News

Bruce Kessler, a racing driver who moved into film and television following retirement, with credits including The Monkees and The A-Team, has died. He was 88. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Kessler passed away on Thursday, April 4, at his home in Marina del Rey following a brief illness, according to his brother, author and columnist Stephen Kessler. Born on March 23, 1936, in Seattle, Washington, Kessler moved with his family to Beverly Hills, California, at an early age. He developed a love for cars and began participating in the Sports Car Club of America races at 16 years old. He was also a team driver with Chuck Daigh for the Scarab race cars built by his close friend Lance Reventlow in the late 1950s. Through racing, Kessler became friends with actors James Dean and Steve McQueen. Kessler was one of the last people to speak to Dean before his tragic death on September...

Bruce Kessler, who directed episodes of shows including The Monkees, It Takes a Thief, The Rockford Files, McCloud and The Commish when he wasn’t driving race cars, designing boats or circling the globe in a yacht, has died. He was 88.

Kessler died Thursday at his home in Marina del Rey after a brief illness, his brother, author and columnist Stephen Kessler, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Survivors also include his wife, actress Joan Freeman, perhaps best known as the love interest of Elvis Presley’s character in Roustabout (1964). She and Kessler were together for 54 years and married for 33.

Kessler served as second-unit director on Howard Hawks’ Red Line 7000 (1965), an action film about stock cars that starred James Caan, before embarking on a three-decade career as a director for television.

His credits included The Flying Nun, Adam-12, Marcus Welby, M.D., Get Christie Love!, Baretta, Switch, CHiPs, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero,...

Most people never step inside a casino until they’ve reached adulthood. When they do, they typically approach them with expectations of smartly dressed punters, towers of chips exchanging hands around a poker table, and hundreds of flashing, buzzing slots contraptions with waterfalls of coins pouting out. The reason for these particular images? Hollywood. Casinos have starred in the movies for decades. Bright, exotic and ever-so-slightly decadent, they make a perfect setting for every kind of story. From drama to comedy films, casinos have provided audiences with thrills and laughs in equal measures, and in this article we review five top movies that are based on gambling.

The Hustler (1961)

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Director: Robert Rossen

Stars: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie

Running time: 134 min

The Hustler tells the story of ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson, a pool shark who’s grown too big for his pond and is searching for bigger fish to slay.

This is a special edition of Short Starts, where we look at the past year of disappointing feature debuts from filmmakers who previously wowed us with their short films. Short films can be good calling cards, but they aren’t always the best proof that a filmmaker has the skills to immediately jump into a feature. Especially a big Hollywood production. In recent years, thanks to the combination of the Internet, social media and cheaper tools for making movies on a personal computer, we’ve seen some awesome short films go viral and then get the attention of studio execs and big time producers. The filmmakers, in only a few minutes of screen time, display a lot of talent and imagination and, most importantly, promise. But they’re often handed properties that are too much to handle even for experienced directors, as we saw with Neill Blomkamp’s assignment of Halo as a feature debut. Fortunately...

The latest episode of The Tinsel Zone, a web series created by current Hollywood assistants, is described by its makers as a pitch meeting run by an Ari Emanuel-inspired Hollywood boss (down to the “tan skin, Chicago accent, etc” they write). Director Zach Copeland works at 1821 Pictures and series creator Charlie Wachtel toils for director and Wme client Stephen Kessler (Vegas Vacation). We’ll see if either Wachtel or Kessler can get in Wme’s front lobby after this:...

It looks like former California Governor and Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in talks to co-star in a reboot of the 1984 series The Toxic Avenger. His would be the supporting mentor role according to a press release, but the role truly sounds perfect for him.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release over at Deadline.

Los Angeles, CA (May, 2013) –Action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator series, Total Recall) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine 1 & 2) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger produced by Akiva Goldsman (Constantine, I Am Legend, Mr And Mrs Smith), Richard Saperstein (Hancock, 1408, SE7EN), Charlie Corwin (Half Nelson, The Squid And The Whale), Stephen Kessler and Michael Benaroya (Lawless, Margin Call). Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust’s (Ift) President Ariel Veneziano who will handle all international rights...

Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to take on The Toxic Avenger. In a weird, and inspired casting choice, Arnold is in talks to join the reboot of the Troma franchise as “The Exterminator,” the man who trains the Toxic one. Here’s the full press release:

Arnold Schwarzenegger (“Terminator” series, Total Recall) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger, produced by Akiva Goldsman, Richard Saperstein, Charlie Corwin, Stephen Kessler and Michael Benaroya. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust’s (Ift) President Ariel Veneziano who will handle all international rights to the film alongside Ift’s Head of Sales Christian de Gallegos.

Set to be introduced to buyers at Cannes 2013, The Toxic Avenger is currently in pre-production and scheduled to start principal photography this fall.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator series, Total Recall) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine 1 & 2) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger produced by Akiva Goldsman (Constantine, I Am Legend, Mr And Mrs Smith), Richard Saperstein (Hancock, 1408, SE7EN), Charlie Corwin (Half Nelson, The Squid And The Whale), Stephen Kessler and Michael Benaroya (Lawless, Margin Call). Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust’s President Ariel Veneziano who will handle all international rights to the film alongside Ift’s Head of Sales Christian de Gallegos.

Set to be introduced to buyers at Cannes 2013, The Toxic Avenger is currently in pre-production and scheduled to start principal photography this fall.

Loosely based on Lloyd Kaufman’s classic Troma franchise, The Toxic Avenger is the tale of a high-school kid who gets dunked in a vat of toxic...

Here’s some casting news most people didn’t see coming. A big budget remake of The Toxic Avenger has been in the works for quite some time, but it just got a big boost with the announcement that Arnold Schwarzenegger is in talks to join the cast:

Los Angeles, CA (May, 2013) –Action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator series, Total Recall) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine 1 & 2) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger produced by Akiva Goldsman (Constantine, I Am Legend, Mr And Mrs Smith), Richard Saperstein (Hancock, 1408, SE7EN), Charlie Corwin (Half Nelson, The Squid And The Whale), Stephen Kessler and Michael Benaroya (Lawless, Margin Call). Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust’s (Ift) President Ariel Veneziano who will handle all international rights to the film alongside Ift’s Head of Sales Christian de Gallegos.

Well now. Can't say we saw this one coming. Some pretty strange news is coming out of Hollyweird today as Arnold Schwarzenegger, yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is in talks to star in Troma's remake of The Toxic Avenger.

From the Press Release

Action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator series, Total Recall) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink’s (Hot Tub Time Machine 1 & 2) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger produced by Akiva Goldsman (Constantine, I Am Legend, Mr And Mrs Smith), Richard Saperstein (Hancock, 1408, SE7EN), Charlie Corwin (Half Nelson, The Squid And The Whale), Stephen Kessler, and Michael Benaroya (Lawless, Margin Call). Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust’s (Ift) President Ariel Veneziano, who will handle all international rights to the film alongside Ift’s Head of Sales Christian de Gallegos.

Set to be introduced to buyers...

Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Terminator" series, Total Recall ) is in negotiations to star in writer/director Steve Pink's ( Hot Tub Time Machine ) big budget action comedy The Toxic Avenger , produced by Akiva Goldsman, Richard Saperstein, Charlie Corwin, Stephen Kessler and Michael Benaroya. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce. The announcement was made today by International Film Trust's (Ift) President Ariel Veneziano who will handle all international rights to the film alongside Ift's Head of Sales Christian de Gallegos. Set to be introduced to buyers at Cannes 2013, The Toxic Avenger is currently in pre-production and scheduled to start principal photography this fall. Loosely based on Lloyd Kaufman's classic Troma franchise, The Toxic Avenger...

In the interest of brevity, I'll ignore this week's new releases (helpful hint: you should, too!) and go straight to the impressive lineup of special screenings.

Few film franchises are more impressive than Michael Apted's Up documentary series. Debuting in 1964 with Seven Up, which introduced viewers to 14 British 7-year-olds, the groundbreaking series has followed the progression of their lives with a new movie every seven years. They're now 56, and the latest installment, 56 Up, is screening Monday and Tuesday at the Stateside to kick off the new Stateside Independent film series.

Film fans old enough to remember the Seventies (and younger fans who, for reasons not well understood, think the Seventies were cool) shouldn't miss Paul Williams Still Alive (pictured above), Stephen Kessler's acclaimed documentary about the songwriter and pop cultural icon's phenomenal career and difficult personal life. Paul Williams Still Alive screens on Monday (and also on Saturday,...

Pick Of The Week: New Paul Williams Still Alive (Virgil Films) Let’s get one big fat caveat out of the way first: Stephen Kessler, the director of Paul Williams Still Alive, goes the Michael Moore/Morgan Spurlock route and inserts himself into this otherwise inspiring documentary about songwriter/actor/professional celebrity Paul Williams. Kessler is a huge distraction, hectoring his subject relentlessly when he isn’t manufacturing drama where it doesn’t exist. But Williams is a gem of a human being, sweet and self-deprecating, and Kessler succeeds in piecing together a life lived in the spotlight. Williams’ inability ...

Welcome back to This Week In Discs! As always, if you see something you like, click on the image to buy it. Paul Williams: Still Alive Like many kids in the ’70s Stephen Kessler was a fan of singer/songwriter Paul Williams‘ particular brand of sad, melodic songs that gave equal time to love and loneliness. As an adult Kessler wondered what happened to his childhood idol, and being a film/commercial director he decided to investigate and make a documentary on the 5’2″ award-winning legend. The result is a fascinating look at a man and a talent who could never have attained such stardom in today’s physically-obsessed world, and for Williams it’s a chance to look back and publicly acknowledge his past demons. At least, that was Kessler’s plan, but he may have neglected to share the idea with the talent. Williams makes for an engaging subject, due...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 5, 2013

Price: DVD $19.99

Studio: Virgil Films

Paul Williams and Barbra Streisand pose with their "Evergreen" Academy Award in a clip from Paul Williams: Still Alive.

The 2011 documentary film Paul Williams: Still Alive takes a look at the one-time superstar popular songwriter and show biz presence who’s been missing in action for the past two decades—but who is, as the film’s title puts is, still alive!

Williams seems to be everywhere in the 1970s: On records, the radio, TV and movies – but he suddenly walked away from it all, and a new generation of pop music lovers has no idea who he is. As a songwriter, Williams penned a slew of now-classic songs, including The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays,” Barbra Streisand’s “Evergreen,” Three Dog Night’s “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song” and the Muppets’ “Rainbow Connection.

Paul Williams' original song "Still Alive" from Stephen Kessler's documentary "Paul Williams Still Alive" will touch any artist, especially someone past their prime. The movie and the song address Williams' past glories, which are gone, and the fantasy of chasing your dreams vs. the reality of living with day-to-day happiness. In his case, the diminutive songwriter/performer enjoyed quite a run in the pop culture firmament. His songs have earned five Oscar nominations and this latest could well earn another. Listen to the song here or via this direct link. (The lyrics and trailer are posted below.) Like Kessler, I grew up with the singer-songwriter, who was ubiquitous on the 70s awards and talk show circuit. This is the guy who wrote Karen Carpenter's "We"ve Only Just Begun," Kermit the Frog's "Rainbow Connection" and Barbra Streisand's Oscar-winning "Evergreen," among many other songs. He...

Whether we like it or not Hollywood is in full-fledged awards season mode which, in addition to soon being inundated with "For Your Consideration" print ads and billboards, means that it's never too early for us to start making our own predictions about certain categories.

Hot on the heels of this week's buzzworthy first listen of Neil Flinn's original song for "The Hobbit," I'm dedicating my first prognosticating to one of my favorite and under-appreciated movie-related subjects: Best Original Song. Yes, more people should care about this category! Here are the tracks I hope get the attention they deserve in the next few months:

Neil Finn, "Song Of The Lonely Mountain"

Sure, the excitement for everything "Hobbit" is a little overwhelming and might seem excessive to some, but Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth Is cause for celebration for film score and song nerds like me because it means...

Paul Williams during "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles screening and Q Stephen Kessler, Paul Williams - "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles Screening and Q&A Reception - William Morris Endeavor Screening Room - Beverly Hills, CA, USA © Izumi Hasegawa / PR Photos Stephen Kessler, Paul Williams during "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles screening and Q Paul Williams - "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles Screening and Q&A Reception - William Morris Endeavor Screening Room - Beverly Hills, CA, USA © Izumi Hasegawa / PR Photos Paul Williams during "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles screening and Q Paul Williams - "Paul Williams Still Alive" Los Angeles Screening and Q&A Reception - William Morris Endeavor Screening Room -...

Australia’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival will be holding it’s explosive 15th annual edition on July 5-15 with one of it’s most jam-packed lineups yet.

One of the most special events that Revelation will be holding is July 14‘s retrospective of the films of Jeff Keen, the pioneering British underground filmmaker who very sadly just passed away on June 21. Keen’s work has been having a major resurgence lately and Revelation is the latest organization to so boldly feature his breathtaking experimental film work, from classics like 1967′s Marvo Movie to modern films like Artwar (1993) and Joy Thru Film (2000). This is absolutely an event not to be missed.

Another staggering event this year is a very special live presentation of Crispin Hellion Glover‘s notorious underground films What Is It? and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (Click film titles for Bad Lit reviews!) These very...

It may now be hard for older readers to recall — or for younger readers to fathom — but in the 1970s singer-songwriter Paul Williams was everywhere. As a tunesmith he penned lyrics about lovers and the dreamers for the beloved Muppets tune “Rainbow Connection” and shared an Oscar win with Barbra Streisand for the A Star Is Born track “Evergreen.” As an actor, he starred in Brian de Palma’s 1974 cult movie Phantom of the Paradise and guested on a slew of prime time TV mainstays including the original Hawaii Five-o and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And as a crooner with a louche wit,...

Kessler Gets The Rainbow Connection

Back when Paul Williams was a supremely popular songwriter, a regular on Johnny Carson, and a freshly awarded winner of an Academy Award, a Grammy, and a pair of Golden Globes, there was no way he could predict he would be living out his old age in moderate obscurity, a forgotten ghost of 70s ballads, and Studio 54 drug use. Some super fans (director Stephen Kessler included) thought Williams had died young, either asphyxiated on powder, or drowned in self indulgence. But the now long sober writer behind such hits as The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun”, Three Dog Night’s “An Old Fashioned Lovesong”, and the much beloved “Rainbow Connection” sung by Jim Henson as Kermit, is very much still alive, seemingly happier than ever, despite the lack of fame and riches many of his luckier contemporaries still carry with them today. Kessler’s first documentary,...

Singer/songwriter Paul Williams, as Stephen Kessler’s brilliant (and occasionally heartbreaking) new documentary “Paul Williams: Still Alive” teaches us, is indeed, still very much alive. The versatile entertainer has had a profound impact on popular culture, writing songs for The Carpenters (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” as the documentary points out, originated from a television jingle), Helen Reddy, and Elvis Presley. Williams made nearly constant appearances on 1970s television, not only as a performer and guest on countless talk shows but also in episodic dramas like “Hawaii Five-o” and “The Love Boat.” He wrote “Rainbow Connection” for “The Muppet Movie,” won an Oscar for “Evergreen” from the Streisand/Kristofferson “A Star Is Born,” and wrote the songs, score, and co-starred in Brian De Palma’s cult classic “Phantom of the Paradise.” We sat down with Williams and Kessler to discuss making the film, how it became a buddy movie between the two of them,...

When director Stephen Kessler set out to make a movie about Oscar-winning songwriter and omni-present '70s celebrity Paul Williams, he probably was hoping to make a very different movie than what became Paul Williams Still Alive . As a lifelong fan of Williams, Kessler wondered what had happened to him, and he was given an unprecedented chance to tail Williams with his camera crew and see how different his life today is than it was at the height of fame in the '70s. While most younger audiences probably won't know the name--if you saw last year's The Muppets , you already know Williams' work since he wrote a little song called "The Rainbow Connection"--there's a generation that remembers Williams as a guy who was literally everywhere. What Kessler learned while...

by Vadim Rizov

Paul Williams' best-known song is probably The Muppet Movie's "The Rainbow Connection," which kicks off the film with a camera plunge from the skies into Kermit's swamp. Stephen Kessler opens Paul Williams: Still Alive with an allusive riff on that shot, a clip of the singer-songwriter skydiving on a 1977 installment of CBS' long-discontinued annual special "Circus of the Stars." Williams' tunes remain pop standards: Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen," The Carpenters' "Rainy Days and Mondays." The music enabled Williams to become a ubiquitous guest-star of the '70s; a friend who grew up at the time described him as "television wallpaper."

Growing up, Kessler was mesmerized by Williams. Transparently Napoleonic at 5'2", shaggy and dwarfed by his own outrageous glasses, he was, Kessler notes, "no one's idea of a leading man." Quick-witted quips and good timing gave him a decade of TV fame, a legacy Williams is semi-eager to disown.

2 new clips have been added from the "Paul Williams Still Alive" documentary directed and written by Stephen Kessler The Abramorama release opened in theaters on June 8th and is produced by Jim Czarnecki, Mike Wilkins, David Zieff and Kessler. He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs from Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" to the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" as well as Kermit the Frog's biggest hit, "The Rainbow Connection"; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of Ascap... and you might not have heard of him. In the 1970's, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5"2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets.

2 new clips have been added from the "Paul Williams Still Alive" documentary directed and written by Stephen Kessler The Abramorama release opened in theaters on June 8th and is produced by Jim Czarnecki, Mike Wilkins, David Zieff and Kessler. He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs from Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" to the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" as well as Kermit the Frog's biggest hit, "The Rainbow Connection"; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of Ascap... and you might not have heard of him. In the 1970's, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5"2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets.

In the documentary "Paul Williams: Still Alive," filmmaker Stephen Kessler tracks down Academy Award-winning composer (and actor) Paul Williams to find out whatever happened to his idol. The results may surprise you. The film premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival and opens in select theaters this Friday, June 8. Below Kessler shares one of his favorite scenes from the film. What It's About Maybe you never heard of him, but to me, Paul Williams was everything when I was a kid -- an actor, singer, and songwriter who wrote songs like "Rainy Days and Mondays," "We’ve Only Just Begun," "Out in the Country," and "The Rainbow Connection." And he was always on TV shows like "The Tonight Show," "Hollywood Squares" and "The Odd Couple" — everywhere I wished I could be. For a long time, I thought he was dead. When I found out that he was still alive,...

Trailer, poster for Paul Williams Still Alive Abramorama's documentary helmed by Stephen Kessler opens June 8th, produced by Stephen Kessler, Jim Czarnecki, Mike Wilkins and David Zieff. He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs from Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" to the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" as well as Kermit the Frog's biggest hit, "The Rainbow Connection"; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of Ascap... and you might not have heard of him. In the 1970's, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5"2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets. One of those boys was Steve Kessler, a chubby kid from Queens.

Trailer, poster for Paul Williams Still Alive Abramorama's documentary helmed by Stephen Kessler opens June 8th, produced by Stephen Kessler, Jim Czarnecki, Mike Wilkins and David Zieff. He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs from Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" to the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" as well as Kermit the Frog's biggest hit, "The Rainbow Connection"; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of Ascap... and you might not have heard of him. In the 1970's, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5"2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets. One of those boys was Steve Kessler, a chubby kid from Queens.

I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.

Stephen Kessler’s Paul Williams Still Alive is a charming documentary about legendary songwriter and unlikely 70’s icon Paul Williams. A film six years in the making, it’s the story of Stephen’s childhood idol and how the unlikeliest of friendships is born between them. It is a kind of love letter that manages to be captivating and funny while not having to resort to any extravagant Hollywood magic.

Growing up in the seventies, Stephen Kessler was a lonely, awkward kid. He became fanatical about someone he could strongly relate to. Another lonely, quirky young man who was slowly appearing all over Hollywood: Paul Williams, who penned such hits as the Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” and kid classic The Muppet’s “Rainbow Connection.” Six years ago, Stephen begins wondering what had happened to his childhood hero who had battled addictions for many years and many had presumed dead.

Stephen Kessler knows the secret to a successful career in film; "I grew up in NYC before there were personal computers, when moms liked to just take diet pills and lock you in your room with the TV as your friend and babysitter. As it turns out, it was the only thing I really needed." That, and the occasional Hungry Man TV dinner. "I still get excited when I see the words Hungry Man," the director admits. He is the director of films like "The Independent," "Vegas Vacation" and now "Paul Williams Still Alive." What it's about: "When I was a kid, I really wanted to be Paul Williams. For a long time, I thought he was dead. Turns out, he's not." Director Kessler says:  "My film tells the story of an amazing singer, songwriter, TV and movie star--but it's not a film about singing, songwriting, TV, or movies. It's...

Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths,...

Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977

Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen

screens as part of 24 Beats per Second

SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:

Narrative Feature Competition

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.

With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.

indieWIRE hosted a series of Q&As at Tiff's Filmmakers' Lounge. Here's the highlights from managing editor Brian Brooks' conversation with director Stephen Kessler and Paul Williams, star and subject of the documentary "Paul Williams: Still Alive." Paul Williams claims the Tiff-debuted recovery documentary “Paul Williams: Still Alive” resembles a home movie spun out of control. A 4-and-a-half-year passion project by childhood fan Stephen Kessler, the majority of the film was ...

indieWIRE hosted a series of Q&As at Tiff's Filmmakers' Lounge. Here's the highlights from managing editor Brian Brooks' conversation with director Stephen Kessler and Paul Williams, star and subject of the documentary "Paul Williams: Still Alive." Paul Williams claims the Tiff-debuted recovery documentary “Paul Williams: Still Alive” resembles a home movie spun out of control. A 4-and-a-half-year passion project by childhood fan Stephen Kessler, the majority of the film was ...

There is a point in the inspiring documentary "Paul Williams: Still Alive" where you really understand that Stephen Kessler is not a hands-on kind of filmmaker. The Oscar nominee (for his 1991 short "Birch Street Gym"), who went on to helm "Vegas Vacation," is mostly nowadays a director of commercials who presumably works with large cushy crews. It's not apparent for most of this new film, a rare successful 'stalk-umentary,' that Kessler is not doing any of the shooting. Typically with a small documentary like this the documentarian would, I think. Then comes the instant where Kessler, who's never done…...

As director Stephen Kessler notes in his documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive, in the ’70s, the tiny blond singer was everywhere. He could be found on daytime game shows (The Gong Show) and nighttime dramas (The Love Boat), on The Muppets as well as in the lead of a Brian DePalma film (The Phantom of the Paradise). And then he faded from the cultural limelight. How much of his disappearance can be explained by the simple fact that people — audiences and performers — get older? Or does the fade of Williams’ quirky and emotional star say something deeper about the state of our culture? For Kessler, the subject was also a re-entry to the feature business; it’s been over a decade since his films The Independent and Vegas Vacation. We talked to him about all of this, as well as what he’s learned from directing commercials.

Filmmaker: When did you first encounter Paul Williams?...

There are a couple of reasons for revisiting the Toronto International Film Festival's lineup for its documentary program, Real to Reel. One of them is Aj Schnack's interview with Thom Powers, Tiff's Documentary and Mavericks Programmer, posted just hours after the Mavericks lineup was announced on Tuesday. Discussing the highlights of both programs, they touch on another reason: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is making all sorts of headlines. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's third film chronicling the odyssey of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr, aka the West Memphis Three, through the labyrinth of the Us legal system, follows Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). All three films deal with what Powers calls in his Programmer's Note "an 18-year-old murder case that has become an iconic example of a legal witch hunt." In 1993, when all three men were still teens,...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: Brad Pitt, Keira Knightley, George Clooney, Carey Mulligan, Rachel Weisz, Gerard Butler and Ryan Gosling are heading to Toronto for the 36tht international film festival, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 8.

The fest today confirmed the hundreds of celebrities that will be attending the can’t-miss event, promoting films and making the rounds as the annual awards season starts to take shape.

Davis Guggenheim, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Luc Besson, Oren Moverman, Malgoska Szumowska, Bennett Miller, Sarah Polley, Jessica Yu, Michael Winterbottom and Werner Herzog are just a few of the filmmakers who have confirmed their attendance.

Celebrities making the trek include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Clive Owen, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young also are expected to...

Toronto - The 36th Toronto International Film Festival® welcomes hundreds of guests this year. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Davis Guggenheim, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Agnieszka Holland, Guy Maddin, Luc Besson, Bill Duke, Oren Moverman, Malgoska Szumowska, Bennett Miller, Darrell Roodt, Sarah Polley, Jessica Yu, Michael Winterbottom and Werner Herzog.

Actors expected to attend include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Jeon Do-Yeon, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Ryan Gosling, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians include: U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young.

The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.

The following filmmakers are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:

Adam Shaheen, Adam Wingard, Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., Agnieszka Holland, Akin Omotoso,...

News is rolling out of Toronto for this year's festival, with the Galas and the Special Presentations sections announced.  As always with Tiff, the sheer number of films can seem overwhelming, but with new films by David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method, pictured above), Terence Davies (!), Francis Ford Coppola, Wang Xiaoshuai, Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, and William Friedkin added to big names that premiered already this year (including Almodóvar, Von Trier, Nanni Moretti, and Nicolas Winding Refn) it looks like the 2011 iteration will be as packed with must-see cinema as ever before.  We'll be updating this listing as new lineups are announced.  See Tiff's official website for details.

Galas

Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland) Butter (Jim Field Smith, USA) A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/UK/Germany/Canada) From the Sky Down (Davis Guggenheim, USA) A Happy Event (Rémi Bezançon, France) The Ides of March (George Clooney, USA) The Lady (Luc Besson,...

The Toronto International Film Festival has released the complete line-up of their impressive documentary slate which include new works from directors such as Morgan Spurlock, Werner Herzog and Alex Gibney. Herzog explores a triple homicide case in Texas in Into the Abyss; Morgan Spurlock follows fans to San Diego’s Comic-Con in Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope; Jessica Yu delivers a wake-up call about the world’s water supply in Last Call at the Oasis; and Nick Broomfield visits Wasilla, Alaska in his search for the ‘real’ Sarah Palin in Sarah Palin – You Betcha! Here is the complete line-up. Enjoy

Masters

Pina Wim Wenders, Germany/France

Canadian Premiere

German master filmmaker Wim Wenders shoots in 3D to capture the brilliantly inventive dance world of Pina Bausch and her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal. Excerpts from many of her most famous pieces are shot outside in the streets and parks of...

A week after the announcement of the first, and largest, wave of films added to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival slate, the festival is now finally rounding out its list, with some of the most interesting additions yet.

Criterion Collection fans will again see a few of their more beloved filmmakers involved here, as Wim Wenders will be bowing his latest film, Pina, during the festival, as will Werner Herzog (not truly a Criterion Collection approved filmmaker, but we’ll count it). Herzog will be bringing his new documentary, Into The Abyss, which looks at those behind at triple homicide, including one man who is on death row and will be put to death just days after speaking with the filmmaker.

Other additions include Ron Fricke’s Baraka follow up, Samsara, Nick Broomfield’s surely controversial documentary Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, and documentaries from Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock.

Shawn Ashmore, Ashley Bell, Shannyn Sossamon, Dominic Monaghan and Cory Hardrict in The Day

Photo: Content Media The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival announced 56 more movies added to its festival line-up this year with selections in the Vanguard, Midnight Madness, Documentaries, City to City and Tiff Kids programs. And to be honest, the line-up is filled with titles, most of which are absolutely new to me.

I have seen one of the films under the Vanguard banner, a selection of young and cutting edge features and I've heard of Joachim Trier's Oslo, August 31, Ben Wheatley's Kill List (watch the trailer to the right) was a hit at South by Southwest earlier this year and the documentary selections include familiar names such as Werner Herzog, Morgan Spurlock, Jonathan Demme, Alex Gibney and Wim Wenders, the latter of which is delivering a 3D documentary centered on the dance world of Pina Bausch and her company.

Robot Chicken Emmy winners Seth Green and Matthew Senreich are tackling reality TV — on the Internet. They’ve created ControlTV, a show that will follow six weeks in the life of a man in his twenties, as the audience votes, in real time, on decisions in his life — from what he wears and eats, to where he works, to who he dates. The show, which will begin production in Los Angeles this fall, will be distributed by Dbg (www.dbg.tv). The highlights of each day’s action will be edited into a webisode, concluding with a vote. The series...

Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich have teamed with Ford Motor Co. and Sprint Nextel for ControlTV, an interactive reality show. The series, which will follow six weeks in the life of a guy in his twenties, enables the audience to vote, in real time, on every aspect of his life—from what he wears and eats, to where he works, to who he dates. Given the partners, there obviously will be product placement: the guy will drive a 2011 Ford Fiesta, and Sprint’s new Htc Evo 4G phone will also be featured. Creators Green and Senreich will exec produce with former Dimension Films president Richard Saperstein, The Bachelor director Ken Fuchs, commercial director Stephen Kessler and interactive technology expert Craig Ullman. The show will also be executive produced and distributed by video network Dbg. Production will begin in Los Angeles this fall.

"Robot Chicken" creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich are launching an online reality experiment in which viewers decide every major decision a person makes for six weeks.

In "ControlTV," a twentysomething man is told what to wear, what to eat, where to work and who to date in real time by users online.

The high-concept premise has Green and Senreich partnering with Ford and Sprint Nextel as embedded advertisers (the protagonist will drive a 2011 Ford Fiesta, and a Sprint phone will be used in the program).

The show launches in the fall on the Dbg Video Network.

"ControlTV places the audience in complete control of a show for the first time ever, and we are eager to learn what they will decide for our protagonist," Green said. "We are thrilled to partner with Dbg, Ford and Sprint on this groundbreaking new form of entertainment."

Other producers include Richard Saperstein, former...