In 2007, the last time Eric Bana attended the Tribeca Film Festival, the actor had just experienced a kind of death in the family. Bana arrived in New York mere days afterward, fairly numb to his loss, even cracking jokes about it in his hotel room before hitting the premiere of his film Lucky You. But the wounded eyes said more than his sarcasm, especially when he commented about wanting to wear his auto-racing shoes on the red carpet. Then it hit Bana: What was he doing here when he had just killed his one of his oldest friends?
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As the blur of the last few days at Tribeca finally comes into a little sharper focus this morning, it's time to take inventory of some of the news and notions Movieline has seen and heard as the the festival reaches its halfway point. Among them: Mickey Rourke's surprise red-carpet visit; the first bidding war in Tribeca history; and Kate Hudson, filmmaker.
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The night before Tribeca's world premiere of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, a festivalgoing friend tipped me off to the controversial film with all the magic words I needed: something or other about an "exploitative, disgusting piece of shit" documentary executive produced by Johnny Knoxville. Sold! Less than 24 hours later I'd had a scorching look for myself, with Knoxville and director Julien Nitzberg on hand to help put the debauched hillbilly spectacle in perspective. Or at least as much perspective as one can attain on the drug-scarfing, gas-huffing, rifle-toting, child-endangering exploits of America's most unapologetically dysfunctional family.
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The Tribeca Marathon officially became thrilling Saturday, when my festival rounds brought me face-to-face with perhaps the event's unlikeliest leading man. I found Gary Coleman -- the Gary Coleman -- killing some time at a pre-premiere party for his film Midgets vs. Mascots, touted by its makers as a "shockumentary" in the vein of Jackass and Borat. The title speaks for itself; a squad of little people including Coleman, porn star Gidget the Midget and others square off against a team of costumed nemeses for a coveted cash prize. Not Oscar material, but amusing enough from the previews available online. Amusing, that is, for seemingly everyone but Gary Coleman.
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If you're in New York and start coughing at your desk right... about... now, you should be sent home from work early enough to join me and Tony-winning actor-turned-filmmaker Dan Fogler this evening at the Apple Store SoHo. At 6 p.m., we will convene to discuss his directing debut Hysterical Psycho, which premieres tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival. And you will be impressed!
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After loudly declining the Cannes Film Festival's invitation to premiere his new film Tetro out of competition, Francis Ford Coppola apparently decided that the Riviera might be nice this time of year. As such, he'll be on hand after all to open the fest's Director's Fortnight sidebar.
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Add one more to yesterday's list of noteworthy Tribeca Film Festival viewing: Outrage, director Kirby Dick's documentary expose about closeted gay politicians. But not just any closeted gay politicians, but those whose conservative leanings prompt their allegiance to virulently anti-gay policy. Take Idaho congressman Larry Craig, arrested for soliciting sex in a men's bathroom, yet who voted against HIV/AIDS support 11 times in almost 20 years. Or Charlie Crist, the Florida governor who advocated a gay-marriage ban in his state despite leaving a trail of male lovers throughout his political rise. Outrage follows that trail among others, compiling evidence, experts and other testaments to the hypocrisies compromising gay rights nationwide.
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Organizers at the Cannes Film Festival today announced their 2009 line-up -- heavy on international flavor, light on the Stateside offerings, and virtually all predicted in previous ruminations about the 62nd annual event.
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Expect to find me bumping around this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which opens Wednesday night in New York with the Gala! World! Premiere! (unless you were at ShoWest, but whatever) of Woody Allen's latest, Whatever Works. I'll be covering screenings, events, moderating a Q&A and making all the hard decisions that come from attending any festival, like, "Can I make this Gary Coleman appearance at Union Square work with the Natalie Portman chat down in SoHo 30 minutes later?" Help! (Though I do know what to recommend -- stay tuned.)
But at least one filmmaker today made such Sophie's choices a lot easier: Ti West (above), the microbudget horror auteur who isn't wasting any time discouraging viewers from seeing seeing his film The House of the Devil this weekend -- precisely because to hear him tell it, it's not his in the first place.
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