEMASOURCE

Cast:
Joe Pantoliano,
Jennifer Tilly,
Boyd Gaines,
Bronson Pinchot,
Matthew Arkin

Director: Eric Weber

Writer: Eric Weber
Producer(s):
Callum Greene,
Anthony Katagas,
Joe Pantoliano

Host: Charley Taylor
Guest: Director Eric Webber, Actor Boyd Gaines

Official Site: Link

Second Feature:

The Warrior

Official Site: Link

6/13- THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED

A Parisian man decides he wants to alter his gloomy fate through music. At 28, Tom is following in the footsteps of his father, a ruthless criminal who deals, often brutally, in real estate. When Tom discovers his mother was a concert pianist, he decides to make a shot a legitimate life by having an acclaimed Chinese pianist teach him the art of music. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before his shady past comes to light.

Cast:
Romain Duris
Niels Arestrup
Emmanuelle Devos
Linh Dan Pham
Aure Atika
Jonathan Zaccai
Gilles Cohen
Anton Yakovlev

Director: Jacques Audiard
Producer: Pascal Caucheteux
Screenwriter: Jacques Audiard
Tonino Benacquista
James Toback
Cinematographer: Stephane Fontaine
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Source Writer: James Toback

Guests: Ryan Werner

And James Toback:

A stockbroker's son, James Toback holds degrees from both Harvard and Columbia. While an English instructor at CCNY, Toback began submitting articles to various publications, with special emphasis on sports magazines. Assigned to interview football star-turned-actor Jim Brown, Toback became close friends with his subject, spending several years as Brown's houseguest. Their relationship was crystallized into Toback's 1971 book Jim: The Author's Self-Centered Memoir of the Great Jim Brown. This work brought Toback to the attention of Hollywood producers, culminating in his first screenplay credit for 1974's The Gambler. In 1977, Toback turned director with Fingers, a succes d'estime starring-who else?--Jim Brown. Critical opinion was sharply divided over Toback's directorial bow: Pauline Kael was underwhelmed by the film, citing "self-promotion" as Toback's biggest talent, while David Thomson was so bowled over by Fingers that he wrote a essay-length love letter of a review. Since that time, James Toback has functioned as producer, director, and actor; he wrote himself a juicy part as Gus Greenbaum in his Oscar-nominated screenplay for Bugsy (1991), and essayed the small role of The Professor in Woody Allen's Alice (1990). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Host David Edelstein

Official Site: Link

6/6 OPENER IN TEANECK

THE BAXTER (2005) –

The film chronicles the anxiety-ridden two weeks leading to the marriage of Elliot Sherman who is the quintessential "Baxter" -- the nice guy who never gets the girl.

Starring:
Michael Showalter,
Elizabeth Banks,
Michelle Williams,
Justin Theroux,
Peter Dinklage.

Directed by:
Michael Showalter
Writer/Director/Star Michael Showalter found the inspiration to write THE BAXTER from his love of old Hollywood movies. "This film harkens back to the great screwball romantic comedies of the 30's and 40's," says Showalter. "I love the silly, sweetness of those films. They made us laugh very hard without needing to shock us, or make us cover our eyes. They were graceful." Showalter himself has spent most of his career exploring the more outrageous side of comedy, from appearing as part of the ensemble on MTV's The State, to writing, producing and starring in the cult film Wet Hot American Summer, to his ongoing work as part of the three-man sketch comedy group Stella, which has a series airing this June on Comedy Central.

IFC FILMS

On June 2nd the following guests came by to discuss their latest independent sensation THE DYING GAUL from Campbell Scott’s new production Company Hole Digger Studios with NY Film Critics Series’ own Peter Travers (Rolling Stone, CNN).
Photos by Stark

Indie Superstar Patricia Clarkson,

(The Station Agent, Pieces of April, Far from Heaven, The Safety of Objects, The Pledge, The Green Mile , High Art , The Dead Pool , The Untouchables ).

Writer/ Director/ Playwright Craig Lucas ,

(Back Story, Blue Window , Dying Gaul, God's Heart , Secret Lives Of Dentists, The Light in the Piazza, Marry Me A Little , Missing Persons , Orpheus In Love , Prelude To A Kiss , Reckless , Stranger , This Thing Of Darkness , Three Complaints , Three Postcards , Throwing Your Voice , What I Meant Was).

And Producer George Van Buskirk (Off the Map,The Secret Lives of Dentists, Roger Dodger).

THE DYING GAUL (2005) - Is a psychological thriller set in the Hollywood elite. A fledgling screenwriter (Peter Sarsgaard) is offered a million dollars by a slick and ruthless studio exec ( Campbell Scott) for his script - a personal story about his lover who died of AIDS. The only catch is that he has to change the film's male character into a female. Starring Campbell Scott, Peter Sarsgaard, Patricia Clarkson Directed by: Craig Lucas.

THE DYING GAUL is due out in the Fall of 2005. Check for more details and updates