An inescapable cloud of hype currently surrounds Rian Johnson’s newest project Looper. The director, whose credits include Brick and The Brothers Bloom, just released several stills of the futuristic thriller. The sci-fi flick stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, a hit man working for a mob that operates by sending their targets back in time from the future. Joe’s job as an assassin pays well, but he finds his good life cut short once he realizes his newest target is his future self, played by Bruce Willis. Emily Blunt also stars in the New Orleans-shot film, which hits theaters on September 28th. Check out the new stills below.
Count me among those longing for a return to story-driven filmmaking. Some would follow that sentence with a lament, praying for the death of mega-budget studio tentpoles. But while it is true that some of last summer’s biggest movies disappointed, I’ve found equally weak storytelling in a slew of small independent films. Great stories can be told at any budget level. What does this have to do with Christopher Nolan? This: give an excellent storyteller a lot of money, and he will make more for you. Continue reading…
HBO’s Treme and The Wire will engage in a musical matchup of massive proportions on May 11 in a Battle of the Bands hosted by Tipitina’s Uptown. Galactic and the Stooges Brass band will take on Baltimore’s Lafayette Gilchrist and Washington D.C.’s Anwan Glover & The Backyard Band in the charity fundraiser.
“Who brings music to New Orleans?” said producer of both series, David Simon. “Who comes here and throws down against badass outfits like Galactic or the Stooges?” Familiar with New Orleans’ music scene, Simon is convinced the evening will be an epic contest. “I tried to warn them about New Orleans, I tried to hold ‘em back. But Lafayette and Big G won’t be told. They’re coming. They’re ready to cut.”
New Orleans native Wendell Pierce will be the frontman for Treme’s side, while actor Michael K. Williams, formerly “Omar” on The Wire and currently “Chalky White” on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire will back their opposition. “I’m predicting something epic, something with blood on the floor. I’m just thankful that Michael can’t get his sawed-off shotty past the TSA,” said Pierce, who also played “Bunk Moreland” on The Wire.
The New Orleans performers are set as the favorites at a five-to-three line, however the east coast musicians and fans are optimistic for an upset. “If Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers are the equivalent of the Dirty Dozen,” explains D.C. native George Pelecanos, a Treme and Wire writer-producer, “then Big G and the Backyard Band are the Rebirth. These guys are go-go royalty.”
The event is set to take place at Tipitina’s Uptown on Friday, May 11. Doors open at 8:00 p.m., and the show will last until 2:00 a.m. General admission tickets are $20, with $100 VIP tickets available for fans who want an up close experience with the musicians and Treme and Wire actors in attendance. All proceeds from the event will raise money for The Tipitina’s Foundation and The Roots of Music.
“It will not be pretty,” says Treme executive producer Eric Overmyer, greatly familiar with the New Orleans music community. “The rules of engagement are no rules. Prisoners will not be taken. The wounded will be shot.”
The Southern Louisiana sextet Royal Teeth has signed with independent record label Dangerbird Records, joining some of indie music’s elite including the Silversun Pickups, Fitz and the Tantrums and Minus the Bear.
The band is based in New Orleans, becoming an electro-pop staple of the area with their energetic live shows, catching the eye of Dangerbird founder and CEO Jeff Castelaz. “I love New Orleans. My wife, Jo Ann Thrailkill, is from there, and we spend a lot of time in the city. For years, I’ve wanted to sign a band from New Orleans — to raise the Dangerbird flag there, to show our solidarity with the city.” says Castelaz. “On Halloween night, we got invited to see this band Royal Teeth at a little venue just outside the French Quarter. As soon as they hit the stage I got that special feeling inside, and I knew they were the band that would allow us to put our stamp on the city’s musical lineage.”
Catch Royal Teeth on their first extensive US tour when they return to New Orleans to play a celebratory show June 2 at the New Orleans House of Blues. Tickets are available at www.houseofblues.com.
The big winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Beasts of the Southern Wild has debuted its official poster in preparation for its summer release. The pre-apocalyptic tale follows a young girl, Hushpuppy, as she prepares for the end of the world in small town Louisiana. The end of days happens to bring about a world of fantasy creatures in an already fairytale setting and will make it to theaters thanks to Fox Searchlight Pictures, who acquired the film for distribution during its Sundance debut. Filmed in New Orleans by local production company Court 13 Pictures and directed by NOLA resident Behn Zietlin, be sure to see Beasts of the Southern Wild in theaters June 27.
You may have noticed our love for film. It is the industry that birthed Scene Magazine, after all. Though we lovingly cover music and fashion, and anything that entertains, film is who we are. Yet, noticeably absent from our family of publications are film reviews. You’ll see a few of those here. Also absent from our editorial planning are album reviews, so you’ll see a few of those here too. I’ll also include anything that gets left our for one reason or another. Sometimes there’s great information or an amazing photo that just doesn’t make the cut.
For the most part, though, everything here will simply be things that have earned my favor. Great movies, great music and great experiences. I’m leaving comments open, so please feel free to join me.
Some of my musings will warrant front page exposure (with the noted exception of this admittedly poor introduction). To view the entire blog, you can find the link in the menu bar under “Film” or click here.
Sincerely,
Micah Haley
Editor-In-Chief
Scene Magazine
editor@scenelouisiana.com
Two new stills from Quentin Tarantio’s Django Unchained featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx were just released. The Weinstein Company plans to release the Southern drama on Christmas Day. Above, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Calvin Candie, a sadistic plantation owner. In the image below, Django (Jamie Foxx) sets out to free his wife from Candie after bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) frees him. The project is currently filming in New Orleans and also stars Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Sacha Baron Cohen.
New Orleans natives Mark and Jay Duplass have been confirmed to script Tony D’Souza’s novel, Mule, in an upcoming collaboration with Warner Bros, Electric City Entertainment and Todd Phillips’ Green Hat Films. Phillips has signed to direct, as well as produce the film alongside Scott Budnick and Electric City Entertainment’s Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell.
Mule depicts the story of a young couple whose financial stability is threatened by the economic recession of the late twentieth century. They suddenly find themselves in the midst of a drug trafficking operation in order to to make ends meet.
The Duplass Brothers released Jeff, Who Lives at Home last month and are set to release their next film, The Do Deca Pentathalon, in June.
The New Orleans-filmed G.I. Joe Retaliation recently released its full-length theatrical trailer. The film is a sequel to G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, with originals stars such as Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, and Bruce Willis.
