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Truly Free Film

Old Is New Again

I have often felt that you could do a shot for shot remake of Godard’s A WOMAN IS A WOMAN and win Sundance with it. It feels as fresh today as it did when it came out — which is both a testament to the quality of the film and condemnation of our current culture. We haven’t exactly moved forward in terms of our art forms and storytelling.

One thing that has reinforced my conviction that remakes could be the freshest thing on the planet, is Eddie Burns’ series of “homage” trailers he’s done around his latest film NICE GUY JOHNNY. If I saw this trailer without the context of what Eddie is up to, I would run to the theater to catch the feature. Even knowing that this is the third in a series of trailers that Eddie has done, it still makes me want to see what he’s been up to lately. Clearly he’s been inspired, and is having a lot of fun.

Okay, so this homage is not to the french new wave, but it is to a film that was heavily informed by all that those folks were up to, and filtered it through a big Hollywood lens. Did you name it? Got it after the jump.

Categories
Truly Free Film

The Next Big Thing? Homage Trailers

Yesterday, I posted how Edward Burns has found inspiration in the classics, or at least in the classics’ trailers.  I get a huge kick from his “remakes”  that he has created around his new film NICE GUY JOHNNY.  “Homages” to the greats are both funny to watch and a great discovery tool.  So if you had a jones for more after yesterday’s serving of Antonioni’s L’AVVENTURA, why stop there?  Here’s Eddie’s remake of Godard’s CONTEMPT:

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Truly Free Film

Let’s Remake The Greatest Movies Of All Time!

Okay, let’s let the the great movies be the great movies (at least for now), but who says we can’t have fun with their various extensions?  Eddie Burns is on a role.  He’s always gotten a great deal of inspiration from the greats.  THE BROTHERS McMULLEN had a bit of Woody Allen — in Irish drag — as it’s patron saint.  He’s found new inspiration and energy from an embrace of DIY and social media, and as much as he’s looking forward, he’s drawing on the past.  To get us all ready for his new film NICE GUY JOHNNY (opening on all platforms Oct. 26), Eddie has looked at  the greatest movies ever made, but hey he’s a busy guy, so he doesn’t have time to watch the whole feature and has settled on the trailers.

Does this trailer remind you of anything you’ve seen before?

Categories
These Are Those Things

“A New Experience In Motion Picture Eroticism”

They just don’t make them like they used to, eh? Watching trailers on the classics, truly makes me want the super power of time travel so I could return to a time when the first impression was devoid of camp. Still though, show this trailer for Antonioni’s L’Avventura in the theater today, and I would be at a screening tomorrow. Beautiful and sexy and black and white. What more do you need?

One question though, does anyone know what this piece of music is that plays underneath the voiceover?

Categories
These Are Those Things

“That Was A Good Trailer”

Film Forum showed this trailer before the restored print of METROPOLIS. When it was done, the nine year old young man next to me turned to me and said “That was a good trailer”. He knows of what he speaks. And thus how little we have traveled. Fifty years is the age of Godard’s BREATHLESS and it still feels fresh even to an innocent’s eyes. And for that matter, METROPOLIS totally stood up and got the approved stamp of “exciting” from both my son and his friend.

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Issues and Actions

Not Good For Indies: Pay To Play Trailers

Hollywood Reporter reports on this distressing situation. You want to be sure your trailer is seen? Better cough some pretty green.

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Truly Free Film

Wanted: List Of Websites That Post Trailers

When I spoke at IFF at TIFF with Festival Darling‘s Thomas Mai, he said there were 154 websites that posted film trailers. We need that list. Maybe Thomas will share it with us, but in the meantime with Sundance around the corner and Berlin on it’s heels, we can’t afford to wait to post. Let’s build that list! What sites do you know?

And hey, since it is my birthday, why not give out your knowledge as a gift? If not, I will settle for a good bottle of single malt…