A small piece of contemporary cinema history was written last night in St Andrews, Scotland when Steven Soderbergh sat down with Joe and Anthony Russo on stage at the Sands International Film Festival to discuss their 2002 collaboration Welcome to Collinwood.
Produced by Soderbergh and George Clooney who also stars alongside William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Luis Guzmán, and Patricia Clarkson, Welcome to Collinwood was the second feature from the Russos following their debut feature Pieces, which bombed out of Slamdance in 1997.
“There was zero interest in the film from anybody but this man over here,” Anthony said of Pieces, pointing towards Soderbergh. The sex, lies and videotape filmmaker had been present at the doomed Pieces screening at Slamdance and reached out to the directing duo to impart some wisdom.
“It was insanely ambitious and dense,” Soderbergh told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr, who moderated the talk, of Pieces.
Produced by Soderbergh and George Clooney who also stars alongside William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Luis Guzmán, and Patricia Clarkson, Welcome to Collinwood was the second feature from the Russos following their debut feature Pieces, which bombed out of Slamdance in 1997.
“There was zero interest in the film from anybody but this man over here,” Anthony said of Pieces, pointing towards Soderbergh. The sex, lies and videotape filmmaker had been present at the doomed Pieces screening at Slamdance and reached out to the directing duo to impart some wisdom.
“It was insanely ambitious and dense,” Soderbergh told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr, who moderated the talk, of Pieces.
- 4/21/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Coleman Hough, who received solo screenplay credit on the quirky Steven Soderbergh-directed improvisational films Full Frontal and Bubble, has died. She was 62.
Hough died Feb. 24 at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, her friend Jennifer Romine told The Hollywood Reporter. She was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s when she was 42.
Full Frontal (2002), set in Hollywood and a film within a film, shot in 18 days using a consumer-grade digital camera and was the first produced screenplay by playwright and poet Hough.
Featuring Julia Roberts, Catherine Keener, David Hyde Pierce, Blair Underwood, David Duchovny and Jeff Garlin as a Harvey Weinstein type, it marked an extreme change of pace for Soderbergh, who was coming off Erin Brockovich (2000), an Oscar win for Traffic (2000) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
Hough’s characters are “simultaneously self-absorbed and less introspective than they think they are,” Craig J. Clark...
Hough died Feb. 24 at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, her friend Jennifer Romine told The Hollywood Reporter. She was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s when she was 42.
Full Frontal (2002), set in Hollywood and a film within a film, shot in 18 days using a consumer-grade digital camera and was the first produced screenplay by playwright and poet Hough.
Featuring Julia Roberts, Catherine Keener, David Hyde Pierce, Blair Underwood, David Duchovny and Jeff Garlin as a Harvey Weinstein type, it marked an extreme change of pace for Soderbergh, who was coming off Erin Brockovich (2000), an Oscar win for Traffic (2000) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
Hough’s characters are “simultaneously self-absorbed and less introspective than they think they are,” Craig J. Clark...
- 3/12/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from bottom left: The Usual Suspects, The Blair Witch Project, Reservoir Dogs, Get Out, Napoleon DynamiteGraphic: The A.V. Club
What began in 1978 as the Utah/United States Film Festival to help promote American independent cinema and boost film production in the Beehive State didn’t officially become the...
What began in 1978 as the Utah/United States Film Festival to help promote American independent cinema and boost film production in the Beehive State didn’t officially become the...
- 1/18/2024
- by Mark Keizer, Brent Simon, Matthew Jackson, Ian Spelling, Matthew Huff, Robert DeSalvo, Luke Y. Thompson, and Murtada Elfadl
- avclub.com
No one can say that Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh delivers the same movie time after time. In an eclectic three-decade career, he has directed crowd-pleasing all-star vehicles, action comedies, political dramas, micro-mini experimental works, true-life story (“Erin Brockovich”) and even a film starring porn actress Sasha Grey (“The Girlfriend Experience”).
In addition to his Oscar success, Soderbergh has also found success bringing his singular vision to the small screen, winning an Emmy for directing and editing the TV movie “Behind the Candelabra” (which isn’t included on this list of big screen outings). He’s also been nominated twice as a director on “The Knick,” as a cinematographer on “Behind the Candelabra” and as a producer on “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” “His Way” and “Godless.”
Take a tour of our photo gallery of Soderbergh’s 1o greatest films, and see if your favorite topped the list.
In addition to his Oscar success, Soderbergh has also found success bringing his singular vision to the small screen, winning an Emmy for directing and editing the TV movie “Behind the Candelabra” (which isn’t included on this list of big screen outings). He’s also been nominated twice as a director on “The Knick,” as a cinematographer on “Behind the Candelabra” and as a producer on “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” “His Way” and “Godless.”
Take a tour of our photo gallery of Soderbergh’s 1o greatest films, and see if your favorite topped the list.
- 1/6/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
Making a movie is hard. A shocking statement, I know. When you direct a film, you are utilizing a tremendous amount of your time and energy to devote to a project that more often than not takes years of your life. So, when a director releases two films in the same year, I'm always impressed that they had the bandwidth to turn these films around so quickly. The rarest of the rare, though, is when the director gets nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Director for multiple films within the same year.
The first was at the 2nd ceremony, when Frank Lloyd received three of the seven nominations for "Drag," "Weary River," and "The Divine Lady," for which he won. The...
Making a movie is hard. A shocking statement, I know. When you direct a film, you are utilizing a tremendous amount of your time and energy to devote to a project that more often than not takes years of your life. So, when a director releases two films in the same year, I'm always impressed that they had the bandwidth to turn these films around so quickly. The rarest of the rare, though, is when the director gets nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Director for multiple films within the same year.
The first was at the 2nd ceremony, when Frank Lloyd received three of the seven nominations for "Drag," "Weary River," and "The Divine Lady," for which he won. The...
- 10/29/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
It’s been so long since Steven Soderbergh announced his recut of Kafka––so long since the thing even premiered at TIFF––that one could assume it was no longer in play. But reemergence, it seems, is in store: Indiewire have announced the U.S. premiere of his new edition, Mr. Kneff, will occur at Nitehawk’s Prospect Park location on November 9, with a complimentary cocktail made from Soderbergh’s Signani 63 offered. Tickets are now on-sale.
The official synopsis is scant: “A writer guy in 1919 Prague uses his dead-end job as inspiration for his fantastical fiction.” But the extent of Soderbergh’s revision is huge: the movie’s lost 20 minutes and, what’s more, all dialogue––silent-movie accompaniment includes an instrumental of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
If you (like me) aren’t in New York on November 9, it’s comfort to know Nitehawk’s premiere shouldn’t be the end of the road.
The official synopsis is scant: “A writer guy in 1919 Prague uses his dead-end job as inspiration for his fantastical fiction.” But the extent of Soderbergh’s revision is huge: the movie’s lost 20 minutes and, what’s more, all dialogue––silent-movie accompaniment includes an instrumental of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
If you (like me) aren’t in New York on November 9, it’s comfort to know Nitehawk’s premiere shouldn’t be the end of the road.
- 10/23/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Steven Soderbergh’s “Mr. Kneff” is finally landing stateside.
The recut version of 1991’s “Kafka” stars Jeremy Irons as a writer in 1919 Prague; the film has had new iterations unveiled in 2013 and 2021, respectively. Now, Soderbergh is revealing the first ever U.S. screening of the 2021 recut “Kafka,” titled “Mr. Kneff.” The premiere will take place at Nitehawk Cinema in Prospect Park on November 9 at 7 p.m.
The official logline of “Mr. Kneff” reads: “A writer guy in 1919 Prague uses his dead-end job as inspiration for his fantastical fiction.” Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Alec Guinness star in the cult classic which marked Soderbergh’s sophomore directorial effort after “sex, lies, and videotape.” Soderbergh will participate in a Q&a following the U.S. premiere.
His liquor brand Singani 63 will also be sponsoring the evening, with a complimentary Singani speciality drink for ticket...
The recut version of 1991’s “Kafka” stars Jeremy Irons as a writer in 1919 Prague; the film has had new iterations unveiled in 2013 and 2021, respectively. Now, Soderbergh is revealing the first ever U.S. screening of the 2021 recut “Kafka,” titled “Mr. Kneff.” The premiere will take place at Nitehawk Cinema in Prospect Park on November 9 at 7 p.m.
The official logline of “Mr. Kneff” reads: “A writer guy in 1919 Prague uses his dead-end job as inspiration for his fantastical fiction.” Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Alec Guinness star in the cult classic which marked Soderbergh’s sophomore directorial effort after “sex, lies, and videotape.” Soderbergh will participate in a Q&a following the U.S. premiere.
His liquor brand Singani 63 will also be sponsoring the evening, with a complimentary Singani speciality drink for ticket...
- 10/23/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
1996 was, generally speaking, not a stellar year for film. The year's blockbusters were limp, containing Roland Emmerich's gloriously silly "Independence Day," Michael Bay's insufferable "The Rock," the undeniably thin "Twister," and the weirdly cold "Mission: Impossible." 1996 was also the year we had to squint and pretend that Cameron Crowe hadn't lost his mojo with "Jerry Maguire," as well as the year MTV convinced us that the terrible "Romeo + Juliet" was a good movie. On top of all that, 1996 saw the execrable "Space Jam" inflict its unholy existence upon the world.
(Warning: Your opinions on these films may differ from this writer's. Moving right along...)
But there were a few high points, too. Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" may be one of the best Shakespeare-to-film adaptations ever made, while Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" was a breath of fresh, zany air. Olivier Assayas' "Irma Vep" is a strange film experiment,...
(Warning: Your opinions on these films may differ from this writer's. Moving right along...)
But there were a few high points, too. Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" may be one of the best Shakespeare-to-film adaptations ever made, while Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" was a breath of fresh, zany air. Olivier Assayas' "Irma Vep" is a strange film experiment,...
- 4/15/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
A new Steven Soderbergh movie is on the horizon, but it’s being released a little under the radar. The filmmaker behind “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Magic Mike” and “Traffic” tackles the thriller genre with a story set during the Covid-19 pandemic in “Kimi,” which serves as a performance vehicle for Zoë Kravitz. The film marks the first collaboration between Soderbergh and “Panic Room” and “Spider-Man” writer David Koepp, and is already drawing notice for being a lean, mean thriller that compels from beginning to end.
So how and where do you watch “Kimi?” And what is the film about? Your burning questions answered below.
Where Is “Kimi” Streaming?
“Kimi” is an HBO Max original film and is streaming exclusively on HBO Max starting on Feb. 10. Since it’s an HBO Max original, it will always be available on the streaming service.
Is “Kimi” in Theaters?
No, “Kimi” is not getting a theatrical release.
So how and where do you watch “Kimi?” And what is the film about? Your burning questions answered below.
Where Is “Kimi” Streaming?
“Kimi” is an HBO Max original film and is streaming exclusively on HBO Max starting on Feb. 10. Since it’s an HBO Max original, it will always be available on the streaming service.
Is “Kimi” in Theaters?
No, “Kimi” is not getting a theatrical release.
- 2/10/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Steven Soderbergh is a workhorse. I can’t begin to speak for him, as I have no personal connection to the filmmaker. However, judging by his productivity, it’s clear that Soderbergh is the type of guy that doesn’t necessarily take a few months off. You have to imagine this has led to a bit of frustration with the current pandemic. But as he explained to The Daily Beast, he has been far from bored during the lockdown of the past several months.
Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Is Working On A Box Set Of His Restored Films With New Versions Of ‘Kafka,’ ‘Schizopolis’ & ‘Full Frontal’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Is Working On A Box Set Of His Restored Films With New Versions Of ‘Kafka,’ ‘Schizopolis’ & ‘Full Frontal’ at The Playlist.
- 12/7/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
A few days before the release of “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” Steven Soderbergh was on a Zoom call with Alex Winter, and decided to turn it into a job interview. The filmmaker served as an executive producer on “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” the long-awaited third entry in the cult saga of two hard-rocking pals who travel through history to unite the world through music. The project took over a decade to get off the ground, and resulted in Winter — who left acting for documentary filmmaking years ago — returning to play the iconic doofus opposite Keanu Reeves that launched both of their careers 30 years ago. Winter even resumed acting classes to get back in the groove, and Soderbergh took note.
“Alex,” the filmmaker said, looking into his screen. “Are you available to me?” Winter chuckled. “Steven,” he said, “I will always be available to you.”
For all...
“Alex,” the filmmaker said, looking into his screen. “Are you available to me?” Winter chuckled. “Steven,” he said, “I will always be available to you.”
For all...
- 8/26/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning 2000 drama gave Julia Roberts one of her greatest roles and found levity in a dark subject
In 1989, Steven Soderbergh changed the independent film business forever with sex, lies and videotape. A decade later, he conquered Hollywood. But it’s important not to yadda yadda away the years in between, when his sophomore slump (1991’s Kafka) extended to a junior slump (1993’s King of the Hill) and a senior slump (1995’s The Underneath), and he seemed lost in a wilderness of his own design. Arguments can (and should) be made for his work during this period – the Depression-era drama King of the Hill is one of his best films, and all three are varied and conceptually adventurous – but Soderbergh himself felt so discombobulated by failure that he wrote, directed, starred, edited and photographed 1996’s Schizopolis, an experimental doodle, just to give his career a hard reboot. Two years later,...
In 1989, Steven Soderbergh changed the independent film business forever with sex, lies and videotape. A decade later, he conquered Hollywood. But it’s important not to yadda yadda away the years in between, when his sophomore slump (1991’s Kafka) extended to a junior slump (1993’s King of the Hill) and a senior slump (1995’s The Underneath), and he seemed lost in a wilderness of his own design. Arguments can (and should) be made for his work during this period – the Depression-era drama King of the Hill is one of his best films, and all three are varied and conceptually adventurous – but Soderbergh himself felt so discombobulated by failure that he wrote, directed, starred, edited and photographed 1996’s Schizopolis, an experimental doodle, just to give his career a hard reboot. Two years later,...
- 3/16/2020
- by Scott Tobias
- The Guardian - Film News
Steven Soderbergh famously had a year when everything seemed to go his way as a filmmaker and it culminated in March 2001 when the Louisiana native arrived at the 73rd Academy Awards with two nominations for best director (for the narco-epic Traffic and the rousing bio-pic Erin Brockovich) and took him the trophy (for Traffic) despite the considerable competition. What’s less well known is the ordeal that led up to that golden year, an ordeal that Soderbergh describes as nearly catastrophic career experience.
The Limey, now regarded as a classic of modern California noir, has just been released for the first time in the Digital 4K Ultra HD format by Lionsgate to mark the film’s 20th anniversary. The remastering process forced Soderbergh to return to the scene of the crime. He found a movie that is inventive and stylish and filled with...
The Limey, now regarded as a classic of modern California noir, has just been released for the first time in the Digital 4K Ultra HD format by Lionsgate to mark the film’s 20th anniversary. The remastering process forced Soderbergh to return to the scene of the crime. He found a movie that is inventive and stylish and filled with...
- 12/16/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Soderbergh excels at exploring the complex systems governing modern society with a delicious ironic tone. With “The Laundromat,” that tendency reaches a grandiloquent extreme. The director’s funny, searing look at the Panama Papers scandal unleashes a cavalcade of goofy fourth-wall-breaking explanations about shell companies, corporate tax laws, and offshore accounts. It has a gun-toting Meryl Streep shooting up a fraudulent insurance company, primitive cavemen to explore the origins of supply and demand, and a cameo by Will Forte as “Doomed Gringo #1.” There’s no telling where this movie will go in its quest to shake up a dense subject.
Needless to say, “The Laundromat” stuffs a lot of information into 95 minutes. The slapdash narrative doesn’t always click, and some of the devices are so on-the-nose one can practically hear Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns cackling at their cleverness. At the same time, , so that even the...
Needless to say, “The Laundromat” stuffs a lot of information into 95 minutes. The slapdash narrative doesn’t always click, and some of the devices are so on-the-nose one can practically hear Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns cackling at their cleverness. At the same time, , so that even the...
- 9/1/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo may be the directors behind some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest blockbusters — including their most recent release, “Avengers: Infinity War,” which has made over $1 billion in global ticket sales after less than two weeks in release — but they still remember what it’s like to be indie outsiders hoping for a chance to break out. Twenty years ago, they got that chance, care of one of Hollywood’s most enduring and inventive auteurs.
“We can never forget that the pivotal moment in our careers as filmmakers came when we were just these obscure weirdo filmmakers from Cleveland making a movie that nobody really wanted to see, except for one guy: Steven Soderbergh,” Anthony said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “He appreciated something of value in it, which, by the way, almost nobody else did. He was the only person of any consequence that said,...
“We can never forget that the pivotal moment in our careers as filmmakers came when we were just these obscure weirdo filmmakers from Cleveland making a movie that nobody really wanted to see, except for one guy: Steven Soderbergh,” Anthony said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “He appreciated something of value in it, which, by the way, almost nobody else did. He was the only person of any consequence that said,...
- 5/9/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
No one can say that Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh delivers the same movie time after time. In an eclectic three-decade career, he has directed crowd-pleasing all-star vehicles (“Ocean’s 11,” “Magic Mike”), action comedies (“Logan Lucky,” “Out of Sight”), political dramas (“Traffic,” “Che”), micro-mini experimental works (“Schizopolis,” “The Bubble,”) and even a film starring porn actress Sasha Grey (“The Girlfriend Experience”).
SEEOscar Best Director Gallery: Every Winner In Academy Award History
His latest film, “Unsane,” probably falls into the “experimental” category. Despite the presence of Golden Globe-winning actress Claire Foy (“The Crown”), this story of a young woman who accidentally checks herself into a mental institution was not filmed in a conventional manner. Soderbergh shot “Unsure” on an iPhone 7 Plus in 4K, using the app FiLMiC Pro, a far cry from one of his big-budget studio films such as “Ocean’s 11.” But that’s a dramatic example of just who Soderbergh is and why he matters.
SEEOscar Best Director Gallery: Every Winner In Academy Award History
His latest film, “Unsane,” probably falls into the “experimental” category. Despite the presence of Golden Globe-winning actress Claire Foy (“The Crown”), this story of a young woman who accidentally checks herself into a mental institution was not filmed in a conventional manner. Soderbergh shot “Unsure” on an iPhone 7 Plus in 4K, using the app FiLMiC Pro, a far cry from one of his big-budget studio films such as “Ocean’s 11.” But that’s a dramatic example of just who Soderbergh is and why he matters.
- 3/30/2018
- by Tom O'Brien
- Gold Derby
How lucky are we? I suppose that depends upon how you feel about the work of director Steven Soderbergh. One of the most deliberately eclectic and diverse filmmakers in the history of Hollywood, Soderbergh has seen fit to shift gears abruptly from mainstream big-budget potboiler (Ocean's 11, Haywire, King of the Hill, Out of Sight) to artsy fartsy experimental throughout his entire career (Schizopolis, Bubble, Full Frontal), letting the two blend occasionally, just to keep things even more interesting (Magic Mike, Traffic, The Limey). Since his 1989 indie film world sensation sex, lies and videotape, he's never stopped. Even his much ballyhooed retirement from feature filmmaking resulted in him directing every episode of two seasons of the turn of the century medical television series, The...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/18/2017
- Screen Anarchy
When Steven Soderbergh is asked about the state of filmmaking, he often points to the American films of the ’60s and ’70s as a counterpoint to the broken state of today’s industry. “The bottom line is that at a certain period in time, from 1966 to 1976, the most successful movies were also the best movies, and that’s just not true anymore,” the director said in a 2014 interview.
Read More:Steven Soderbergh Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
Soderbergh may complain a lot, but he’s never been passive about it. Throughout his career, he has constantly experimented with different ways to make and distribute his films by thinking outside the box and pioneering new technology. With “Logan Lucky,” Soderbergh’s finally fulfilling his plans to launch a self-distribution company capable of releasing a studio-size film, but it’s not the first ambitious effort in a career defined by risky maneuvers.
Read More:Steven Soderbergh Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
Soderbergh may complain a lot, but he’s never been passive about it. Throughout his career, he has constantly experimented with different ways to make and distribute his films by thinking outside the box and pioneering new technology. With “Logan Lucky,” Soderbergh’s finally fulfilling his plans to launch a self-distribution company capable of releasing a studio-size film, but it’s not the first ambitious effort in a career defined by risky maneuvers.
- 8/16/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Steven Soderbergh’s directing career started with “Sex, Lies and Videotape,” a massive breakout that not only launched his career — it changed the industry of independent filmmaking in America. While struggling to find his footing after becoming a household name at age 26, Soderbergh never let himself become frozen by his early success or some preconceived notion of what his career would be. Instead, he dogmatically followed any story that piqued his interest, regardless if it was building the slick “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise or an experimental film he shot in his hometown with friends (“Schizopolis”).
He has been careful to build a career that was commercially viable so as to maximize his ability to be constantly creating and experimenting with films that were sometimes aggressively uncommercial. Along the way, he has fought to be as efficient a filmmaker as possible – constantly trying different approaches and new technology to make and...
He has been careful to build a career that was commercially viable so as to maximize his ability to be constantly creating and experimenting with films that were sometimes aggressively uncommercial. Along the way, he has fought to be as efficient a filmmaker as possible – constantly trying different approaches and new technology to make and...
- 8/14/2017
- by David Ehrlich and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Dani Leventhal's PlatonicThis review, I think, might best be understood as an example of “slow criticism.” This is a term coined by Filmkrant editor Dana Linssen to describe “wayward articles,” ones that have a personal or political element that is somehow not timely. We can imagine that the reverse of this is “fast criticism,” the up-to-the-minute report from a film festival, the 140-character response tweeted out the minute the first press screening is over. These thoughts are not timely. The Whitney Biennial closed on June 11th, and the film program screened its final program on May 21st. So although I expect many of these films to have a life long after their appearance at the Whitney, I am not providing any kind of late-breaking news flash from the film or art world by writing about these works in this forum.But in a way, that is the point. Even...
- 8/1/2017
- MUBI
30. Conspirators of Pleasure (1996)
Directed by: Jan Švankmajer
We’ve already seen two films from Jan Švankmajeron the list, but this elaborate movie about a number of separate, but connected people takes the cake. Conspirators of Pleasure follows six people, each with their own incredibly unsettling fetish. A letter carrier ingests dough balls every night before bed. A clerk is obsessed with a new anchor and creates a machine that pleasure him while he watches her. That anchorwoman has an odd obsession with live carp. One customer of the clerk’s practice paper mâché voodoo with a chicken costume and a doll resembling his neighbor. The neighbor has a doll of him that she brutalizes. Finally, the anchormwoman’s husband rubs homemade contraptions to rub all over his body. Conspirators could simply be a character study that, while still strange, would not be nearly as creepy. Švankmajer’s known for his animation and puppetry,...
Directed by: Jan Švankmajer
We’ve already seen two films from Jan Švankmajeron the list, but this elaborate movie about a number of separate, but connected people takes the cake. Conspirators of Pleasure follows six people, each with their own incredibly unsettling fetish. A letter carrier ingests dough balls every night before bed. A clerk is obsessed with a new anchor and creates a machine that pleasure him while he watches her. That anchorwoman has an odd obsession with live carp. One customer of the clerk’s practice paper mâché voodoo with a chicken costume and a doll resembling his neighbor. The neighbor has a doll of him that she brutalizes. Finally, the anchormwoman’s husband rubs homemade contraptions to rub all over his body. Conspirators could simply be a character study that, while still strange, would not be nearly as creepy. Švankmajer’s known for his animation and puppetry,...
- 9/2/2014
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
The opening minutes of "The Knick" throw down a gauntlet. We're introduced to Clive Owen's John Thackery and his distinctive mustache at a red filtered opium den in 1900 New York City. Accompanied by an anachronistic score from Cliff Martinez, Thackery heads off in a carriage, removing his white leather shoes to shoot up between his toes. In no time, Thackery has reached the Knickerbocker Hospital, where he's thrust into the middle of a placenta previa surgery, like all surgeries in the period, a harrowing and bloody prospect. You're in or you're out. There are no in-betweens. Steven Soderbergh, who directed (and shot and edited) the entirety of the first "Knick" season, wouldn't have it any other way. "[T]he first seven minutes of the first episode contain the sort of DNA of the whole show. If you're not down with how those first seven minutes go you're going to have trouble,...
- 8/5/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
One of the most well-known directors over the past 20 years has been Steven Soderbergh. With movies such as Schizopolis, The Limey, Ocean’s Eleven, The Informant!, and Haywire in his resume, many film fans were saddened to hear of his retirement from feature filmmaking. Fans of Soderbergh, however, were excited to hear that the filmmaker would continue to work, this time on the small screen, working with Cinemax as a producer and director on the new series The Knick. Created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, the series stars Clive Owen, Juliet Rylance, Steve Garfanti, and Cara Seymour. Four teasers for the series have now been released, and can be seen below.
(Source: Thompson on Hollywood)
The post ‘The Knick’, the newest Cinemax series from Steven Soderbergh, releases four new teasers appeared first on Sound On Sight.
(Source: Thompson on Hollywood)
The post ‘The Knick’, the newest Cinemax series from Steven Soderbergh, releases four new teasers appeared first on Sound On Sight.
- 3/4/2014
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
After a pair of edgy indies and a Palme d’Or to boot, Steven Soderbergh was given his first opportunity to bed down with the studio system and take advantage of the much deeper pockets that such an opportunity affords, but no one expected that under the watch of Universal the young auteur would make the polished and saccharine King of the Hill his first project. Adapted from A. E. Hotchner’s depression era memoir of the same title in which a preadolescent boy named Aaron is faced with the harsh realities of true poverty, Soderbergh’s first studio effort remains a wholesome oddity within a filmography that seems increasingly chameleonic, but rarely sentimental. After the subversion of Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the experimentalism of the bio-pic Kafka, the chances that his next film would boast the fluffiness of a made for TV afternoon special about how hard it...
- 2/25/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Steven Soderbergh followed The Underneath, a superb neo-noir that expertly uses widescreen framing and color photography to its full potential, with Schizopolis, a film motivated by his feelings of artistic impotence. This concept is somewhat surprising, as The Underneath is one of his best films, one of the best neo-noirs from the nineties, and one of Soderbergh’s more underrated works. Schizopolis is more well-known and seen (thanks to Criterion) but unfortunately, it is a stale work that only exists for the director’s edification. After Schizopolis, Soderbergh reportedly felt rejuvenated and made Out of Sight, which ended his commercial slump so we can all thank this experimental film for Soderbergh’s commercial and artistic turning point. However, this exercise is far more interesting to think and write than it is to watch. Schizopolis is ultimately more interesting in the abstract than it is in reality
The main problems with...
The main problems with...
- 12/6/2013
- by Cody Lang
- SoundOnSight
Read our appreciation of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven here.
* * *
“How old do you think I am?”
Ocean’s Twelve has a reputation that will always precede it; some have called it an anti-sequel, and publications like Entertainment Weekly have dubbed it one of the worst sequels of all time. Though both reactions are, perhaps, understandable, neither is remotely accurate. Ocean’s Twelve is an inherently self-aware sequel, possibly the most self-aware follow-up in modern history. What Steven Soderbergh, screenwriter George Nolfi (whose original script, Honor Among Thieves, was completely unrelated to Ocean’s Eleven and was sold initially before that remake had been released), and the slightly larger-than-before ensemble cast did was make a sequel to a critically and commercially lauded caper film that was wholly cognizant of the fact that it was a sequel to a critically and commercially lauded caper film. Ocean’s Twelve toys with audience expectations,...
* * *
“How old do you think I am?”
Ocean’s Twelve has a reputation that will always precede it; some have called it an anti-sequel, and publications like Entertainment Weekly have dubbed it one of the worst sequels of all time. Though both reactions are, perhaps, understandable, neither is remotely accurate. Ocean’s Twelve is an inherently self-aware sequel, possibly the most self-aware follow-up in modern history. What Steven Soderbergh, screenwriter George Nolfi (whose original script, Honor Among Thieves, was completely unrelated to Ocean’s Eleven and was sold initially before that remake had been released), and the slightly larger-than-before ensemble cast did was make a sequel to a critically and commercially lauded caper film that was wholly cognizant of the fact that it was a sequel to a critically and commercially lauded caper film. Ocean’s Twelve toys with audience expectations,...
- 11/15/2013
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
The Informant!
Written by Scott Z. Burns
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
USA, 2009
You can’t keep a good executive down. After Enron, after Lehman Brothers, and the continuing fury at executive bonuses it was quite a change to see the corporate executive class as brimming with ineffective buffoons rather than coldly calculated capitalist psychopaths in films. In The Informant! Matt Damon stars as the amiable Mark Whitacre, an up-and-coming heavyweight at global food derivative company Adm in the early 1990s. In a stream-of-consciousness voiceover, which is probably the film’s finest stroke, Mark takes us through his corporate experience. As the film opens, he advises superiors that he’s in touch with a Japanese whistle-blower who can expose an industrial saboteur in their midst and fix a production issue that’s costing them $7 million a month. Much to Mark’s consternation, the company brings in the FBI to investigate the sabotage.
Written by Scott Z. Burns
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
USA, 2009
You can’t keep a good executive down. After Enron, after Lehman Brothers, and the continuing fury at executive bonuses it was quite a change to see the corporate executive class as brimming with ineffective buffoons rather than coldly calculated capitalist psychopaths in films. In The Informant! Matt Damon stars as the amiable Mark Whitacre, an up-and-coming heavyweight at global food derivative company Adm in the early 1990s. In a stream-of-consciousness voiceover, which is probably the film’s finest stroke, Mark takes us through his corporate experience. As the film opens, he advises superiors that he’s in touch with a Japanese whistle-blower who can expose an industrial saboteur in their midst and fix a production issue that’s costing them $7 million a month. Much to Mark’s consternation, the company brings in the FBI to investigate the sabotage.
- 11/9/2013
- by John
- SoundOnSight
This clever pharma-thriller would be a fitting sign-off for Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh, who celebrated his 50th birthday two months ago, recently announced his retirement from the cinema in order to devote himself to painting. One would be surprised if he actually stuck to this resolution, but if he does he'd be giving up one of the most extraordinary cinematic careers anyone has ever had, and leave behind a remarkable body of work that few American film-makers could match.
Since winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1989 with his first movie, the low-budget independent production sex, lies and videotape, he has directed a film virtually every year in a variety of genres and styles, as well as producing some of the most original and adventurous films to come out of Hollywood these past 25 years.
Soderbergh's pictures as director range from the openly commercial Ocean's Eleven to the experimental Schizopolis; from...
Steven Soderbergh, who celebrated his 50th birthday two months ago, recently announced his retirement from the cinema in order to devote himself to painting. One would be surprised if he actually stuck to this resolution, but if he does he'd be giving up one of the most extraordinary cinematic careers anyone has ever had, and leave behind a remarkable body of work that few American film-makers could match.
Since winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1989 with his first movie, the low-budget independent production sex, lies and videotape, he has directed a film virtually every year in a variety of genres and styles, as well as producing some of the most original and adventurous films to come out of Hollywood these past 25 years.
Soderbergh's pictures as director range from the openly commercial Ocean's Eleven to the experimental Schizopolis; from...
- 3/10/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
If this is, as promised, Steven Soderbergh's final movie, he's signed off on a crafty, bamboozling high with Side Effects. Perhaps we should pause to salute a film-maker who has managed to be prolific without abusing quality control, or not much. True, I cordially despise the whimsical fodder of Ocean's 11/12/13, his daft satire The Informant! and those nutty experimental efforts (Schizopolis) he allowed himself now and then. Consistency hasn't been his strong suit, but then it wasn't Robert Altman's either.
- 3/7/2013
- The Independent - Film
If you haven't assumed the notion by now, Steven Soderbergh is pretty much the ideal interview subject (check out our recent conversation with him here). Witty, relatable, and willing to divulge extensive behind-the-scenes details, the director has faced his indefinite hiatus with reflections galore, the latest of which concerns his turn away from screenwriting, and more toward the cinematographer role he's so frequently explored. Starting with his Sundance breakout hit, “sex lies and videotape,” Soderbergh supplied the scripts for his and other directors' films throughout the '90s, including “King of the Hill,” “Schizopolis” and Gregory Jacob's “Criminal” (under the pseudonym Peter Lowry). However, he stopped after 2002's “Solaris” to start on his trail of collaborations with other writers, and speaking with Ignatiy Vishnevetsky over at Mubi, he claims there's a simple answer as to why -- namely, that “writing is the worst job in the...
- 3/1/2013
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
Sans the part where it involves sitting across from people who have their faces up on the silver screen, interviewing movie personalities is definitely just part o’ the job. On the movie business end, actors, writers, directors, etc. are sent by the studio to various cities to talk to press members with the ultimate goal of getting publicity. They speak highly of the the movie to press, and with a little in-person character. On my side as one of many upon many bloggers, I try to do my part of the job by attempting to craft unique interviews, both for the sake of my readership, and for the sake of the interview subjects, who are bound to be asked the same questions a thousand times.
Doing an interview, while it may be in person and involve handshakes and a few laughs, doesn’t have to be a personal experience. It...
Doing an interview, while it may be in person and involve handshakes and a few laughs, doesn’t have to be a personal experience. It...
- 2/23/2013
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Steven Soderbergh became the poster child for new American independent cinema in the 90′s, after winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his debut feature Sex, Lies, & Videotape. Soderbergh spent the better part of the ensuing decade, directing small idiosyncratic films, and often wearing many hats including producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. Eventually the director entered into a period that saw him make commercially satisfying films; most notably Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, the latter of which earned him an Oscar for Best Director. Despite his box office success, Steven Sodberergh continued to experiment with such films as the ensemble piece Full Frontal, the smart and ambiguous Solaris, the low-budget Bubble and the four hour long epic, Che. There are very few filmmakers who are able to keep their feet firmly planted in the commercial world, while conserving their independent spirit. With his last...
- 2/10/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Over the last few weeks, I can’t tell you how many people have asked me if Steven Soderbergh is really retiring, and the short answer I generally give them is, “Of course not.” Not that I’m questioning Soderbergh’s sincerity. He has said for several years that he plans to stop making feature films once he turns 50, and now that the big birthday has arrived (it was Jan. 14), he has clung, quite directly, to that public plan, discussing his new psycho-pharmacological Hitchcockian thriller, Side Effects, as if it’s the last movie of his that you’ll see in theaters.
- 2/9/2013
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo seemed like unusual choices when Marvel hired the siblings to helm their upcoming sequel, Captain America: The Winter Solider, last month. Known mostly their more recent work in television sitcoms, directing shows like Arrested Development and NBC's Community, Anthony reminded The Huffington Post at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour this week that he and his brother actually made their start in features.
There's a little-known side to my brother and I, which is, we didn't start out as comedy directors. We started out in the mid-'90s — we made this credit card movie that made the festival circuit in '97 [Pieces], that Steven Soderbergh saw at the same time he [was showing] Schizopolis on the festival circuit. He loved our movie and offered to produce something for us, so we went into a cycle of writing — we wrote three scripts, only one of which was a comedy.
There's a little-known side to my brother and I, which is, we didn't start out as comedy directors. We started out in the mid-'90s — we made this credit card movie that made the festival circuit in '97 [Pieces], that Steven Soderbergh saw at the same time he [was showing] Schizopolis on the festival circuit. He loved our movie and offered to produce something for us, so we went into a cycle of writing — we wrote three scripts, only one of which was a comedy.
- 7/25/2012
- by Ryan Gowland
- Reelzchannel.com
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has all of the ingredients in place to become one of the coolest comic book adaptations of our time. Great cast, great source material … but if there's one factor that I'm not quite as sure about, it's directors Anthony and Joe Russo, best known for their work on "Community."
But in a new interview during the TCA Summer Press Tour, Anthony Russo made some comments about his plans for bringing Cap into the modern day — and I'm definitely starting to come around on the guys.
Read on for highlights from their interview!
» Will the Russos bring us a lighter Cap? "I mean, we're trying to grow him as a character, and certainly he's come a long way, from where he started in pre-World War 2 to where he is in modern-day America. So the character has room for growth because of that huge journey that he's been on,...
But in a new interview during the TCA Summer Press Tour, Anthony Russo made some comments about his plans for bringing Cap into the modern day — and I'm definitely starting to come around on the guys.
Read on for highlights from their interview!
» Will the Russos bring us a lighter Cap? "I mean, we're trying to grow him as a character, and certainly he's come a long way, from where he started in pre-World War 2 to where he is in modern-day America. So the character has room for growth because of that huge journey that he's been on,...
- 7/25/2012
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Splash Page
How do you go from directing "Community" to taking on "Captain America"? Why not ask one of the directors of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"?
Anthony Russo was at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Tuesday to talk about "Animal Practice," a new NBC comedy that he and his brother Joe are both executive producing. You may know their names from "Community" and "Arrested Development," which are among the projects the Russos have directed. And you may have been surprised when their names were announced as the directors of one of Marvel's biggest franchises. Would these Greendale veterans know how to handle the adventures of the First Avenger?
Inquiring minds wanted to know, so after the formal panel for "Animal Practice" (which wasn't that formal, given that, at one point, there was a monkey riding atop a tiny ambulance on the stage of the Beverly Hilton), myself and...
Anthony Russo was at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Tuesday to talk about "Animal Practice," a new NBC comedy that he and his brother Joe are both executive producing. You may know their names from "Community" and "Arrested Development," which are among the projects the Russos have directed. And you may have been surprised when their names were announced as the directors of one of Marvel's biggest franchises. Would these Greendale veterans know how to handle the adventures of the First Avenger?
Inquiring minds wanted to know, so after the formal panel for "Animal Practice" (which wasn't that formal, given that, at one point, there was a monkey riding atop a tiny ambulance on the stage of the Beverly Hilton), myself and...
- 7/25/2012
- by Maureen Ryan
- Huffington Post
Gray's Anatomy Directed by Steven Soderbergh Written by Spalding Gray Starring: Spalding Gray With Stephen Soderbergh on the verge of retiring from filmmaking, one has to wonder how somebody with such an amount of creative freedom could ever feel uninspired or suffocated by the limitations of their chosen medium. He's the guy who popularized the "one for me, one for them" modus operandi and within it, has seemed to have found his rhythm. In the mid-nineties, Soderbergh faced a similar dilemma in which he overcame an artistic slump by rebuilding himself with two experiments; Schizopolis and Gray's Anatomy. While they both fall under the "one for me" category, Gray's Anatomy is fairly accessible and wholly entertaining as Soderbergh attempts to transform Spalding Gray's squeamish tale of a rare ocular affliction into something resembling Errol Morris meets Dario Argento. The story begins as Spalding, having just turned 50, discovers a problem...
- 7/1/2012
- by Jay C.
- FilmJunk
The release of male flesh extravaganza Magic Mike means we are inching ever closer to director Steven Soderbergh‘s fast approaching retirement/sabbatical. It has been a weird couple of years for the filmmaker, as he discussed wanting to leave his chosen profession behind, before reneging on the decision. Recently, though, he changed his mind again and said that he was only taking a break from the industry, to recharge his batteries and to get excited about directing again.
So now we’re in a weird position. After Magic Mike, there are two more films and then that’s it, no more Soderbergh for a while. He has a psychological thriller called The Bitter Pill which reunites him and Channing Tatum for the third time and an HBO movie called Behind the Candelabra, which is based on the life of Liberace and stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
It will...
So now we’re in a weird position. After Magic Mike, there are two more films and then that’s it, no more Soderbergh for a while. He has a psychological thriller called The Bitter Pill which reunites him and Channing Tatum for the third time and an HBO movie called Behind the Candelabra, which is based on the life of Liberace and stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
It will...
- 6/28/2012
- by Will Chadwick
- We Got This Covered
Magic Mike
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey
Rating: R
Release Date: June 29, 2012
Trailer Score: 8/10
Thoughts by Tsr: I never have a definitive answer when it comes to my favorite director, but one name that always springs to mind is Steven Soderbergh. He can bounce between genres better than most, one of many things I love about him. A male stripper movie isn’t necessarily something I’d expect, even from Soderbergh, but nothing the director of Schizopolis does should ever be a complete surprise.
One thing that is a bit of a surprise is that it looks like a (relatively charming) romantic comedy. I didn’t expect that, but I do suspect this non-red band trailer is leaving out some of the more, well, interesting aspects the film has to offer. Whether or not the rom-com ends up being the primary focus, I do...
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey
Rating: R
Release Date: June 29, 2012
Trailer Score: 8/10
Thoughts by Tsr: I never have a definitive answer when it comes to my favorite director, but one name that always springs to mind is Steven Soderbergh. He can bounce between genres better than most, one of many things I love about him. A male stripper movie isn’t necessarily something I’d expect, even from Soderbergh, but nothing the director of Schizopolis does should ever be a complete surprise.
One thing that is a bit of a surprise is that it looks like a (relatively charming) romantic comedy. I didn’t expect that, but I do suspect this non-red band trailer is leaving out some of the more, well, interesting aspects the film has to offer. Whether or not the rom-com ends up being the primary focus, I do...
- 5/1/2012
- by Shane T. Nier
- The Scorecard Review
Comedy duo Tim and Eric have garnered quite a cult following with their previous shows on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, “Tom Goes to the Mayor” and especially “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” Now the two are poised to dominate the world of film with their absurdly funny Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, which features appearances from Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Zach Galifianakis, and Will Forte.
In the film, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim play versions of themselves as failed Hollywood directors who take over a mall in hopes of repaying bloodthirsty movie executives.
Though one might expect them to be particularly animated during an interview, they were fairly laid back when I talked to them. Despite their soft-spoken nature, they did seem to take turns periodically amusing themselves during this interview, as you’ll read below.
Along with a college newspaper writer, I sat...
In the film, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim play versions of themselves as failed Hollywood directors who take over a mall in hopes of repaying bloodthirsty movie executives.
Though one might expect them to be particularly animated during an interview, they were fairly laid back when I talked to them. Despite their soft-spoken nature, they did seem to take turns periodically amusing themselves during this interview, as you’ll read below.
Along with a college newspaper writer, I sat...
- 3/6/2012
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Everybody loves a good action film, right? But, what happens when a filmmaker more known for art house films takes a stab at a more mainstream Hollywood genre? Steven Soderbergh is, if nothing else, a highly curious, even enigmatic filmmaker. The same creative vision that came up with films such as Sex, Lies And Videotape (1989) and Schizopolis (1996) also created the Oceans Eleven through Thirteen films. In between were some great films that fall somewhere between art house and mainstream, like The Limey (1999), Che: Parts 1 & 2 (2008) and the recently disturbing Contagion (2011).
Soderbergh.s newest undertaking is called Haywire, an action-thriller written by Lem Dobbs, who also wrote The Limey and Dark City. The film follows a young female former marine named Mallory, played by Gina Carano. While working in Barcelona for a private firm, a rescue mission goes terribly wrong and Mallory finds herself on the run from both her employers and...
Soderbergh.s newest undertaking is called Haywire, an action-thriller written by Lem Dobbs, who also wrote The Limey and Dark City. The film follows a young female former marine named Mallory, played by Gina Carano. While working in Barcelona for a private firm, a rescue mission goes terribly wrong and Mallory finds herself on the run from both her employers and...
- 1/20/2012
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With Steven Soderbergh continuing to make headlines this week, it would seem that last week's poll results are still somewhat topical. Bonus! We asked you guys to pick your favourite Soderbergh movie, and the final count was extremely close. In the end, it was Ocean's Eleven by a nose... who'd a thunk it? I know some people were disappointed that Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen weren't on the poll, so I'm assuming this probably included votes for the entire trilogy as well. Traffic was a very close second, and together they made up over 50% of the votes. Out of Sight, The Limey, and his most recent film Contagion rounded out the top 5. Schizopolis and King of the Hill pulled up the rear... apparently they're a little too obscure even for Soderbergh fans. Do you agree with these results? 1. Ocean's Eleven -- 27.2% 2. Traffic -- 26.9% 3. Out of Sight -- 14.4% 4. The Limey -- 9.9% 5. Contagion -- 7.2% 6. Sex,...
- 11/18/2011
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced that this year’s “Secret Screening” at AFI Fest presented by Audi will be the debut of Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh’s highly anticipated new film Haywire, starring Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton and introducing mixed martial arts (Mma) star Gina Carano in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. AFI Fest will roll out the People’s Red Carpet prior to the screening Tonight (November 6) at 9:30 p.m. where all guests can walk the carpet and pose for photos.
A dynamic action-thriller, Haywire tells the story of Mallory Kane, a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone...
A dynamic action-thriller, Haywire tells the story of Mallory Kane, a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone...
- 11/6/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
There are some things in life I can never get enough of - like mid-century jazz, pepperoni pizza, voluptuous women and the films of Steven Soderbergh. I organized a class trip in high school to see Kafka when it was still in theaters and was one of the few who actually saw Schizopolis during its initial run. So you can just imagine my joy when I was able to score a thirty minute conversation with S.S. during his junket for Contagion.
I'll publish the second half of that conversation next week, as it is, as we say in the biz, "evergreen." Read on for a discussion of this week's big release (and one of the best pictures of the year) - Contagion. Note, this phone call took place as I was bunkered in my apartment as Hurricane Irene was barnstorming across the east coast.
Jordan Hoffman: It’s appropriate we talk today,...
I'll publish the second half of that conversation next week, as it is, as we say in the biz, "evergreen." Read on for a discussion of this week's big release (and one of the best pictures of the year) - Contagion. Note, this phone call took place as I was bunkered in my apartment as Hurricane Irene was barnstorming across the east coast.
Jordan Hoffman: It’s appropriate we talk today,...
- 9/7/2011
- UGO Movies
Auteur director Steven Soderbergh says he's done with filmmaking, telling Studio 360's Kurt Andersen that "When you reach the point where you're, like, 'if I have to get into a van to do anther scout I'm just going to shoot myself,' it's time to let somebody else who's still excited about getting in the van, get in the van." The prolific Soderbergh has made twenty-two films since his 1989 debut, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, helped kickstart the American indie '90s. And he currently has four more in various stages of completion. So he may have said his piece creatively. His career has taken an interesting and meandering path, spanning from crowdpleasing blockbusters like Erin Brockovich and Ocean's Eleven to formalist experiments like Bubble and Schizopolis to colossal epics like Traffic and Che. (Not to mention one-off larks like The Informant!, etc., etc.) [...]...
- 3/14/2011
- Nerve
Having previously reported that director Steven Soderbergh is planning to completely retire from filmmaking, Soderbergh has confirmed this. [THR, via Studio360]
After 25 years, he’s apparently had enough. Soderbergh reveals his feelings toward the film industry and process in a radio interview with Studio 360′s Kurt Andersen – after his next two films, he’s done:
“When you reach the point where you’re like if I have to get into a van to do anther scout I’m just going to shoot myself, it’s time to let somebody else who’s still excited about getting in the van, get in the van,” he said in the interview that airs on Radio 360 Friday night. “And so it’s just time. For the last three years, I’ve been turning down everything that comes my way, so you’re not going to have Steven Soderbergh to kick around anymore,”
Soderbergh’s output alternated between experimental,...
After 25 years, he’s apparently had enough. Soderbergh reveals his feelings toward the film industry and process in a radio interview with Studio 360′s Kurt Andersen – after his next two films, he’s done:
“When you reach the point where you’re like if I have to get into a van to do anther scout I’m just going to shoot myself, it’s time to let somebody else who’s still excited about getting in the van, get in the van,” he said in the interview that airs on Radio 360 Friday night. “And so it’s just time. For the last three years, I’ve been turning down everything that comes my way, so you’re not going to have Steven Soderbergh to kick around anymore,”
Soderbergh’s output alternated between experimental,...
- 3/11/2011
- by Anthony Vieira
- The Film Stage
Our three Austin-exclusive screenings of the new Steven Soderbergh film from SXSW, And Everything Is Going Fine, start next week. From Monday January 3-Wednesday January 5, 7:00pm at the Ritz belongs to this new documentary about Spalding Gray, the master monologist probably best known for his masterpiece Swimming To Cambodia.
Our friend Jack Feldstein, an Australian animator and screenwriter, sent us this raving praise, and I think he conveys what this awesome film is about better than we could:
And Everything Is Going Fine is exactly what they tell you a film shouldn’t be. Pretty much 89 minutes of one talking head. But it’s a particularly unique talking head. Spalding Gray’s.
Spalding Gray (1941-2004) possessed two of my favorite qualities in a person: neurosis and gutsiness. In his case, as a monologist, these compelled him to tell his truth. The truth, mes amis, is always rare and riveting.
Our friend Jack Feldstein, an Australian animator and screenwriter, sent us this raving praise, and I think he conveys what this awesome film is about better than we could:
And Everything Is Going Fine is exactly what they tell you a film shouldn’t be. Pretty much 89 minutes of one talking head. But it’s a particularly unique talking head. Spalding Gray’s.
Spalding Gray (1941-2004) possessed two of my favorite qualities in a person: neurosis and gutsiness. In his case, as a monologist, these compelled him to tell his truth. The truth, mes amis, is always rare and riveting.
- 12/30/2010
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
Leave it to Steven Soderbergh to defy expectations once again. If the story coming from THR is correct, then it seems like the Oscar winner will be setting his sights on the TV-to-movie adaptation of popular series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which will be scripted by his Informant! and Contagion screenwriter Scott Z. Burns. Warner Brothers is distributing and while no release date has been set, the director’s fast production rate tells me it’ll be out within the next two years or so. Just a guess.
Originally set for Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin from a script by Max Bornestein, that project fell through and Dobkin is now acting as producer for the film. The thing about this that has me most intrigued is what direction Soderbergh will be taking it, considering that his movies range from bizarre comedies (Schizopolis) to heavy historical dramas...
Originally set for Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin from a script by Max Bornestein, that project fell through and Dobkin is now acting as producer for the film. The thing about this that has me most intrigued is what direction Soderbergh will be taking it, considering that his movies range from bizarre comedies (Schizopolis) to heavy historical dramas...
- 11/17/2010
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Amongst the cavalcade of news coming from the massive news beast that is the Toronto International Film Festival, it looks like we have a hotly anticipated film changing homes instead of finding one, as is the case at the festival to the north.
According to The Playlist, Lionsgate will not be handling Steven Soderbergh’s (Traffic, Schizopolis) upcoming film, Haywire, but instead, the film will be released in North America thanks to Overture. Apparently, Relativity Media head and producer on the film, Ryan Kavanaugh nabbed up Overture back at the start of the summer, making this move the obvious next step.
Also, the outlet is reporting that the film is currently being slated for a March or April 2011 release, meaning we’ll get to lay our eyes upon this action/thriller sooner, rather than later. To boot, Neil Kellerhouse, the same designer behind the brilliant posters for films like The Girlfriend Experience,...
According to The Playlist, Lionsgate will not be handling Steven Soderbergh’s (Traffic, Schizopolis) upcoming film, Haywire, but instead, the film will be released in North America thanks to Overture. Apparently, Relativity Media head and producer on the film, Ryan Kavanaugh nabbed up Overture back at the start of the summer, making this move the obvious next step.
Also, the outlet is reporting that the film is currently being slated for a March or April 2011 release, meaning we’ll get to lay our eyes upon this action/thriller sooner, rather than later. To boot, Neil Kellerhouse, the same designer behind the brilliant posters for films like The Girlfriend Experience,...
- 9/16/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
"When I say that this is the most important motion picture you will ever attend my motivation is not financial gain but a firm belief that the delicate fabric that holds all of us together will be ripped apart unless every man, woman, and child in this country sees this film and pays full ticket price, not some bargain, matinee, cut rate deal...In the event that you find certain sequences or ideas confusing, please bear in mind that this is your fault, not ours. You will need to see the picture again and again until you understand everything."-Steven Soderbergh in Schizopolis
Shortly after Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape (1989) debuted at Cannes in 1989, a few critics compared Soderbergh's accomplishment with that of Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) nearly fifty years earlier. Here was another film, written and directed by a twenty-five year old (Greatness at before thirty?...
Shortly after Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape (1989) debuted at Cannes in 1989, a few critics compared Soderbergh's accomplishment with that of Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) nearly fifty years earlier. Here was another film, written and directed by a twenty-five year old (Greatness at before thirty?...
- 8/24/2010
- by Drew Morton
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