Spinning Platters Interview: Edward Norton on “Stone”

Edward Norton in STONE from Overture Films

Edward Norton does not seem like much of a movie star in person. When he first walked into a small Ritz Carlton conference room to discuss his new movie, Stone, with a handful of sweaty, panting, near-hysterical online journalists (okay, that was mostly me), he didn’t exactly blow the roof off with “star power” magnetism. He was soft-voiced, studious, and modestly dressed.

As he sat down and began answering our questions, he gave lengthy and eloquent answers while leaning far forward onto the table, glinting through those famously heavy-lidded eyes as he fussed with his rings. You’d be more likely to mistake him for an author than an actor. But perhaps that’s appropriate, given the thoughtful and well-considered roles he’s taken since his Oscar-nominated debut performance in Primal Fear skyrocketed him to international fame fourteen years ago.

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The Spinning Platters Guide to the 33rd Mill Valley Film Festival

Colin Firth in early Oscar buzz favorite THE KING'S SPEECH, making its Bay Area debut this week at the Mill Valley Film Festival. All photos courtesy of the MVFF.

The 33rd annual Mill Valley Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, October 7, boasting a genuinely impressive roster of major 2010 film festival favorites making their Bay Area debuts. The MVFF will also host appearances by actors Edward Norton, Annette Bening, Sam Rockwell, and James Franco, directors Julian Schnabel and Alejandro González Iñárritu, and many more. Look after the jump for our 11 MVFF Must-Sees. For complete festival and ticket information, check out the MVFF official website.

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In Theaters Today: “Jack Goes Boating” / “Howl” / “You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger” / “Waiting For ‘Superman'” / “Let Me In”

Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Grace Moretz star in Overture Film's LET ME IN.

Look after the jump for reviews of five new films playing in the Bay Area this weekend.

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Spinning Platters Interview: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman on “Howl”

Script supervisor Tony Pettine discusses a scene with directors Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein in the courtroom set of HOWL. Photo courtesy of Telling Pictures.

The Times of Harvey Milk. Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt. The Celluloid Closet. Paragraph 175. Over the course of 25 years, two Best Documentary Oscars, and a smattering of Emmys and Peabodys, San Francisco-based filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have forever changed the face of documentary film-making and revolutionized the portrayal of gay and lesbian subjects in American culture. Now, they’ve made Howl (opening in Bay Area on September 24), their first scripted film, in which James Franco brilliantly embodies Allen Ginsberg. They recently sat down with Spinning Platters to discuss their latest effort.

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Film Review: “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector”

Phil Spector as he appears during his lengthy interview in "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector." Photo courtesy of BBC Arena/Vixpix Films.

How do you solve a problem like Phil Spector? In The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector (opening today at the Roxie Theater), filmmaker Vikram Jayanti — who co-produced the Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings — creates a compelling but fundamentally flawed portrait of this culture-shaking musical genius and convicted murderer.

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The Spinning Platters Guide to Frameline34 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

Aaron Tveit and James Franco in HOWL

The 34th annual Frameline LGBT Film Festival, which remains the largest of its kind in the world, will take place in San Francisco from June 17-27. Packed into those eleven days will be hundreds of narrative films, documentaries, and shorts covering nearly every conceivable angle of the LGBT experience from just about every corner of the globe. After the jump, Spinning Platters helps you narrow it all down by picking three films from each of four main categories.

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SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10

Oh Captain Nemo, you know how to bring the crazy!

Although I knew nothing about the silent film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I had high expectations for this evening, all of which were piled on Stephin Merritt’s shoulders.  His amazing ability to craft the perfect quirky pop song seemed well suited to the project: creating a live score to a silent film.  This is a mainstay of the San Francisco International Film Festival, after last year’s The Lost World with Dengue Fever, and I’m very happy it is.  It is a great opportunity for a songwriter/composer to showcase his song-craft and experiment, but composing almost 2 hours of music that will enhance someone else’s work? It’s a tall order for even the most talented and interesting songwriter. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10”

The Music Room SF International Film Festival

Of all the movies playing at the San Francisco International Film Festival Jalsaghar (The Music Room) was what I wanted to see most.

An Indian film from 1958 that has been recently restored is not your usual popcorn popping movie. It’s more of a privilege to see and everything about my experience was just that. Continue reading “The Music Room SF International Film Festival”

SFIFF in Review: Roger Ebert, James Schamus, and Other Highlights

The 53rd annual San Francisco International Film Festival concluded last night, thus ending this year’s edition of one of our fair cities’ most enduring and enriching cinematic traditions. After the jump, I’ll recap some of the festival’s highlights, ranging from Serge Gainsbourg lookalikes and Tilda Swinton speaking Italian, to James Schamus dismissing Brokeback Mountain enthusiasts and Jason Reitman teaching Terry Zwigoff how to be a douchebag.

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SFIFF Film Review: “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky”

Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen are quite believable as this iconoclastic pair

“Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” twists the worlds of fashion, art, music and society together.  It screams about the new-ness inherent in the early 20th century: in music, in fashion, and in people’s relationships.  The film depicts the couple’s passionate affair along with what is billed (by the film) as each of their greatest works:  Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Sping” or “Le Sacre du Printemps” and Coco Chanel’s iconic fragrance Chanel No. 5.  In this day and age where music and fashion are so intertwined the film successfully takes you into the world of 1920’s Paris where this was far from the truth.  Coco Chanel is the unlikely patron here, bringing Igor Stravinsky into her world with money, and with that relationship forged, the pair change each other’s art and direction. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky””