National Cinema has gone .ca

Please visit it us at our new site, nationalcinema.ca

National Cinema on Vacation

It's been very slow lately so National Cinema is on hiatus throughout August. We will return for coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6.

Enjoy the summer.

Michelangelo Antonioni, 94

Two cinema greats are gone in one day.

Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni has died at the age of 94. He passed away at his home in Rome Monday night.

While Antonioni has been pretty much non-functional since a 1985 stroke - and his recent films have been beyond dreadful - his work from L'Avventura to The Passenger are part of the canon of modern film art. He defined modern existentialist alienation with his bleak visual beauty in a tetraology of films with Monica Vitti (L'Avventuara (1960), La Notte (1961), L'Eclisse (1962) and Il Deserto Rosso (1964)).

Even in Antonioni's English language pictures, he still had his finger firmly on what it was to be living at that exact time in history. A three picture deal with producer Carlo Ponti (providing the films be in colour) feel like a culture time capsule of their given year - the David Bailey, English mod inspired, Blow-Up in 1966, with scenes of an awakaning sexual revolution, and even the Yard Birds; 1970's Zabriskie Point, a commercial flop, had the Grateful Dead, an orgy in the California desert, Pink Floyd playing to a magnificent exploding house, and a fleeting glimpse of a young Harrison Ford, cast as a baggage handler. Finally, in 1975's the The Passenger (1975) Antonioni explored identity, dopplegangers and politics, with Jack Nicholson as an assumed gun-runner in North Africa and Spain.

His last film, "Il filo pericoloso delle cose,"a segment in Eros, a collaboration with Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar Wai, was largely embarrassing. Antonioni's sequences felt more like soft core porn than erotica, clumsily executed and ill advised, a sad foot note to a once brilliant career.

Jack Nicholson said about Antonioni at the 1975 Academy Awards -

"In the empty, silent spaces of the world, he has found metaphors that illuminate the silent places our hearts, and found in them, too, a strange and terrible beauty: austere, elegant, enigmatic, haunting."

The New York Times Obituary

Canadian Box Office, weekend of July 27

1 The Simpsons Movie $5.64 mil $5.64 mil
2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $1.89 mil $25.31 mil
3 Hairspray $1.33 mil $5.17 mil
4 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry $1.26 mil $5.19 mil
5 Transformers $1.04 mil $24.99 mil
6 No Reservations $633,698 $633,698
7 Ratatouille $562,136 $12.24 mil
8 Live Free or Die Hard $425,476 $10.86 mil
9 I Know Who Killed Me $272,888 $272,888
10 Sunshine $108,157 $143,805

In Québec, Ma Tanta Aline came in 5th for the week at $361,496 and Nitro came in at 8th with another $242,318 for a gross of $3,210,868.

No other Canadian films are represented in the North American charts.

[via Tribute and Cineac]

Ingmar Bergman has passed away.

We are shocked, and truly saddened by the death of Ingmar Bergman, who was without equal, and simply the finest film director and screenwriter of the twentieth century.
He died today on Faro Island off the coast of Sweden at 89.

The New York Times has a fitting obituary here.

21 87

UBU web has posted an excellent quality Quicktime of Arthur Lipsett's amazing short NFB film 21 87. Released in 1963, at the height of the NFB's Cinema Verite, or Direct Cinema, movement, Lipsett's film was a radical departure. Having more in common with Man with a Movie Camera than Lonely Boy, in 21 87, Lipsett juxtaposed seemingly unrelated events to create a poetic statement on society and technology. George Lucas cites Lipsett's film as an influence, a fact that is most eveident in his first film THX 1138, but don't let that stop you from watching Lipsett's film.

Watch the film here.

If you are unfamiliar with UBUWEB, it is worth investigating. It hosts a huge collection of music, films and essays.

It also hosts David Rimmer's experimental classic Surfacing the Thames.

t

More on YPF

The beginning of the media-hype and schadenfreude for first-time-director Martin Gero's Young People Fucking, or YPF as I'm going to quickly abbreviate the title to has begun. The whole thing seems just a little too calculated, but judge for yourself in this article written by the Globe.

What is positive about YPF is that it has distribution deals already in place with ThinkFilm and Christal Films. The negative being, is that ThinkFilm has not successfully marketed a Canadian film yet, and seem to be quite ambivalent about them once they actually have them under their belt. After a string of Canadian failures one wonders if they only take Canadian films to fulfill CANCON guidelines for their company - and until they demonstrate that they do care, they will be nothing more than an American company with an office in Toronto.

YPF will open at TIFF to roaring audiences like every other Canadian film at any major Canadian film festival. It will probably win the audience award. Tickets will be sold out and the lines long. Unfortunately, that's the core audience right there - festival watchers. Those initial packed screenings do not translate to packed audiences in multiplexes as the word "Canadian" in front of "movie" evokes widespread cultural cringe.

At every Canadian film festival, Canadian films are always sold out. It makes no difference whether the film is good or bad.

So, can YPF be marketed properly to the general populace? Well, they struck out with the name, but are hoping to capitalize on the rich history of films with "fuck" in the title. Certainly from the Globe interview Gero would like to think of his film in Knocked-Up romantic-comedy terms - but that's a $30 million dollar film, with a large Hollywood marketing budget (I saw building-sized posters six months before the film opened on Yonge Street). YPF was made for $1.5 million - well below the $5 million average American indie film, but probably still way to high given the risk of selling a Canadian film. To do well, the film probably needs 3 times that budget, and that's something I don't expect to see - certainly not from ThinkFilm, and not with an expletive in the title.

Am I saying the film is doomed before anyone even has a chance to see it? I hope not. I hope it's damn good and worth seeing. I hope it breaks even. Even if it doesn't, Martin Gero will be making more pictures in Canada. Failure is the norm.

Canadian Box Office - Away From Her RIP

Sarah Polley's reign of terror officially ended July 19, after 77 days of release. At its peak Away From Her was in 275 theatres.

Total US and Canada: $4,571,521

Total Foreign: $1,371,638 (this could be Canadian figures but the Canadian box office is usually lumped in with the states).

Total world: $5,943,159

The only other [English] Canadian film to make the North American top 100 was Manufactured Landscapes which is picking up steam in limited release south of the border.

#58 Manufactured Landscapes; $14,871 ; +112.6% ; 7 theatres (+4 ); $2,124 average total US domestic: -$113,549 in 5 weeks.

The Canadian top ten is here.

[via Box Office Mojo]

László Kovács

Noted cinematographer of such films as Easy Rider, Paper Moon, What's Up Doc?; Five Easy Pieces, Shampoo, That Cold Day In The Park, Ghostbusters and New York, New York; has died at the age of 74.

American Society of Cinematographers - obituary.

Box Office Québec: Semaine du 13 Jui au 19 Jui 2007

Nitro holds its own in Québec in the summer onslaught with nearly $3 million in three weeks.

1 HARRY POTTER AND THE... $3,122,731 (weekend) $4,183,623 (gross)
2 TRANSFORMERS $8,27,234 $3,174,079
3 NITRO $490,256 $2,968 551 up 8%
4 RATATOUILLE $446,982 $1,773,599
5 LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD $436,254 $2,282,850
6 LICENSE TO WED $152,516 $358,170
7 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT ... $93,671 $5,197,712
8 1408 $70,489 $893,601
9 FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SI... $68,347 $ 2,127,300
10 ENSEMBLE, C'EST TOUT $51,124 $542,572

[via Cineac]

YOUNG PEOPLE F*CKING, and other new Canadian films to look forward to at TIFF

Yep, TIFF announced its Canadian line-up today, and it's mostly more of the same. The festival opens with Jeremy Podeswa's FUGITIVE PIECES and has the expected Gala presentations of Denys Arcand's L’ÂGE DES TÉNÈBRES (DAYS OF DARKNESS) and David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES. New films by Bruce Sweeney, master filmmaker Carl Bessai, Clement Virgo and Guy Maddin. Ah hell, read the press release.


FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE FINEST IN CANADIAN FILMMAKING
Toronto – Canadian programming at the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival highlights the best of our national cinema, bringing the country's finest films and filmmakers to the attention of local, national and international audiences. This year, Canada First! opens with Martin Gero's funny, sexy comedy YOUNG PEOPLE F*CKING, and continues its celebration of emerging talent with eight feature films. Ticket Passes and Packages now on sale. For more information, please visit tiff07.ca or call 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM.

The Festival announces Denys Arcand's L’ÂGE DES TÉNÈBRES (DAYS OF DARKNESS) starring Marc Labrèche, and David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. These titles join the previously announced Opening Night film, FUGITIVE PIECES by Jeremy Podeswa, as Canadian Gala Presentations to date.

Special Presentations include HERE IS WHAT IS from Adam Vollick, Daniel Lanois, Adam Samuels; Guy Maddin's MY WINNIPEG; Clement Virgo's POOR BOY'S GAME, winner of the Telefilm Canada Pitch This! competition in 2001; SILK by François Girard, and Roger Spottiswoode's SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL [Spottiswoode is born in Canada, but raised in Britain, thus the James Bond film in his credits.]

Canada First! titles include Martin Gero's YOUNG PEOPLE F*CKING; AMAL by 2005 Telefilm Canada Pitch This! winner Richie Mehta; Rafaël Ouellet's LE CÈDRE PENCHÉ; Stéphane Lafleur's CONTINENTAL, UN FILM SANS FUSIL; Chaz Thorne's JUST BURIED; Ernie Barbarash's THEY WAIT; Ed Gass-Donnelly's THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, and Robert Cuffley's WALK ALL OVER ME.

Contemporary World Cinema includes Leonard Farlinger's ALL HAT, Bruce Sweeney's AMERICAN VENUS, Laurie Lynd's BREAKFAST WITH SCOT, Bernard Émond's CONTRE TOUTE ESPÉRANCE, Carl Bessai's NORMAL, Denis Côté's NOS VIES PRIVÉES, Kari Skogland's THE STONE ANGEL, and Allan Moyle's WEIRDSVILLE.

Real to Reel includes: Peter Raymont's A PROMISE TO THE DEAD: THE EXILE JOURNEY OF ARIEL DORFMAN, Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti's HEAVY METAL IN BAGDHAD, and John Zaritsky's THE WILD HORSE REDEMPTION.

Tiff07 passes now on sale. 51 day wait.

Tickets for public and industry passes are now on sale for the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival via the tiff07 website. Public Ticket pass and packages information. Industry site. On Monday, July 23 the film programme and schedule will be released.

Canadian Box Office - Weekend of July 13, 2007

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $7.18 mil (weekend) $12.17 mil (gross)
2. Transformers $3.15 mil (weekend) $18.46 mil (gross)
   
3. Ratatouille $1.31 mil (weekend) $8.94 mil (gross)
   
4. Live Free or Die Hard $959,153 (weekend) $8.57 mil (gross)
5. License to Wed $517,676 (weekend) $1.73 mil (gross)
6. Knocked Up $353,086 (weekend) $12.81 mil (gross)
7. Pirates of the Caribbean $248,871 (weekend) $26.41 mil (gross)
8. Sicko $245,323 (weekend) $1.64 mil (gross)
9. 1408 $236,744 (weekend) $4.39 mil (gross)
10. Evan Almighty $202,423 (weekend) $4.98 mil (gross)

We don't have the figures for Nitro yet, but from July 6-12 Cineac is reporting that it made $804,659 for a total of domestic total of $2,478,295 in 2 weeks. If that held through the weekend, it would be in the top twenty in North America.

North American box office:

#43, Away from Her. $26,637 , +13.0% from last week, 31 theatres, lost 7. $859 average for a total US domestic take of $4,548,331 in 11 weeks. Total worldwide: $5,906,836

#58 Manufactured Landscapes. $6,994, dropped 43.7% from last week. 3 theatres for an average of $2,331 per theatre. $92,069 total in 4 weeks.

#97 Brand Upon the Brain! $1,051 in 3 theatres, for $350 average per theatre. Total box office: $222,718 in 10 weeks.

107 Everything's Gone Green. $239. 1 theatre. $19,373 worldwide gross in 13 weeks!

Nice to see Brand Upon The Brain! and Everything's Gone Green back on the list, but really at this point they are finished. Everything's Gone Green is dead with $19,373 in 13 weeks of release - the budget is estimated at $2 million. It's official, people just hate Douglas Coupland.

Fido is at the pound. Poor Fido.

[via Tribute and Box Office Mojo

Egoyan does teen drama. Telefilm thinks long and hard.

According to Playback Magazine, Atom Egoyan is gearing up to shoot a new film called Adoration about teens "redefining themselves through the internet." Casting is wrapping up for a September shoot.

The film has a scaled back budget of 5 million significantly lower than the reported $25million of his last dramatic outing Where The Truth Lies. Telefilm has financed the screenplay but has not committed to production funding.

I would think carefully on this too if I were Telefilm. The Sweet Hereafter, Egoyan's most critically acclaimed film (he was nominated for an Academy Award as best director) and of a comparable budget to Adoration only made just over $3,000,000 at the box office.

Atom Egoyan - selected box office and budgets.

Where The Truth Lies (2005) $3,477,678 (worldwide). Budget=$25,000,000

Ararat (2002) 2,743,336 (worldwide). Budget= $15.5 million

Felicia's Journey (1999) $819,852 USA (domestic). Budget: unknown

The Sweet Hereafter (1997) $3,252,652 USA (domestic). Budget= $5,000,000

Exotica (1994) $5,132,222 USA (domestic). Budget= $2,000,000

The Adjuster (1991) $396,573 USA (domestic). Budget=$1,500,000

Putting Canadian "Piracy" in Perspective

Someone named "jackdeath" commented on You Tube for this Micheal Geist produced video: "I want my 8 minutes and 51 seconds back!"

Watch at your own peril. On the other hand, he may not have been the intended audience.

The Power of Lobbying: How Hollywood Got A Movie Piracy Bill

Michael Geist and Daniel Albahary put this together. The music may not be to your taste, but the message is clear and worth watching.

Briefly: news, links

Summer. It's been a little slow lately, but here is what has been happening.

Nitro races to $2,000,000 in Québec. Toronto Film Festival started announcing its line-up with George Clooney's Michael Clayton. Canuck Ryan Gosling will make an appearance in TO with Lars and the Real Girl. American cable companies want their grubby hands all over our Canadian TVs, and, Michael Geist doesn't think Canadians will be watching clips of Porky's on YouTube on their Apple iPhone anytime soon with the absurdly high cost of Rogers data plans.

Updated: Canadian Box Office - Not that "explosive"

Nitro fell to bottom of the top ten in Canada and is the only Canadian film (French Canadian to boot) to break the top ten. In other news, Michael Bay used his cinematic powers for pure evil and coughed out Transformers the no.1 film in North America, Seth Rogen is still playing a Canadian in Knocked Up, Michael Moore just wished he was a Canadian, and Fido is still twitching.

1 Transformers $5.75 mil $11.52 mil
2 Ratatouille $1.82 mil $6.27 mil
3 Live Free or Die Hard $1.37 mil $6.66 mil
4 License to Wed $686,125 $686,125
5 Knocked Up $481,854 $12.13 mil
6 Evan Almighty $478,970 $4.46 mil
7 1408 $416,889 $3.87 mil
8 Pirates of Caribbean: $399,880 $25.88 mil
9 Sicko $331,805 $1.15 mil
10 Nitro $307,633 $1.44 mil

These are estimates, actual figures will be out this evening:

FIDO: $10,100 on 4 screens, $2,525 per screen average, for a whopping $298,000 gross over it's entire run.

Away from Her: $21,700 dropped-43.3% from the weekend before, is on 38 screens, -14 less screens, and had a theatre average of $571 for a US box office total of $4,499,000 and a worldwide total of $5,838,790 over 66 days on an estimated $4,000,000 budget. This may be the first film that Telefilm has ever financed that made back its money - I don't think that's much of an exaggeration either (if there is another one, let us know).

Updated:

Away From Her: # 45, (down from #37) $23,576, $620 average, and $4,501,383 US domestic.

Manufactured Landscapes #52, $12,412, +16.0% from previous weekend, 3 theatres (+1) $4,137 average per theatre, for a total of $72,153 US in 3 weeks of release.

Fido: #56, $10,343, 4 theaters, $2,585 average (not too shaby) for a total of $298,110

[via Tribute and Box Office Mojo]

For a historical comparisson of Canadian box office grosses, take a look at The Numbers.

Just a note on "The Numbers" - that site has many films that were distributed by Canadian companies such as LG or AA that are not TECHNICALLY Canadian films - that is they may partly have been financed here, or distributed or shot here, but are NOT by Canadian directors.

Example - Heist was shot in Montréal, that does not make it Canadian.

Owning Mahowney is a Canadian UK co-production, shot here, but with US actors and a UK director - where as David Cronenberg is a Canadian director who often makes UK/France/Canada co-productions (Spider, eXistenZ, Eastern Promises etc.) but, his films are classified as Canadian (as he is Canadian).

Box Office Québec - Nitro is "explosive"

Yep, Nitro is No. 1, and beats the crap out of John McClane.

• 1 NITRO $1,1,663 552
• 2 LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD $1,011,944
• 3 TRANSFORMERS $829,390
• 4 RATATOUILLE $736, 822
• 5 FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER $329,249
• 6 EVAN ALMIGHTY $259,899
• 7 1408 - $228,277
• 8 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLDS END $208,121
• 9 OCEAN'S THIRTEEN $169,451
• 10 SHREK THE THIRD $106,361

The Toronto Star also had a little article on Nitro's "unthinkable" success which is interesting reading.

[via Cineac]

$1.2 million in Québec since Friday?

Nitro, the French Fast and the Furious (with a twist!), has made $1.2 million in Québec since opening this Friday. While that doesn't seem much, it is on par with what large Hollywood blockbusters make in an opening weekend in Canada (in comparison the No.1 and No.2 films - Live Free or Die Hard made $2.43 million, and Ratatouille made $2.2 million).

TV director (who in Canada isn't a TV director?) Alain DesRochers and producer Pierre Even (C.R.A.Z.Y.) made the racing flick with a budget of $7.2 million last year.

If it does well, maybe we'll finally start seeing more commercial genre films in this country, that would be a good thing - maybe some of them will even be in English.

(genre films = audience = $$$$ for investors = trickle down effect = even more no-budget-no-profit-art films funded by Telefilm)

Perhaps Fido should be dubbed in French and promoted heavily in Québec as a sort of biter-sweet, somber Zombie comedy that reflects on the horror and tragedy of the FLQ crisis. Of course Fido will also have to be changed to be set in Montréal in 1970, but a subtitle and a bunch of stock footage of Trudeau invoking the War Measures Act should change this easily enough. Then the tagline could be "Just Watch Me."

[via Playback]