The Latest News from Roadside Attractions

Go see GOODBYE SOLO tomorrow

2009-03-26T17:59:00.001-07:00

Ramin Bahrani's brilliant 'Goodbye Solo' opens tomorrow in New York and Chicago. If you are near either one of those cities, or know anyone who is, please go/tell them to go. Immediately! Roger Ebert calls the film "A masterwork" and says "Ramin Bahrani is the new great American director." In the New York Times, A.O. Scott calls Goodbye Solo "Wonderful, moving and mysterious. An almost perfect film." Go to www.goodbyesolomovie.com for all the press, links to buy tickets and details on Q&As in New York this weekend with Ramin and lead actor Souleymane Sy Savane. The freakin' New York Times said you have to!!!!

Strike A Pose

2009-02-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

This fall, Roadside Attractions will take you behind-the-scenes of Vogue and into the world of its legendary editor Anna Wintour. RJ Cutler's new film The September Issue recently won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival and is a fast-paced and fabulous look into the fashion world that you can't get anywhere else. Here's indieWIRE's take on the deal. We will keep you posted as more details about the fall release are nailed down.

United States of Terra

2009-01-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

In what's shaping up to be one of our biggest releases ever, Roadside, along with our good chums at Lionsgate, will release the 3D animated adventure Battle for Terra on May 1st nationwide. The film premiered as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival and features a phenomenal voicecast including (but not limited to) Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson and Justin Long. Terra offers a new twist on the alien invasion movie as a peaceful civilization is threatened when humans attempt to take over their planet after exhausting the Earth's resources. Here's Variety's take on the deal. Once again, Battle for Terra will be everywhere (including the third dimension) on May 1st.

I.O.U.S.A. To Air On CNN

2009-01-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Tune into CNN this weekend to catch the Oscar shortlisted documentary I.O.U.S.A. The film will be shown in an slightly shortened version and be broadcast alongside a CNN panel of experts discussing the current state of the US economy. Here are the broadcast times. But check your local listings/DVR schedule thing, because CNN does have a tendency to replay things a few times:

Saturday, January 10th @ 2 pm EST
Sunday, January 11th @ 3 pm EST

Ramin on the Road

2008-12-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

If you live in/near Boston, Atlanta, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles or Chicago, you can soon check out Ramin Bahrani's amazing 'Chop Shop' for FREE! Ramin will be at these screenings in person to provide As to your Qs and just maybe to show a couple clips from his newest film (and upcoming Roadside release) 'Goodbye Solo.' 'Chop Shop' was recently nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards (for Best Director and Best Cinematography) and was named by Roger Ebert as one of the best films of 2008. The screenings are all free, as are the cocktails and music, but you do have to RSVP here. And they are first-come, first-served, so be sure to be prompt (plus, it's just polite).

I.O.U.S.A. Makes Oscar Shortlist

2008-11-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Pat and Christine and everyone involved with I.O.U.S.A.! The film was just named one of 15 finalists for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. The nominations will be announced on January 22nd. Here's the full list:

“At the Death House Door”
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”
“Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Fuel”
“The Garden”
“Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts”
“I.O.U.S.A.”
“In a Dream”
“Made in America”
“Man on Wire”
“Pray the Devil Back to Hell”
“Standard Operating Procedure”
“They Killed Sister Dorothy”
“Trouble the Water”

Roadside Goes 'Solo'

2008-11-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Hey gang, I'm am beyond excited to let you know that Roadside Attractions will be releasing Ramin Bahrani's Goodbye Solo next Spring across America. The film recently won the FIPRESCI Critics' Prize at the Venice Film Festival and has gotten rave reviews from critics worldwide. Here are a couple, so you know I'm not just spinning you:

The New York Times
Roger Ebert
The Los Angeles Times
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter
Screen International

Bahrani won the Someone To Watch award at this year's Independent Spirit Awards and has received international acclaim for his previous features Man Push Cart and Chop Shop. We can't wait for all of you to see the film. Keep an eye on our official Roadside site for the latest cities/theaters, which will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

Get Lucky This Friday!

2008-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Neil Burger's 'The Lucky Ones' hits theaters nationwide this Friday! The film stars Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena and recently had its world premiere as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. Here's what Roger Ebert had to say from the fest about 'The Lucky Ones.' Be sure to check it out this weekend (you can DVR the debate). Here's the trailer:

Fiscal Fitness

2008-08-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

After tonight's amazing, nationwide screening and discussion with Warren Buffett, I.O.U.S.A. opens tomorrow in select cities. The Sundance sensation explains, in plain English, America's looming financial crisis and what the National Debt means to you (and me). The reviews are starting to come in and have been great so far. Here are The Los Angeles Times and Roger Ebert weighing in on the film. Click here to see where the film is playing. The theater listing will be constantly updated as new bookings come in.

Deja View

2008-07-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Roadside is thrilled to be opening the latest film from Bernard Shakey (aka Neil F-ing Young!) this Friday, July 25th. CSNY: Deja Vu , the closing night film at Sundance this year, follows Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as they take their music and politics on a controversial tour of the United States. You can find the theater listings on the film's official site. If your city is not listed, never fear! In a first for Roadside, the film will also be available via Video On Demand from your local cable operator. Look in your OnDemand menu for all the details.

2008-05-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

THIS FRIDAY, Tarsem's mind-blowing, groundbreaking visual marvel THE FALL will be opening in New York and Los Angeles. Up top is a display of some of the costumes you can check out at The Landmark in West LA. The film will also be opening at the Arclight in Los Angeles as well as the Sunshine and Empire in New York. You can click on any of the theater names to buy tickets for this weekend. Be sure to check it out THIS WEEKEND! Btw, we hear Speed Racer is mad weak.

Take 'The Fall' This Spring

2008-04-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

On May 9th, Spike Jonze, David Fincher and Roadside Attractions are thrilled to be presenting Tarsem's visionary new film The Fall in New York and Los Angeles. The film will then roll out to the rest of the country throughout May and June. Tarsem is, of course, the groundbreaking director of The Cell, R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' video as well as an untold number of jaw-dropping commercials. You can check out the crappy YouTube version of The Fall trailer below. If you want to see it in all its Quicktime glory, just hit up the Apple trailer site. But honestly, neither of these will give you a feeling for the true visual genius on display here. The Fall is a film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. And on May 9th, you'll have your chance!

Shame

2008-03-12T12:01:00.003-07:00

I have been criminally negligent with regard to my updating duties. And I promise to remedy the situation. Soon. Maybe not today. But soon. I swear (alot).

Sharpening Teeth

2008-01-14T16:46:00.001-08:00

This Friday the film that's set the blogosphere abuzz, TEETH, hits theaters. You can check out the first 5 minutes of the film below. And if you are located in the hipster retirement community of Austin, Texas, Ain't It Cool and the Alamo Drafthouse are hosting a special screening of the flick on Thursday night. Be sure to spread the word, TEETH this Friday, January 18th. Be there!

Kudos To You, Sir

2007-12-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

In addition to the previously-mentioned Spirit Award nominations, Starting Out In the Evening has continued to gather several other year-end accolades. Frank Langella was named Best Actor by The Boston Society of Film Critics and Best Actor runner-up by The Los Angeles Film Critics Association. New York Magazine's David Edelstein also said Langella gave the performance of the year. And the film was mentioned on year-end best lists by Roger Ebert, The New York Times' A.O. Scott and Stephen Holden, as well as the A.P.'s Dave Germain. The filmmakers have also just launched a beautiful new site for the film at www.startingoutfilm.com. Be sure to check out the site and one of the most acclaimed films of 2007, only in theaters.

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated

2007-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Yeah right. We wanna win! Congratulations to Starting Out In the Evening, which was just nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards by the fine folks at Film Independent. Frank Langella is up for Best Actor and Andrew Wagner and Fred Parnes will vie for Best Screenplay. If you want to vote for Starting Out, become a Film Independent member here. If you don't want to vote for Starting Out, then please don't click that link. Langella was also just nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor (Drama). You can check out all those nominees here.

Gothams Have Bite

2007-11-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

Good luck tomorrow night to Jess Weixler at The Gotham Awards! Jess is nominated for Breakthrough Actor for her unbelievably awesome performance in Mitchell Lichtenstein's TEETH! She's already bagged a Special Jury Prize for acting at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and hopefully tomorrow night will make it two-for-two. Roadside is beyond psyched to be opening Teeth on January 11th, 2008. Here's the trailer to tide you over 'till then. You've been warned!

Starting Out In Theaters

2007-11-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Starting Out In the Evening, Andrew Wagner's masterful literary drama starring Frank Langella in an award-worthy performance (and it's not just me saying that. Just ask Roger Ebert and Lisa Schwarzbaum), opens today in New York and Los Angeles. Check out these rave reviews from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and New York Magazine. Then round up friends, family, co-workers and any nearby Academy voters, and hit the theater to check out one of the year's most acclaimed films and performances.

Colma Comes Holma (sorry)

2007-11-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Rich Wong's and H.P. Mendoza's groundbreaking, Spirit Award-nominated Colma: The Musical hits DVD shelves today. Be sure to rent, queue, or (best of all!) PURCHASE, the The New York Times' Critics Pick they call "an itty-bitty movie with a great, big heart."

Muchos Gracias!

2007-11-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone that has made Bella such a big hit in its first two weekends! In only ten days the film has already brought in nearly $2.5 million at the US box office. Check out the official Bella site for a list of theaters where you can check out the film Roger Ebert calls "warm, sweet and funny."

In the Valley of Edward

2007-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

Roadside took four, count 'em, four films to the Mill Valley Film Festival this weekend. The screenings of Starting Out In the Evening, Chicago 10 and Caramel were excellent. But the man of the hour in Mill Valley was definitely Edward Espe Brown. The How To Cook Your Life star rallied the home-town crowd for a sold-out, overflow screening of the film. Here's a report from intrepid Roadside publicist extraordinaire, Meghann Burns:

HTCYL was the talk of the fest yesterday. Edward gave a witty introduction in the overflow theatre in San Rafael, making the point that "He doesn't go to the movies and now he is in one." We continued over to the sold-out Sequoia Theatre to watch the rest of the film with a captivated Marin audience. The theatre had a "rush" line in Mill Valley proper and had to turn some people away. Almost everyone stayed for the Q & A . People really responded to the film and laughed out loud consistently. They all seemed most surprised at Edward’s emotional teapot scene.The woman from the film and trailer that picks apples and makes the Bush comment also attended. She was quite funny. She arrived on her bike (from a couple towns away) with her banjo. Her and Edward shut the party down and she headed off on her bike.
How To Cook Your Life opens in the San Francisco Bay area on October 26th and will roll out across the country through November/December.

UN Summit on Trade

2007-09-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last night the United Nations (no seriously, the real United Nations) hosted a gala red carpet premiere for Trade. Celebrities, political dignitaries and assorted other highfalutin folk turned out for the New York screening. Earlier in the day Kevin Kline held a press conference on the film and the issue of trafficking. Trade opens across the country next Friday, September 28th. Hit the official site for theaters, showtimes, the trailer and more.

Phoebe Cates, Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver hit the photo line

The Trade team prepares for their big night

Trade's Kate del Castillo poses for the photogs

Roadside's Eric d'Arbeloff, Trade producer Roz Heller, director Marco Kreuzpaintner and producer Roland Emmerich enjoy the post-show shindig

Canadian Caramel

2007-09-16T08:23:00.001-07:00

This year's Toronto Film Fest wrapped up for me on Friday night as the Caramel gang walked the red carpet for their Gala screening. Writer/director/actress Nadine Labaki, actress Yasmine Elmasri and producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint were there to represent and bask in all the great press the film was receiving from the likes of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. It was a fantastic finish to a week that saw Caramel break attendance records in France and be named Lebanon's official entry for the 2007 Foreign Language Academy Award. Here are a few pics to commemorate the evening and kick off what we hope will be a hugely successful North American run for the pic starting in January. BTW, if one of the following pictures happens to be in violation of TIFF's stringent anti-piracy laws, please know I did not take it. It was some other kid. I don't know his name though. I think he's from out of town.

Roadside Hits Toronto

2007-09-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 days we've been all aboot the Toronto International Film Festival. Noah & Co. were kind enough to welcome both Starting Out In the Evening and Caramel into their line up this year. In between eight screenings a day, I've tried to snap a few blurry pics of the festivities. Here's what I have so far. Once I steal some better ones from other people's blogs, I'll post those here too.

Roadside Co-President Howard Cohen and Caramel writer/director/star Nadine Labaki discuss what a bad idea it is to take pictures while facing direct sunlight.

Starting Out In the Evening director/co-writer Andrew Wagner introduces his opening night screening.

Caramel's Yasmine Elmasri and Labaki take in a quick bite during a break from their press marathon.

Starting Out co-writers Fred Parnes and Andrew Wagner receive their marching orders from a Toronto staffer.

Caramel's Elmasri, Labaki and producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint refuel.

Colma director Rich(ard) Wong gets his due on Wayne Wang's new flick.

Speaking of Toronto...

2007-08-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

As the Toronto International Film Festival ramps up yet again, we here at Roadside are excited to announce that we will be releasing the winner of last year's Toronto's People's Choice Award, Bella. Previous winners of the award include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Whale Rider, Amelie and American Beauty. Bella will open all across the country on October 26th. Hit the link to check out the Hollywood Reporter's take on the announcement.

"One of the SCARIEST movies you're likely to see all year!"

2007-08-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

That's how Entertainment Weekly describes Right At Your Door in their amazing A- review. They also called it "smashing" "smart" "cooly horrifying" and "nerve-wracking." But don't take my word for it (I'm not all that trustworthy), check out the rave review here. And then be sure to check out Right At Your Door, in theaters this weekend in the following cities:

New York
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Washington D.C.
Boston
Philadelphia
Portland, Oregon
Austin, Texas

Right At Your Dork

2007-08-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Seeing as this is a blog, I am legally-obligated to provide at least one post regarding Comic-Con 2007 (stupid hidden Patriot Act provisions). Luckily, it turns out I actually have one. This past weekend the cast and filmmakers of Right At Your Door braved the 405 and proximity to 120,000 serious (SERIOUS) Heroes fans to participate in a Q&A session at San Diego's (in)famous Con. The R@YD gang showed the trailer and a kick-ass clip from their film before fielding questions from several uniformly pale audience members. Below you will find four of only five pictures taken all weekend at The Con which do not include spandex, swords or future regret. (as always, click on the pics for a better view)

producer Jonah Smith, director Chris Gorak, actor Mary McCormack, actor Rory Cochrane and producer Palmer West

Coming Attractions

2007-07-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

There's been so much going on here lately that I've seriously neglected my blogging duties. Hopefully within the next month or so we will be launching a completely new look for roadsideattractions.com. But in the meantime, I figured I'd let you know about all the new flicks we have coming up.

First up, on August 24th we will be opening Chris Gorak's Sundance hit Right At Your Door. The film stars Rory Cochrane and Mary McCormack as a married couple in the midst of a terrorist attack on Los Angeles. Check out the official site for the pants-soilingly terrifying trailer.

Then on September 21st, we will roll out another Sundance alum, Trade, starring Academy-Award winner Kevin Kline and penned by the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Motorcycle Diaries.

And, as previously blogged, we're opening the greatest Zen cooking film of all-time, How To Cook Your Life, on October 19th.

I'm incredibly jazzed to announce that sometime in November (maybe the 2nd, maybe the 19th...) Roadside will be opening the critical smash of this year's Sundance Film Festival, Starting Out In the Evening. 2007 Tony award winner Frank Langella gives another award-worthy performance in this portrait of a legendary New York author.

While visiting the South of France this past May, we happened to pick up the lovely Lebanese film Caramel. Writer/director/star Nadine Labaki's multi-generational portrait of a Beirut beauty salon was the fan-favorite of this year's Director's Fortnight and we're looking to release the film in the US this January.

And finally, in February '08 we will be releasing Academy Award nominee Brett Morgen's Chicago 10. This groundbreaking, revolutionary depiction of the '68 Chicago DNC riots features the talents of such acclaimed actors as Liev Schreiber, Nick Nolte and Mark Ruffalo and was the opening night film of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

New York's Got New Jersey...

2007-07-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

...and now it has Colma too. Tomorrow (July 6), Colma: The Musical opens at NYC's Quad Cinema. You can check out the review from The New York Times here and then follow Ms. Dargis' advice and buy your tickets right here. It'll be just like going to Broadway; except it won't cost $120, the music's better and the only wicked witch is Rodel.

Visit Colma!

2007-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog. All kinds of things have happened in the past month. We bought a movie in Cannes. We moved offices. 'According To Jim' wrapped up another hilarious season. But the big news of the day is that Colma: The Musical is opening today in the up-and-coming Colma suburb, San Francisco, California. Director Rich Wong, screen/songwriter HP Mendoza and various and sundry cast and crew members will be at the Embarcadero throughout the weekend to chat, mingle, Q and quite possibly A as well. And you can buy your very own tickets right here. Colma will be opening in New York at the Quad on July 6th and at additional theaters throughout the summer.

Mon francais est tres mauvais

2007-05-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, we just got to Cannes for the 60th anniversary of their annual cinematic shindig. Once screenings start I won't get the chance to update, so here are a few pics of the calm before the bow-tied storm. Thought you might be interested. And by "you" I mean "my sister."

A soda machine in the Brussels airport. I don't even want to know what's in Belgian chocolate.
The famed Palais staircase. It's not red yet, but it's gettin' there.
Giant stars descend on the Palais.
A quick visual summation of my technical issues at this year's fest.
Outside the 'My Blueberry Nights' opening night screening. These guys stole my signs.

Lonely Hearts Opens Today!!

2007-04-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

To all our coastal friends, be sure to check out Todd Robinson's Lonely Hearts, which hits theaters in New York and Los Angeles today. The film's been getting some great reviews including The New York Times and The New Yorker. And you can check out a really in-depth interview with Robinson over at indiewire.

Smooch the Pooch

2007-04-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Bobcat Goldthwait's outrageous, sweet, disgusting, thoughtful, shocking, touching romantic comedy Sleeping Dogs Lie hits DVD shelves today. If there are no shelves in close proximity, you can grab your very own copy right here.

Where the Hell is Colma?

2007-04-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

At Roadside Attractions. That's where. OK, lame. Sorry. I'll stop. Anyway, we're thrilled to announce that we will be releasing Rich Wong's Colma: The Musical to theaters later this year. Colma may be the first (and therefore greatest) no-budget, full-length musical motion picture of all-time. The film was recently nominated by both the Independent Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards. Here's some coverage on the deal from The Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire and Screen Daily. And here's the Variety review. You can check out Rich's terrific site here, and his trailer right here:

I Am A Materials Girl

2007-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

April 13th is rapidly approaching. After you make the mad dash to the post office or irs.gov, be sure to check out Lonely Hearts, which hits theaters on that date. You know, it's the new John Travolta movie in which he doesn't wear fetish gear or get hit by a pigeon. For a small taste of what you'll be getting, here are the poster and trailer for the flick, semi-hot off the presses.

Get Ashley Judd In Your Living Room

2007-03-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heads-up that Joey Lauren Adams' fantastic directorial debut, Come Early Morning, is out on DVD today. Like right now. This minute. If you missed it in theaters (and I know there are some of you out there) be sure to check it out on disc. It really is one of 2006's genuine undiscovered gems and features the best performance Ashley Judd's ever delivered.

'Hearts' and Finds

2007-03-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films are proud to report that we will be releasing the new John Travolta/James Gandolfini/Salma Hayek film Lonely Hearts on April 13. The movie premiered at Tribeca and we've had our eye on it ever since. We should have a trailer and poster up for you shortly. Until then, check out what Variety had to say about the film.

Moved By the Spirit

2007-02-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

It was a big weekend for Roadside. I ate 40 hors d'oeuvres!! First off, thanks to all of you who turned out for Amazing Grace. The film took in $4 million and finished the weekend in the top ten at the box office. And of course, on Saturday night Mat Whitecross took home the Spirit Award for Best Documentary for he and Michael Winterbottom's The Road to Guantanamo. Here Mat is on stage accepting his award from Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Illeana Douglas (photo courtesy of Getty Images):And here he is later in the evening sitting next to some Israeli dude while I ate a burrito (photo courtesy of my craptacular cell phone. burrito courtesy of the Academy Award-nominated director of the brilliant My Country, My Country, Laura Poitras):
He made me promise not to show anyone this pic (activists don't smile this big!!), but he's back in London now. What's he gonna do??

Amazing Pace

2007-02-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, but we are only one week away from the nationwide release of Amazing Grace. It's going to be on screens everywhere, from Anchorage to Hattiesburg. Don't believe me? Check out the film's official site for all the latest theater listings. To tide you over until the 23rd here's the official trailer, brought to you in the glorious muddiness that only YouTube can provide.

German Cuisine

2007-02-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Big news from the Berlinale. Roadside Attractions has picked up a new film about Zen and the art of cooking called How To Cook Your Life. Directed by renowned German filmmaker Doris Dorrie, How To Cook focuses on San Francisco-based Zen priest and master chef, Edward Espe Brown as he attempts to explain how you literally are what you eat. You can check out the Variety review here. We are aiming for a Summer release for the film. So hurry up and get your Scoops fix while you still can.

Join the Club

2007-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

In case you've missed the last few issues of AARP The Magazine ("The World's Largest Circulation Magazine"!), here's your heads-up that Boynton Beach Club is now on DVD, just in time for Valentine's Day. Buy it for your sweetheart right before you break it to Johnny that he's getting a new grandpa. And in case you love Wal-Mart, but just can't seem to find one of their stores anywhere, Boynton Beach is also available from their brand spankin' new download service. Good luck walking your nana through that one.

Long Time, No Blog

2007-01-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hey gang, sorry for the delay in posting. But first there was the solstice, then it was Santa's birthday and then was Sundance. So now, after ten days of vagina teeth, horse sex and Dakota Fanning rape, we're back and ready to kick off the new year. You can ring in '07 in the most awesome way possible by picking up the newly released DVD of the Duplassterpiece The Puffy Chair. It not only has the flick, commentary track and deleted scenes, but also a very irresponsible self-interview the guys did while driving around Los Angeles with a DV-cam. I'm not sure if they're aware, but statistics show that 72% of traffic accidents in LA are caused by independent filmmakers.

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do...

2006-11-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

We here at Roadside would like to be the first to congratulate Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross on their Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Documentary for their masterful film The Road to Guantanamo. The Spirits will be held February 24th in beautiful, bum-infested Santa Monica, California. You can check out all the nominees here. Would we like to congratulate our fellow nominees as well? No way! Screw those guys. Steve Bognar, you're goin' down!!

Wah-Wah on DVD

2006-11-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

Richard E. Grant's beautiful, funny, touching, criminally-overlooked film Wah-Wah is out on DVD today. So if you missed it in theaters (and I have a sneaking suspicion you may have) be sure to buy it, queue it or VOD it. Whichever way you swing is none of my business.

Come Early Friday

2006-11-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hey gang! We are thrilled to be opening Joey Lauren Adams' fantastic new film Come Early Morning this Friday, November 10th. The film speaks for itself, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Here's what Roger Ebert had to say about the film at Sundance. Here are the theaters where it is playing. Here is an interview Joey and Ashley Judd did with New York Public Radio:
And last but not least, here is the trailer for the film: Now get going! Oh, and don't forget to vote today. But only for the good guys.

Sleeping Dogs Lie. In Theatres. Right Now! No Joke!

2006-10-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Dogs Lie. In Theatres. New York. Los Angeles. Tomorrow!

2006-10-19T17:31:00.001-07:00

Confessions from Sleeping Dogs Lie - Part 1

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Sleeping Dogs Lie. In Theatres. New York. Los Angeles. This Friday!

2006-10-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Confessions from Sleeping Dogs Lie Part 2

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Up Our Queue Rating

2006-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! As of today you can see the critically-acclaimed, Sundance darlinged, multi-thousand-dollar masterpiece The Puffy Chair in the comfort of your very own home. The fine folks at Netflix have made Puffy available for rent a full three months before you can buy it. So queue it up and get your appetite sufficiently whet, before the disc goes on sale January 23rd.

At the Angelika!!

2006-08-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Click on this to make it bigger so you can actually read it. I am a pathetic webmaster.

BBC America

2006-08-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Having trouble viewing this email? Visit: http://www.boyntonbeachclubthemovie.com/email/

Here Comes the Judd

2006-07-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hooray! We here at Roadside are thrilled to announce that we will be releasing Come Early Morning in the US this fall. The film was written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams and stars Ashley Judd in her best performance to date(IMHO). We all fell in love with the film at Sundance this year and have spent the past few months nailing down the finer points of the deal. We're tentatively scheduled to open Come Early Morning on November 17. Until then you can check out what Sundance had to say about the flick as well as the Hollywood Reporter's announcement of the deal. Although, you should note that in the Reporter piece, Mr. Goldstein erroneously refers to Ms. Adams as the "title character in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy," when we all know good and well that Joey played Alyssa Jones and that the "Amy" of the title was actually the ex-girlfriend/object lesson in Silent Bob's hilarious yet heartfelt monologue which served as the centerpiece, and eventual overriding theme, to the picture.

WEST SIDE!!!

2006-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, just a quick note to let you know that The Puffy Chair is opening Los Angeles today at the NuArt Theatre, on Santa Monica Boulevard just west of the 405. Check out these great reviews from both the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly. Jay, Mark and Katie will, in various configurations, be participating in Q&A sessions after the 7:30 pm and 9:50 pm shows on Friday and Saturday night. They are also going to try to drop in for various other shows throughout the week, although those are still up in the air. But head over to the NuArt this week and you might just get lucky. No not like that, perv.

The Old Gray Lady on Old Gray Ladies

2006-07-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

The New York Times

July 2, 2006

Hollywood Awakens to the Geriatric Demographic

By STEPHEN FARBER
For the New York Times

LOS ANGELES

WHEN Hollywood marketing gurus speak about "the older audience," they generally don't mean older by much. Box office tallies, for instance, are often reviewed with an eye to the percentage of moviegoers over and under the age of 25.

Studio specialty divisions like Fox Searchlight, Sony Classics and Focus Features might stretch the definition of "older" audiences to moviegoers between 35 and 50. Viewers in that range helped to make movies like "Sideways" and "The Constant Gardener" successful.

But where does that leave truly older audiences, fossils over 50 or 60 or even 70? To Hollywood these have been the perennially invisible men and women. Yet change is afoot. Some filmmakers and smaller distributors have discovered a secret society of mature moviegoers, and they have decided that this audience may actually be worth courting.

One of the most striking recent forays toward the older audience comes from Susan Seidelman, 53, who established herself as a hip young director when she made "Smithereens" in 1982 and "Desperately Seeking Susan" with Madonna in 1985.

Last year Ms. Seidelman made "Boynton Beach Club," a comedy about romance in a community for the elderly in Florida, starring a raft of 60-ish performers like Dyan Cannon, Sally Kellerman, Brenda Vaccaro, Len Cariou, Joe Bologna and Renée Taylor. Ms. Seidelman financed the movie independently, then tried to sell it to one of the studios.

"They all said to me, 'It's a nice movie, but we don't believe there's enough commercial potential in that demographic,' " Ms. Seidelman recalled. "That didn't compute for me. I'm over 50, and I go to the movies at least once a week. My mother is over 70, and she goes twice a week. My 16-year-old son barely goes at all. He's online all the time. I think people over 50 are the most under-represented audience." (Statistics compiled by the Motion Picture Association of America show that moviegoers 50 and older accounted for 23.9 percent of the total audience last year, up slightly from 21.3 percent in 2001.)

The film got the attention of audiences in South Florida and Palm Springs, Calif., when Ms. Seidelman engineered a limited release in those regions. Now, "Boynton Beach Club" will be seen around the country when Roadside Attractions releases it on Aug. 4.

Richard D. Zanuck, a veteran producer who is now 71, learned some lessons about the senior market 17 years ago when he and his wife, Lili Fini Zanuck, produced "Driving Miss Daisy" with Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman. No one wanted to finance it, but the movie went on to earn more than $100 million and won the Academy Award as best picture of 1989.

"After the movie succeeded," Mr. Zanuck recalled, "one executive told me that 'Driving Miss Daisy' was a 'nonrecurring phenomenon.' Millions of people went to the theater to see it. Why is that nonrecurring?"

Recent films that have tapped the older audience include "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont," with Joan Plowright as a widow moving into a rooming house in London; "The World's Fastest Indian," starring Anthony Hopkins as a motorcyclist whose speed puts younger cyclists to shame; and "Mrs. Henderson Presents," with Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins playing unlikely partners in a burlesque theater during World War II. On Sept. 15 ThinkFilm will release "Keeping Mum," which stars Maggie Smith as a murderous housekeeper working for Kristin Scott-Thomas and Rowan Atkinson.

By some accounts it was "Ladies in Lavender," which featured Dame Maggie and Dame Judi as two sisters living on the Cornwall coast, that really opened eyes to the potency of this neglected audience. The movie was filmed in the fall of 2003 and played at the Toronto International Film Festival in the fall of 2004. Michael McClellan, vice president and film booker for Landmark Theaters, saw it and felt strongly that people who frequented his art houses would respond to the movie.

"But the studios didn't see a value in a film that would appeal to a niche audience," he said. "I was baffled by their response. I felt the cast and the period setting had a definite appeal."

Partly because of Mr. McClellan's prodding and partly because the film did big business when it opened in Britain early 2005, Roadside Attractions finally decided to distribute the film. Originally Howard Cohen and Eric D'Arbeloff, the chief executives of the company, had turned it down along with everyone else.

"We listened to all the naysayers who said 'Ladies in Lavender' was a plotless movie about two old ladies," Mr. Cohen said. The film grossed just under $7 million in the United States, which is impressive for a British period film. Mr. McClellan pointed out that since most of the admissions were at elderly discount prices, the actual number of paying patrons was larger than the grosses indicated. "It appealed to a more literate, literary audience," Mr. McClellan said.

"Mrs. Palfrey" opened at the end of last year in New York and Los Angeles in order to qualify for the Academy Awards. The initial reviews were only fair, and the movie got lost in the Christmas rush. To make matters worse, the marketing people forgot to submit Dame Joan's name to the academy for consideration as best actress, so the movie seemed doomed.

But when it played at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January, it won the audience award in that desert retirement community. The distributor, Jour de Fête Films, booked it immediately after the festival in two Palm Springs theaters, where it played for three months and grossed close to $100,000, with minimal advertising in the local newspapers. Jour de Fête began to open it in other cities around the country, and in cities where the reviews were good, the grosses were astonishingly high. It did big business in Seattle, Detroit, Boston, Minneapolis, Santa Fe and other cities.

On June 2 "Mrs. Palfrey" reopened at one of Landmark's theaters in Los Angeles and out-grossed three newer movies at the multiplex. It is now in its fourth week of reissue, and it will also reopen at the Quad Cinema in New York this summer. The film's director, Dan Ireland, commented: "How many films are made for an elderly audience? They respond because the film treats the older characters with humanity."

Most distributors, however, are still skeptical about this audience. When Ms. Seidelman initially found no buyers for "Boynton Beach Club," she decided to open the film herself in a couple of areas with a large elderly population. "I was calling the newspapers to place the ads," Ms. Seidelman reported. "My mother was handing out flyers and putting up posters in delis in West Palm Beach." (Her mother, Florence Seidelman, had suggested the story and is credited as one of the film's producers.) The movie earned $100,000 in its first week in just 10 theaters.

Mr. Cohen and Mr. D'Arbeloff had originally turned down the movie, just as they had turned down "Ladies in Lavender," but they started paying attention to the grosses. "The per-screen average jumped out at me," Mr. Cohen recalled. "And the movie was not just playing in art houses." In a mall in Orlando, Fla., Ms. Seidelman observed, the movie outgrossed "The Da Vinci Code." So Roadside Attractions decided to pick the film up for national distribution.

"It's an event movie for older audiences because it's about dating and sex," Mr. Cohen said. He noted that Dyan Cannon was in one of the emblematic movies about the sexual revolution of the 60's, "Bob &amp;amp; Carol & Ted & Alice." "Now she's in an emblematic movie about senior sexuality," he observed. "This movie really shows that 60 is the new 40," Mr. D'Arbeloff added.

Roadside, Goldwyn Become 'Beach' Boys

2006-06-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

In order to balance out the season's massive, annual granny migration, Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films are heading to Boynton Beach this summer. Starting in August, we will be rolling out Susan Seidelman's geriatric sex comedy (yes, you read that right) Boynton Beach Club across the U.S. Already a massive hit in its native Florida, Boynton Beach offers a rare, honest and hilarious look at what really goes on behind the gates of our nation's retirement communities. In my constant quest to find the most obscure outlets for Roadside news, here is a piece from Yahoo Australia about the deal.

At Last, Duplass!

2006-05-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! If you are in Austin, Boston, San Fran, Portland or D.C., make sure to turn out early and often this weekend for the opening of The Puffy Chair. The theatres are listed above, but you have to click on the pic to actually make them legible (Sorry, I haven't quite figured out the "master" part of "webmaster" yet.) The film has been getting some great early press from such fine, classy rags as the SF Bay Guardian, Boston Phoenix, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Portland Oregonian.

And as if that wasn't enough to convince you to head to your local uni- and/or multi-plex, here are a few words from the auteurs themselves:

"Hi everybody,

Our movie "The Puffy Chair" opens in theaters this Friday June 2 in Austin, Berkeley, Boston, Portland, San Francisco, and Washington... and in July we'll be opening LA and New York.

This is where you come in. Puffy needs you. Our campaign for this movie is almost entirely based on word of mouth, so please please bring your friends this weekend and go see it. Also, forward this email along to your friends who live in these cities and encourage them to go, 'cos if we don't do well in the first week, they'll kick our asses to the curb.

Thanks guys!
Jay and Mark

PS you can get all relevant information and watch our new trailer at www.thepuffychairmovie.com"

So, if you don't want to see Duplass ass meet curb, be sure to check out The Puffy Chair starting this Friday, June 2nd. Go lineup now. Camp out. It'll be like Stars Wars. Except not terrible.

Lassie Comes Home to Roadside

2006-05-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, that was cheeseball. Sorry. Anyway, we here at Roadside Attractions are pleased to announce that we, along with Samuel Goldwyn Films, will be distributing the new British version of the timeless boy-meets-dog story Lassie this fall in these United States. The film stars Samantha Morton, Peter O'Toole, Peter Dinklage and, of course, Lassie. Here's what that bastion of cinematic integrity, Yahoo Finance, had to say about the deal. The film recently played at the Sprockets International Film Festival for Children and the Tribeca not-for-children Film Festival in New York. Honestly, it really is a beautiful retelling of Eric Knight's classic story. But don't take my word for it. Here's what the Hollywood Reporter has to say about it. So this September, throw us a bone and take your kids, legitimate or otherwise, to see everyone's favorite telepathic pooch.

The "E" is for "Exhausted"

2006-05-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, it's pretty much been wall to wall Wah-Wah week around these parts. The film opens tomorrow (May 12th) in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Dallas. On Monday we screened for Stephen Farber (no relation to Ronald), and a surprising number of South Africans, as part of the Reel Talk series at the Wadsworth Theatre in L.A. Withnail himself, Richard E. Grant, somehow found time between one entirely full day of press and another entirely full day of press to squeeze in a Q&A after the screening, during which he recounted his days growing up in Swaziland and met a man who owns over 3,000 puppets. Don't ask.

Then on Tuesday night, we moved the circus over to the Arclight in Hollywood for an AFI screening of the film followed by a Q&A with Mr. Grant and special guest moderator Steve Martin. Appearing neither wild nor crazy nor jerkish nor cheaper by the dozen (I don't know what that last one means), Mr. Martin conducted a very urbane, sophisticated discussion of the film. Although at one point he did wrestle an audience member for the microphone to the amusement of such celebrity guests such as Eric Idle, Winona Ryder, Eugene Levy and LA's (sole?) resident genius, Nicole Holofcener.

Sorry, I almost tripped over all those names I just dropped. Anyway, be sure to catch Wah-Wah this weekend at fine cinemas everywhere. Or at least everywhere that matters. Kidding! But seriously, take your mom for Mother's Day. I'm sure she'd rather see this than watch Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas drown. Although, come to think of it, that might be nice too.

Movies Take Manhattan

2006-05-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

I know it's not as cool as Muppets. But it'll have to do. The annual Tribeca Film Festival takes place from April 25 until May 7 and Roadside will represent, east coast style, with two flicks. Both Wah-Wah and The Road to Guantanamo will be part of Tribeca (which, for those of you making the trip, is hardly only in Tribeca. So be sure to fund your MetroCards accordingly.) Wah-Wa h screens on Thursday, May 4th. Guantanamo shows Friday, May 5th. And then both movies will fight to the death on Saturday night, May 6th as they screen head-to-head. May the best pic win. Anyway, individual tickets for all four screenings are currently on sale on the official Tribeca Film Festival site. Although it looks like Saturday night's Wah-Wah screening is already on stand-by only. Score one for Richard E. Grant. Your move, Mr. Winterbottom...

Puff, Puff, Mass.

2006-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Big Boston-baked ups go out to all the minutemen (snicker, snicker) and minutewomen (confused silence) who turned out last weekend for The Puffy Chair screenings at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Mark and Katie had a blast meeting all of you and especially enjoyed the opportunity the trip afforded them to hunt and kill the wild game which provided the material for these stylish robes. Speaking of stylish material, make sure to head over to Hot or Not to to show your inappropriate appreciation of the very taut, supple, sexy fabric stretched oh-so-suggestively over every one's favorite Puffy Chair. And I don't want to see any 2.3s on there, people. I know it's anonymous and everything. But really, it hurts people's feelings. And for no good reason other than just to be a huge jerk...not that I would, uh, know how that feels or anything.

I Have Some Dates

2006-04-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

No, not the kind that might end in nudity (or, just as likely, tears). Just release dates. But I realized that this blog has been lacking date news (both kinds) for quite a while now, so I thought I'd give you a quick heads up. Of course all these are tentative, subject to change, not set in stone, etcetera and so forth:

Wah-Wah opens in limited release May 12th.

The Puffy Chair opens in Austin, Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Portland (Oregon) on June 2nd. And we currently have dates scheduled in Los Angeles on July 7th and NYC on July 14th.

Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic hits DVD on June 6.
The Road to Guantanamo opens in limited release on June 23rd.

OK, that's enough for now. We have some other cool movies coming out this fall. Some involving dogs. Some involving sex. Some involving both. But we'll hold off on those at least until later this summer. Maybe even the dog days of summer. Get it?? Get it??

Roadside Closes Guantanamo...

2006-03-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

...just the movie. Not the illegal detention facility. We are thrilled to report that Roadside Attraction s will be bringing the fantastic new Michael Winterbottom/Mat Whitecross film The Road to Guantanamo to the States this June. The film premiered last month at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for Best Director and garnered tons of great reviews and press. Since The Man's publications (i.e. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter) require registration for their sites, here is the people's trade, Indiewire, with a full report on the details of the deal. We are both excited and honored to be able to bring this intense, thought-provoking, sure-to-be-controversial film to US audiences. The Road to Guantanamo will have its US Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on May 5 and will then open in finer theatres everywhere the following month.

FIND Us Some Justice!!

2006-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

"It's an honor just to be nominated" is one of those phrases like "I hope we can still be friends" or "At least he didn't suffer" or "Jesus loves you." You know, some crap people say to take some of the suck off of a sucky situation. Anyway, Saturday night at FIND's (or Film Independent, if you're not into the whole brevity thing) Independent Spirit Awards, The Puffy Chair went 0-for-2 in the awards categories, but 42-for-42 in the hors d'oeuvres portion of the evening. On the bright side (another one of those phrases), our crew did get to meet a ton of cool people, score a bunch of free drinks, rub up against Zooey Deschanel in a crowded room (that was just me) and Jay got to say "Hi Mom" on TV, NFL-style. The picture above was taken during happier times, namely Wednesday night's nominees reception which was hosted by Naomi Watts and stolen by Sarah Silverman. The fine FIND folks did a cool thing where they brought all the nominees up to the stage and let them pass the mic to say their name and the title of their film. Mark had a great joke planned where he was going to say "I'm Ang Lee, director, Brokeback Mountain." But Ang Lee beat him to it. Thankfully, Lee got his comeuppance last night when his "I wish I knew how to quit you" joke bombed at the Oscars.

Bleep Happens

2006-02-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today's the day all you Ramtha-lovers out there have been waiting several millennia for. A new, improved, 154-minute version of the smash hit What the Bleep Do We Know? opens today in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boulder and a handful of other of enlightened cities across our sporadically-great country. Titled What the Bleep!? Down the Rabbit Hole, this new version contains over 90 minutes of never-before-seen Bleepage including new interviews, animation and scientific info. You can check out a new trailer for the film here. And you can hit this link to see when/where/if the Rabbit Hole will open in your area. If you don't see your local cinematheque on this list, make sure to call them every hour on the hour and demand that they book the Bleep. They love that.

Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack...

2006-01-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Well we are finally headed back from Sundance. And after ten days of battling traffic jams, sleep-deprivation, Metallica and about a hundred feet of white powder (give or take) we are happy to report that we've finally found a film upon which both Howard Stern and PETA can agree. Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films have picked up North American distribution rights to the racy, riotous, relationship comedy Stay, directed by Bob (neé cat) Goldthwait and starring Desperate Housewives' Melinda Page Hamilton. The movie played through the roof and had audiences howling (barking?) and tongues wagging throughout the festival. Here are Variety's and indiewire's takes on the deal, and here's what the auteur himself had to say about the film. We haven't decided on a release date quite yet, but I will keep you posted.

Roadside Gets The Chair

2006-01-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

Good things come to those who wait. Or those who have mad cash. But since the latter doesn't really apply to us, we'll focus on the former. After nearly a year of unhealthy obsession, mash notes and awkward flirting, Roadside Attractions has finally sealed the deal with The Duplass Brothers for theatrical distribution rights to the bros' hilarious road-comedy The Puffy Chair. Adding the trois to this menage will be the good folks over at Netflix who are partnering with Roadside on both the theatrical and DVD release. How all this will work is way above my pay grade. But with their usual, scarily-thorough understanding of the biz, indiewire recently took at a stab at explaining the ins and/or outs of the deal in this piece. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety also ran their own Puffy Chair stories, but apparently "The Man" won't allow you to read their precious missives without a password. So they shall go unlinked.

Hey Slackers...

2005-12-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's not too late to stuff some Roadside up your stocking (in your stocking?)! Both Ladies in Lavender and Pretty Persuasion are brand spankin' new on DVD and ready to be hastily internet-ordered for all your pathetic, last-minute, less-than-thoughtful holiday shopping needs. Be sure to buy Ladies in Lavender for your favorite grandma, Pretty Persuasion for your favorite kinky schoolgirl, and both for your favorite kinky grandma. We here at Roadside wish you and yours the very best non-denominational, winter-solstice-related celebration ever, and look forward to selling you even more stuff in the coming year.

She doesn't stink...

2005-11-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

...despite Variety's headline "Silverman has B.O. Magic." The "B.O." in question is the box office and the "magic" referenced means cash. Roadside wants to thank all of you who got out this weekend and saw Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic. You made it the highest per-screen grosser of the weekend. Grosser than Pride & Prejudice. Grosser than Zathura. And way grosser than Bee Season. But don't take my repeatedly-discredited word for it. Check out Indiewire's piece on the weekend box office and bask in the heavenly glow that is Sarah.

Open Wide! (well, actually limited. but whatever)

2005-11-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

Eight months ago I saw the funniest movie of the year. And I didn't have anyone to talk about it with!! Which was rough. I've been going crazy ever since waiting for everybody else to get to see it so I could finally get some feedback. Well the big day is finally here. Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic opens today in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and Minneapolis. So get out there, check it out, and then burn up your favorite message boards with your thoughts, praise and/or snide comments.

In the past few weeks, Sarah's gotten some awesome press in places like Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times, not to mention the 5,000 other interviews she granted last week in the course of breaking the world record for longest press day ever. And yet she still found time to sign a poster for her creepiest, smelliest, most annoying fan. And I will cherish it always.

Both of our premieres in NYC in LA were full-houses and seemed to be big successes. Many photos were taken. Many well-wishers were humored. Many toothpick cheeses were consumed. Oh, and here's the freakiest celebrity shot from either premiere. Ten bucks to whomever can identify the former Jennifer Love-interest pictured here.

AFI is Coming (the film festival, not that crappy goth band)

2005-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, just a quick word to let you know that the Los Angeles premiere of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic is going to take place Thursday, November 10 at 9:30 pm at the Arclight Theatre in the heart (i.e. the smelly part) of Hollywood, California. And here's the best part: You are totally invited. But there's one catch. You have to have a ticket to get in. And I don't know how many are left. But you can easily find out by going to the AFI Fest website. Just use that link to purchase your tickets to come join me, Sarah Silverman, probably Jimmy Kimmel and perhaps some other huge stars, like maybe, oh I don't know, Erik Estrada*, at the L.A. premiere of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic on November 10th.

In other Jesus-related news, the official website for the flick is now up and running and live and all that. It features the full theatrical trailer, theater listings, synopses and all kinds of other fun Sarah tidbits. And the press just keeps on coming. This week there was a huge profile on Sarah in the ultra-swanky New Yorker magazine. The writer, Dana Goodyear, did a terrific job with the piece, even if the photo in the magazine left a little to be desired. Luckily though, we also received the following issue of Heeb Magazine which more than makes up for any arty, sepia-toned pics to which we'd previously been subjected. Hopefully this cover image will tide you over until the opening of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic on Friday, November 11th. Hey, it's been doing the trick for me.

*Guest list subject to change without notice. Mr. Estrada has a very busy schedule.

Wah Happened?

2005-10-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

The other big news out of Toronto (at least for us) was that Roadside Attractions picked up North American rights to Richard E. Grant's directorial debut Wah-Wah. With the film, Grant (Withnail & I) offers a coming-of-age tale not so dissimmilar to his own upbringing as a Brit in Swaziland during the early 1970s. But I suck at synopsizing things, so I'll just direct you to the Toronto Festival guide for the full, properly-spelled, coherent scoop on the film.

The film co-stars some folks you'll recognize such as Emily Watson, Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson and Julie Walters. But the big story here is lead actor Nicholas Hoult, the dumpy little dweeb from About a Boy, who has now grown into a strapping, handsome young lad who we all agree is starting to look like Tom Cruise. But without all the crazy. Hoult gives an amazing, breakthrough performance in the film. You will be blown away. If you see the film. Which you all definitely should. We don't have a firm release date in place yet, but we're aiming for sometime this spring, perhaps around March or April. I'll keep you posted.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2005-10-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog. I apologize for the delay, but September was chock full of festy goodness around here. We kicked off the Toronto Film Festival with a fantastic Midnight Madness screening of Jesus is Magic on opening night. We packed nearly 1,000 people (in various states of sobriety) into the Ryerson Auditorium, and the movie hit harder than the New Orleans P.D. Sarah took the stage around 2 am and further charmed the faithful with some insightful words about Lenny Bruce, fat people and marijuana, then wrapped it all up with a short dance routine. Just like the Pope does it. Oh, and Seth Cohen was totally at the screening!!!<3<3>3 Not that I'm a ten-year-old girl or anything. Well...not completely.

The next day, Sarah (yes, we're on a first-name basis...at least in my mind) did about 10 hours of press after about 0.5 hours sleep. You should be seeing the fruits of her labors soon in such fine publications as The New Yorke r, People Magazine and the uber-prestigious home of Judy Miller and Jayson Blair, The New York Time s. Here is a scan from an even more highly regarded publication, Maxim Magazine, just to give you a taste of the publicity deluge to come as we near Jesus is Magic's opening on November 11!!!

Blame Canada

2005-09-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Things have been crazy hectic over here at Roadside HQ this week, as well as everywhere else in L.A., as we all prepare for the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to our usual, exhaustive, thoroughly-researched, award-winning (not really) search for films to pick up for distribution, Roadside is thrilled to be presenting the new film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic at the TIFF. Jesus is Magic, which will open in the U.S. on November 11th (Or 4th. Or maybe 9th. I'll keep you posted.), will serve as the opening night film for Toronto's awesome Midnight Madness section. The first public screening will be at the Ryerson Auditorium on Thursday, September 8th at 11:59 pm, sharp! I don't want to see anybody trying to sneak in at 12:03 either. We'll have words.

The film's other public screening will be Friday, September 9th at 12:15 pm at the Paramount Theatre. So if you're headed to the Great White North, or are one of the highly-educated, polite, universal-health-care-having people who already live in the T.O., be sure to grab a ticket for either screening. While I can't guarantee that I'll personally be there, Sarah Silverman will be. I know, I know. It's hardly the same thing. But you'll just have to make due. Here is the official Toronto page for Jesus is Magic. It has a great program note as well as links to all the info you'll need regarding showtimes, tickets, theatre locations, etcetera and so forth.

We leave the States Wednesday for the "Festival of Festivals." If I can find a free minute between screenings, expense account meals and celebrity stalking, I'll try to post up some film fest scoop. If not, I will give you the update when we get back to L.A. But by then you'll have already read all about it on Movie City News. Dang!

FYI: WOW on DVD

2005-08-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Enough acronymns. Time for some actual words. The DVD of Roadside Attractions' and Samuel Goldwyn Films' Walk on Water hits store shelves, online retailers, Netflix queues and Christmas wishlishts (just kidding) today! Earlier this year, Walk on Water became the highest-grossing Israeli film in U.S. box office history and comes to DVD today via the good folks over at Columbia TriStar Home Video. You can pick it up wherever fine (and not-so-fine) films are sold. Of course, the easiest/laziest way is, as always, via Amazon.com. So what are you waiting for?? Get clickin'!

Opening Night Jitters

2005-08-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the big day has finally arrived!!! Nearly seven months after we first saw it at Sundance, today Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films open Pretty Persuasion for business in New York and Los Angeles. We're opening on five screens in LA and three in NYC. In the New York area the film is playing at Lincoln Square, the Sunshine and the Chelsea 9. And in SoCal we are in the Sunset 5, the Nuwilshire, the University Town Center, the Colorado and the Sherman Oaks Galleria. So what are you waiting for?? Get thee to the cinema!

So, just a quick recap of the premiere after party on Tuesday: Following all the excitement/musical chairs of the screening, everybody was ready to kick back and drink free vodka at Montmartre. Myself included. The cast, crew and quite a large chunk of our screening guests came to schmooze and drink and dance to an awesome DJ who even spun some Dizzee Rascal, which made me waaay too happy. Then again, maybe it was just the vodka. Either way, hit these links to check out some pics from the party: Getty

A Fez-tastic Premiere

2005-08-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Last night Pretty Persuasion had its Los Angeles premiere at the Arclight's Cinerama Dome (go to Amoeba, turn left) and it was definitely a...um, well...popular event. To say the least. The great news about last night was that we were able to fill every single one of the Dome's 800+ seats for a really challenging, edgy, independent movie. The not-so-great news was that we had to turn some people away at the door. Which sucks. And we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. But once James Woods used his heretofore untapped abilities as an usher to get everyone seated (true story), the screening got underway and the audience got to see Pretty Persuasion on the largest (and curviest) screen on which it will probably ever play.

But before the show comes pre-show, where all the real work (i.e. publicity) goes down. Thanks to some helpful production guys and large quantities of double-sided tape, we lined the red carpet with PP posters just in time for the celebrity arrivals. In addition to our awesome cast and crew, other famous folk such as Amy Smart, Sarah Silverman and Wilmer Valderrama (Fez!) came out to represent. You can take a peek at some photos from last night's red carpet here: Getty, Wire and Wire Again.

But the weirdest celebrity entrance of the night actually had nothing to do with our premiere. Right in the middle of our red carpet entrances, Keanu Reeves, looking haggard and scruffy and seriously not happy that about 50 photographers were outside, came to the Arclight to see The Aristocrats. He was wearing an old-school, turtle-shell motorcycle helmet and rushed through the mass of people quickly enough that he only had to endure minimal plebe-to-Neo contact. Whoa, indeed.

I'll report back shortly with news and pics from the overflow-free after-party.

Qs & As

2005-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy couple days around here as we hurtle towards the Friday opening of Pretty Persuasion. Monday was "Press Day" in Beverly Hills. If you've never been to one of these things, here's how it goes: The cast and director get to a hotel at like 6:00 am for hair and make-up. Then they're placed (imprisoned?) in a hotel room where, for no less than four but no more than ten hours, they are interviewed about the movie. Most of the reporters get about five minutes with each cast member, which translates to about three questions. And here's the weird thing: They're the same three questions! And now here is your highly-exclusive look at said questions:

1) This movie is a very dark comedy. What did you think when you read the script?
2) What was it like to work with [insert name of cast and/or crew member here]?
3) Do you think you're anything like your character in the film?

Amazingly Evan, James, Ron, Elisabeth, Adi, Marco s and Skander (yes, we're all on a first-name basis. well, not really) were all total pros and not only kept themselves from strangling anyone, but actually answered all the questions very eloquently and with superhumanly good manners. And all they got in return were some weird sandwiches that had orange mango-things where the meat should be. What troopers!

Hopefully "Press Day" will lead to several stories on Access Hollywood, Extra, The Insider and The McLaughlin Group. But we'd be happy with just three of the four. Here are two early pieces posted by reporters who are seriously on the ball: TeenHollywood, Zap2It. Give these fine journalists a raise. Or at least some meat in their sandwiches.

I Want My MTV

2005-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

In my neverending quest for the latest info on Young Jeezy, I headed over to MTV News today and stumbled upon several very cool Pretty Persuasion-related pieces. First up is this nifty profile of Evan Rachel Wood in which she talks about the movie, her 'bad girl' image' and the new Green Day video she recently shot with Jamie Bell. That story also has some links to video interviews with Evan as well as pics from the movie and the NYC premiere.

But it's not all about Evan over MTV. In addition to their extremely detailed (some may say Pulitzer-worthy) coverage of 50 Cent's many beefs, they also have a couple pieces about Pretty Persuasion director Marcos Siega. This one was written at Sundance this past January and talks about Marcos's transition from music videos to feature films. And then there's also this story about the new All-American Rejects video Marcos directed in which people tell their deepest, darkest secrets via decorated index cards. The idea is based on the site PostSecret.com which anonymously posts secrets people send to them in the mail. Here's mine: "I saw A Walk to Remember in a theater. And I liked it." You can watch the video here.

T-minus one week and counting until Pretty Persuasion opens in New York and Los Angeles.

...the spice of life

2005-08-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

Variety ran a piece today about Pretty Persuasion's New York premiere in their "V" section (which is in no way affiliated with V for Vendetta, Rocky V nor that awesome 80's mini-series V with the freaky lizard-alien-people. At least not as far as I know.) For those of you not fortunate enough to have Variety registration, here are the text and pictures from the article:
---------------
Preem's 'Pretty' packed
'Persuasion' cast wins over Chelsea aud
By Willa Paskin

NEW YORK -- With "Pretty Persuasion" set for a big bow next week in Los Angeles, the Gen Art-sponsored Gotham preem on Tuesday was fairly low-key, with only helmer Marcos Siega and thesps Evan Rachel Wood and Elisabeth Harnois on hand to rep the film.

Siega told the packed house in Chelsea: "I don't know why I'm nervous, but I am. Your validation means something to me."

Wood, who plays ultramanipulative high schooler Kimberly Joyce, explained the downside of the part: "It's not fun when you have to be so mean to people. I always feel like I have to go apologize after every take." As for how she managed to play such a hellion, she said, "Everybody has a dark side, but I tried to channel Kimberly again and I can't do it. I think it's the wig.

"...hot waitresses dressed as private school girls..."

2005-08-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

How did I miss this??? The east coast premiere of Pretty Persuasion was held last night at the Chelsea 9 in New York and by all accounts it went off sans hitch. Sadly, I was not there, but some other cool people were including the film's stars Evan Rachel Wood and Elizabeth Harnois and director Marcos Siega, not to mention Vinnie Chase himself, Adrian Grenier. But I'm not (that) bitter. I'll report back next week with a first-hand account of our left coast premiere out here in L.A. But until then, here are a couple reports from indiewire bloggers who were lucky enough to be all up in the NYC last evening:

The Insider

The Reeler

And I'll even steal one of their pictures for good measure. I think I deserve it!

Welcome to Roadside!!

2005-08-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, this is Dusty from Roadside Attractions. We are starting this blog in conjunction with the redesign/relaunch of our official website. Hopefully this will soon be filled with press releases, festival updates and all kinds of indie film goodness. But at this point I can't even make the jpeg of our logo the right size. So we'll see how all that goes. Here's what it's supposed to look like in all it's full-size glory:

So, if anyone knows how to make a photo bigger under the profile heading, feel free to leave me a comment.

In the meantime, you can amuse yourselves with the very slick site for our latest flick, Pretty Persuasion. A slight warning though, the site does contain offensive language, sexual situations and a myriad of naughty, naughty behavior, all involving teenage schoolgirls. Yeah, like that was going to dissuade any of you. The movie opens in New York and Los Angeles next Friday, August 12th.