TFC Journal at TheFilmChair.com

The 33rd Cleveland International Film Festival ended Sunday and I only saw 16 movies during the 10 day festival. (I say only because a coworker decided to see 33 of the 317 films screened.)

Of course, day jobs, though helpful when it comes to paying the bills, do not make it easy to write about every single film seen. I was moved to write about Goodbye Solo, Sugar, Voy a explotar, Orz Boys, Ask Not, and Alexander the Last, but what about the rest? Well, my adoration of all things Twitter has inspired me to write flash reviews for the movies I didn’t get a chance to blog about. So in 140 characters or less…

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Top Story: Paramount Pictures is showing that it has confidence in the May 8 relaunch of the Star Trek franchise. The studio has already hired Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof to write a screenplay for a sequel to the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek 90210 flick. No word yet on if Abrams will return to direct. Hmm, is this Marvel distributor Paramount’s way of keeping Chris Pine way from Warner/DC’s The Green Lantern ? (Variety)

In Other News: Looks like those all those Jake and Kate vidders are getting some competition. Disney/ABC-TV and ESPN have signed a deal that will put shortform and longform programming from the ABC networks on YouTube. ESPN channels will appear in April with ABC programs set to hit the video streaming site in May. (Variety)

The Last King of Scotland and State of Play director Kevin Macdonald will direct the Roman military drama The Eagle in the Ninth with Focus Features on board to distribute. (Variety)

Will Fetters has signed to adapt the Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Lucky One. I mean, after the smashing success of Nights in Rodanthe, why not? (THR)

Warner Bros. has tapped Emily Browning for the lead in Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, a fantasy-drama about a girl who creates her own reality while confined to a mental institution. (Variety)

Drew Barrymore will star with former beau Justin Long in the romantic comedy Going the Distrance, directed by Nanette Burstein. (THR)

Fin.

Top Story: Matthew McConaughey will go shirtless in star in The Lincoln Lawyer, an adaptation of Michael Connelly’s best-selling legal thriller. (Variety)

In Other News: Monsters and Aliens topped the domestic box office with a big $58 million.  The Haunting in Connecticut was a strong second with $23 million. (erc BoxOffice)

Overseas, Knowing took in $9.8 million to win the weekend with Gran Torino continuing to perform well, taking in $8.4 million. (Variety)

David O. Russell, apparently finished with his anger management classes, is The Weinstein Co.’s choice to direct an adaptation of The Silver Linings Playbook: A Novel. No word yet if Lily Tomlin will star. (Variety)

DreamWorks picked up Chris McCoy’s sci-fi rom-com script Good Looking, about a dating service in the future that picks your perfect mate. (THR)

Fin.

Alexander the Last (2009)–****

Mumblecore king Joe Swanberg told the audience at the 33rd Cleveland International Film Festival that he develops his stories after spending a week living with the people in his films. They bond, tell stories, and collaboratively develop the relationships, and thus the scenes, in the film.

Alexander the Last, which follows an actress and her musician husband as they try and maintain their marriage when their arts strain the relationship, is the first Swanberg picture to apply this method to professional actors. Some of the actors, who have actually worked on “real” movies, thought he was crazy, Swanberg confessed. But with these pro players, Swanberg, for the first time in his rather short, but revolutionary filmmaking career, has created a picture that forces the audience to consider, if not understand, what he does.

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Top Story: Marvel Entertainment is hiring a team of film writers to tackle its massive library of superhero characters.  Five writers will be invited to work on a Marvel property each year, possibly including current comicbook writers. This creative brain trust will help turn Marvel’s C-list characters into potentially lucrative motion picture franchises. (Variety)

In Other News: Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beaufoy’s first post-Oscar job will be writing the script for DreamWorks Animation’s Truckers. (THR)

The hardest working writer in showbiz has another project on his plate.  The Departed writer William  Monahan wrote the script and is in talks to direct on The Essex, a historical drama set during the War of 1812. (Variety)

Taye Diggs and Anita Briem have joined Kevin Munroe’s Dead of Night. The supernatural thriller, currently filming in New Orleans, also stars Superman Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington. (THR)

Mike Judge’s latest film has a release date. The Office Space director’s Extract will hit theaters in limited release on Sept. 6 with a wide release the following weekend. (erc BoxOffice)

Fox Searchlight has tapped Queen Latifah to star in the romantic comedy Just Wright. (Variety)

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Paramount have extended their production deal through 2013. (Variety)

Opening Today:
Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D
12 Rounds
The Haunting in Connecticut
Sunshine Cleaning (limited)

Fin.

Top Story: The Farrelly Brothers’ long-gestating The Three Stooges film is finally moving forward with Sean Penn is set to play Larry, Jim Carrey in negotiations for Curly, and Benicio Del Toro rumored to be up for the role of Moe. Is anyone else excited to see Spicoli’s return to comedy? (THR)

In Other News: Nicole Kidman, comfortable with being unbankable, is joining Woody Allen’s still untitled movie. Kidman joins an all-star cast, which includes Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts. (Variety)

Fox is thinking locally as it expands globally, unveiling a line-up of local language movies under its Fox International Productions arm. Pictures for audiences in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America are currently in development. (Variety)

Director Matthew Vaughn is taking on another Mark Millar property, adapting the comic book writer’s American Jesus to the big screen. (THR)

Fin.

No words. Just watch.

I’m Gonna Explode (Voy a explotar) (2009)–***1/2
Quick Review

Two free-spirited teens, one a middle class girl and the other the privileged son of a Mexican congressman, attempt to abandon their lives for an existence outside the prescribed daily dramas. A film raging with the all passion and rebellion of teenage tumult, this Mexican drama is Harold & Maude cool and Badlands powerful. Even at its darkest moments, and it does get dark, I wished I was a teenager watching this movie, feeling its profound impact at a time when I would have mattered most. Directed by Gerardo Naranjo.

I’m Gonna Explode (Voy a explotar) was screened at the 33rd Cleveland International Film Festival. Catch it again today at 11:30 a.m. For tickets visit ClevelandFilm.org.

Top Story: Now that he’s out of Footloose, Zac Efron will reteam with17 Again director Burr Steers for the film The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Adapted from Ben Sherwood’s novel of the same name, the film follows cemetery caretaker who has weekly meetings with his dead brother. (Variety)

In Other News: It must be heartthrob day in Hollywood because Robert Pattinson is set to star in the film Memoirs about pair of star-crossed lovers, only this time no vamps. (THR)

And in heartthrob-for-the-thinking-person news, Jon Hamm has joined the cast of Howl, which follows the Alan Ginsberg obscenity trial. (Variety)

Oh what the hell. Let’s throw Dennis Quaid in the mix. Quaid will play President Bill Clinton in HBO and Peter Morgan’s The Special Relationship about Clinton and Blair’s transatlantic political coupling. Michael Sheen will reprise his role as Tony Blair for a second time, while Julianne Moore takes on Hillary. (THR)

And in decidedly non-heartthrob related news, Tom Hanks is circling the role of Major Matt Mason in a film based on the Mattel toy. His Playtone company will also produce. (Variety)

Fin.

Top Story: Not content with losing the Academy Award to Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway is set to play Judy Garland in a biopic for The Weinstein Co. Hathaway proved she can sing at the Oscars but will be put to the test starring as one of cinemas greatest songstresses. (THR)

In Other News: New Regency is developing an adaptation of the comic Freedom Formula: Ghost of the Wasteland with Brian Singer as the possible director. (Variety)

Even The Incredible Hulk can’t keep Liv Tyler down. The actress is set to star in Galt Niederhoffer’s indie rom-com The Romantics. (Variety)

The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes will take on New Line’s The Peaceable Kingdom, the story of animal conservationist Dame Daphne Sheldrick. (Variety)

Fin.