This is definitely the time of year when film critic types (I’m sure you know who I mean) spend an inordinate amount of time leading up to awards season—and it all leads up to awards season, don’t it?—compiling lists and trying to convince anyone who will listen that it was a shitty year at the movies for anyone who liked something other than what they saw and liked. And ‘tis the season, or at least ‘thas (?) been in the recent past, for that most beloved of academic parlor games, bemoaning the death of cinema, which, if the sackcloth-and-ashes-clad among us are to be believed, is an increasingly detached and irrelevant art form in the process of being smothered under the wet, steaming blanket of American blockbuster-it is. And it’s going all malnourished from the siphoning off of all the talent back to TV, which, as everyone knows,...
- 1/9/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
The 59Th BFI London Film Festival Announces Full 2015 Programme
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
- 9/1/2015
- by John
- SoundOnSight
It’s been a banner year for the repertory cinema racket.
Be it the various arthouses that are continuing to grow their catalogue of classic films that they screen any given week (a local museum near your’s truly will be screening Hausu with a live score, even), or the top museums around this country expanding their film screenings to full on festivals, fans of classic and rarely seen cinema are finding it easier and easier to enjoy these legendary films with a live audience. However, it’s still rare to find that one film that is not only a bonafide classic film, but also one that has been nearly impossible to see here stateside. We’ve already seen Les Blank’s long awaited Leon Russell documentary A Poem Is A Naked Person hit theaters for the first time, so the film world couldn’t already be seeing a second...
Be it the various arthouses that are continuing to grow their catalogue of classic films that they screen any given week (a local museum near your’s truly will be screening Hausu with a live score, even), or the top museums around this country expanding their film screenings to full on festivals, fans of classic and rarely seen cinema are finding it easier and easier to enjoy these legendary films with a live audience. However, it’s still rare to find that one film that is not only a bonafide classic film, but also one that has been nearly impossible to see here stateside. We’ve already seen Les Blank’s long awaited Leon Russell documentary A Poem Is A Naked Person hit theaters for the first time, so the film world couldn’t already be seeing a second...
- 7/17/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Although I watched the whole of A Poem is a Naked Person, I have no recollection of of that phrase being uttered. Which is unexpected, considering it's an oddly specific phrase. The keyword here is "unexpected". As a piece of work, a time capsule, an unearthed rock doc, and whatever other capacities come to mind, A Poem is a Naked Person is all around unexpected. Shot in 1974, and essentially supressed since then, it's unexpected that we have it at all. And, in true Les Blank fashion, it's unexpected in its filmic grammar. There's a controlled unhinged arbitrariness about its editing, about its structure, even about its narrative priorities. This is, after all, supposed to be a documentary about the great singer/songwriter/studio musician Leon Russell....
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- 7/9/2015
- Screen Anarchy
It is now July, and with that has come wave after wave of reactions to the first half of this calendar year in cinema. Be it the biggest blockbusters or the films that, if you blinked, you’d have missed their time in theaters, 2015 has been to many a great year up to this point, and to others a year that will hopefully be back loaded. However, for fans of the repertory scene, 2015 has been yet another year proving that for classic film fans, there are still numerous outlets to see the greatest films cinema has to offer.
And then there is the rare case where the two worlds mix, the rare case where a film years in the making finally arrives in theaters, for the very first time.
Look no further than the latest release from Janus Films (The Criterion Collection’s backing company and storied theatrical distributor), A Poem Is A Naked Person.
And then there is the rare case where the two worlds mix, the rare case where a film years in the making finally arrives in theaters, for the very first time.
Look no further than the latest release from Janus Films (The Criterion Collection’s backing company and storied theatrical distributor), A Poem Is A Naked Person.
- 7/3/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Read More: Watch: Bask in the American Glory of the 'A Poem is a Naked Person' Trailer From 1972-1974, documentarian Les Blank spent time with country artist Leon Russell at his studio in Grand Lake, Oklahoma recording hours of video footage for a film project that would later become "A Poem is a Naked Person." However, creative differences and problems with musical copyright stifled the release of the documentary for decades, preventing it from ever receiving theatrical distribution. Following Blank's death in 2013, his son, Harrod, was finally able to complete the film, which debuted earlier this year at South by Southwest. "A Poem is a Naked Person" received its official theatrical opening last night at New York City's Film Forum with Leon Russell in attendance. Afterwards, Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") spoke with Russell, Blank and Maureen Gosling, Les Blank's longtime assistant and editor.
- 7/2/2015
- by Ethan Sapienza
- Indiewire
Ask Leon Russell a straight question — say, about the documentary made about him in the early Seventies that's just now seeing the light of day — and the iconoclastic singer-songwriter's answer will eventually wind its way back to the subject after rambling down the crookedest of backroads. "We had a guy at the studio at the time, a harmonica player," he begins. "And one day he put a mic on his heart and started playing harmonica. He played more and more as his heartbeat got faster and faster, until he finally passed out.
- 7/2/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Early in Les Blank’s A Poem is a Naked Person, we see a shirtless, bearded man in cutoffs standing in an empty white pool nonchalantly scooping tiny scorpions into a mason jar with a piece of paper. At first, this action is underscored with “Take Me” by George Jones, carried over from the prior scene, which featured Jones playing in musician Leon Russell’s riverside Oklahoma recording studio. As the Jones song winds down we’re treated to the scorpion catcher’s musings on creativity, on how letting children draw on blank walls is sensible parenting, on how he’s made uncomfortable by prefabricated […]...
- 7/1/2015
- by Jeff Reichert
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Early in Les Blank’s A Poem is a Naked Person, we see a shirtless, bearded man in cutoffs standing in an empty white pool nonchalantly scooping tiny scorpions into a mason jar with a piece of paper. At first, this action is underscored with “Take Me” by George Jones, carried over from the prior scene, which featured Jones playing in musician Leon Russell’s riverside Oklahoma recording studio. As the Jones song winds down we’re treated to the scorpion catcher’s musings on creativity, on how letting children draw on blank walls is sensible parenting, on how he’s made uncomfortable by prefabricated […]...
- 7/1/2015
- by Jeff Reichert
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
"A Poem is a Naked Person" (July 1)(Film Page) Director: Les Blank Criticwire Average: C- Why is it a "Must See"? More than forty years after the late director Les Blank completed "A Poem is a Naked Person," a project he was hired by musician Leon Russell to make, a newly restored version courtesy of Janus Films is bringing the documentary to the big screen for the very first time. Shot over a two-year-period, "A Poem is a Naked Person" captures Russell, his posse of musical collaborators and his artist friends as they live, record and perform in rural Oklahoma. Following Blank's death, his son Harrod completed the film, which incorporates concert/rehearsal footage, interviews and atmospheric material that expose the beating passion behind Russell's iconic career as a session musician and solo artist. "Mala Mala" (July 1)(Film Page) Director: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini Criticwire...
- 7/1/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
On paper, Les Blank and Leon Russell look like a heavenly match. Blank’s pageants of blues musicians, backyard barbeques, and dancing in the streets are infused with a sense of joy and irreverence all too often missing from documentaries of American folkways. Russell made his name with a honky-tonk mix of country, blues and gospel put over with a carney’s rasp and flash. The singer and his English producer Denny Cordell hired Blank to produce a backstage portrait, but A Poem is a Naked Person (1974) ended up being the rare film maudit of his otherwise happy-go-lucky filmography. >> - Max Goldberg...
- 7/1/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
On paper, Les Blank and Leon Russell look like a heavenly match. Blank’s pageants of blues musicians, backyard barbeques, and dancing in the streets are infused with a sense of joy and irreverence all too often missing from documentaries of American folkways. Russell made his name with a honky-tonk mix of country, blues and gospel put over with a carney’s rasp and flash. The singer and his English producer Denny Cordell hired Blank to produce a backstage portrait, but A Poem is a Naked Person (1974) ended up being the rare film maudit of his otherwise happy-go-lucky filmography. >> - Max Goldberg...
- 7/1/2015
- Keyframe
Making the cut of our feature The 20 Best Documentaries Of 2015 So Far, there is a piece of trivia about "A Poem Is A Naked Person" that's important to know: the film is over forty years old. Directed by legendary filmmaker Les Blank, and remaining unreleased for decades, this snapshot of beloved musician Leon Russell is finally hitting the big screen, and today we have an exclusive clip. Read More: The Essentials: 7 Films You Should Know From Acclaimed Documentarian Les Blank Filmed between 1972 and 1974, Blank followed Russell into the studio, conducted interviews, and shot hours and hours of concert footage, rehearsals, additional material, and more. But when Russell finally saw the completed movie, he didn't like it and decided it couldn't be released (Blank long maintained it was his own finest movie). For years, "A Poem Is A Naked Person" could only be seen at special screenings, but now Blank’s...
- 6/29/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
This month on the Newsstand, Ryan is joined by David Blakeslee and Scott Nye to discuss the September 2015 Criterion Collection line-up, as well as the latest in Criterion rumors, news, packaging, and more.
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Contact us with any feedback.
Shownotes Topics The September Criterion Line-up (and the delayed announcement) Orson Welles Updates: Issa Clubb at the University Of Michigan, Chimes At Midnight, It’s All True, The Immortal Story, Othello New titles rumored: In Cold Blood (Richard Brooks), The Decalogue, The Graduate, Valley Of The Dolls / Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, Janus Films: A Poem Is A Naked Person theatrical run, poster, trailer, etc. Last month’s E-mail newsletter drawing: empty coat (Young And Innocent?) The Apu Trilogy poster is now available from the Criterion store Episode Links The September Criterion Collection line-up … Blind Chance (1981) Gérard DuBois Breaker Morant (1980) Mister Johnson (1990) Sean Phillips.
Subscribe to The Newsstand in iTunes or via RSS
Contact us with any feedback.
Shownotes Topics The September Criterion Line-up (and the delayed announcement) Orson Welles Updates: Issa Clubb at the University Of Michigan, Chimes At Midnight, It’s All True, The Immortal Story, Othello New titles rumored: In Cold Blood (Richard Brooks), The Decalogue, The Graduate, Valley Of The Dolls / Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, Janus Films: A Poem Is A Naked Person theatrical run, poster, trailer, etc. Last month’s E-mail newsletter drawing: empty coat (Young And Innocent?) The Apu Trilogy poster is now available from the Criterion store Episode Links The September Criterion Collection line-up … Blind Chance (1981) Gérard DuBois Breaker Morant (1980) Mister Johnson (1990) Sean Phillips.
- 6/18/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
We're rounding up reviews, interviews, clips and trailers for films screening at this year's BAMcinemaFest: Alex Ross Perry's Queen of Earth, James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour, Sean Baker's Tangerine, Stephen Winter's Jason and Shirley, Nathan Silver's Stinking Heaven, Sebastián Silva's Nasty Baby, Todd Rohal's Uncle Kent 2, Jennifer Phang's Advantageous, Kris Swanberg's Unexpected, Patrick Wang's The Grief of Others, Les Blank's A Poem Is a Naked Person, Jem Cohen's Counting, Larry Clark's Kids—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/17/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
We're rounding up reviews, interviews, clips and trailers for films screening at this year's BAMcinemaFest: Alex Ross Perry's Queen of Earth, James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour, Sean Baker's Tangerine, Stephen Winter's Jason and Shirley, Nathan Silver's Stinking Heaven, Sebastián Silva's Nasty Baby, Todd Rohal's Uncle Kent 2, Jennifer Phang's Advantageous, Kris Swanberg's Unexpected, Patrick Wang's The Grief of Others, Les Blank's A Poem Is a Naked Person, Jem Cohen's Counting, Larry Clark's Kids—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/17/2015
- Keyframe
Read More: SXSW: Les Blank's Leon Russell Doc Gets a Proper Premiere and a Trippy New Poster Shot between 1972 and 1974 while Russell was living with artist friends in Oklahoma, "A Poem is a Naked Person" is not only a galvanizing, verité portrait of one of the finest, and perhaps most under-appreciated musicians and live performers of the twentieth century, but also an intimate examination of the community that existed in and around him during that period of time. You're sure to be hooked by the trailer, which you can check out at the top of this page, from the moment you hear a voice offscreen utter, "Out here it's just kind of like a floating mental hospital." Janus Films will open "A Poem is a Naked Person" at the Film Forum in New York on July 1. A national release will follow. Read More: SXSW: 7 Must-See Music Documentaries At This Year's...
- 6/17/2015
- by Shipra Harbola Gupta
- Indiewire
Receiving its theatrical release 41 years after its completion, Les Blank’s A Poem Is A Naked Person is set to open at New York’s Film Forum on July 1, following its bows at BAMcinemaFest and SXSW. A portrait of singer-songwriter Leon Russell shot between 1972 and 1974, the film was the result of considerable release delays as a result of music clearance issues and creative differences between Blank and Russell. Check out the trailer above.
- 6/17/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Receiving its theatrical release 41 years after its completion, Les Blank’s A Poem Is A Naked Person is set to open at New York’s Film Forum on July 1, following its bows at BAMcinemaFest and SXSW. A portrait of singer-songwriter Leon Russell shot between 1972 and 1974, the film was the result of considerable release delays as a result of music clearance issues and creative differences between Blank and Russell. Check out the trailer above.
- 6/17/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Award season as come to a close, and we’ve all been witness to what is a historic unprecedented run for one urgent film. The ripple became a wave when we were on hand to witness Laura Poitras collect multiple awards at the Cinema Eye Honors, and as predicted, the Academy Awards capped off a historic awards season run with an Oscar win. Here is our roundup and recap of the previous month’s film festival and award season headlines related to the docu film world.
Academy Awards
While Citizenfour took home the award for best documentary of the year, Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry’s Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 was given the Oscar for best short doc.
Berlin International Film Festival - Germany – February 5th – February 15th
When Darren Aronofsky and his presiding jury members announced the Berlinale winners, Patricio Guzmán’s long awaited follow-up to Nostalgia For The Light,...
Academy Awards
While Citizenfour took home the award for best documentary of the year, Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry’s Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 was given the Oscar for best short doc.
Berlin International Film Festival - Germany – February 5th – February 15th
When Darren Aronofsky and his presiding jury members announced the Berlinale winners, Patricio Guzmán’s long awaited follow-up to Nostalgia For The Light,...
- 3/3/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Now that the busy winter fest schedule of Sundance, Rotterdam and the Berlinale has concluded, we’ve now got our eyes on the likes of True/False and SXSW. While, True/False does not specialize in attention grabbing world premieres, it does provide a late winter haven for cream of the crop non-fiction fare from all the previously mentioned fests and a selection of overlooked genre blending films presented in a down home setting. This year will mark my first trip to the Columbia, Missouri based fest, where I hope to catch a little of everything, from their hush-hush secret screenings, to selections from their Neither/Nor series, this year featuring chimeric Polish cinema of decades past, to a spotlight of Adam Curtis’s incisive oeuvre. But truth be told, it is SXSW, with its slew of high profile world premieres being announced, such as Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs...
- 2/27/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
South by Southwest, the multi-faceted film, music and technology festival held annually in Austin, TX will feature such upcoming films as Paul Feig’s Spy, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, and Ondi Timoner’s Russell Brand profile Brand: A Second Coming as headliners in this year’s film festival lineup.
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
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