Olivier Rousteing is a one man force of fashion. Being the youngest and first person of color to head a major Paris label. He transformed the once staid house Balmain into a global phenomenal worn by “A list” celebrities.
The documentary “Wonderboy” explores his life in the fast lane.
I have not seen the film yet. As soon as hits the screen, I will buy a ticket.
Check out our latest episode of Chat Cinema Podcast. What is new at the movie theatres this weekend? We give you a rundown.
Watching the documentary “Man Made” the other day made me think. In the 21stcentury transgender people continue to have a precarious existence in our society. Violence, unemployment, rejection, and death always lie in wait. The average lifespan of a transgender person is 30, a frightening statistic. Director T. Cooper’s focuses on 4 transgender men. Each with a goal of entering the Trans Fit Con Body Building competition in Atlanta, Georgia.
Thankfully, Cooper handles the material in a presentational manner. It would have been easy to deploy a heavy dose of drama to make the audience sympathetic to the cause. The director avoids the “society as a guilty oppressor”. The documentary keeps the emptional focus centered, showing the discipline involved preparing for a competitive sport. Every body builder lives for the pose on stage.
Not a tragedy, but a film about hope. Each man overcomes the many obstacles staying on track in the face of personal adversity. In the end, a sense of accomplishment is universal.
From Journeyman Pictures, Man Made is available on Vimeo, Google Play, iTunes, and Amazon.
Chat Cinema returns with new episodes. We weigh in a number of current topics.
The battle over the state of modern cinema took a funny twist recently. Director Martin Scorsese weighed in by saying Marvel Cinematic Universe is not cinema. The backlash was swift. Do not attack a cultural movement. Martin, like so many others in Hollywood, has been left wondering what is his place in the new franchise driven film business. A critics darling, Scorsese has never been a box office magnet. His most successful films drew on the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio.
As his latest film, the acclaimed “The Irishman” premieres for Netflix, the helmer has taken aim at modern cinema. The free market economy does not count when it comes to buying tickets. “Marvel films are theme park attractions”, said Scorsese. Theaters should stop booking hem. According to this logic, as an exhibitor is better to choose “his idea of artistic integrity” over making a billion dollars.
Budgeted at $160 million “The Irishman” has a running time of 209 minutes. Translated; if this were a feature film, there could only be 2 theater screenings per day. It would need to earn $500 million to recoup production costs. Plus, an addition $50 million for marketing and prints costs. Martin Scorsese’s highest grossing film to date: 2006’s “The Departed” with Leonardo Di Caprio earned $291 million. No small wonder why the director had to turn to Netflix for financing his latest mobster film starring frequent creative partner Robert DiNiro. As the economics of the film business shift to even bigger tentpoles, Scorese’s view of cinema has been sidelined.
A filmmaker of the 70’s auteur movement, when studios gave directors autonomy over their work. Scorsese did not move into the blockbuster realm. Nor did he crash out like Coopola, DiPalma, or Bogdanavich. His was a world of dysfunctional characters on tee edge. Even his family friendly work, “Hugo” from 2011, a great look, but a times came across like a puzzle with missing middle pieces. Lacking an emotion. I felt no empathy for the characters. The film lost over $100 million at the box office.
Do not attack a movie genre for being successful. If the theater going public pays $20 per ticket, the film earns $2 billion at global cinemas. That is cinema.
Stay Tuned for more Chat Cinema Podcasts.
This Chat Cinema Podcast came with a lot of thought. We debated on how to cover the topic.
The #MeToo Movement has affected every part of the entertainment industry. In light of the revelations, Hollywood is going through a period self reflection.
I worked in the film business. The “casting couch” was very much a part of the process for women and men. The stories of “midnight meetings” were part of the landscape. The history of Hollywood: Studio moguls, executives, directors, and producers dangled parts for “favors”. Actress Heddy Lamar said, “the most famous women in the world were the biggest sluts”.
Harrvey Weinstein never covered his trail. There was no need because he made money and won awards. Many willingly overlooked his behavior. Guardian Film Reporter Peter Bradshaw referred to him as the “Caligula of Cannes”.
The performers union SAG/AFTRA represents 160.000 performers. Many always looking for work or the big break. When a once in a life time opportunity knocks on the door, many turn off the thinking button. A chance of a chance of landing a role in a film or televsion show.
Victim shaming is a term used in elite centers like Los Angeles and New York City. All hotel rooms have one main piece of furniture, the bed. If a late night meeting takes place in a suite, perhaps questions should be asked. The most obvious is, why this time? In urban culture this is described as a “Booty Call”.
As a gay man who has been involved in a few late night rendezvous, a “meeting” at the Ritz after 9 pm usually does not involve detailed contract negotiations.
Rewriting history for the sake of an argument clouds over past female achievements. Women controlled their cinema destinies. Mary Pickford co-founded United Artists studio with Chaplin, Douglas, and Griffith. Gloria Swanson briefly produced her own features after leaving Paramount. Claudette Colbert reached the top of the mountain becoming the highest paid performer in the business in 1938 and 1941 with complete control of script, director and leading man casting decisions. Colbert demanded certain close up camera angles from cinematographers.
While the need for diverse voices is crucial. The heavy doses of sermonizing mixed with A-list victimhood dilutes the message. Madonna going on television complaining about career obstacles as a woman came across as humbled shopping spree at Nieman Marcus. Protesting about fair treatment while walking the Red Carpet wearing $10.000 gowns had an air of day time soap opera self importance. Am I the only person who missed the point?
Yes! The film community needs to do better. There is hope. Less Victimology, more substance would be appreciated.
The writer worked in Hollywood at the bottom of the ladder staring upward.
France 24 reports on the great film festival.
The Chat Cinema crew discuss Ben Fritz’s book “The Big Picture”. As Hollywood moves away from Star driven movies to franchise based media vehicles the impact is felt on all levels of tinseltown. One studio in particular got it wrong. Once the darling of “A list talent”, Sony finds itself struggling in the new era. What went wrong?
This podcast is sponsored by #Beyerdynamic.
The Netflix effect is real. The streaming has effected the cinema world like no other technology. The Chat Cinema Team, Steve, Kristin, and Breck discuss the shockwaves.
Chat Cinema crew Stevie, Kristin, and Breck are enthused about some film trailers. While others they find less appealing.
Sponsored by #Beyerdynamic