Cinema is Dope » Film Festivals: Fantastic Fest 2008

Martyrs Wins 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film

blake — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:55:21 +0000

NOTE: Higher res version can be downloaded/viewed here in Quicktime format

For fans of Martyrs and Pascal here is video I took of him winning the 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film at 42 Sitges Film Festival. I’m glad to be able to post this online for the fans of his and the film that didn’t get to be there.

It came full circle for me at the 42 Sitges Film Festival in getting to see filmmaker Pascal Laugier win and accept the 2009 Melies d’Or for Best European Fantastic Film (www.melies.org) for Martyrs (previous CID movie wallpaper). The film bowed first at the legendary Midnight Madness screening in Toronto and then played as the closing night film at Fantastic Fest here in Austin in 2008. Getting the film in Austin was by no means an easy task and may people went to great lengths, Tim League especially, in getting it here. Seeing it on the big screen here in Austin was a brutal and great experience all wrapped up in one. To see the film we fought to get here come full circle and win the prestigious Melies award at the grand Sitges Film Festival was unbelievable. These awards seem to revolve at where they get announced at every year and just for me to be at the spot after all these years of missing them where they were and for it to be the year Martyrs won… just felt for circle for me. Not to mention a wild night of partying with him and the Melies crew into the wee hours of the morning and getting to chat about the Austin reaction to his film and its post-free screening! Pascal Laugier’s next film gets rolling into production next year with a probable earliest bow looking to be in Fall 2011 (this can of course change). His next film is a thriller.

Sitges Film Festival 2009:
::: Official Site
::: Sitges Official Facebook Fan Page
::: Variety on Sitges ‘09
::: ‘Visage’, by Tsai Ming-liang, opens the Noves Visions category
::: Malcolm McDowell to receive the Grand Honorary Award at the opening, which will moved up to October 1st
::: [REC]2 to open Sitges 09
::: Alien is the inspiration for Sitges 09
::: The latest and most eagerly awaited genre films at Official Fantàstic Section
::: Animation, international variants of horror and 3D film
::: Sitges 09 will be recalling certain flashes from the 80’s

Let the Right One In (2008) – New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day – 7 More Images

blake — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:01:38 +0000

[ View Image (1024x687)
[ View Image (1280x859) ]

[ View Image (1024x684)
[ View Image (1280x855) ]

[ View Image (1024x686)
[ View Image (1280x857) ]

[ View Image (1024x689)
[ View Image (1280x861) ]

[ View Image (1024x768)
[ View Image (681x1000) ]

[ View Image (1024x432)
[ View Image (1280x540) ]

[ View Image (1024x750)
[ View Image (1280x937) ]

New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, July 11, 2009

With the addition of these 7 images, there is now 25 total images for Let the Right One In on Cinema is Dope. This latest batch features many previously unreleased publicity images from the film, as well as additional production stills that for whatever to this point have not been widely available.

Let the Right One In (US Site) is currently out on DVD from Magnet.

Image Source:
Official stills that were used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile

Let the Right One In (2008) – New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day – New Images

blake — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:05:37 +0000

[ View Image (1024x647)
[ View Image (1280x809) ]

[ View Image (1024x750)
[ View Image (1280x937) ]

[ View Image (848x768)
[ View Image (1104x1000) ]

[ View Image (1024x650)
[ View Image (1280x813) ]

[ View Image (1024x681)
[ View Image (1280x851) ]

[ View Image (1024x750)
[ View Image (1280x937) ]

New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Tuesday, February 17, 2008

Let the Right One In (US Site) hits DVD soon in the US on March 10 and I’m hoping it really breaks out even more as a cult hit and gains a wider audience. Kudos to Magnolia and Magnet for their efforts in getting US audiences to see it.

Image Source:
Official stills that were used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: NIFFF
::: IMDb Profile

The Man from Hong Kong (1975) – Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day – Japanese Poster Celebration Month

blake — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:55:10 +0000

[ View Image (1024x768) ]

Japanese Poster Appreciation Month – January 2009

Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, January 3, 2009

Now here is some fantastic high flying artwork and illustration from what I hear is one of the best action films of the 70’s. I missed getting to see this one at Fantastic Fest this past year and definitely plan to still track it down. I’m told in addition to Wang Yu and Sammo Hung there are brief cameos by one of my favorites Lam Ching-Ying, as well as Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao in it. I believe at some point this year the brand spanking new documentary Not Quite Hollywood (official site) highlighting Australian ”Ozploitation” should be getting a proper US release and it features and profiles this movie.

The director Brian Trenchard-Smith really was a class act with a quick wit that could make anyone laugh at Fantastic Fest last year. I remember having a blast watching the Danish sci-fi romp The Substitute with him, Jasper and Harvey, where I was glad that so many seemed to have been converted to instant fans of the always great Paprika Steen.

Japanese Poster Appreciation Month – January 2009 (Archive):
::: January 24 – Violent City (1970)
::: January 24 – Mr. Majestyk (1974)
::: January 24 – Hard Times (1975)
::: January 23 – Bullitt (1968)
::: January 23 – The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
::: January 23 – The Great Escape (1963)
::: January 23 – The Magnificent Seven (1960)
::: January 22 – BRAINDEAD (1992)
::: January 22 – Frontiere(s) (2007)
::: January 21 – The Gauntlet (1977)
::: January 21 – Live Like a Cop Die Like a Man (1976)
::: January 20 – Thunder and Lightning (1977)
::: January 19 – Race with the Devil (1975)
::: January 18 – Car Wash (1976)
::: January 17 – The Living Daylights (1987)
::: January 17 – Licence to Kill (1989)
::: January 17 – The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
::: January 16 – Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
::: January 15 – The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)
::: January 14 – The Graduate (1967)
::: January 13 – Excalibur (1981)
::: January 12 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
::: January 11 – Omohide poro poro (1991)
::: January 11 – The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
::: January 10 – Take a Hard Ride (1975)
::: January 9 – Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
::: January 9 – Yatterman (2009)
::: January 8 – Game of Death (1978)
::: January 7 – Crime Busters (1977)
::: January 6 – Sisters (1973)
::: January 5 – Crime Boss (1972)
::: January 4 – White Lightning (1973)
::: January 3 – The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
::: January 2 – Rolling Thunder (1977)
::: January 1 – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
::: January 1 – Army of Darkness (1992)
::: Preview – Cannonball! (1976)
::: Previous Japanese Posters Featured @ Cinema is Dope

Japanese Cinema Sites I Highly Recommend:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Nippon Cinema
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

* If you don’t see your site listed here and it covers Japanese cinema please comment below so that I can review it and possibly include it in future lists.

About Japanese Poster Artwork Celebration Month:
To kick off 2009, I can think of no better way of doing so than celebrating Japanese poster artwork. The emphasis will be more of western films through the lens of Japanese poster artwork and of course some of my own personal all-time favorites. At a future date I’ll probably have a month devoted to solely Japanese films and their poster artwork. So be sure to tune in each day during the month of January as I have an incredible amount of incredible Japanese posters that will be on display. Hopefully at the end of this I can convert many of you into life long fans of Japanese posters!

Please help and spread the word on the January 2009 themed Japanese Poster Celebration Month here at Cinema is Dope. Tweet your friends. Mention it in your Facebook status or Friendfeed. Link to it on your blog. Any support is greatly appreciated!!!!!

You can follow along at these specific urls/web addresses:
::: www.cinemaisdope.com/category/movie-wallpaper-japanese-poster-celebration-month/
::: http://tinyurl.com/japanese-poster-2009

Starring in these posters will be: Antonio Sabato, Bruce Campbell, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, David Carradine, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, George Lazenby, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Jack Nicholson, James Coburn, Jennifer Billings, Jim Brown, Jimmy Wang Yu, John Boorman, Kate Jackson, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, Michael Caine, Peter Fonda, Richard Pryor, Roddy McDowall, Sergio Leone, Sidney Poitier, Susan Strasberg, Warren Oates, William Devane and many more…

If you’re interested in Japanese cinema, I highly recommend the following Cinema is Dope picks for January 2009. For this months book selection we have Behind the Pink Curtain by Jasper Sharp. For video recommendation this month we have Linda Linda Linda.

Additionally fans of Japanese cinema will want to pick up this amazing Yasujiro Ozu tribute shirt from Mondo Tees!

As always when in Austin, Texas, be sure to check out Weird Wednesday (January/February 2009 lineup) or Terror Tuesday (January/February 2009 lineup) and of course Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

My current favorite restaurants in Austin that are an absolute must visit are Clay Pit (be sure to place an order of naan bread) and Uchi. Be sure to tell them CinemaisDope.com sent you if you visit.

Image Source:
Official artwork that was used in Japanese poster artwork for the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile
::: Previous Japanese Posters Featured @ Cinema is Dope

Coming Soon – February 2009 @ Cinema is Dope is Lee Marvin Month!!!

The Good the Bad and the Weird (2008) – New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day – Lee Byung-hun

blake — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:00:33 +0000

[ View Image (1024x682) ]
[ View Image (1280x853) ]

New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Lee Byung-hun as THE BAD/Park Chang-yi in The Good the Bad and the Weird (Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom) from Kim Ji-woon.

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)

Image Source:
Official still used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile