Dave Boyle’s “Man From Reno” is the type of film where alleyways are home offices, every bar matchbox has an unknown number inside, and if a character enters a bookshop, you better believe old issues of “True Detective” are hanging visibly in frame. Boyle, who previously made festival favorite “White on Rice," plunges his first genre entry into the annals of film noir. This is stellar pulp storytelling with a twist, blending fine performances from Ayako Fujitani (“Tokyo!”) and Pepe Serna (“Scarface”) with an evocative view of California’s Bay Area. Placed somewhere between “The Big Sleep” and “Chan is Missing” — Wayne Wang’s 1982 independent neo-noir about two Chinese taxi drivers scouring San Francisco for stolen money — the film shares aspects of Wang’s take on the genre. Both films explore the coastal city from a little-seen perspective, here delving into its Japanese-American community with a unique eye. 'Reno'...
- 3/26/2015
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
A film about a mystery novelist and a Japanese man who vanishes from a San Francisco hospital won the top narrative prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival Thursday. “Man from Reno" stars Osaka-born actor Ayako Fujitani as Aki Akahori, a crime writer who takes a breather from her press tour and ends up mixed up with Akira Suzuki—played by Kazuki Kitamura, who hails from the same Japanese city as his co-star—a mysterious stranger from Reno who’s staying at the same hotel in San Francisco. The film, directed by Dave Boyle ("White on Rice"), uses a mix of English and subtitled Japanese. "Stray Dog" took the Best Documentary Feature award. The first documentary from director Debra Granik ("Winter's Bone") followed a Vietnam War veteran biker and his struggle for place in America. Meanwhile, the festival’s audience picked “Young Kieslowski,” directed by Kerem Sanga, in the narrative category,...
- 6/20/2014
- backstage.com
Dave Boyle’s “Man From Reno” is the type of film where alleyways are home offices, every bar matchbox has an unknown number inside, and if a character enters a bookshop, you better believe old issues of “True Detective” are hanging visibly in frame. Boyle, who previously made festival favorite “White on Rice," plunges his first genre entry into the annals of film noir—this is stellar pulp storytelling with a twist, blending fine performances from Ayako Fujitani (“Tokyo!”) and Pepe Serna (“Scarface”) with an evocative view of California’s Bay Area. Placed somewhere between “The Big Sleep” and “Chan is Missing”—Wayne Wang’s 1982 independent neo-noir about two Chinese taxi drivers scouring San Francisco for stolen money—the film shares aspects of Wang’s take on the genre. Both films explore the coastal city from a little-seen perspective, here delving into its Japanese-American community with a unique eye. 'Reno'...
- 6/18/2014
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
"Man From Reno" is Dave Boyle's fifth feature film, having previously directed "Daylight Savings," "Surrogate Valentine," "White on Rice" and "Big Dreams Little Tokyo." The film is an ambitious bilingual neo-noir depicting a crime novelist and a small town sheriff teaming up to solve a murder mystery in San Francisco. [Editor's Note: Indiewire reached out to filmmakers with films playing at the 20th La Film Festival (June 11-19) to ask them about how they shot their indie, and what advice they had for other filmmakers. We'll be posting their responses throughout the run of the festival. Go Here for the master list.] What was the most difficult shoot on your movie and how did you pull it off? Two sequences come to mind. We open the film with a set piece out on a foggy road that was quite complicated. We ended up dividing the shot list into things that needed to be outdoors and things that could be faked in a studio. We then spent one long day in a foggy warehouse, and...
- 6/16/2014
- by Oliver MacMahon
- Indiewire
Exclusive: World premiering in competition this week at the 20th La Film Fest is Dave Boyle’s Man From Reno, starring Ayako Fujitani (Tokyo!) as a Japanese mystery author who hides out from her latest book tour in San Francisco. She begins an affair with a mysterious Japanese traveler from Reno who abruptly disappears from their hotel, leaving behind a suitcase and a trail of questions. This is Fujitani’s second film for writer-director Boyle (White on Rice, Surrogate Valentine), who last helmed indie drama Daylight Savings and co-wrote Man From Reno with Joel Clark and Michael Lerman. Scarface‘s Pepe Serna and […]...
- 6/11/2014
- Deadline
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Man From Reno" Tweetable Logline: A famous Japanese author and small town sheriff unexpectedly team up to solve a murder mystery in San Francisco. Elevator Pitch: It's a bi-lingual Japanese/English mystery thriller starring Steven Seagal's daughter and legendary "Scarface" actor Pepe Serna in the first leading role of his 40 year career. Production Team: Director: Dave Boyle ("White on Rice," "Surrogate Valentine," "Daylight Savings") Producer: Ko Mori ("The Harimaya Bridge") Director of Photography: Richard Wong ("Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," "Princess of Nebraska") Editor: Dave Boyle About the Production: I wanted to make this movie simply to tell a great story. I've always loved the mystery genre,...
- 8/14/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Since his 2006 debut, director and multi-hyphenate Dave Boyle has arguably carved out the most unique niche in independent film. That film, Big Dreams Little Tokyo, and his subsequent pictures White on Rice (2009), Surrogate Valentine (2011), and Daylight Savings (2012) have featured a mix of Japanese and Japanese-American characters in polyglot films that combine quirky comedy with high-strung drama. The latter two films added a semi-documentary element as musician Goh Nakamura plays a fictionalized version of himself. Now with Man from Reno Boyle retains several of his signature traits but moves in the new direction of a thriller. The film …...
- 7/23/2013
- by Randy Astle
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The first footage from Dave Boyle's Man From Reno has been revealed, and it shows a darker side than might have been expected from the indie filmmaker. As Twitch's Todd Brown observed earlier this year, Boyle has become known for "his quirky fare revolving around the culture clashes of Asian Americans and showcasing Boyle's love for Japanese culture. From Big Dreams, Little Tokyo to White On Rice and Surrogate Valentine, Boyle's particular vision has been developing and sharpening up." Man From Reno, however, is more of a moody noir, based on the official synopsis (and that footage): Man From Reno follows best-selling Japanese mystery writer Aki Akahori (Fujitani Ayako) as she escapes the limelight to San Francisco where she encounters a charming stranger (Kitamura Kazuki)...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/17/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Cops were all over Diddy's $500,000 Maybach yesterday like White On Rice ... guns at the ready ... suspect handcuffed on his knees ... and we've got a photo of the incredible scene.As we reported, a fleet of squad cars roared to L.A.'s Soho House yesterday following a 911 call about a suspicious black car with a weapon inside. When they arrived to the scene, cops pulled over Diddy's Maybach.The car -- driven by Diddy's bodyguard...
- 5/16/2013
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Dave Boyle is about to get dark. The American indie director has long been of interest here at Twitch, his quirky fare revolving around the culture clashes of Asian Americans and showcasing Boyle's love for Japanese culture. From Big Dreams Little Tokyo to White On Rice and Surrogate Valentine, Boyle's particular vision has been developing and sharpening up. Which makes the news of his latest quite surprising. Yes, the cross cultural element remains intact but it would appear that the humor is being traded in for dark thriller elements.In a small town south of San Francisco, Sheriff Paul Del Moral is driving home through the fog one night when he accidentally strikes a pedestrian, a lone Japanese man. However, before an investigation can take place...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/21/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The indie film world doesn’t commonly produce sequels (Linklater and Solondz being the obvious exceptions), and it’s even rarer to see one come as quickly as Daylight Savings does. Returning to the characters he first explored in last year’s Surrogate Valentine, namely singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura, playing a fictionalized version of himself here, Savings premieres tonight in SXSW’s 24 Beats Per Second section. Valentine made waves at Southby last year, and paired with Boyle’s still-fresh 2009 offering White on Rice, the young director is quickly establishing himself as a prolific and exciting voice.
Filmmaker: What inspired you to follow-up Surrogate Valentine so quickly with a film that returns to the same characters? Were you planning on this second installment while you were making Valentine?
Boyle: There’s something to be said for momentum. It seemed important to start shooing the second film before we all moved on to other projects.
Filmmaker: What inspired you to follow-up Surrogate Valentine so quickly with a film that returns to the same characters? Were you planning on this second installment while you were making Valentine?
Boyle: There’s something to be said for momentum. It seemed important to start shooing the second film before we all moved on to other projects.
- 3/5/2012
- by Dan Schoenbrun
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A musician (Goh Nakamura) is hired to give guitar lessons to an actor (Chadd Stoops) in a funny, insightful new movie by Dave Boyle, which screens in San Francisco this weekend. From a slender premise, Boyle (Big Dreams Little Tokyo, White on Rice) launches a character study sculpted in black and white, boiling the personalities of the musician and the actor down to their essentials. The musician, named Goh, is asked by a filmmaker friend to give TV actor Danny Turner a one-week crash course in guitar. Danny will be playing a "burned-out, sad sack musician," as he describes the role to a fan. Danny has a lot of fans; he's been playing a doctor on TV for long enough that people recognize him...
- 7/15/2011
- Screen Anarchy
There isn't a whole lot of imagery cooler than a man carrying a guitar case across the hills of San Francisco, unless that man is Goh Nakamura, the unconventional star of "Surrogate Valentine." Shot in black and white, Nakamura cuts the profile of a lone drifter confident in his sense of purpose as he traverses the streets of the city and...
"I was doing that around here [in Austin too] because I don't want to leave the guitar in the car," Nakamura demurred while at SXSW. Okay, so maybe Nakamura was more interested in practicality than to come off as a screen icon, but in the first role for the musician whose songs have always struck a melancholy chord between low-key nonchalance and touching humanism, it's obvious he's got the gist of this movie star thing already.
"Surrogate Valentine" has much of the same appeal as Nakamura's music -- it's offbeat, a bit...
"I was doing that around here [in Austin too] because I don't want to leave the guitar in the car," Nakamura demurred while at SXSW. Okay, so maybe Nakamura was more interested in practicality than to come off as a screen icon, but in the first role for the musician whose songs have always struck a melancholy chord between low-key nonchalance and touching humanism, it's obvious he's got the gist of this movie star thing already.
"Surrogate Valentine" has much of the same appeal as Nakamura's music -- it's offbeat, a bit...
- 3/19/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: “Surrogate Valentine,” which will screen as part of the South By Southwest Film Festival later this month, is attempting something different when it comes to distribution.
Tiger Industry Films, the boutique production and distribution collective, today announced its release plan for “Valentine,” which will open via movies-on-demand platforms of major national cable systems including Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Dish Network, and Direct TV.
In addition to its SXSW premiere, Dave Boyle’s film will be available for a limited time on DVD during the festival run. It then will be available on VOD starting in the fall.
From the release:
The creative team behind Surrogate Valentine previously released director Dave Boyle’s comedy White On Rice in 2009 theatrically (with co-distributor Variance Films) and on DVD. While embracing the popular VOD platform, Tiger Industry Films will also make a limited number of...
Hollywoodnews.com: “Surrogate Valentine,” which will screen as part of the South By Southwest Film Festival later this month, is attempting something different when it comes to distribution.
Tiger Industry Films, the boutique production and distribution collective, today announced its release plan for “Valentine,” which will open via movies-on-demand platforms of major national cable systems including Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Dish Network, and Direct TV.
In addition to its SXSW premiere, Dave Boyle’s film will be available for a limited time on DVD during the festival run. It then will be available on VOD starting in the fall.
From the release:
The creative team behind Surrogate Valentine previously released director Dave Boyle’s comedy White On Rice in 2009 theatrically (with co-distributor Variance Films) and on DVD. While embracing the popular VOD platform, Tiger Industry Films will also make a limited number of...
- 3/7/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? The Return of the Moonwalker Trailer Note: I can’t explicitly endorse getting high by way of huffing some rubber cement but, if you happen...
- 3/5/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
For his third feature “Surrogate Valentine,” debuting next week at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, filmmaker Dave Boyle knew right from the start that he wanted to self-distribute his film. Aware that his black-and-white romantic comedy about a San Francisco musician (Goh Nakamura) trying to teach a TV actor how to play the guitar would have a limited audience, he decided he would focus on releasing his film via video-on-demand through Comcast, Time Warner and other cable systems,...
- 3/4/2011
- by Michelle Kung
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
The Surrogate Valentine video clip from 2011 SXSW is here. The film is directed Dave Boyle (White On Rice) and stars musician Goh Nakamura who has released this music video. In the capricious, black-and-white comedy Surrogate Valentine, TV star Danny Turner (Chadd Stoops) tags along with a rising San Francisco musician (Goh Nakamura, as himself) to research a role. Becoming immersed in Goh's life and love, Danny learns where rock-star fantasy meets harsh indie-musician reality.
- 2/16/2011
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Released by Criterion Collection
Anderson's underappreciated trip to India on the backs of three brothers (Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson) who take a train the country to honor their late father gets a reexamination with this Criterion Collection edition that includes a new documentary, an audio commentary from Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, audition footage, a video essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a chichat between Anderson and the late James Ivory about the film's music and Anderson's ad for American Express and the short "Hotel Chevalier" with Natalie Portman.
"As Good As Dead" (2010)
Directed by Jonathan Mossek
Released by First Look Entertainment
Andie MacDowell, Frank Whaley and Matt Dallas star as spurned cult members from the South who take a New Yorker (Cary Elwes) hostage years after they believe he's killed their leader in this thriller.
"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Released by Criterion Collection
Anderson's underappreciated trip to India on the backs of three brothers (Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson) who take a train the country to honor their late father gets a reexamination with this Criterion Collection edition that includes a new documentary, an audio commentary from Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, audition footage, a video essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a chichat between Anderson and the late James Ivory about the film's music and Anderson's ad for American Express and the short "Hotel Chevalier" with Natalie Portman.
"As Good As Dead" (2010)
Directed by Jonathan Mossek
Released by First Look Entertainment
Andie MacDowell, Frank Whaley and Matt Dallas star as spurned cult members from the South who take a New Yorker (Cary Elwes) hostage years after they believe he's killed their leader in this thriller.
- 10/12/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
The 16th annual Bradford International Film Festival, which will run March 18-28, is a total celebration of all forms of cinema, from classic films to modern world cinema to a tribute to Cinerama and more. But, most excitingly, is a bombastic collection of some of the best, most exciting underground films being made today.
From Bad Lit’s perspective, the most thrilling screening of the entire 10-day affair is the new film by British filmmaker Peter Whitehead, Terrorism Considered as One of the Fine Arts. In the U.S., Whitehead is a “lost” filmmaker from the underground’s heyday in the ’60s, being left out of most histories of the underground movement. Whitehead directed several influential films, including Wholly Communion and The Fall, before dropping out of filmmaking in the mid-’70s.
Film historian Jack Sargeant wrote extensively about and interviewed Whitehead for his wonderful book on Beat cinema, Naked Lens.
From Bad Lit’s perspective, the most thrilling screening of the entire 10-day affair is the new film by British filmmaker Peter Whitehead, Terrorism Considered as One of the Fine Arts. In the U.S., Whitehead is a “lost” filmmaker from the underground’s heyday in the ’60s, being left out of most histories of the underground movement. Whitehead directed several influential films, including Wholly Communion and The Fall, before dropping out of filmmaking in the mid-’70s.
Film historian Jack Sargeant wrote extensively about and interviewed Whitehead for his wonderful book on Beat cinema, Naked Lens.
- 3/5/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
[Our thanks to regular Twitch reader Indiemaker for the following review of Dave Boyle's indie comedy White on Rice.]
White on Rice is a film that has slowly but surely garnered its fair share of buzz these past few months. I know Todd posted a brief review over the summer and I suspect the film is going to become a substantial cult célèbre even if it may be a while before many of you get a chance to see it.
White on Rice has become something of a festival darling and rousing crowd pleaser throughout its extensive fest play. The film is currently being self promoted and independently distributed by its writer/director David Boyle. So if you're anxious to see it now, you need to go to the website and beg Dave to personally bring it to your town.
I'm sure the director is becoming more and more wary of all of the comparisons being made in reviews to Napoleon Dynamite. Let me say they're unwarranted even if...
White on Rice is a film that has slowly but surely garnered its fair share of buzz these past few months. I know Todd posted a brief review over the summer and I suspect the film is going to become a substantial cult célèbre even if it may be a while before many of you get a chance to see it.
White on Rice has become something of a festival darling and rousing crowd pleaser throughout its extensive fest play. The film is currently being self promoted and independently distributed by its writer/director David Boyle. So if you're anxious to see it now, you need to go to the website and beg Dave to personally bring it to your town.
I'm sure the director is becoming more and more wary of all of the comparisons being made in reviews to Napoleon Dynamite. Let me say they're unwarranted even if...
- 11/18/2009
- Screen Anarchy
What a great day at Austin Asian American Film Festival. I managed to see four features despite a migraine, because the last film was the one film I absolutely had to see (and it didn't disappoint).
The day started with People in the Shadows, a documentary on people in the streets of Tehran. It was more verite, and not enough cinema for me (specifically, not enough context).
But then there was White on Rice, with a quick introduction by co-star Lynn Chen. Hiroshi Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima) plays Jimmy, who, despite being in his forties, is still relying on other people to get by -- currently his sister, nephew, and long suffering brother-in-law. When his brother-in-law's niece Ramona (Chen) comes to stay, Jimmy becomes obsessed. Look for a supporting role by James Kyson Lee (Heroes), including an unexpected breakfast-cereal-related costume scene. It's funny, and a crowd pleaser, which is good,...
The day started with People in the Shadows, a documentary on people in the streets of Tehran. It was more verite, and not enough cinema for me (specifically, not enough context).
But then there was White on Rice, with a quick introduction by co-star Lynn Chen. Hiroshi Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima) plays Jimmy, who, despite being in his forties, is still relying on other people to get by -- currently his sister, nephew, and long suffering brother-in-law. When his brother-in-law's niece Ramona (Chen) comes to stay, Jimmy becomes obsessed. Look for a supporting role by James Kyson Lee (Heroes), including an unexpected breakfast-cereal-related costume scene. It's funny, and a crowd pleaser, which is good,...
- 11/15/2009
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Range Life and the Onion's Av Club are bringing a week's worth of special engagement screenings to Austin starting on the 14th. All are independent comedies, with the first film, White on Rice, is screening as part of the Austin Asian American Film Festival at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. With the exception of White on Rice, all films are at 9:30pm at the Dobie. Check out the list below, as three films will include Q&A, and one will be followed by a live band performance.
11/14 2:00pm White On Rice (Screens at Alamo Lamar as part of Aaaff) 11/16 9:30pm Visioneers 11/17 9:30pm On The Road With Judas (Director Q&A included) 11/18 9:30pm Box Elder (Director and Cast Q&A included) 11/19 9:30pm Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong 11/20 9:30pm Assassination of a High School President (followed by a performance by...
11/14 2:00pm White On Rice (Screens at Alamo Lamar as part of Aaaff) 11/16 9:30pm Visioneers 11/17 9:30pm On The Road With Judas (Director Q&A included) 11/18 9:30pm Box Elder (Director and Cast Q&A included) 11/19 9:30pm Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong 11/20 9:30pm Assassination of a High School President (followed by a performance by...
- 11/11/2009
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
I'm not trying to rain on Warmoth's parade in running this Twitter-Wood special report, but this feels newsworthy. Director Oren Peli's "Paranormal Activity" is something of a sensation. Three weeks into its limited release (yet slowly widening) run, the (roughly) $11,000 budgeted found footage horror/suspense flick has earned more than $30 million in box office sales. It's downright staggering.
The success owes its thanks largely to two factors. One: the movie is actually damn good, featuring some well-crafted smoke & mirror and believable performances from the newcomer stars. Two: Paramount has waged an incredibly successful grassroots promotional campaign, built largely on extending the film's word-of-mouth appeal through social networking tools. Micro-blogging service Twitter has of course been one aspect of this campaign, and even celebrities have been getting in on the fun. This Twitter-Wood special edition is all about rounding up those celeb tweets. So hit the jump and enjoy!
Full Disclosure...
The success owes its thanks largely to two factors. One: the movie is actually damn good, featuring some well-crafted smoke & mirror and believable performances from the newcomer stars. Two: Paramount has waged an incredibly successful grassroots promotional campaign, built largely on extending the film's word-of-mouth appeal through social networking tools. Micro-blogging service Twitter has of course been one aspect of this campaign, and even celebrities have been getting in on the fun. This Twitter-Wood special edition is all about rounding up those celeb tweets. So hit the jump and enjoy!
Full Disclosure...
- 10/19/2009
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
Toronto -- The Hong Kong cop drama "Overheard" from co-directors Alan Mak and Felix Chong will open the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival on Nov. 11, organizers said Tuesday.
The 13th edition of the country's biggest Asian film festival will close Nov. 15 with the indie South Korean film "Breathless," Yang Ik-June's debut feature that has picked up a string of festival awards.
In all, 49 Asian and Asian-language films from 14 countries, including Canada, will unspool at the Reel Asian festival.
These include Toronto screenings for Malaysian director Mamat Khalid's "When the Full Moon Rises," which earned top prize at the Malaysian Film Festival, and Taiwanese director Chen Yu-Chieh's "Yang Yang," the audience choice winner at the Taipei Film Festival.
Also Toronto-bound is Japanese director Yoshihiro Nakamura's "Fish Story," the Rotterdam competition title "Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly," by Indonesian director Edwin, U.S. director H.P. Mendoza's "Fruit Fly,...
The 13th edition of the country's biggest Asian film festival will close Nov. 15 with the indie South Korean film "Breathless," Yang Ik-June's debut feature that has picked up a string of festival awards.
In all, 49 Asian and Asian-language films from 14 countries, including Canada, will unspool at the Reel Asian festival.
These include Toronto screenings for Malaysian director Mamat Khalid's "When the Full Moon Rises," which earned top prize at the Malaysian Film Festival, and Taiwanese director Chen Yu-Chieh's "Yang Yang," the audience choice winner at the Taipei Film Festival.
Also Toronto-bound is Japanese director Yoshihiro Nakamura's "Fish Story," the Rotterdam competition title "Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly," by Indonesian director Edwin, U.S. director H.P. Mendoza's "Fruit Fly,...
- 10/13/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony's 3D animated feature "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" enjoyed a balmy weekend opening, topping the rankings with an estimated $30.1 million in domestic boxoffice.
Warner Brothers' "The Informant!" -- a Matt Damon-toplined whistleblower thriller -- bowed about as expected with $10.5 million in second place amid lackluster competition. Tyler Perry's "I Can Do Bad All by Myself," from Lionsgate, dropped 57% from its week-earlier tally to register $10.1 million in third place, with a 10-day cume of $37.9 million.
Universal's romantic drama "Love Happens," starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston, debuted with a tepid $8.5 million in fourth. Fox Atomic's horror film "Jennifer's Body" was buried deep in fifth place, as the Megan Fox starrer disappointed with a $6.8 million bow.
Another horror film -- Summit's similarly R-rated "Sorority Row" -- dropped a relatively modest 51% in its sophomore session to register $2.5 million in ninth place, with an $8.9 million cume. Three rungs higher,...
Warner Brothers' "The Informant!" -- a Matt Damon-toplined whistleblower thriller -- bowed about as expected with $10.5 million in second place amid lackluster competition. Tyler Perry's "I Can Do Bad All by Myself," from Lionsgate, dropped 57% from its week-earlier tally to register $10.1 million in third place, with a 10-day cume of $37.9 million.
Universal's romantic drama "Love Happens," starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston, debuted with a tepid $8.5 million in fourth. Fox Atomic's horror film "Jennifer's Body" was buried deep in fifth place, as the Megan Fox starrer disappointed with a $6.8 million bow.
Another horror film -- Summit's similarly R-rated "Sorority Row" -- dropped a relatively modest 51% in its sophomore session to register $2.5 million in ninth place, with an $8.9 million cume. Three rungs higher,...
- 9/20/2009
- by By Carl DiOrio
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.
And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Adventures Of Power - Exclusive
Those who march to the beat a different drummer never met Power, air drummer savant.
I reviewed this film months ago and have been interested with the film’s goings on since then. I have an interview with Ari Gold that will be going up in the coming weeks and I’ve got lots more to share about this film. In the mean time, though, I am debuting a new comic strip that will be appearing on Adventures Of Power’s website next week but I’ve got the sneak peek. Thanks...
The Archives, Right Here
I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.
And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Adventures Of Power - Exclusive
Those who march to the beat a different drummer never met Power, air drummer savant.
I reviewed this film months ago and have been interested with the film’s goings on since then. I have an interview with Ari Gold that will be going up in the coming weeks and I’ve got lots more to share about this film. In the mean time, though, I am debuting a new comic strip that will be appearing on Adventures Of Power’s website next week but I’ve got the sneak peek. Thanks...
- 9/18/2009
- by Christopher Stipp
Tyler Perry's latest urban dramedy did good business and almost by itself during what proved a sleepy weekend at the domestic boxoffice despite four wide openers.
The multihyphenate's "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" from Lionsgate debuted at No. 1 with an estimated $24 million. Focus Features' PG-13 animated feature "9" also bowed solidly, with $10.9 million from just 1,661 playdates, to grab second place on the frame and shape a five-day cume of $15.3 million.
Summit Entertainment's R-rated horror pic "Sorority Row" opened limply with $5.3 million in sixth place, and Warner Bros.' Kate Beckinsale starrer "Whiteout" debuted with just $5.1 million in seventh. The top second-week holdover -- Fox's Sandra Bullock-Bradley Cooper starrer "All About Steve" -- fell a modest 48% from its first Friday-Sunday frame to $5.8 million in fourth place, good for a $21.8 million cume.
Collectively, the fall boxoffice season's inaugural weekend produced $73 million from its top 10 finishers, or...
The multihyphenate's "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" from Lionsgate debuted at No. 1 with an estimated $24 million. Focus Features' PG-13 animated feature "9" also bowed solidly, with $10.9 million from just 1,661 playdates, to grab second place on the frame and shape a five-day cume of $15.3 million.
Summit Entertainment's R-rated horror pic "Sorority Row" opened limply with $5.3 million in sixth place, and Warner Bros.' Kate Beckinsale starrer "Whiteout" debuted with just $5.1 million in seventh. The top second-week holdover -- Fox's Sandra Bullock-Bradley Cooper starrer "All About Steve" -- fell a modest 48% from its first Friday-Sunday frame to $5.8 million in fourth place, good for a $21.8 million cume.
Collectively, the fall boxoffice season's inaugural weekend produced $73 million from its top 10 finishers, or...
- 9/13/2009
- by By Carl DiOrio
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rating: 4.5/10 Writers: Dave Boyle, Joel Clark Director: Dave Boyle Cast: Hiroshi Watanabe, Nae, Mio Takada, Lynn Chen, James Kyson Lee Jimmy (Watanabe) is a mid-life crisis loser. He’s moved in with his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew because his wife has left him. He’s so unable to survive on his own that he has actually decamped from his native [...]...
- 9/11/2009
- by Kate Erbland
- GordonandtheWhale
They're not the only two releases on the plate this week, but they're the two which are most likely to divide audiences. Shane Acker's "9" has been something of a staple on MTV Movies Blog these past few months. I caught a screening over the summer and very much enjoyed what I saw.
Produced by Tim Burton and "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov, "9" is set in a stitchpunk dystopian future in which humans have been eradicated. All that remains are robotic contraptions and little beings made of sackcloth. It's a short movie -- roughly 75 minutes -- but it gets in, tells a compelling story and then gets out with exceptional economy. You won't be left with many questions when the credits roll even though there's a relative absence of heavy exposition. In summation, "9" is short and sweet. Check out our coverage of "9" all this week on MTV Splash Page for exclusive clips,...
Produced by Tim Burton and "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov, "9" is set in a stitchpunk dystopian future in which humans have been eradicated. All that remains are robotic contraptions and little beings made of sackcloth. It's a short movie -- roughly 75 minutes -- but it gets in, tells a compelling story and then gets out with exceptional economy. You won't be left with many questions when the credits roll even though there's a relative absence of heavy exposition. In summation, "9" is short and sweet. Check out our coverage of "9" all this week on MTV Splash Page for exclusive clips,...
- 9/8/2009
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
Title: White On Rice Written and Directed by: Dave Boyle (”Big Dreams Little Tokyo”) Starring: Hiroshi Watanabe, (Letters from Iwo Jima), Mio Takada, (Late Night with Conan O’Brien), Lynn Chen, (Saving Face) and Justin Kwong. Produced by: Duane Andersen, Dominic Fratto, and Michael Lerman Scores: Technical: 90, Story: 95, Acting: 100, Overall: 95 Director Dave Boyle both writes and directs the comedy “White on Rice”, a fish-out-of-water love story chronicling the comedic life of Jimmy (Watanabe), an somewhat strange yet charming 40-year-old immigrant as he tries to make it in America. Jimmy lives in his sister Aiko’s and his brother-in-law Tak’s (Takada) basement. Unfortunately Jimmy falls for Tak’s beautiful niece Ramona (Chen) and [...]...
- 9/5/2009
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Here is the trailer for Varience Films’ upcoming film “White On Rice”. Directed by Dave Boyle, the film stars Hiroshi Watanabe, James Kyson Lee, Mio Takada, and Lynn Chen White On Rice Hit Theaters September 11, 2009 In Los Angeles Director Dave Boyle (“Big Dreams Little Tokyo”) returns with White On Rice, the comedic story of Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe, “Letters from Iwo Jima”), a misguided 40-year-old divorceé trying to navigate his way through a new life in America and out of his sister Aiko’s (Japanese Academy Award winner Nae) basement. Disgraced by his disgruntled brother-in-law Tak (Mio Takada, “Late Night [...]...
- 8/26/2009
- by The Critic
- SmartCine.com
Usually, marketing for independent films isn't this funny. Well to be fair, there aren't many really funny under-the-radar indies that pop up outside of a major film festival like Sundance or Toronto, making White on Rice a potential exception to the rule. So its fitting that the marketing, which for us begins with the exclusive clip we're debuting below, is simple, odd and quite funny. Meet Jimmy. He lives on his own. He just wants to find a job so that he doesn't have to live in the park anymore. Won't you help him out and see his movie? Click Below to Watch the Clip The official synopsis goes like this: Director Dave Boyle (Big Dreams Little Tokyo) returns with White on Rice, the comedic story of Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe, Letters from Iwo Jima), a misguided 40-year-old divorceé trying to navigate his way through a new life in America and out of his sister Aiko’s (Japanese...
- 8/19/2009
- by Neil Miller
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2079. Bald Rated R For strong crude and sexual content, nudity, graphic dialogue and drug use throughout. The Break-Up Artist Rated PG-13 For some sexual content and language. Bright Star Rated PG For thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking. Release Date: September 18, 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Rated PG-13 For strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout. Release Date: August 7, 2009 The Indian Rated PG-13 For some thematic elements. Into Temptation Rated R For language and some sexual content. Lord, Save Us From Your Followers Rated PG-13 For thematic elements and some language. Love And Debate Rated PG-13 For thematic material involving sexual content including an assault, drug and alcohol use, and language - all by teens. The Riverman Rated R For some disturbing violent and sexual content. Shanghai Rated R For strong violence, some drug use and brief language.
- 7/22/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
MPAA ratings: July 22, 2009. The following feature-length motion pictures have been reviewed and rated by the Classification and Rating Administration pursuant to the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program. Each of the designated ratings is defined as follows under the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program.
G -- General Audiences. All ages admitted.
PG -- Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
PG -13 --Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
R -- Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Nc-17 -- No One 17 And Under Admitted.
Film Distributor Reason Rating Bald
Image Entertainment, Inc.
Rated for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, graphic dialogue and drug use throughout.
R Break-Up Artist, The
Lightning Media
Rated for some sexual content and language.
PG-13 Bright Star
Midco Acquisitions, LLC
Rated for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.
PG G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra...
G -- General Audiences. All ages admitted.
PG -- Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
PG -13 --Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
R -- Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Nc-17 -- No One 17 And Under Admitted.
Film Distributor Reason Rating Bald
Image Entertainment, Inc.
Rated for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, graphic dialogue and drug use throughout.
R Break-Up Artist, The
Lightning Media
Rated for some sexual content and language.
PG-13 Bright Star
Midco Acquisitions, LLC
Rated for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.
PG G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra...
- 7/22/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe) is 40, divorced, and shares a bunk bed with his 10-year-old nephew. For most men, this state of affairs would be ego-crushing, but Jimmy is strangely unperturbed. Despite an utter lack of social finesse, he embarks on an enthusiastic mission to replace his ex-wife with someone better. Things go horribly wrong when he falls head-over-heels for a younger relative (Lynn Chen) and vows to steal her away from his co-worker Tim (James Kyson Lee). Also starring Nae, Mio Takada, Joy Osmanski, Cathy Shim and newcomer Justin Kwong.
New from the team behind Big Dreams, Little Tokyo, romantic comedy White On Rice is just beginning to turn heads on the festival circuit, and for good reason. With a killer cast - Watanabe was featured in Letters From Iwo Jima, Mio Takada is a regular on Conan O’Brien, Nae has won the Japanese equivalent of an Academy Award, James Kyson Lee...
New from the team behind Big Dreams, Little Tokyo, romantic comedy White On Rice is just beginning to turn heads on the festival circuit, and for good reason. With a killer cast - Watanabe was featured in Letters From Iwo Jima, Mio Takada is a regular on Conan O’Brien, Nae has won the Japanese equivalent of an Academy Award, James Kyson Lee...
- 6/3/2009
- by Todd Brown
- Screen Anarchy
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: I loved But I'm a Cheerleader, and I have watched Itty Bitty Titty Committee ten times now. Enough already! When is Jamie Babbit's next movie coming out?
― Tina, Columbia, MD
Jamie Babbit
Answer: Did you check out Babbit's 2005 feature, The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle and Edie Falco? If not, the cast alone should be enough to send you to the video store.
I passed your question along to Babbitt, who told me:
I'm currently casting for my new film called Breaking The Girl. It's tonally in the vein of Body Heat, with lots of bi beauties and femme fatales.
Question: I loved But I'm a Cheerleader, and I have watched Itty Bitty Titty Committee ten times now. Enough already! When is Jamie Babbit's next movie coming out?
― Tina, Columbia, MD
Jamie Babbit
Answer: Did you check out Babbit's 2005 feature, The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle and Edie Falco? If not, the cast alone should be enough to send you to the video store.
I passed your question along to Babbitt, who told me:
I'm currently casting for my new film called Breaking The Girl. It's tonally in the vein of Body Heat, with lots of bi beauties and femme fatales.
- 6/2/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
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