Welcome back to The Morning Read.
Our long national nightmare is over. We can all finally breathe easy again. It’s hard to believe, but somehow, the lawsuit between Quentin Tarantino and Alan Ball has been resolved, and it was done without calling in The Wolf.
Boy, Cannes worked me over. Then again, every festival seems to work me over at this point. I think it just comes down to the fact that I am a very old man. This Thursday marks my 41st birthday, something which seems like a horror movie. That can’t possibly be true. Maybe we can just agree to have a week of good news. That would be a great gift. For example, Oscilloscope Laboratories, which picked up my favorite Sundance movie, “Bellflower,” this year is also planning to release one of my favorite films from Cannes, “We Need To Talk About Kevin.” They’re looking at a winter release with an eye on being part of the awards-season conversation. Oscilloscope is rocking it these days, and when they sent out word this morning, it made me genuinely happy. I like they way they handle the films they buy. They care, and you can tell. Later today, I’ll have my interview here with Tilda Swinton, star of the film, so check back for that.
And speaking of Cannes, Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling are so in love with each other as they’ve been promoting “Drive” at the festival that I almost feel dirty watching them together.
Joseph Brooks, Academy-Award winner for “You Light Up My Life,” killed himself this weekend, and it would not be a stretch to imagine that the recent accusations about him and his son were part of what motivated that. Gotta say, everything about the Brooks story is deeply creepy. But, hey, he’s an Oscar-winner, so it’s all good, right?
I literally love Rob Lowe on “Parks and Recreation”:
And Todd Gilchrist literally loves his 3D television. I’m not ready to take that plunge yet, primarily because half of me lives in dread every day that my three year old or my five year old are going to throw something heavy through the screen in my office. Todd, though, seems to have embraced the new tech completely.
Ty Burr, on the other hand, is fed up with it. The problems he describes here aren’t inherent to 3D, but rather to lazy overall theater projection standards. And that does not seem to be going anywhere, unfortunately.
I have never ever seen a TV show or a movie that has made me make this sort of sustained sound. I’m guessing this guy reeeeeeeeally likes Superman:
Over at AICN, the “Legends” interview series is still underway, and this week, Steve Prokopy sat down with Norman Jewison.
Matt Patches just discovered the Spielberg Face. This is one of the reasons I’ve always loved Spielberg films in general, and it’s always good to see examples of it gathered together. I greet most of the big news in my life by making the Spielberg Face. It’s only appropriate.
Meanwhile, the new “Blood Sweat and Latex” column at Film School Rejects looks at the first steps Shannon Shea took as he worked towards becoming a sculptor, and if you’re not reading this series, you really should be.
This is why you don’t trust Stan Lee with any secrets:
I think Charlie Brooker’s being dismissive of the entire film industry, which isn’t really fair, but I think his general points aren’t too far off base. I think in general, ambition in any media is to be celebrated right now, and encouraged. I’ve got “L.A. Noire” in the house, but haven’t had a chance to play it yet. I’m guessing next weekend will be the first chance I get, and I’m dying to do so.
Awwwwww… you mean we don’t get to see “The Governator” now? How will our culture ever survive the loss?
Finally, a great piece on the way the real-world influence of Fox News may have finally caved in under the weight of its own hubris. What a nice thought to have as we start the week.
Lots of big stuff ahead this week, so let’s get the day started. I’m sure these Morning Reads will swell to their typical behemoth length as I get back in the habit, but for now, we’ll keep it short and sweet.
The Morning Read appears here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Except when it doesn’t.