News

Exclusive: Out at the Cannes market, LA-based production company Convergence Entertainment Group is launching There There, which is being written and directed by the Polish brothers in their first collaboration in more than a decade.

The film has begun principal photography and the duo are hopeful it will premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. This would be the sixth Polish Brothers film to premiere at the festival.

On There There, each of the twin brothers will write and direct one half of the movie without the other knowing anything about the other, resulting in two separate storylines that will be interwoven into a single feature-length film. This approach will enable each brother to explore the nature of the twin relationship from their own unique perspective without being influenced or constrained by the other’s vision.

The cast includes Gretchen Mol (Yellowstone), Shannon Sossamon (The Rules of Attraction), Corbin Bernsen (Major...

Click here to read the full article.

Murmur, the new horror movie from indie filmmaker Mark Polish, will have its world premiere at the Oldenburg Film Festival, the fall event known as “Germany’s Sundance.”

Polish is best known as one half, with brother Michael, of the writing/directing team The Polish brothers, whose credits include Sundance hit Twin Falls, Idaho (1999), Jackpot (2001), The Astronaut Farmer (2006) and The Smell of Success. Michael Polish has typically taken over directing duties on Polish brothers films, with Mark playing a lead role and both siblings sharing screenwriting credits.

Mark Polish first stepped behind the camera for Headlock (2019), his feature debut starring Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron and James Frain.

Murmur, which he wrote and directed, follows a group of social media stars who become guinea pigs for a new app that breaks down the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Polish’s daughter Logan Polish, of...

It’s not a critic’s place to say (or to know) if “American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally” only exists because producer and star Meadow Williams — eager to jumpstart an unremarkable career that might have reached its high point with a small part in the Mel Gibson Hulu movie “Boss Level” — used some of the $800 million fortune she controversially inherited from her much older and very dead vitamin tycoon husband to buy herself a starring role in a biopic so chintzy that it seems like even Al “I’ll do literally anything as long as my hair gets to look like a dead bird” Pacino had to get Bowfingered into being in it.

All a critic can say is that no other explanation would seem to account for the unnatural lifelessness of this film about the first woman ever convicted for treason against the United States. No other...

Given all the noise around Force of Nature, it’s hard to get at the movie itself, which on the surface is no more than a routine crime thriller set in San Juan, Puerto Rico during a Category 5 hurricane. What’s not routine is the tweetstorm of controversy ignited by the casting of Mel Gibson and Emile Hirsch, both actors with assault charges on their records, as white cops battling “Rican” villains against the carnage of Hurricane Maria. To say that a real-life tragedy deserves more respect than simply being...

"What do you think these guys want?" "I might have a pretty good idea." Lionsgate has released an official trailer for Force of Nature, an action thriller from filmmaker Michael Polish, launching directly onto VOD services in June this summer. Yet another movie set during a Category 5 hurricane, but this time not a horror (like Crawl). A gang of thieves plan a heist during a hurricane and encounter trouble when a cop tries to force everyone in the big apartment building to evacuate. Emile Hirsch stars with Mel Gibson, Kate Bosworth, David Zayas, Stephanie Cayo, William Catlett, Tyler Jon Olson, Swen Temmel, & Rey Hernandez. The hurricane in this looks so incredibly fake, and the rest of it just looks so mediocre. Might be worth skipping. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Michael Polish's Force of Nature, from Lionsgate's YouTube: An edge-of-your-seat action-thriller that explodes during ...

Exclusive: Director-writer-producer Michael Polish has signed with Buchwald. He was previously with ICM.

Known for his 1999 Sundance film Twin Falls Idaho, Polish recently wrapped production on two upcoming films: Axis Sally, starring Al Pacino; and Force of Nature, starring Mel Gibson, Emile Hirsch, and Kate Bosworth. He also recently wrote, directed and produced Nona, which put a spotlight on sex trafficking in Central America. His other big screen credits include The Astronaut Farmer, starring Billy Bob Thornton; Northfork for Paramount Classics; and Big Sur, adapted from the Jack Kerouac novel.

More from DeadlineNeal McDonough Signs With BuchwaldBuchwald Signs 'Criminal Minds' Exec Producer Ed BerneroBuchwald Adds Sola Fasehun and Tim Patricia As Literary Agents

Polish continues to be repped by Management Production Entertainment and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

More/Medavoy Management has sign Mark Polish, who first stepped on the scene with the 1999 Sundance film Twin Falls Idaho, which he starred in and co-wrote with his twin brother and frequent collaborator Michael Polish.

Following the release of Twin Falls Idaho (via Sony Pictures Classics), Polish co-wrote and co-produced the comedy Jackpot (2001), which received the Indie Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and Northfork, also co-starring alongside James Woods, Nick Nolte, and Daryl Hannah.

Polish branched off on his own with Headlock, which is slated to be released later this year, and recently directed an episode on season two of the Showtime series, I’m Dying Up Here, as well as an episode of USA’s forthcoming Suits spin-off series, Pearson.

He’ll continue to be repped by Kaplan Stahler.

So deeply terrible that it will make you question the existence of God. The dialogue is the least natural I’ve ever seen in a film not made by Ed Wood. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): not religious in the least

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Baptist minister Don Piper believes he went to heaven for a hour and a half back in 1989, when his smashed-up body lay in the mangled remains of his car after a terrible accident and a declaration that he was dead from paramedics. Turns out he was only mostly dead. Later, Piper wrote what turned out to be a bestselling book about the “experience.” And now screenwriter and director Michael Polish — who once made really good movies such as Twin Falls Idaho and The Astronaut Farmer — has adapted...

Twin filmmakers Michael and Mark Polish occupy a special spot in the American indie landscape. Since their strong debut Twin Falls Idaho, a weird little movie about conjoined twins, the brothers have been chugging along surviving in Hollywood, acting and directing series of independent films since the late 90s. They have a very distinctive visual style with a narrative steeped in magic realism while invoking the American West of yesteryears - men in dark suits and fedoras, expansive vistas, etc - my favorite film of theirs being Northfork.Amnesiac, a small film not written by and not starring either Polish, is another unusual solo outing, after Big Sur, a Jack Keruac adaptation in 2013, by Michael Polish as a director. This stylish, slow burn psychological thriller...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Amnesiac is the second solo outing by Michael Polish (one of the identical twin filmmakers, the Polish brothers) after his Jack Keruac adaptation Big Sur (which is great and everyone should see it). The thriller stars his wife Kate Bosworth as a femme fatale, playing against type, and features his signature visual style. As a moviegoer who's been following the brothers' careers closely, I was eager to talk to Michael about his life as a filmmaker so far.TwitchFilm: You and your brother have a very interesting career trajectory in American cinema landscape since your debut Twin Falls Idaho. Michael Polish: You know me when I was a conjoined twin. (laughs)I've been following your careers closely. One of my favorite films of all time being Northfork....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

If you thought faith-based movies were just a brief trend, movies attended by a niche audience outside the mainstream, guess again. Hollywood has seen the light are big stars are starting to gravitate towards films with a wholesome message, and this fall will bring two of them. Kate Mara and David Oyelowo are the starry window dressing on the forthcoming "Captive," and now there's "90 Minutes In Heaven," which features Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth, and perhaps most surprisingly, Michael Polish at the helm. Indie fans will recall that Polish was one half of the sibling filmmaking team that made waves with "Twin Falls Idaho" and "Northfork," before striking out on his own, delivering recent, very distinctive and lo-fi movies with "For Lovers Only" and the (very underrated) "Big Sur." Anyway, he's doing...this...which is based on a book which is apparently a true story, if you believe in this sort of thing.

Image Entertainment has picked up the North American rights for  Adam Egypt Mortimer's supernatural slasher flick Some Kind of Hate. The flick had its world premiere at the Stanley Film Festival this past weekend. Some Kind of Hate stars Ronen Rubenstein (It Felt Like Love), Sierra McCormick (Disney's "Ant Farm"), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Disney's Teen Beach Movie), Spencer Breslin (The Happening, The Kid), Lexi Atkins (The Boy Next Door, Zombeavers), Noah Segan (Looper), and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho).Some Kind of Hate tells the story of a troubled teen who's subjected to severe bullying. He accidentally conjures Moira Karp, a teenage girl pushed to commit suicide by bullies years ago. Moira is now a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of gruesome retribution. But...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Following its recent premiere at the Stanley Film Festival, Adam Egypt Mortimer's Some Kind of Hate has been acquired by Image Entertainment:

"Los Angeles, May 4, 2015 – Image Entertainment, an Rlje Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje) brand, has acquired all North American rights to the Caliber Media-produced horror film, Some Kind Of Hate. The buzz-worthy film made its world debut at the Stanley Film Festival on May 2. Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer, from a script by Mortimer and novelist Brian DeLeeuw (The Dismantling), Some Kind Of Hate stars Ronen Rubinstein (It Felt Like Love), Sierra McCormick (Disney’s “Ant Farm”), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Disney’s Teen Beach Movie), Spencer Breslin (The Happening, The Kid), Lexi Atkins (The Boy Next Door, Zombeavers), Noah Segan (Looper), and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho). Mark Ward, Rlj Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer for the Image brands, made the announcement today.

“Some Kind Of Hate...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes release details on Amnesiac, The Atticus Institute, and Alien Outpost, multiple trailers, premiere details for Head, and a Q&A with the founder of The Philip K. Dick Film Festival:

Amnesiac Distribution and Release Details: “Amnesiac tells the story of a man (Wes Bentley) who wakes up in bed suffering from memory loss after being in an accident, only to begin to suspect that his wife (Kate Bosworth) may not be his real wife. The web of lies and deceit deepen inside the house where he soon finds himself a prisoner.

XLrator Media has acquired North American distribution rights to the psychological thriller Amnesiac starring Kate Bosworth (Still Alice, Superman Returns) and Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games series, Interstellar). XLrator Media will release the film in Summer 2015 on its acclaimed “Macabre” genre label.

XLrator Media, who just last fall released the acclaimed titles Found, Housebound and The Mule, has acquired the Michael Polish-directed psychothriller Amnesiac, starring Kate Bosworth and Wes Bentley. Here Bosworth reteams with her Big Sur director Polish (Twin Falls Idaho) in the story of a man (Bentley) who wakes up in bed suffering from memory…

The post XLrator to Release Kate Bosworth Thriller, Amnesiac appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Directed by "Twin Falls Idaho" director Michael Polish, who also happens to be the husband of star Kate Bosworth, "Amnesiac" centers on a man, played by Wes Bentley, who is suffering from memory loss as a result of a recent accident. Over time, he begins to suspect that the woman that claims to be his wife, played by Bosworth, is not actually his real wife. XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon called the film "a stylish and twisted thriller in the vein of 'Misery' with superb performances by Kate Bosworth and Wes Bentley. Audiences will discover a side of Kate they have never seen before!" XLrator plans to release the film this summer, although an exact release date has yet to be announced. Read More: Wes Bentley On Getting Sober to Rock 'Interstellar' and 'American Horror Story'...

XLrator Media has picked up North American rights to Amnesiac from director Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho) for a summer release through its Macabre genre label. Kate Bosworth stars opposite Wes Bentley in the Misery-esque tale of a man who wakes up in bed after an accident, suffering from memory loss. He begins to suspect his wife isn’t really his real wife and soon finds himself a prisoner in the house.

Mike Le and Amy Kolquist scripted the film, which was produced by Lucas Jarach and Jason Price. Amnesiac is the latest Polish film to star Bosworth, who appeared in the helmer’s 2013 Jack Kerouac drama Big Sur. She’s currently in theaters in the Oscar pic Still Alice opposite Julianne Moore. Bentley was seen recently in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. XLrator Media’s Barry Gordon negotiated the deal with Paradigm’s Ben Weiss and Meghan Oliver.

The latest haunted house horror to burst onto the big screen is 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (review), named so for the typical, banal listing description of an apartment.

It tells the story of Rachel (Michelle Hicks) and Kevin Foster (Andrew W. Walker), a couple who have finally found the ideal home where they can build a future and raise their children. They are hoping it’s a fresh start for their troubled marriage, but as they begin to settle into their new digs, their plans are interrupted by strange occurrences.

As it so happens, director Stanley Yung was inspired by true events when he embarked on this, his first foray into full-on horror. We got a chance to catch up with him at the special event premiere screening of the film, and here’s what he had to say about making a scary movie.

Dread Central: You have such a great cast...

Outside of the success of the musical comedy series "Glee," Dianna Agron hasn't really had much success on the big screen. The Family and I Am Number Four were both misfires and weren't loved by audiences or critics. So now she's doing something completely different than her previous big screen or small screen efforts with Headlock, an action thriller that marks the directorial debut of The Astronaut Farmer scribe Mark Polish. And now we have a first look photo that features Agron with her hair blown back, a sly smile on her face and a gun in her hand. Could this turn the actress into another female action star? Look below! Here's the first photo from Mark Polish's Headlock from International Film Trust: Headlock is written and directed by Mark Polish (writer of The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho, Stay Cool). After new CIA recruit, Kelley Chandler (Polish) is seriously injured during a mission,...

Veteran character actor Jon Gries is best known for his gut-busting portrayal of Uncle Rico, he of the orange van and dashed dreams of high school football glory, in the 2004 cult gem Napoleon Dynamite. Jon Gries is also recognizable as Roger Linus on Lost, but the actor has been kicking around in Hollywood for decades, ever since he appeared in 1969 at age 11 opposite Charlton Heston in Will Penny, a western directed by his father Tom Gries. Some of Jon’s other films include Monster Squad (1978), Get Shorty (1995), and Taken (2008). Jon is also an accomplished musician, having composed songs for the films Twin Falls Idaho (1999) and The Big Empty (2003). In 2010, after directing several music videos, Jon tried his hand at directing a feature and the result was the acclaimed redneck road comedy Pickin’ & Grinning’.

(http://pickinandgrinninmovie.com/ )

Now Jon has teamed up with writer Derek Walker for Another Man’S Gun,...

Well, another of Jack Kerouac’s novels is coming to the big screen and with the Sundance Film Festival so close this time it’s the first trailer for a film version of a markedly different Kerouac novel, Big Sur.

Big Sur depicts the consequences of the fame that the success of writer’s opus On the Road brought to its troubled author once it finally was published years later. Jean-Marc Barr plays Kerouac nearly 15 years older than the one played by Sam Riley in Walter Salles’ On the Road, this time with Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas also starring in the story of the writer’s struggle with alcoholism and a relationship with his best friend’s mistress. Lucas plays the Cassady character, while Bosworth plays the center of their love triangle, Billie.

The story takes place in Big Sur, Calif., where Kerouac visited his publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti, as well as San Francisco.

Starting on January 17th, we'll be sitting in the mountains of Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, ready to start the buzz on the latest (and hopefully greatest) independent movies that 2013 has to offer. And with the festival so close, the hype for some of the films is already kicking off. This time it's the first trailer for Big Sur, an adaptation of yet another Jack Kerouac book (Kill Your Darlings with Daniel Radcliffe will also be at Sundance). Jean-Marc Barr plays Kerouac this time with Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas also starring in this story of the writer's struggle with alcoholism and a relationship with his best friend's mistress. This looks like a gorgeous film that Kerouac fans might really enjoy. Watch below! Here's the first trailer for Michael Polish's Sundance selected Big Sur (via Trailer Addict): Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho...

Michael Fassbender's riding into the sunset, Evan Rachel Wood is hitting the road and Jamie Bell is gettin' busy in this week's casting news.

Fassbender may soon be studying to be a quick draw as he's in talks to join the western, "Jane Got a Gun," according to Vulture. Natalie Portman is currently attached to the film about a woman who hires an ex-lover (Fassbender) to protect her ranch after her outlaw husband returns home bullet-ridden and with former criminal colleagues hot on his heels. Lynne Ramsay ("We Need to Talk About Kevin") is attached to direct.

Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman? Together? In a western? Please. We'll be there, guns a'blazin'.

Evan Rachel Wood is also embracing the outlaw life as Deadline reports that she's signed on to the old-school chase movie, "18 Wheel Butterfly." The film follows a female trucker who's accused of a crime she didn't commit,...

Michael Polish, one half of the sibling duo behind “Twin Falls Idaho” and “The Astronaut Farmer,” has attached himself to the road movie “18 Wheel Butterfly” with Evan Rachel Wood in talks to star as a female trucker. Nice. Described as a throwback to films like “Smokey & The Bandit” and Steven Spielberg’s “Sugarland Express,” the film follows the interestingly named Rainbeaux (Wood), who is “accussed of a crime that she did not commit and must outrace the law, brother truckers, feds and bounty hunters in the Texas bubble gum, redneck chic summer of 1977.” Slap on an appropriately rockin' soundtrack, and this thing seems to write itself. Polish -- working here without frequent collaborator and twin brother Mark Polish -- will be making his second period piece after the upcoming Jack Kerouac adaptation “Big Sur,” which still has no release date. We don’t imagine...

• Lithe rebel Evan Rachel Wood is in talks to star as a female trucker in 18 Wheel Butterfly, a road movie set in 1977 Texas with Twin Falls Idaho’s Michael Polish attached to direct. Scribed by Christian Divine, it’s slated as having a Thelma and Louise feel. Wood would take on the role of falsely accused Rainbeaux, who flees from law enforcement, bounty hunters and other truckers. The movie sounds like a perfect fit for Wood, known for her snarling charm on True Blood and as an intern in last year’s The Ides of March.

• Jennifer Jason Leigh has...

Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork) has attached himself to direct. Evan Rachel Wood is in talks to star as the lead character, a female trucker named “Rainbeaux” 18 Wheel Butterfly by Christian Divine is a colorful road movie. An adorable gear-grindin’ female trucker is accused of a crime that she did not commit and must outrace the law, brother truckers, feds and bounty hunters in the in the Texas bubble gum, redneck chic summer of 1977. Compared to a throwback to Smokey & The Bandit, Convoy, Sugerland Express, Thelma & Louise. 18 Wheel Butterfly will be produced by Aaron Magnani under his Water Bear/Aaron Magnani Productions Banner along with A Polish Brothers Construction. Magnani and producers are currently seeking financing. Michael Polish directed and recently released, For Lovers Only, and the upcoming Big Sur based on 1962 novel by Jack Kerouac. Wood will be seen in the upcoming, “A Case of You” with Vince Vaughn...

A high school movie with a difference, Stay Cool offers both a contemporary and nostalgic glimpse into those formative years when a best-selling author Henry (Mark Polish) is invited back to his old school to deliver a speech at the upcoming senior graduation.

Now in his mid-thirties, his latest book is based around his own school experiences decades back where he attempted (unsuccessfully) to fit in with the popular crowd and win the affections of the girl of his dreams. Hooking up with best friends from that era, a gay hairdresser (Sean Ashton) and tattooist (Josh Holloway), he decides to sample life back in the classroom and encouraged by his old principal (Chevy Chase), attends some lessons. He soon discovers that school is still as daunting a place as it ever was when he finds himself having to fend off the romantic advances of an overly-mature student (Hilary Duff) and...

Stay Cool

Stars: Mark Polish, Sean Astin, Josh Lucas, Winona Ryder, Chevy Chase, Hilary Duff, Dee Wallace, Michael Gross | Written by Mark Polish | Directed by Michael Polish

Henry, a 30-something author of a popular novel, returns to his hometown to deliver a speech at his former high school. Despite his success Henry’s return home has sparked all of the youthful dreams, desires and disappointments he’s never quite gotten over. Between run-ins with the principal, the friends he left behind, the former girl of his dreams and a seductive senior (Duff) who clearly has the hots for him, Henry is sent spinning through a time warp that incites all the old emotions and challenges of the world he grew up in.

When I was sent the press release for Stay Cool I was torn – much was made of HIlary Duff’s role in the film, but at the same...

Drake Doremus‘ Sundance Grand Prize winner Like Crazy will be the opening night film for the 7th annual Film Independent Forum, according to the non-profit.

Taking place Oct. 21-23 at the Director Guild of America in L.A., Like Crazy (which Paramount Vantage opens on Oct. 28) will kick off the the three-day forum for emerging and established independent filmmakers that covers production, distribution, documentary and new media.

Speakers for the 2011 Film Independent Forum include:

Sara Bernstein, HBO Documentary Films

Laura Bickford, producer, Duplicity, Che

Josh Braun, Submarine

Lisa Callif, Donaldson & Callif, Llp

Juan Devis, Kcet Public Media

Arthur Dong, director, Hollywood Chinese

Jennifer Dubin, producer, The Perfect Family, Good Dick

Craig Emanuel, Loeb & Loeb

Christian Gaines, withoutabox.com and imdb.com

Matthew Greenfield, Fox Searchlight

Azazel Jacobs, director, Terri

Patty Jenkins, director, Monster, The Killing

Gina Kwon, producer, The Future

Greg Laemmle, Laemmle Theatres

Lisa Leeman, director, One Lucky Elephant

David Magdael,...

[1] Back in 2009, the Polish Brothers, Mark and Michael, released two films on the festival circuit: The Smell of Success premiered at Sundance, while Stay Cool opened at Tribeca. Now, two years later, both films are finally getting released in theaters. The Smell of Success just got a very limited opening [2] this month, and Stay Cool will be hitting theaters September 16. A new trailer's just been released for the latter, and... well, I can see why no one was in a hurry to rush this out. Stay Cool follows a successful writer named Henry McCarthy (Mark Polish) who returns to his high school as a commencement speaker at the request of Principal Marshall (Chevy Chase). Once Henry arrives, Marshall encourages him to "connect" with the graduating class, which apparently means sitting in on classes and passing notes with students. (I don't know about you, but I have never had a commencement speaker that did this.

As filmmaking sibling duos go, Mark and Michael Polish have never been heralded as titans of the independent moviemaking scene, nor have they managed to attain consistent mainstream success like the brothers Coen or Duplass. Early efforts like “Twin Falls Idaho”--in which the pair starred as conjoined twins to some acclaim--and “Northfolk” certainly have their fans, but they came unstuck with an offensively mawkish Billy Bob Thornton vehicle no-one saw (“The Astronaut Farmer”) in 2006 and it’s hardly been plain sailing since then, with pictures like “The Smell of Success” dropping off the face of the Earth into instant obscurity…...

The '21' actress recently split with 'True Blood' actor Alexander Skarsgard after dating for almost two years and was spotted on a date at the Coldplay concert in Los Angeles last night (03.08.11) with Michael, who first came to public  attention along with his brother Mark over a decade ago with their drama 'Twin Falls Idaho'..

A source told E! Online: "During the show, they were very cuddly. She even introduced him to Lindsay Lohan.

"There were paparazzi outside and they didn't cover their faces or anything like that."

28-year-old Kate's break-up with Alexander is said to be amicable with one friend commenting "It was very mutual. And it happened a while ago."

Both Alexander, 34, and Kate were always coy about their romance, and when they were an item they refused to confirm their relationship status.

Speaking about the actor, Kate - who previously dated Orlando Bloom - said: "That's a minefield,...

Twin Falls Idaho director Michael Polish has begun work on an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's 1962 novel Big Sur. According to Deadline, Polish has cast Jean-Marc Barr, best known for his work in the films of Lars von Trier, as the film's lead role of Jack Kerouac himself. Joining Barr will be Sweet Home Alabama lead Josh Lucas as Beat Generation muse Neal Cassady, and former Lois Lane Kate Bosworth as the two characters' love interest, Billie. Big Sur follows Kerouac's alter ego Jack Duluoz as he moves from New York to California in an attempt to rebuild his (more)...

Twin Falls Idaho director Michael Polish has begun work on an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's 1962 novel Big Sur. According to Deadline, Polish has cast Jean-Marc Barr, best known for his work in the films of Lars von Trier, as the film's lead role of Jack Kerouac himself. Joining Barr will be Sweet Home Alabama lead Josh Lucas as Beat Generation muse Neal Cassady, and former Lois Lane Kate Bosworth as the two characters' love interest, Billie. Big Sur follows Kerouac's alter ego Jack Duluoz as he moves from New York to California in an attempt to rebuild his (more)...

With an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's On The Road currently awaiting release [1], someone is already stepping up to adapt another of the beat author's famous works. Michael Polish, the director of Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork and The Astronaut Farmer, has written and begun directing Big Sur, a film based on the Kerouac novel that tells the story of his emotional troubles after gaining fame and fortune. It'll star Jean-Marc Barr (Dogville) as Kerouac, Josh Lucas as Neal Cassady and Kate Bosworth as their female companion Billie. Big Sur will also feature turns from Anthony Edwards, Rahda Mitchell, Balthazar Getty and Henry Thomas. Read more after the break. Deadline exclusively [2] reported that the film has begun shooting, produced by the newly founded 3311 Productions. Published in 1962, just 7 years before he died, Big Sur was one of Kerouac's final novels. Unlike most of his other autobiographical works, it portrays himself - under...

Director Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho) is filming a scene from a forthcoming film about Jack Kerouac today at Fulton and 7th Avenue, at a historic train terminal where Kerouac gets off a 1950s bus.

A big screen adaptation of memoirish novel Big Sur, starring Jean-Marc Barr (Dogville) as Kerouac, Josh Lucas (The Lincoln Lawyer) is taking on best friend Neal Cassady, and Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns) is playing Billie, as well as Anthony Edwards, Rahda Mitchell, Balthazar Getty and Henry Thomas are playing supporting roles.

Along with sudden fame and media publicity came his unraveling, and, by 1960, Kerouac was an exhausted cynic, disaffected from the Beat culture he helped create and tortured by self-doubt, addiction and depression.

He secretly retreats to Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s rustic cabin in the Big Sur woods. But his plan is foiled by his own inner demons, and what ensues that summer becomes the basis for Kerouac’s gritty,...

In amongst all the talk of Raimi and Downey Jr. travelling to Oz, there may well be another journey over the rainbow in our future.

Mark and Michael Polish made an impression in 1999 with their Sundance debut Twin Falls Idaho and have continued to make some interesting and unique films, The Astronaut Farmer with Billy Bob Thornton is one example and their recent film Stay Cool with Winona Ryder, Sean Astin and Josh Holloway made waves at Tribeca a year ago and following a showing in Cannes is expected into cinemas this year.

So, with that context what are we to make of this short video, which was pointed out by Chris Gore on Twitter a few hours ago. With the simple and unambiguous text on Youtube proclaiming,

Polish Brothers’ Oz, based on the beloved children’s classic by L. Frank Baum. Hitting screens everywhere in 2011.

Is it real? There...

After reporting that negotiations had broken down between Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn and the producers of X-Men: First Class, Nikki Finke is now reporting that a deal is being negotiated for him to direct. I think Finke just made up the first part to fill some space on a slow Friday. (Deadline)

In this weekend's box-office report, I suggested that Nightmare on Elm Street's $32 million probably wouldn't be enough to get a sequel greenlit. I was wrong. Oh, so very wrong. Warner Brothers and New Line are talking 3D sequel. Why the fuck not? (Slashfilm)

New screenwriter Adam Cozad has apparently found a niche. He's working on the new Jack Ryan movie, a script that has echoes of his first unproduced script Dubai (a CIA Agent on the run from international figures, needing to clear his name, and save his wife). He's now penning The Gray Man, about a "former...

Hit TV shows do come with perks, like getting the chance to land starring movie roles during the hiatus. Castle's Stana Katic has nabbed the lead in For Lovers Only, a romance written by and co-starring Mark Polish and directed by his brother, Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Stay Cool). According to Variety, the plot centers on a journalist (Katic), who ends up on the run with a former lover across France. "Both characters experience long periods of carefree bliss and joy punctuated by brief moments of guilt and confusion with the final outcome left open to interpretation," the trade reports.

Shanghai

Opens: 2010

Cast: John Cusack, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chow Yun-Fat

Director: Mikael Hafstrom

Summary: In the months leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, an American man arrives in Shanghai to find his friend recently murdered. In investigating his friend's death, he stumbles upon a secret the United States government has been keeping and falls in love in the process.

Analysis: After being granted permission to shoot in the Chinese city, the $10 million production found its permit quickly being revoked by the Government who expressed concerns about the script. The result is Bangkok and the United Kingdom standing in for the real Shanghai which seems kind of against the entire point.

Cusack himself has emphatically endorsed the project in interviews, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", but being stuck at the cash-strapped Weinstein Company means that its release plans are unsure beyond a vague promise of a limited bow around Easter.

The Polish brothers, Michael and Mark, have worked together on a number movies (The Astronaut Farmer, Northfork, Jackpot, and Twin Falls Idaho). But Stay Cool is the first one that pairs them with Michael Gross (Family Ties), Dee Wallace (E.T.) and Sean Astin of Lord of the Rings and Rudy fame. Watch the video to find out how a yearbook catchphrase turned into a feature film, and don't forget...

You don't want to watch a movie called Manure? Even if it's directed by the guys who last made The Astronaut Farmer? And even if it stars Billy Bob Thornton and Téa Leoni? If we haven't sold you yet, than maybe this teaser trailer or these photos will. Manure is showing at Sundance in January and today we've got a short teaser trailer to show you. What exactly is Manure? It's a comedy about manure salesmen in 1960s heartland America. And yes, it stars Billy Bob Thornton as that very salesman. Thanks to SlashFilm we've got this There Will Be Blood-like trailer that doesn't show much, but might be just enough. Watch the teaser trailer for Manure: Manure is directed by Michael Polish, of Twin Falls Idaho, Jackpot, Northfork, and The Astronaut Farmer previously. The screenplay was co-written by Michael and Mark Polish, aka the Polish Brothers, who...

Michael and Mark Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork, The Astronaut Farmer) return with a new film titled Manure, which is set to premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Téa Leoni, Billy Bob Thornton, Kyle MacLachlan star in a comic tale centered on manure salesmen in the early 1960s. The plot synopsis follows:

“When a tragic accident ends the life of Mr. Rose, the genius behind Rose’s Manure Company, the livelihood of its loyal fleet of salesmen threatens to go, as they say, into the toilet. Enter estranged daughter Rosemary (Leoni), a high-class- cosmetics salesgirl, who steps in to take control. She is not sure she has a nose for the family business, but she is determined to make foul into profit. Little does she know that a ruthless, slick-talking fertilizer rep is plotting a takeover. Whether she likes it or not, she must trust her top...

We'll have lots of guests at Fantastic Fest this year, more than ever before. Here are just a few of the many interesting people who'll be joining us this year, in no particular order. We'll continually update our roster so keep an eye on this page.

Filmmakers and Actors

Norihiro Koizumi (Gachi Boy: Wrestling With A Memory)

A young, talented director who is quickly making his mark in the Japanese filmmaking scene. At the tender age of 25, he directed his first major feature-length film, “Midnight Sun.” “Midnight Sun” was not only critically-acclaimed, but became a commercial hit, grossing over 1 billion yen at the Japanese boxoffice. His latest film, “Gachi Boy Wrestling with a Memory,” won the grand prix at the Udine Far East Film Festival.

Nacho Vigalondo (Shorts Program)

Last year at Fantastic Fest noted Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo won the Next Wave competition, later securing domestic distribution for Timecrimes...

NEW YORK -- Lesley Ann Warren is teaming with an ensemble cast that includes Jack Klugman, Michael Lerner, Shiri Appleby and Mili Avital for Twin Falls Idaho producer Steven J. Wolfe's indie feature When Do We Eat. Eat revolves around a Passover seder at which the family patriarch is slipped a dose of Ecstasy by one of his kids, "igniting conflict and chaos on the way to healing and redemption," the filmmakers said. The comedy -- by helmer Salvador Litvak -- also features Ben Feldman, Max Greenfield, Adam Lamberg, Meredith Scott Lynn and Cynda Williams. Nina Davidovich Litvak penned the screenplay. Amy Salko Robertson is serving as co-producer. Said Wolfe: "The fun of this film was putting together the perfect dysfunctional family. When you combine such well-respected actors as Michael Lerner, Lesley Ann Warren and the legendary Jack Klugman with such an unbelievably gifted ensemble, the humor and comic timing on the set each day makes it hard to feel like you're really at work." The film is shooting in Los Angeles. Warren is repped by Innovative Artists and Acronym Entertainment.