Renny Harlin, director of such action classics as DIE HARD 2 and DEEP BLUE SEA, tackles real life modern warfare in 5 DAYS OF WAR - opening August 19 at the Angelika. Check this exclusive letter to Angelika Blog readers, detailing the his interest in the story of 4 civilians trapped in the middle of the Georgian struggle for indepence in 1991, and the incredible process of shooting on location in Tsalka, Georgia:
After a teeth-rattling and bottom-numbing ride of four hours we’d finally arrived. The narrow dirt road that serpentined us to our distant destination had been freshly soaked by torrential rain, an especially nice additional touch considering the 1,000-foot drop that lay only a muddy tire width’s away for most of the journey. In my infinite wisdom I had requested to see this location because of its unique features. First, it was nestled in a breathtakingly beautiful valley. Second, and most importantly, it was home to the ghost town of Tsalka. I had given my producers an unusual yet gratifying task of finding me a town that I could blow up. And so here we were, in August of 2009, in Tsalka, Georgia, as the few inhabitants of the picturesque village were eyeing us with great curiosity and deep suspicion. When I say few, I include the twelve humans, a handful of cows, goats and chickens, and an entire pack of wild dogs that circled our overloaded vehicles.
Now, you might ask how far from Atlanta said mountain village might be located. To clarify, I’m talking about the Republic of Georgia—as in the former Soviet country that won its independence in 1991 when the rusty Iron Curtain finally collapsed…. READ MORE
Michael Rapaport, director of engrossing new doc BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, sat down with Adam Conway from the Angelika Blog to discuss his new film. The film chronicles Tribe’s rise to one of the greatest rap groups of all time, their rocky relationship as they deal with the fame and pressure to please their fans, their label, and themselves as artists — all seen through the eyes of one of their biggest fans, Michael Rapaport himself. Check the interview, check the rhime, and check out the film at the Angelikas Dallas and Plano.
“I have seen pictures of Stan’s work and it is still incredible . . . but it doesn’t come close to the catharsis of seeing it on an epic scale. No one owns a tv big enough to truly experience this film. “
EARTHWORK is the true story of real life crop artist Stan Herd (played by Academy Award nominee John Hawkes) who leaves his native Kansas to risk it all, planting his unique, rural art form in New York City with the help of a group of homeless characters on a plot of land owned by Donald Trump.
Filmmaker Chris Ordal graciously answered our questions about his debut feature film and will be available with the real life Stan Herd for your questions at Q&A sessions following the 7:30PM shows on Friday and Saturday.
This is your debut feature film, how did you choose the subject?
It sounds crazy, but I knew the second I heard a friend casually mention Stan’s New York story that I was going to make a film about it - and not in a general sense - I had an immediate vision of a narrative feature exploring that single episode of Stan’s life, focused on his relationship with the homeless growing in concert with the art he was planting and exploring what that work of art did to those characters. It was a literal gut reaction; I just had a hunch and went with it.I had been wanting to make my debut feature something that set itself apart from other independent films, but I wanted to do so in a way that emphasized story and not style or shock value. I wasn’t interested in making a calling card, I was focused on making a film whose story would be as relevant many years from now as it was the moment I wrote it. When Stan’s story landed in my lap, it just fit. You only get one chance to make your first film, and EARTHWORK is the story that most inspired me.
Our sister theatre Village East Cinema will be screening internationally renowned photographer and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s phenomenal documentary film HOME beginning February 4th for FREE! HOME is a must see film bearing witness to the Earth’s incomparable beauty and disquieting vulnerability…
Do not miss the US theatrical premiere of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s HOME, a feast for the eyes and a soulful and thought provoking voyage. Internationally renowned photographer and environmentalist, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, has made the first film ever using exclusively aerial footage. Through visually stunning footage from over fifty countries and narration by Glenn Close, Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes us on a spectacular cinematic journey in which we share his sense of awe about our planet. HOME brilliantly brings to light humanity’s threats to the ecological balance of our planet and focuses us on what we can do to protect it.
Reserve your FREE Tickets at VillageEastCinema.com or at the Village East Cinema Box Office!
Because Yann Arthus-Bertrand conceived HOME as a gift to the public and an ecological call to action, HOME will screen exclusively at the Village East Cinema for FREE for one week only. Invite your friends, family, classmates and colleagues to share in this breathtaking experience. For group reservations of 10 or more, please contact Andrew Smoker at 212-871-6839 or Andrew.Smoker@readingrdi.com.
Follow Village East Cinema at @CityCinemasNYC and HOME’s official Twitter account @Home_TheMovie for updates and special promotions leading up to opening night! Don’t miss out on this exciting event!
On opening night of Blue Valentine, director/filmmaker Derek Cianfrance paid a special visit to the Angelika to host a Q&A to a sold out 7:30 screening! If you still haven’t seen Blue Valentine (shame on you), purchase your tickets HERE.
Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the highly-controversial, highly-anticipated drama BLUE VALENTINE. The film stars Oscar Nominees Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as two halves of a disintegrating marriage in this international film festival phenomenon. In my humble opinion Michelle and Ryan are two of our generation’s greatest actors, continuously going against the grain of their Hollywood peers by taking on daring projects with fearlessness.
BLUE VALENTINE captures two critically-acclaimed and career-defining performances by both Gosling and Williams, and I am pleased to have had the opportunity to chat with Michelle Williams prior to the film’s opening at our Angelika New York location on December 31st!
At the time of our conversation BLUE VALENTINE was given an NC-17 rating by the MPAA, but the following day Harvey Weinstein (Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company) successfully appealed for an R Rating. Check out my interview with Michelle Williams below at our very first proper press junket before being rushed off to round table discussions. [Also available on our YouTube Channel]
Blue Valentine Star Ryan Gosling
During the round table panel, Director Derek Cianfrance described working with Michelle and Ryan after the 6-year break of filming Blue Valentine:
“When we started shooting last year it turned out to be a blessing because I had so many years to work with Ryan and Michelle, and they had so many years to work on their characters and they really became what I consider to be co-writers of the script. I wrote 66 drafts in those 12 years and many of those drafts came because I would have a dinner with Ryan that would go on for 12 hours and then I would come home and re-write the scripts based on our conversations. They really had a lot to say about characters, about dialogue, about feelings, about scenes. About the story, Ryan and Michelle are also children of divorce, like me, and we all wanted to make our generation’s love story. This film isn’t about our parents; it’s about us trying to deal with our own relationships basically.“
Oscar Nominated, Tony Award Winning Director Julie Taymor will be stopping by the Angelika Film Center tonight, Friday, December 10th for a very special Q&A following the 9:15 PM screening of THE TEMPEST and to introduce the midnight show!
For his latest film, a documentary titled The Kids Grow Up, acclaimed filmmaker Doug Block chose to turn the camera on his daughter Lucy. By weaving archival footage, on-camera present day life and heartbreak with humor, Block relives the first seventeen years of his daughter’s life before sending her off to college. This personal account of his daughter’s childhood translates into a universal story of modern-day parenting and learning to let go.
I had the opportunity to chat with Doug Block prior to the film’s opening this weekend at the Angelika, which was greatly received by The New York Times and The New York Daily News. Read the interview below and be sure to purchase your tickets to The Kids Grow UpHERE.
Congratulations on your film! The Kids Grow Up is a very intimate portrait of your family, how was the experience of watching the finished product with your daughter Lucy and wife Marjorie?
DB: Nerve wracking, because in both cases I needed to show them a rough cut much earlier than I would have wanted to in order to make sure they were okay with it. But I didn’t think either would have major problems with it and they didn’t. My wife just thought at first that it would take a long time for her to objectively be able to judge it.
This weekend one of our generation’s most prolific entertainers, Juliette Lewiswill be hosting Q&As in support of her latest film Conviction at The Angelika New York! The Academy Award Nominated actress and acclaimed musician plays Roseanna Perry in Conviction, a true story about a working mother (played by Hilary Swank) who puts herself through law school in an effort to represent her brother (played by Sam Rockwell), who has been wrongfully convicted of murder.
Juliette will be stopping by the Angelika New York this weekend to host three Q&As, you won’t want to miss this one! We’ll also be hosting an exclusive interview right here on At The Angelika Blog next week, stay tuned! Purchase your tickets for Conviction HERE, Q&A showtimes below.
Q&As with Juliette Lewis at The Angelika:
Friday, 10/22 following the 5:30 PM Show
Saturday, 10/23 following the 7:00 PM
Sunday, 10/24 after the 5:30 PM
Renny Harlin, director of such action classics as DIE HARD 2 and DEEP BLUE SEA, tackles real life modern warfare in 5 DAYS OF WAR - opening August 19 at the Angelika. Check this exclusive letter to Angelika Blog readers, detailing the his interest in the story of 4 civilians trapped in the middle of the Georgian struggle for indepence in 1991, and the incredible process of shooting on location in Tsalka, Georgia:
Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the highly-controversial, highly-anticipated drama BLUE VALENTINE. The film stars Oscar Nominees Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling 
his latest film, a documentary titled 
This weekend one of our generation’s most prolific entertainers, 