‘The New Radical’ Review: This Bitcoin Documentary Is a Real-Life ‘Mr. Robot’ — Sundance 2017 Review
A few decades ago, a show like “Mr. Robot” — which transforms modern fears of technological instability into suspense — might look like science fiction. These days, however, real life is almost as unsettling. Several recent documentaries on a growing community of hackers and acolytes focus on the developing momentum of a digitally enhanced landscape and the anarchistic tendencies that blossom within it: Laura Poitras’ “Citizenfour” and her yet-to-be-released “Risk” follow the twin struggles of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, while Alex Winter’s “Deep Web” captured the plight of incarcerated dark web pioneer Ross Ulbricht.
Adam Bhala Lough consolidates the focus of these projects with the restless, scattershot approach of “The New Radical,” a portrait of the founders of Dark Wallet, the bitcoin app that allows users to purchase materials without leaving a digital fingerprint. Lough gives these troublemakers a dense platform to voice their extremist perspectives, but the movie primarily...
Adam Bhala Lough consolidates the focus of these projects with the restless, scattershot approach of “The New Radical,” a portrait of the founders of Dark Wallet, the bitcoin app that allows users to purchase materials without leaving a digital fingerprint. Lough gives these troublemakers a dense platform to voice their extremist perspectives, but the movie primarily...
- 1/26/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
"Step 1: Don't be a pussy." So begins the teaser for The Motivation, a documentary about a skateboarding championship that promises something more than a standard-issue competition picture, especially since it's coming from filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough (Bomb the System, The Carter). Eight of the world's best pro-skateboarders prepare for the upcoming Street League Championship in NYC. Each equally talented, they all must overcome unique challenges--family pressures, injuries, money, fame and their own internal struggles--for a chance to win $200,000 and the title of best street-skateboarder in the world. The teaser makes a good case for the film. It's heading for a limited theatrical release on July 30, ahead of its August 6th availability on iTunes and On Demand....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/10/2013
- Screen Anarchy
If you've read my last two Wtf is Latino posts on Sundance and SXSW, you know I do my best to embody a manic optimist and find a silver lining when it comes to magnifying the limited representation of Latino stories and writer/directors at mainstream film festivals. I do that by expanding and deconstructing the broad term, hoping to educate myself and the masses on what 'qualifies' as Latino. However, the relative dearth of Latinos and Latin America at this year's 2013 Tribeca Film Festival program has seriously challenged me to find a positive spin on this woeful slate of brown in the world's most celluloid famous, multi-culti metropolis. It is especially stupefying considering the number of electrifying premiere film submissions there are to choose from at this moment.
I worked as an Industry Coordinator for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival under Director of Programming David Kwok and Festival Director Nancy Schaefer. Back then Latin America was not only well represented in the program but Tribeca was at the forefront of showing bourgeoning film renaissances taking place in countries such as Panama, Peru and Colombia. No doubt this sensibility and charge came from the legendary jet-setting of one such Peter Scarlet, the cognoscente Artistic Director beloved by many Latin American festivals. At 8 years old, the Festival was fast outgrowing its post 9/11 birthmark and has since stubbornly and desperately struggled to position itself as a blank World Cinema festival. This is a strategy I find puzzling, given it is way out of league and under the heavy shadow cast from uptown by the auteur and discovery art house Lincoln Film Society. One would think it an ideal and very NY synergy thing to do would be to carve out your own identity in specializing in the kaleidoscopic, fertile microcosm of Us immigrant odyssey found in every corner from Manhattan to the five boroughs. Not only is there a lack of Us Latino stories this year, nowhere to be found are films from Latin America. Seriously. Click on the online film guide's search by country scroll down menu and visibly absent are Chile, Mexico and Argentina - three of Latin America's most renowned and heralded world cinema incubators. The closest we get is one feature from Brazil by veteran director, Bruno Baretto, and two shorts from Spain. Its plain to see that the Festival's new Artistic Director, Fredric Boyer (who headed bougie prestige fests, Cannes' Directors Fortnight and then Locarno Film Festival) is seriously 'Euro-cizing' the Triangle Below Canal.
So, what's my silver lining? Well, its based on the Short Term 12 lesson I just experienced at SXSW. I did not target the indie film as a Latino film but being familiar and a fan of Hawaiian filmmaker, Daniel Cretton's work, I went to see it and was immediately absorbed by the effortless kid-adult social psychological narrative. A detail that resonated with me was that one of the main juvy instructors was a foster kid who was raised and adopted into a big loving home by Mexican parents. He's as white as they come, yet he cooks a mean Mexican dish and expresses his emotions outwardly, attributes of Latino culture that informed his personhood. Maybe that's how subtle, relative yet impactful Latino culture is seeping into all of our lives. Maybe my barely passing grade on the Latino at Tribeca diagnosis is premature having not seen all of the films. Maybe where we least expect it, beyond cast and loglines, there are films buried in here with deeper social undertones of brown representation. I'm willing to excavate. All that big picture stuff aside, I am quite excited about the six films (out of some 168) I highlight here which offers a diverse albeit thin slice of Latino - whether its the narrative's themes, up and coming actors, and real life Americans - who knows how many times removed from their Latin roots - and how cool that looks like.
Without further ado, here it is; Wtf is Latino at Tribeca Film Festival.
World Narrative Competition
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors directed by Sam Fleischner and written by Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg
Logline: When autistic teen Ricky is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey of community and connection in and below New York City. Cast Andrea Suarez, Jesus Valez, Azul Rodriguez, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Marsha Stephanie Blake
Sam Fleischner's first film, Wah Do Dem was about a broken hearted hipster who goes on a cruise and gets stuck in the dangerous wild of Jamaica - just as President Obama is being sworn into office for the first time. The filmmaking felt so fresh, real, tense and engrossing. Just like you were on the adventure with him. Sam and his co-director Ben Chase won the $50,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. I'm so happy he is premiering this NY based film which features a Latino cast including Tenoch Huerta (Dias de Gracia), and half of the film is spoken in Spanish. No, Sam is not a Latino but a native New Yorker and I love his take and thematic weaving in this story. His statement and inspiration behind the film demonstrates his sensibility and vision, surpassing and waiving any requirement or notion that says you have to be Latino to tell authentic Latino stories. This is what Sam was able to tell me over email:
"I am not Latino but this story is inspired by true events that happened to a Mexican family. I was attracted to the parallel between people on the autism spectrum and people living as illegal immigrants in the Us. Both instances are people wading through systems that aren't designed for them, interesting to think about the term 'alien'. "
Narrative Spotlight
The Pretty One, written and directed by Jenee Lamarque
Logline: Audrey has all of the qualities that her twin sister Laurel wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. When tragedy strikes, Laurel has the opportunity to reinvent herself. In a complex performance, Zoe Kazan poignantly captures Laurel’s complex mix of loss and awakening, especially as she begins a new relationship with her neighbor (Jake Johnson). Jenée Lamarque’s first feature film is a quirky, lovely tale of identity and the eternal bond between two sisters. Cast Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Shae D'lyn, Frankie Shaw, Ron Livingston
I first met Jenee with her edgy girls short film Spoonful, a ridiculous real life scenario in which friends help out their lactating friend, which played the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She was also kind enough to email me amid the crunch of finishing her first feature for its world premiere. I'm so grateful she responded because she truly personifies what I'm trying to convey about Latino identity (its American and expansive and our creativity relates to it vastly different ways). She says, "As for my Latina origin: my dad is Mexican, born and raised in Chino, CA. His mother's family is Mexican and has been in CA for a long time. His father's family is from Mexico City...we have a French last name, presumably because of the French who came to Mexico during the 19th century but I really don't know anything about my French-Mexican origins. My grandfather came to CA during WWII with the Bracero program. My Mom is Danish, Norwegian and French. I do identify as Mexican, as Latina, but I also identify as American and as white. I really wish that I had more of a connection to my Mexican heritage but unfortunately, my dad didn't speak Spanish to us growing up (even thought he's fluent) and he really identifies as American. It's funny, because I'm mixed, I don't feel I'm fully one thing or another, I feel like my identity is sort of slippery because of it. I think that my mixed heritage plays a central role in my voice as a storyteller; one of the themes of The Pretty One is identity (a struggle with identity) and I also find myself drawn to this theme again in again in my other work. "
Documentary Spotlight
The Motivation by Adam Bhala Lough
Logline: Go inside the lives and training regimes of eight of the world’s gutsiest professional skateboarders. These fearless stars face unique obstacles on the way to the Street League Championship and the coveted title of best street skateboarder in the world. Adam Bhala Lough, creator of the independent hit Bomb the System (Tff 2003), directs this fresh, energetic documentary search for that elusive quality that separates winners from the pack.
This skateboarding shred competish doc about the sheer intensity and will to defy the terror of cracked bones features some of the youngest, most successfully branded and competitive skaters in the game like Nyjah Huston (Puerto Rican father), Paul Rodriguez known as P-Rod, and Chaz Ortiz. I can't wait to meet these guys and get to know them. Adam is good like that. His last film, The Carter, about autodidactic and auto-real voiced rapper Lil Wayne impressed me for its gloss and floss but also by its covert way of infiltrating the hyped up insular world and mind of a subculture pop king. His flashy aesthetic and sneak transparency is bound to capture the badass jaw dropping leaps and outrageous rail tricks along with distilling the high intensity pressure and rush of winning in The Motivation.
Midnight
Frankenstein's Army (Netherlands, Czech Republic) directed by Richard Raaphorst and written by Miguel Tejada Flores
Logline: In the waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein’s Army is the wild steampunk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you’ve always wanted.
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter, Miguel Tejada Flores has written such horror reboots as Beyond Reanimator and family classics as The Lion King but notably this is the guy who gets story credit for Revenge of the Nerds back in '84. His next film is the upcoming I Brake for Gringos starring Camilla Belle directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Lebrija. A frequent mentor over the years at Nalip's screenwriting and producing labs, it sounds like this guy is accessible and interested in nurturing the younger generation of Latino talent. A California native, his family is from Bolivia. Read his wordpress blog here
V/H/S/2 - Eduardo Sanchez is one of the seven filmmakers of the second found footage horror anthology which has screened at Sundance, SXSW and now Tribeca (that might be a record), and most famously directed The Blair Witch Project. Cuban born filmmaker.
Short Film Competition
Close Your Eyes written and directed by Sonia Malfa
Logline: Thirteen-year-old Imani Cortes is a gifted photographer longing to experience her first kiss. She has a crush on a quiet artist, Junito, with whom she has a natural connection, but she also faces an enormous challenge: she is slowly losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease. Will Imani let her disease stop her or be the path to independence? Cast Kimberly Lora, Julian Fernandez-Kemp, Sara Contreras, Victor Cruz, Rhina Valentina, Mia Ysabel
I'm looking forward to seeing this short set in Spanish Harlem. I don't know much about the filmmaker except that she raised 10k off Kickstarter for this, her directorial debut. And she looks Boricua. Check out her website which shows a number of her photos and videos that show off her 'eye'.
The Tribeca Film Festival starts April 17-28. Ticket info here...
I worked as an Industry Coordinator for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival under Director of Programming David Kwok and Festival Director Nancy Schaefer. Back then Latin America was not only well represented in the program but Tribeca was at the forefront of showing bourgeoning film renaissances taking place in countries such as Panama, Peru and Colombia. No doubt this sensibility and charge came from the legendary jet-setting of one such Peter Scarlet, the cognoscente Artistic Director beloved by many Latin American festivals. At 8 years old, the Festival was fast outgrowing its post 9/11 birthmark and has since stubbornly and desperately struggled to position itself as a blank World Cinema festival. This is a strategy I find puzzling, given it is way out of league and under the heavy shadow cast from uptown by the auteur and discovery art house Lincoln Film Society. One would think it an ideal and very NY synergy thing to do would be to carve out your own identity in specializing in the kaleidoscopic, fertile microcosm of Us immigrant odyssey found in every corner from Manhattan to the five boroughs. Not only is there a lack of Us Latino stories this year, nowhere to be found are films from Latin America. Seriously. Click on the online film guide's search by country scroll down menu and visibly absent are Chile, Mexico and Argentina - three of Latin America's most renowned and heralded world cinema incubators. The closest we get is one feature from Brazil by veteran director, Bruno Baretto, and two shorts from Spain. Its plain to see that the Festival's new Artistic Director, Fredric Boyer (who headed bougie prestige fests, Cannes' Directors Fortnight and then Locarno Film Festival) is seriously 'Euro-cizing' the Triangle Below Canal.
So, what's my silver lining? Well, its based on the Short Term 12 lesson I just experienced at SXSW. I did not target the indie film as a Latino film but being familiar and a fan of Hawaiian filmmaker, Daniel Cretton's work, I went to see it and was immediately absorbed by the effortless kid-adult social psychological narrative. A detail that resonated with me was that one of the main juvy instructors was a foster kid who was raised and adopted into a big loving home by Mexican parents. He's as white as they come, yet he cooks a mean Mexican dish and expresses his emotions outwardly, attributes of Latino culture that informed his personhood. Maybe that's how subtle, relative yet impactful Latino culture is seeping into all of our lives. Maybe my barely passing grade on the Latino at Tribeca diagnosis is premature having not seen all of the films. Maybe where we least expect it, beyond cast and loglines, there are films buried in here with deeper social undertones of brown representation. I'm willing to excavate. All that big picture stuff aside, I am quite excited about the six films (out of some 168) I highlight here which offers a diverse albeit thin slice of Latino - whether its the narrative's themes, up and coming actors, and real life Americans - who knows how many times removed from their Latin roots - and how cool that looks like.
Without further ado, here it is; Wtf is Latino at Tribeca Film Festival.
World Narrative Competition
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors directed by Sam Fleischner and written by Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg
Logline: When autistic teen Ricky is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey of community and connection in and below New York City. Cast Andrea Suarez, Jesus Valez, Azul Rodriguez, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Marsha Stephanie Blake
Sam Fleischner's first film, Wah Do Dem was about a broken hearted hipster who goes on a cruise and gets stuck in the dangerous wild of Jamaica - just as President Obama is being sworn into office for the first time. The filmmaking felt so fresh, real, tense and engrossing. Just like you were on the adventure with him. Sam and his co-director Ben Chase won the $50,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. I'm so happy he is premiering this NY based film which features a Latino cast including Tenoch Huerta (Dias de Gracia), and half of the film is spoken in Spanish. No, Sam is not a Latino but a native New Yorker and I love his take and thematic weaving in this story. His statement and inspiration behind the film demonstrates his sensibility and vision, surpassing and waiving any requirement or notion that says you have to be Latino to tell authentic Latino stories. This is what Sam was able to tell me over email:
"I am not Latino but this story is inspired by true events that happened to a Mexican family. I was attracted to the parallel between people on the autism spectrum and people living as illegal immigrants in the Us. Both instances are people wading through systems that aren't designed for them, interesting to think about the term 'alien'. "
Narrative Spotlight
The Pretty One, written and directed by Jenee Lamarque
Logline: Audrey has all of the qualities that her twin sister Laurel wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. When tragedy strikes, Laurel has the opportunity to reinvent herself. In a complex performance, Zoe Kazan poignantly captures Laurel’s complex mix of loss and awakening, especially as she begins a new relationship with her neighbor (Jake Johnson). Jenée Lamarque’s first feature film is a quirky, lovely tale of identity and the eternal bond between two sisters. Cast Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Shae D'lyn, Frankie Shaw, Ron Livingston
I first met Jenee with her edgy girls short film Spoonful, a ridiculous real life scenario in which friends help out their lactating friend, which played the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She was also kind enough to email me amid the crunch of finishing her first feature for its world premiere. I'm so grateful she responded because she truly personifies what I'm trying to convey about Latino identity (its American and expansive and our creativity relates to it vastly different ways). She says, "As for my Latina origin: my dad is Mexican, born and raised in Chino, CA. His mother's family is Mexican and has been in CA for a long time. His father's family is from Mexico City...we have a French last name, presumably because of the French who came to Mexico during the 19th century but I really don't know anything about my French-Mexican origins. My grandfather came to CA during WWII with the Bracero program. My Mom is Danish, Norwegian and French. I do identify as Mexican, as Latina, but I also identify as American and as white. I really wish that I had more of a connection to my Mexican heritage but unfortunately, my dad didn't speak Spanish to us growing up (even thought he's fluent) and he really identifies as American. It's funny, because I'm mixed, I don't feel I'm fully one thing or another, I feel like my identity is sort of slippery because of it. I think that my mixed heritage plays a central role in my voice as a storyteller; one of the themes of The Pretty One is identity (a struggle with identity) and I also find myself drawn to this theme again in again in my other work. "
Documentary Spotlight
The Motivation by Adam Bhala Lough
Logline: Go inside the lives and training regimes of eight of the world’s gutsiest professional skateboarders. These fearless stars face unique obstacles on the way to the Street League Championship and the coveted title of best street skateboarder in the world. Adam Bhala Lough, creator of the independent hit Bomb the System (Tff 2003), directs this fresh, energetic documentary search for that elusive quality that separates winners from the pack.
This skateboarding shred competish doc about the sheer intensity and will to defy the terror of cracked bones features some of the youngest, most successfully branded and competitive skaters in the game like Nyjah Huston (Puerto Rican father), Paul Rodriguez known as P-Rod, and Chaz Ortiz. I can't wait to meet these guys and get to know them. Adam is good like that. His last film, The Carter, about autodidactic and auto-real voiced rapper Lil Wayne impressed me for its gloss and floss but also by its covert way of infiltrating the hyped up insular world and mind of a subculture pop king. His flashy aesthetic and sneak transparency is bound to capture the badass jaw dropping leaps and outrageous rail tricks along with distilling the high intensity pressure and rush of winning in The Motivation.
Midnight
Frankenstein's Army (Netherlands, Czech Republic) directed by Richard Raaphorst and written by Miguel Tejada Flores
Logline: In the waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein’s Army is the wild steampunk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you’ve always wanted.
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter, Miguel Tejada Flores has written such horror reboots as Beyond Reanimator and family classics as The Lion King but notably this is the guy who gets story credit for Revenge of the Nerds back in '84. His next film is the upcoming I Brake for Gringos starring Camilla Belle directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Lebrija. A frequent mentor over the years at Nalip's screenwriting and producing labs, it sounds like this guy is accessible and interested in nurturing the younger generation of Latino talent. A California native, his family is from Bolivia. Read his wordpress blog here
V/H/S/2 - Eduardo Sanchez is one of the seven filmmakers of the second found footage horror anthology which has screened at Sundance, SXSW and now Tribeca (that might be a record), and most famously directed The Blair Witch Project. Cuban born filmmaker.
Short Film Competition
Close Your Eyes written and directed by Sonia Malfa
Logline: Thirteen-year-old Imani Cortes is a gifted photographer longing to experience her first kiss. She has a crush on a quiet artist, Junito, with whom she has a natural connection, but she also faces an enormous challenge: she is slowly losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease. Will Imani let her disease stop her or be the path to independence? Cast Kimberly Lora, Julian Fernandez-Kemp, Sara Contreras, Victor Cruz, Rhina Valentina, Mia Ysabel
I'm looking forward to seeing this short set in Spanish Harlem. I don't know much about the filmmaker except that she raised 10k off Kickstarter for this, her directorial debut. And she looks Boricua. Check out her website which shows a number of her photos and videos that show off her 'eye'.
The Tribeca Film Festival starts April 17-28. Ticket info here...
- 3/27/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
WWE Studios is developing the action comedy "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'".
The story follows two reckless ex-cops who partner up one last time on an undercover job to take down a corrupt senator's criminal organization.
The senator is responsible for the murder of their former captain. Adam Bhala Lough ("Bomb The System," "The Carter") is directing the project.
Edward R. Pressman, Scott Hanson and Michael Luisi will produce.
Source: WWE Studios...
The story follows two reckless ex-cops who partner up one last time on an undercover job to take down a corrupt senator's criminal organization.
The senator is responsible for the murder of their former captain. Adam Bhala Lough ("Bomb The System," "The Carter") is directing the project.
Edward R. Pressman, Scott Hanson and Michael Luisi will produce.
Source: WWE Studios...
- 2/15/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
WWE Studios announced today the development of Cruisin' for a Bruisin' , an action-filled comedy from writer/director Adam Bhala Lough ( Weapons , Bomb The System , The Carter ). The film follows two reckless ex-cops who team up one last time and go undercover to take down a corrupt senator's criminal organization responsible for the murder of their former captain. Cruisin' for a Bruisin' will be produced by WWE Studios, Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation and Blum-Hanson-Allen Films. "As we continue to seek out key creative and strategic partnerships to broaden our release slate, the opportunity for WWE Studios to work with producers like Ed Pressman and Jason Blum, and their talented executive teams, was a natural fit for us," said Michael Luisi, WWE Studios...
- 2/14/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Lil Wayne has lost his lawsuit against the makers of The Carter, a documentary about him. TMZ reports that not only was Weezy defeated on his original claim that the filmmaker, Quincy Jones III, used his songs without permission, he’s also been ordered to pay Jones $2.2 million for costing Jones profits on his documentary by attempting to block its release. None of this seems likely to do anything to change Weezy’s already skeptical opinion of the justice system, as evidenced by the September video of him berating an attorney at his deposition. Wayne also refused to ...
- 11/6/2012
- avclub.com
In an unexpected turn of events, Grammy Award-winning rapper, Lil Wayne has lost his lawsuit against Quincy Jones III, resulting in the rapper forking over $2.2 million to the producer, according to TMZ.
The site reports that a jury has ordered the multi-platinum Mc to pay the amount based on Jones’ countersuit that argued Weezy blocked the release of the docu-flick, "The Carter 3,” leading to lost profits.
Last month Wayne made headlines with the case following the release of his June 20 deposition, which was used to the rapper's disadvantage after a "severe migraine and dehydration" caused his absence in court.
The New Orleans native originally filed the lawsuit against Jones III and his production company, QD3 Entertainment, for using unlicensed music from his 2008 album, “The Carter 3.”...
The site reports that a jury has ordered the multi-platinum Mc to pay the amount based on Jones’ countersuit that argued Weezy blocked the release of the docu-flick, "The Carter 3,” leading to lost profits.
Last month Wayne made headlines with the case following the release of his June 20 deposition, which was used to the rapper's disadvantage after a "severe migraine and dehydration" caused his absence in court.
The New Orleans native originally filed the lawsuit against Jones III and his production company, QD3 Entertainment, for using unlicensed music from his 2008 album, “The Carter 3.”...
- 11/6/2012
- by Brennan Williams
- Huffington Post
Lil Wayne suffered ''seizure-like symptoms'' on Thursday (25.10.12). The rapper's private jet had to make an emergency landing in Texas when he suffered the health scare and he was quickly brought to a local hospital, according to TMZ. While the exact problem is unknown, he is reported to be ''doing better''. This is the latest trouble for the star - real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. - after he recently filed a lawsuit against Quincy Jones III for using his music in a documentary film. In the court documents he claimed he never gave permission to use his music in 'The Carter', a motion...
- 10/26/2012
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
Lil Wayne suffered 'seizure-like symptoms' on Thursday (25.10.12). The rapper's private jet had to make an emergency landing in Texas when he suffered the health scare and he was quickly brought to a local hospital, according to TMZ. While the exact problem is unknown, he is reported to be 'doing better'. This is the latest trouble for the star - real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. - after he recently filed a lawsuit against Quincy Jones III for using his music in a documentary film. In the court documents he claimed he never gave permission to use his music in 'The Carter', a motion picture about him. Songs used in the movie include hits...
- 10/26/2012
- Monsters and Critics
Quincy Jones III -- the filmmaker behind the 2009 documentary "The Carter" about Lil Wayne -- insists he did Not steal the rapper's music to make the movie ... and now, he wants Weezy's lawsuit thrown out of court.Quincy -- son of the legendary music producer -- just filed legal docs, responding to Lil Wayne's copyright infringement lawsuit against him, in which Wayne claims he never gave Quincy permission to use his music in the film.
- 10/9/2012
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Los Angeles, Sep 8: Singer Lil Wayne has sued music producer Quincy Jones' son for using his music in a documentary film.
According to tmz.com, Wayne claims he never gave permission to Quincy Jones III, to use his music in "The Carter", a motion picture about him. He claims music producer Quincy Jones III and the other producers never asked if they could use his tunes in their project.
The songs used in the movie include hits such as "Lollipop",.
According to tmz.com, Wayne claims he never gave permission to Quincy Jones III, to use his music in "The Carter", a motion picture about him. He claims music producer Quincy Jones III and the other producers never asked if they could use his tunes in their project.
The songs used in the movie include hits such as "Lollipop",.
- 9/8/2012
- by Rahul Kapoor
- RealBollywood.com
Lil Wayne has filed a lawsuit against Quincy Jones III for using his music in a documentary film. In the documents obtained by website TMZ.com, the rapper claims he never gave permission to use his music in 'The Carter', a motion picture about him. Songs used in the movie include hits such as 'Lollipop', 'Stuntin' Like My Daddy', 'Pussy Monster', 'Let the Beat Build', 'La La', 'Mr. Carter', 'A Milli', and 'Dontgetit' from his multi-platinum selling album, 'Tha Carter III'. Lil Wayne claims music producer Quincy Jones' son and the other producers never asked if they could use his tunes in their project. However, it seems he cooperated with the filming of the documentary, because he allowed cameras to follow...
- 9/8/2012
- Monsters and Critics
Adding another chapter to what’s already been a protracted legal battle, Lil Wayne has again sued the producers of The Carter, the 2009 documentary about the rapper. This is the second time Weezy has sued the filmmakers, after reportedly being upset over the way he was portrayed (read: stoned out of his mind on cough syrup 24/7) in the final product. That lawsuit was thrown out. Undeterred, now Wayne is suing producers—including Quincy Jones III, son of the legendary producer—for using his music in the film against his wishes. He’s seeking unspecified damages and an ...
- 9/7/2012
- avclub.com
Lil Wayne claims Quincy Jones' son "dontgetit" when he used the song without permission -- and ironically Q used the song in a movie about Lil Wayne.Lil Wayne has filed a lawsuit against Quincy Jones III, obtained by TMZ, claiming he never gave permission to use his music in the documentary about him -- "The Carter."Among the songs used, hits like "Lollipop," "Stuntin' Like My Daddy," "Pussy Monster," "Let the Beat Build,...
- 9/7/2012
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
St. Louis — Lil Wayne said Monday he is recovering after gashing his head at a St. Louis-area skateboard park.
The 28-year-old rapper whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was in suburban St. Louis Sunday for a performance at the outdoor Verizon Amphitheatre. Ktvi-tv reported that Lil Wayne, accompanied by a large entourage, showed up Sunday at DePaul Health Center's emergency room.
Hospital spokeswoman Jamie Newell said she could not confirm Lil Wayne was at the hospital, citing privacy laws. But Lil Wayne wrote about it on his Twitter account.
"The Lou was good but I busted my ... head at the sk8park! 9stitches! Gnarly gash over my left eye! Luv the people," he wrote.
Messages left with Lil Wayne's management on Monday were not returned. Details about how he was hurt, and where, were not immediately available.
Lil Wayne is about to release his new album, "The Carter IV.
The 28-year-old rapper whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was in suburban St. Louis Sunday for a performance at the outdoor Verizon Amphitheatre. Ktvi-tv reported that Lil Wayne, accompanied by a large entourage, showed up Sunday at DePaul Health Center's emergency room.
Hospital spokeswoman Jamie Newell said she could not confirm Lil Wayne was at the hospital, citing privacy laws. But Lil Wayne wrote about it on his Twitter account.
"The Lou was good but I busted my ... head at the sk8park! 9stitches! Gnarly gash over my left eye! Luv the people," he wrote.
Messages left with Lil Wayne's management on Monday were not returned. Details about how he was hurt, and where, were not immediately available.
Lil Wayne is about to release his new album, "The Carter IV.
- 8/22/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Here’s the official theatrical trailer for the upcoming new documentary on the life of Jamaican reggae pioneer and legend Lee “Scratch” Perry, narrated by a man who claims to be one of his biggest fans, Benicio Del Toro – a film Perry himself called his “my movie,” and “the truth.”
First featured on this site last month, The Upsetter, named after Perry’s 1969 album, and directed by indie filmmakers Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Bomb The System) and Ethan Higbee (The Anti-Fascist), took 7+ years to produce. It made its debut last week Friday, March 25th at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent theater, where it’s play for a 1-week run, before traveling to Portland, Long Beach, New York, Boulder, Houston, Boston, Detroit, and a few other cities, in successive weeks, each also for 1-week runs. Visit the film’s website Here for info.
We’ve got interviews with both directors coming...
First featured on this site last month, The Upsetter, named after Perry’s 1969 album, and directed by indie filmmakers Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Bomb The System) and Ethan Higbee (The Anti-Fascist), took 7+ years to produce. It made its debut last week Friday, March 25th at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent theater, where it’s play for a 1-week run, before traveling to Portland, Long Beach, New York, Boulder, Houston, Boston, Detroit, and a few other cities, in successive weeks, each also for 1-week runs. Visit the film’s website Here for info.
We’ve got interviews with both directors coming...
- 3/28/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Widely revered in reggae and hip-hop circles, Lee “Scratch” Perry is one of 20th century music’s most influential and mysterious artists, a tried-and-true rasta man whose lasting contribution goes beyond spawning some of reggae’s most seminal acts. He was, in fact, the driver for the aesthetic innovations that germinated into the two genres mentioned above, and he reinvented the image of the studio engineer from mere technician to artistic focal point. Now in his mid seventies and expatriated to Switzerland, he’s the subject of the feature-length doc The Upsetter, from the directors Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Weapons) and Ethan Higbee (Red Apples Falling). Nyu classmates, frequent collaborators (Higbee has scored several of Lough’s previous features) and nearly lifelong reggae fans, Lough and Higbee received unprecedented access to the beguiling Perry, who speaks in gorgeous, puzzle-like sentences that require significant scrutiny to unpack.
The Upsetter screened...
The Upsetter screened...
- 3/23/2011
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
An upcoming new documentary on the life of Jamaican reggae pioneer and legend Lee “Scratch” Perry, will be narrated by a man who claims to be one of his biggest fans, Benicio Del Toro.
Titled The Upsetter, named after Perry’s 1969 album, and directed by indie filmmakers Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Bomb The System) and Ethan Higbee (The Anti-Fascist), the film, which THR says has been in the works for some 7 years, will make its open on Friday, March 25th at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent theater, where it’ll play for a 1-week run, before traveling to Portland, Long Beach, New York, Boulder, Houston, Boston, Detroit, and a few other cities, in successive weeks, each also for 1-week runs.
“Besides just being an eccentric character, what hooked me was that through his life, you can really chart the birth and growth of reggae,” said director Lough.
Co-director Higbee added,...
Titled The Upsetter, named after Perry’s 1969 album, and directed by indie filmmakers Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Bomb The System) and Ethan Higbee (The Anti-Fascist), the film, which THR says has been in the works for some 7 years, will make its open on Friday, March 25th at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent theater, where it’ll play for a 1-week run, before traveling to Portland, Long Beach, New York, Boulder, Houston, Boston, Detroit, and a few other cities, in successive weeks, each also for 1-week runs.
“Besides just being an eccentric character, what hooked me was that through his life, you can really chart the birth and growth of reggae,” said director Lough.
Co-director Higbee added,...
- 2/28/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
THR reports that actor Benicio Del Toro is set to narrate an upcoming documentary on Jamaican reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry by Ethan Higbee and Adam Bhala Lough which will premiere in Los Angeles on March 25th. Both helmers have musical docs under their belts with Lough behind the 2009 Lil Wayne study "The Carter" while Higbee is in the midst of "Basedworld" about up-and-coming rapper Lil B. The duo followed their respective docs with this look at the life of Perry, with Lough noting that "what hooked me was that through his life, you can really chart the birth…...
- 2/28/2011
- The Playlist
"Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest," a documentary about the hip hop group directed by actor Michael Rapaport, will be making its premiere in competition at Sundance this year. And at least one Tribe member isn't happy about that -- on his Twitter account, Q-Tip has expressed his public displeasure with the film:
It's nothing new for the subject of a doc to take issue with how he or she is represented in it -- for instance, a month ago, the focus of Errol Morris' "Tabloid" came up on stage during the Q&A following a screening to tell her side of the tale. But this specific complaint recalls what happened with another Sundance doc about a hip hop musician -- 2009's "The Carter," which centered on Lil Wayne. That documentary, directed by Adam Bhala Lough, became the subject of a lawsuit when the rapper tried to block its release,...
It's nothing new for the subject of a doc to take issue with how he or she is represented in it -- for instance, a month ago, the focus of Errol Morris' "Tabloid" came up on stage during the Q&A following a screening to tell her side of the tale. But this specific complaint recalls what happened with another Sundance doc about a hip hop musician -- 2009's "The Carter," which centered on Lil Wayne. That documentary, directed by Adam Bhala Lough, became the subject of a lawsuit when the rapper tried to block its release,...
- 12/3/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
One of the most exciting new projects to surface amidst the many screenings and parties at Cannes Film Festival is "Splatter Sisters," a horror flick set to star Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood. I'm pretty stoked for it, especially with David Gordon Green and Edward Pressman ("The Crow," "American Psycho") producing. Adam Bhala Lough will direct, following up his stellar 2009 Lil Wayne documentary "The Carter."
As soon as I read about "Splatter Sisters," I wanted to know more. The original report mentions gore, exploitation and a desire to in some way evolve "Skinemax" film, similar to how Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez throw back to the '70s in "Grindhouse." So I put in a call to Pressman's office; not only was he more than happy to talk about "Splatter Sisters," he also connected me with Lough for an in-depth follow-up chat. Pressman's comments are after the jump; check...
As soon as I read about "Splatter Sisters," I wanted to know more. The original report mentions gore, exploitation and a desire to in some way evolve "Skinemax" film, similar to how Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez throw back to the '70s in "Grindhouse." So I put in a call to Pressman's office; not only was he more than happy to talk about "Splatter Sisters," he also connected me with Lough for an in-depth follow-up chat. Pressman's comments are after the jump; check...
- 5/26/2010
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
Count me as not surprised on this one. The gruesome two-some Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood will be starring in an upcoming "sexploitation-serial-killer-slasher-road-movie," titled Splatter Sisters. The film will be directed by Adam Bhala Lough, whose previous work was a documentary on rapper Lil' Wayne called The Carter. Lough will have help from veteran producer Edward R. Pressman (American Psycho, The Crow) and director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) who will...
- 5/17/2010
- by Niki Stephens
- JoBlo.com
One of the big Sundance flicks in 2009 that I'd hoped to see but couldn't was Adam Bhala Lough's "The Carter," a documentary about rap artist Lil Wayne that generated quite a bit of buzz before, during and after the fest. It is with great interest then that I greet the news of Lough directing an upcoming "sexploitation-serial-killer-slasher-road-movie," inspired by similar '80s fare, titled "Splatter Sisters." Especially since it will feature the acting talents of husband and wife-to-be Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood. David Gordon Green will produce with accomplish producer Edward R. Pressman, who announced the movie at Cannes Film Festival, where he is on hand to promote "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." Check out Variety for more on this story and stay tuned to MTV Movies Blog for more on this project later in the week.
- 5/17/2010
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
Rapper David Banner has shot down reports he is suing producer Quincy Jones III for using his music without permission in a documentary about Lil Wayne. Banner, real name Lavell Crump, reportedly teamed up with music producer Darius 'Deezle' Harrison to filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Jones over his 2009 film "The Carter".
The heavyweight star co-wrote Lil Wayne's "La La" and "P**sy Monster" tracks, while Harrison helped to pen the Grammy-winning hit "Lollipop" - all of which are featured in the movie, which was distributed by Jones' QD3 Entertainment firm.
Reports suggested Banner and Harrison were seeking up to $150,000 for each infringement - but the hip-hop star is adamant there is no legal wrangle. He tells XXLmag.com, "Me and Quincy talked three days ago. Quincy's my homie, Wayne is my homie, whatever's going on between them, I don't know what that is, but they are both very close friends of mine.
The heavyweight star co-wrote Lil Wayne's "La La" and "P**sy Monster" tracks, while Harrison helped to pen the Grammy-winning hit "Lollipop" - all of which are featured in the movie, which was distributed by Jones' QD3 Entertainment firm.
Reports suggested Banner and Harrison were seeking up to $150,000 for each infringement - but the hip-hop star is adamant there is no legal wrangle. He tells XXLmag.com, "Me and Quincy talked three days ago. Quincy's my homie, Wayne is my homie, whatever's going on between them, I don't know what that is, but they are both very close friends of mine.
- 5/12/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Lil Wayne is constantly moving. But the hyperactive hip-hop star will find himself suddenly sedentary come Tuesday, when he has to report to prison to serve a yearlong sentence for gun possession. "I don't like to stop," Wayne, 27, tells Rolling Stone. "I believe you stop when you die." He says his prison term is God's will for him and everything happens for a reason."I look at things as 'Everything is meant to be.' I know it's an experience that I need to have if God's putting me through it." Wayne's felony charge came after a July 2007 arrest in New York City,...
- 2/4/2010
- by Catherine Donaldson-Evans
- PEOPLE.com
Baby's name is Neal, according to Mack Maine.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Samir Hussein/ Getty Images
The Carter household is getting crowded.
Lil Wayne welcomed another child into his brood — his second this year and fourth overall — when singer Nivea delivered a baby boy on Monday. A source at the rapper's recording home, Universal/Motown, confirmed the birth to MTV News on Tuesday (December 1).
Wayne's Young Money cohort Mack Maine first broke the news about the birth on Monday via Twitter when he sent a message to his followers while on the way to the hospital.
"I'm currently at da hospital!!! Few minutes away from havin anutha nephew," he wrote. "Uncle Mack ya heard me ... Luv!!!!!"
Approximately an hour later, he announced the birth of Neal Carter.
"Thank god!!! Baby Neal was born healthy to Nivea Nash and Dwayne Carter!!!! Thanx 4 all the blessings n support!!!! Love ya heard me!
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Samir Hussein/ Getty Images
The Carter household is getting crowded.
Lil Wayne welcomed another child into his brood — his second this year and fourth overall — when singer Nivea delivered a baby boy on Monday. A source at the rapper's recording home, Universal/Motown, confirmed the birth to MTV News on Tuesday (December 1).
Wayne's Young Money cohort Mack Maine first broke the news about the birth on Monday via Twitter when he sent a message to his followers while on the way to the hospital.
"I'm currently at da hospital!!! Few minutes away from havin anutha nephew," he wrote. "Uncle Mack ya heard me ... Luv!!!!!"
Approximately an hour later, he announced the birth of Neal Carter.
"Thank god!!! Baby Neal was born healthy to Nivea Nash and Dwayne Carter!!!! Thanx 4 all the blessings n support!!!! Love ya heard me!
- 12/1/2009
- MTV Music News
Wow. After watching The Carter, the new all-access documentary on Lil' Wayne, one might consider recommending it as the best doc about a hip hop icon ever. The problem with this superlative lies in its limitation. Similar to labeling Lil' Wayne a rapper---even "the best rapper alive" as many profess---and leaving it at that, labeling this a great hip hop doc restricts it to the confines of a niche or genre coated in personal taste and stigmas. That is to say The Carter is foremost a fascinating portrait of a remarkable, modern artist and celebrity who has cooked most if not all bridges for comparison. In The Carter we experience the exact moment when Wayne calmly finds out, overseas and perma-high, that his latest album, Tha Carter III, has sold one million plus physical units in its first week. As his friend and manager, Cortez Bryant, tells the camera, Wayne...
- 11/22/2009
- by Hunter Stephenson
- Slash Film
With the holiday season quickly approaching, it's time for the November rush... which means we're in for a seriously packed DVD release day! When you look at the major releases, the only real blockbuster here is J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, but there are a ton of interesting indie releases and a solid line-up of Blu-ray discs as well. A pair of underperforming comedies hit stores today (Bruno and The Goods) plus Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control, Chan-wook Park's vampire drama Thirst, and the Sundance hit Humpday, not to mention the Lil' Wayne documentary The Carter. On Blu-ray, we have new anniversary editions of Fight Club and Gone with the Wind, plus three Kevin Smith flicks, Galaxy Quest, and Leon: The Professional. What's on your shopping list this week? Star Trek [1] (DVD, Blu-ray [2]) Bruno [3] (DVD, Blu-ray [4]) The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard [5] Thirst [6] The Limits of Control [7] Humpday [8] Franklyn [9] (DVD,...
- 11/17/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
From MTV.Com: Lil Wayne lives by his own rules when it comes to recording music and, apparently, when it comes to making movies too.
The rapper is the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Carter," set for a straight-to-dvd release Tuesday. The film, much like Wayne's records, is anything but conventional.
In fact, according to the project's producer, Quincy Jones III ("Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel," "Beef"), the Cash Money Records lyricist shunned the idea of a typical documentary in favor of a more raw, vérité look at his life.
Continue reading 'The Carter' Documentary Gets 'Intimate' With Lil Wayne, Producer Says...
The rapper is the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Carter," set for a straight-to-dvd release Tuesday. The film, much like Wayne's records, is anything but conventional.
In fact, according to the project's producer, Quincy Jones III ("Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel," "Beef"), the Cash Money Records lyricist shunned the idea of a typical documentary in favor of a more raw, vérité look at his life.
Continue reading 'The Carter' Documentary Gets 'Intimate' With Lil Wayne, Producer Says...
- 11/16/2009
- by MTV Movies Team
- MTV Movies Blog
'We were like a fly on the wall in his life,' Quincy Jones III tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Mark Venema/ WireImage
New York — Lil Wayne lives by his own rules when it comes to recording music and, apparently, when it comes to making movies too.
The rapper is the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Carter," set for a straight-to-dvd release Tuesday. The film, much like Wayne's records, is anything but conventional.
In fact, according to the project's producer, Quincy Jones III ("Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel," "Beef"), the Cash Money Records lyricist shunned the idea of a typical documentary in favor of a more raw, vérité look at his life.
"Typically, when we do documentaries, we sort of have a general understanding of what story we want to cover, and we'll go get interviews to cover the gaps in the story. And we'll do...
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lil Wayne
Photo: Mark Venema/ WireImage
New York — Lil Wayne lives by his own rules when it comes to recording music and, apparently, when it comes to making movies too.
The rapper is the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Carter," set for a straight-to-dvd release Tuesday. The film, much like Wayne's records, is anything but conventional.
In fact, according to the project's producer, Quincy Jones III ("Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel," "Beef"), the Cash Money Records lyricist shunned the idea of a typical documentary in favor of a more raw, vérité look at his life.
"Typically, when we do documentaries, we sort of have a general understanding of what story we want to cover, and we'll go get interviews to cover the gaps in the story. And we'll do...
- 11/13/2009
- MTV Movie News
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to catch a screening of Lil' Wayne's The Carter while attending the Sundance Film Festival, and going in I had no idea what to make of it. I wasn't all too aware of (nor did I really care for) Lil' Wayne or his music, and so I was somewhat surprised to find a really heady documentary about a man who on one hand was extremely passionate about his craft, but on the other was extremely addicted to all kinds of drugs. It was almost as if the drugs were fueling his music, so much so that you'd be hard pressed to find one scene in the film where Wayne isn't either smoking a joint or drinking his "syrup", which is some sort of codeine-based liquid that he needs to be drinking while performing in order to maintain a constant buzz.
Yes, I'll...
Yes, I'll...
- 11/10/2009
- by Erik Davis
- Cinematical
Ever wanted to get inside the head of Lil Wayne? Well, we’re about to learn more about the successful rapper when a documentary about his life comes out November 17th. But he’s not very happy about it at all. A 90-minute documentary called The Carter is set to be released next week, but Lil Wayne tried his best to get it from coming out. He even filed a lawsuit last April for fraud and breach of contract against Quincy Jones III's QD3 Entertainment, alleging they reneged on a deal to give the star final approval of...
- 11/10/2009
- Hollyscoop.com
I think my first question is "How the hell do you properly punctuate Lil Wayne's name?" I've seen it written now as Lil Wayne, Li'l Wayne (which seems right to me) and oddly Lil' Wayne, which makes no sense at all. Not that it makes any real difference, I suppose. No matter how you punctuate his name, Li'l Wayne is a huge force in the recording industry right now, which would seem to make him a ripe subject for a documentary. What's crazy, though is just how much the search for the "real" Li'l Wayne reveals that there may be no...
- 6/15/2009
- Hitfix
So here's what I just can't get my head around: Why exactly would anyone sign up for a candid documentary about themselves if they're going to get all sensitive about their privacy? Well, only Lil Wayne knows the answer to that one, and he's not talking. Variety is now reporting that an earlier attempt by Wayne to block the distribution of The Carter, a documentary about the eccentric rapper from Adam Bhala Lough, has been struck down, and QD3 Entertainment has been given the green light to start looking for a distributor.
The Carter was shot over the course of several months, and through a haze of weed smoke and cough syrup, Wayne recounts stories about his sexual exploits, personal feuds, and displays every kind of general strangeness on screen. After months of arguing back and forth between QD3 and Wayne's management, Wayne's lawyers finally brought formal charges back in March.
The Carter was shot over the course of several months, and through a haze of weed smoke and cough syrup, Wayne recounts stories about his sexual exploits, personal feuds, and displays every kind of general strangeness on screen. After months of arguing back and forth between QD3 and Wayne's management, Wayne's lawyers finally brought formal charges back in March.
- 4/24/2009
- by Jessica Barnes
- Cinematical
Lil Wayne's documentary will be shown. An L.A. judge has refused the rapper's request to block the release of QD3 Entertainment's film, which allegedly portrayed him in a "scandalous" manner.
Lil Wayne and QD3 entered into a deal, wherein the company would shoot and document the rapper for a movie. Wayne would have the final approval of the film.
The artist - real name Dwayne Carter Jr. - sued the film company for allegedly reneging on a deal to give him the final approval on the documentary before its release.
"The Carter," directed by Adam Bhala Lough, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year despite objections from Wayne's camp. The rapper is taking offense at the project for portraying him in a bad light.
Lil Wayne and QD3 entered into a deal, wherein the company would shoot and document the rapper for a movie. Wayne would have the final approval of the film.
The artist - real name Dwayne Carter Jr. - sued the film company for allegedly reneging on a deal to give him the final approval on the documentary before its release.
"The Carter," directed by Adam Bhala Lough, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year despite objections from Wayne's camp. The rapper is taking offense at the project for portraying him in a bad light.
- 4/22/2009
- icelebz.com
I saw Adam Bhala Lough's Lil' Wayne documentary The Carter at Sundance this year (read my review). It sucks, mostly because it kisses Lil' Wayne's ass when he probably doesn't deserve it. Yet in a somewhat baffling twist, Lil' Wayne is now trying to stop people from seeing a movie which does nothing but talk about how awesome he is. Variety reports that an La Superior Court Judge recently refused a request from rapper Lil' Wayne to block the release of The Carter. Wayne is also suing the doc's producers, claiming he wasn't allowed to exercise his right of approval over the contents of the film. I'm not sure what he wants to hide, the film spends most of its running time proclaiming him an all-encompassing genius. Granted, while it's doing that he's usually lying on some couch high on syrup or stoned out of his gourd, but...
- 4/22/2009
- cinemablend.com
Let me be up front about this: I had no interest in Lil' Wayne before watching The Carter and I have even less interest in him afterward. Fans of the up and coming rapper will no doubt gloss over the crap in his life much the same as this documentary attempts to but that doesn't change the facts of who Lil' Wayne is: A musician with a scant handful of good ideas which he uses over and over and over again as a means of making lots and lots of money thrown at him by the always easily won over rap fan. I went in hoping to see something more in Lil' Wayne and indeed, The Carter tries it's damndest to deliver exactly that. The documentary does everything it possibly can to portray him as some sort of musical genius, a guy so dedicated to his craft that everything he...
- 1/25/2009
- cinemablend.com
Sundancers enjoyed unseasonably warm weather (41 degrees in the afternoon) as the festival headed toward its concluding weekend.
Deals. After picking up the Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow, IFC Films added another comedy to its roster, acquiring Armando Iannucci's In the Loop just hours before its premiere, according to Mike Jones at Variety. The film stars Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and Steve Coogan. A 2009 theatrical release is planned, per indieWIRE. But where's the bidding wars for docs? A. J. Schnack of All these wonderful things writes: "For the first time in anyone's recent memory, the first half of the fest had come and gone without a major doc sale."
Reviews/Interviews. Would-be comedy Paper Heart is "partially built around Charlyne Yi's persona," says Eric D. Snider, "and I find her persona boring." Oh, dear. The "typically hilarious" Michael Cera also appears. James Rocchi was busy, interviewing the...
Deals. After picking up the Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow, IFC Films added another comedy to its roster, acquiring Armando Iannucci's In the Loop just hours before its premiere, according to Mike Jones at Variety. The film stars Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and Steve Coogan. A 2009 theatrical release is planned, per indieWIRE. But where's the bidding wars for docs? A. J. Schnack of All these wonderful things writes: "For the first time in anyone's recent memory, the first half of the fest had come and gone without a major doc sale."
Reviews/Interviews. Would-be comedy Paper Heart is "partially built around Charlyne Yi's persona," says Eric D. Snider, "and I find her persona boring." Oh, dear. The "typically hilarious" Michael Cera also appears. James Rocchi was busy, interviewing the...
- 1/23/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Heading in to watch The Carter, a new documentary that chronicles the life and times of Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (aka Lil' Wayne), I thought what more is there to know about the hip, slick, fast-paced rapper lifestyle? Well, surprisingly, director Adam Bhala Lough expertly pieces together not just a movie about another well-to-do rapper, but one about a workaholic, a drug addict, a father, an artist and an icon.
When we first shove our way into Lil' Wayne's life, he's holed up in a hotel room in Amsterdam, smoking mass amounts of marijuana while he religiously stands at a make-shift mic for hours recording songs on the fly thanks to the portable studio he brings with him everywhere. We learn Wayne's new album, The Carter III, is due in stores in nine days -- and even though a million copies have already leaked overseas, Wayne and his manager...
When we first shove our way into Lil' Wayne's life, he's holed up in a hotel room in Amsterdam, smoking mass amounts of marijuana while he religiously stands at a make-shift mic for hours recording songs on the fly thanks to the portable studio he brings with him everywhere. We learn Wayne's new album, The Carter III, is due in stores in nine days -- and even though a million copies have already leaked overseas, Wayne and his manager...
- 1/23/2009
- by Erik Davis
- Cinematical
Park City -- A star-studded cop drama like "Brooklyn's Finest"? A high-profile animated opening-night film like "Mary & Max"? Jim Carrey's turn as a gay man in "I Love You Philip Morris"?
Maybe.
A rough-hewn documentary about a popular rapper? A quiet drama about Middle East immigrants in the Midwest? A real-life story about men who attack dolphins?
Very likely.
As the Sundance Film Festival opens, buzz titles are springing from buyers' lips, as they do every year. "Finest," a reunion of "Training Day" partners Antoine Fuqua and Ethan Hawke, leads a pack of prominent titles seeking distribution, along with movies that follow this year's trend toward one-word titles, including "Spread," "Manure" and "Shrink" (an Ashton Kutcher-toplined off-color comedy, the Polish brothers' return to Park City and a Kevin Spacey drama from television veteran Jonas Pate, respectively).
Buyers expect at least one or two films to go for solid seven figures,...
Maybe.
A rough-hewn documentary about a popular rapper? A quiet drama about Middle East immigrants in the Midwest? A real-life story about men who attack dolphins?
Very likely.
As the Sundance Film Festival opens, buzz titles are springing from buyers' lips, as they do every year. "Finest," a reunion of "Training Day" partners Antoine Fuqua and Ethan Hawke, leads a pack of prominent titles seeking distribution, along with movies that follow this year's trend toward one-word titles, including "Spread," "Manure" and "Shrink" (an Ashton Kutcher-toplined off-color comedy, the Polish brothers' return to Park City and a Kevin Spacey drama from television veteran Jonas Pate, respectively).
Buyers expect at least one or two films to go for solid seven figures,...
- 1/14/2009
- by By Steven Zeitchik and Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
First off, the best news, as I predicted (in private) Duncan Jones' Moon will be premiering, yay! The comedy Adventureland starring the talented Bill Hader is playing. The sweet kid soldier film Johnny Mad Dog is playing in the spectrum section, and the Jesco White story White Lightnin' which we reported on earlier is in the Park City at Midnight section.
But where the hell is Stingray Sam?
Full list after the break.
Premieres
* "Adventureland," directed and written by Greg Mottola, stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Bill Hader in the story of a college grad who gets a job at an amusement park. A Miramax release.
* "Brooklyn’s Finest," directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Michael C. Martin, a drama about three Brooklyn cops who come together at the same deadly location. With Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle and Ellen Barkin.
* "Earth Days," directed by Robert Stone,...
But where the hell is Stingray Sam?
Full list after the break.
Premieres
* "Adventureland," directed and written by Greg Mottola, stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Bill Hader in the story of a college grad who gets a job at an amusement park. A Miramax release.
* "Brooklyn’s Finest," directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Michael C. Martin, a drama about three Brooklyn cops who come together at the same deadly location. With Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle and Ellen Barkin.
* "Earth Days," directed by Robert Stone,...
- 12/4/2008
- QuietEarth.us
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
- 12/4/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Sundance got serious about fine-tuning their Park City at Midnight section this year. The section which I normally only dabble in to fill up voids in my scheduling has got enough worthy films this year that are potentially worth the detour - commencing with a film I mentioned last week -- Black Dynamite! Here are the 8 pack of films from directors like Sundance-regular Adam Bhala Lough, horror specialist Jonathan Liebesman and newcomer Ryan Shiraki. Black Dynamite / USA (Director: Scott Sanders; Screenwriters: Michael Jai White, Scott Sanders, and Byron Minns)—When 'The Man' murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to take him on. Cast: Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Byron Minns, James McManus. World Premiere The Carter / USA (Director: Adam Bhala Lough)—An in-depth, intimate look at
- 12/4/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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