Critics feast on Montreal's flagging film fest
Montreal - Nothing says more about the sad state of Montreal's film festival than the red carpet it rolled out this year. It was stained and frayed, few Hollywood stars deigned to grace it and paparazzi were few and far between.
"As it is now, there is no future for the festival," predicts Odile Tremblay, the respected film critic for Le Devoir. "It is getting weaker with each passing year. It must find a new identity."
After 28 year of existence, Tremblay says Montreal's World Film Festival — officially known as the Festival des Films du Monde — is in a crisis because of aging leadership and its inability to define itself internationally.
It is badly eclipsed by the Venice Film Festival, Tremblay and many others lament. And the Toronto Film Festival, which opens Thursday, just three days after Montreal closed, has become the signature event in Canada, attracting the major Hollywood and Canadian premieres as well as the A-list stars and producers that Montreal no longer gets.
"Fifteen years ago, Montreal attracted many celebrities and great filmmakers," recalled Tremblay. "But now, it's usually the same people coming back, and less and less with each year. The festival is losing audience and worse, it's losing credibility on the international scene."
The only Hollywood star of note to make this year's festival was Penelope Cruz, looking decidedly underwhelmed as she strode across the red carpet laid down on St. Catherine St. She walked into a dowdy theatre, with wads of chewing gum stuck on the lobby floor, wedged between strip joints and discount T-shirt stores.
According to Tremblay, the main problem with the Montreal festival may sit with the man who has run it for almost 30 years: Serge Losique.
He is viewed as too secretive and autocratic by many film insiders. And his relations with the local media and filmmakers have soured over the years. That was evidenced by an unflattering report released in July by Telefilm and Sodec, the federal and Quebec film funding agencies that provide about $1 million of the festival's $5-million budget.
In a clear move to pressure Losique into change, the report questions the festival's attendance figures and criticizes management for "lack of transparency, manifested most clearly in the festival's refusal to take part in this study." The report goes on to say the festival is "overtly criticized by the local film industry" for a lack of openness and generosity.
Losique, who has successfully fought off criticisms in the past, has refused to comment on the report until after the festival wrapped up yesterday evening.
But it's already clear the amount of "buzz" generated at this year's festival was at its nadir. TV cameras repeatedly showed actors and producers walking up a near-empty red carpet surrounded by sparse crowds, a bad image for any film festival.
And relations with many filmmakers weren't helped by an imbroglio at the opening night party. Guests were issued invitations to "dress beautifully," a highly subjective command at a festival trying to mix millionaire industry players with impoverished independent filmmakers.
"As might have been predicted, beauty is a fickle thing," Montreal Gazette film critic John Griffin wrote in a scathing review. "Some people, or rather, some people's costumes, were not considered beautiful enough to guarantee entry, and were turned away. Other people, dressed similarly but with heftier social pedigree, were let through. It was like a lineup at Studio 54 ...
"At a time when the festival is hanging on to its very existence, let alone its reputation, by the cuticle of one fingernail, a social outrage like (that) is not just unfortunate, it's unforgivable ... it's an attitude for extinction."
"The festival is losing speed," actor Pierre Cruz told Montreal weekly Hour, in which he complained the festival neither nurtures the local cinema community nor brings in the best. "It is no longer a festival that attracts big films, as it used to."
To be fair, the Montreal festival is hardly an organizational dud. Attendance figures aren't yet available, but there appeared to be steady traffic at the festival's venues, though few lineups. And while it may lack the glitz of Toronto or Venice, it did screen 439 films in 12 days.
Many of those are small, obscure films, from all corners of the world, movies that film lovers would not likely see anywhere else.
But that very breadth of scope, the concept supported by Losique, might be the festival's downfall.
"When you have 400 films, there are too many weak films," says Tremblay. "They should eradicate the bad ones — have a selection that is smaller and better. The festival is too unfocused."
The only way to change, however, may be to change the man who runs it. Tremblay notes most film festivals rotate their chief organizers, to bring in fresh blood and ideas.
"Losique's got to leave, sooner or later," says Tremblay. "He's too old in his mentality. He wants to control it all. I understand this, it's like his baby. But now, it's not a good thing for Montreal."
Ed Stevens Returns to SCRUBS
Current CIBC pitchman - and former ED star - Tom Cavanaugh has signed on to reprise his role of J.D.'s older brother on SCRUBS this season, while Julia Margulies (ER) has signed on for a two-episode guest appearance.
Cavanaugh will appear in two October episodes where J.D.'s older brother visits him when their father unexpectedly passes away.
Series creator Bill Lawrence said, "Tom and Zach have this amazing rapport with each other and that adds a certain realness to the show. I was thrilled that he agreed to return to this role."
Margulies will guest-star in two November sweeps episodes as a "sultry malpractice attorney" and potential love interest for J.D.
"When I heard that Julianna was a fan of SCRUBS, I jumped at the chance to get her on-board for a couple of episodes," said Lawrence added. "Her character is going to be a giant thorn in everyone's side and will really shake things up with a malpractice suit at the hospital."
'Wars' Stories
Here are five things we know about ''Star Wars: Episode III.''
IN GENERAL The new bad guy, Grievous, is capable of attacking with as many as four lightsabers at once
It took George Lucas 21 years, but he's finally using the word ''revenge'' in a movie title. ''Revenge of the Jedi'' was only an early dummy title for 1983's ''Return of the Jedi,'' but ''Star Wars: Episode III,'' due May 19, 2005, is really and truly named ''Revenge of the Sith.'' (Look for the T-shirt on a geek near you, okay look for one on me as I have one.)
Even as Lucas and untold hundreds of digital animators continue to tweak ''Episode III,'' a surprising number of details have slipped out, thanks largely to Lucasfilm disclosures on Starwars.com, and less official leaks on fansites such as theforce.net. So hold onto your Jar Jar Binks action figure as we recap what's known so far (other than the fact that someone will definitely call Padmé ''m'lady''):
-- Chewbacca's back-a!
Peter Mayhew, who played Han Solo's fuzzy pal in the original trilogy, will be sweating it out in the hairier-than-Robin-Williams costume again in ''Episode III.'' He'll have company -- at least one sequence will be set on Chewie's home planet, Kashyyyk. But don't fear a reprise of the infamously dreadful ''Star Wars Holiday Special,'' which showed scenes of domestic life on Kashyyyk (including, believe it or not, a sexy Wookiee TV show). ''Revenge of the Sith'' will instead depict Wookiees at war, complete with hirsute soldiers commanding battleships. It's far from clear, though, how we'll recognize Chewbacca among thousands of his brethren, especially since Chewie's name roughly translates to ''raaaargh'' in Wookiee-speak.
-- Space Battle
After the traditional opening scroll, ''Episode III'' will plunge directly into a lasers-a-flyin' spaceship battle, the kind that's been largely missing from the prequels. The conflict – between Republic forces (the good guys) and the Separatists (as led by Count Dooku, remember?) -- will apparently mark the end of the storied Clone Wars, which largely took place between ''Episode II'' and ''Episode III'' (and in an ongoing Cartoon Network miniseries). It will go on for 20 minutes, which, the Force willing, means a long stretch where we get to listen to stuff blowing up instead of Lucas-penned dialogue (''I don't like sand.'').
-- The New Bad Guy
Meet General Grievous: half-alien and half-robot who looks like the offspring of Skeletor and one of Will Smith's ''I, Robot'' nemeses, is the Donald Rumsfeld of the Separatist forces. The aptly named, many-limbed Grievous is capable of attacking with as many as four lightsabers at once, all taken off the corpses of fallen Jedi. And unlike the near-mute Darth Maul, the all-CGI Grevious will actually talk. (Lucasfilm wouldn't comment on reports that Gary Oldman is in negotiations to do the honors.)
-- Jedi vs. Jedi
Like the other five ''Star Wars'' movies, ''Revenge of the Sith'' will include a lightsaber fight. But this time, it's Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) throwing down against his former mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) -- and it'll get messy. Stunt coordinator Nick Gillard claimed on Starwars.com that at 12 minutes, the sequence will be ''the longest fight scene in cinematic history.'' And we already know the ending: Anakin loses. According to ''Star Wars'' lore that the new film may or may not follow, the young Jedi-gone-wild will fall into a volcano, which leads to…
-- Vader
Volcano or not, Anakin comes out of his duel with Obi-Wan gravely injured: mutilated, if not actually dead. Saving him will require a fitting for a familiar black suit, mask, and breathing apparatus, which means his journey to the dark side will be complete. It also means James Earl Jones will finally get some voiceover work.
Now, let the hype continue and may the Force be with us all!
Roger Waters Goes to War with Online Tracks
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Former Pink Floyd mainman Roger Waters released two new songs, both inspired by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, via online download outlets Tuesday.
"To Kill The Child" and "Leaving Beirut" have been available for streaming on Waters' official Web site, since Friday. They are now on sale at through iTunes, SonyConnect, Napster, Walmart.com and other digital stores.
Waters said he began work on the tunes "immediately after the invasion of Iraq." In "To Kill the Child," he targets a litany of corporations, while "Leaving Beirut" takes aim at both President Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"It seems apposite to throw them out there on the Net, before the (U.S. presidential) election," Waters said. "Historically, there have always been people within the artistic community who have spoken out about things they believe in and they should continue to do so. I shall certainly continue to do so, whether it has any effect or not, because I feel I have a responsibility to myself to do that."
It has been more than a decade since Waters' last solo album of original material, 1992's Columbia set "Amused To Death." In 2002, he contributed a demo of "Flickering Flame" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" to the internationally released compilation of his post-Floyd career, "Flickering Flame: The Solo Years, Vol. 1."
Reunited Tears for Fears Try New Door
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Reunited British new wave duo Tears for Fears will release its first album in 15 years Sept. 14 on a new label launched by Universal Music Enterprises, the catalog arm of the world's largest record company.
New Door Records was created as a vehicle to cross-promote new material by artists with existing Universal catalog. It also has also lined up Styx, Nanci Griffith and Joe Cocker for releases in the coming months. The Tears for Fears release, "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending," marks its first release.
Tears for Fears founders Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith scored such mid-'80s hits as "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout," but split acrimoniously after the release of 1989's "The Seeds of Love." Orzabel subsequently toured and recorded under the Tears for Fears moniker.
After a decade of silence, they rekindled their friendship, and started tentative work on new music in September 2001.
Tears for Fears is receiving airplay at triple-A and adult top 40 radio for its first single, "Call Me Mellow." The band will perform various promotional radio dates through September before embarking on its official U.S. tour Oct. 21 (the itinerary has not yet been announced).
The group is also scheduled for TV appearances including "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (Sept 14), "Today" (Sept. 25), "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" (Sept. 21) and "The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (Sept. 27).
Orzabal and Smith said that having their catalog as New Door's major source of income relieves a lot of the pressure found at traditional labels.
"It definitely makes more sense to be working with the people who are working our catalog," Smith said. "Major labels are always considering quarterly results and budget restraints. You don't have that here, and it makes our lives considerably easier."
Universal Music Enterprises head Bruce Resnikoff, who will oversee New Door, said the imprint is employing many of the marketing strategies of a traditional label, but also will create a direct-response TV marketing campaign.
"By the band getting back together and us getting involved in this new record, we have an opportunity to not only take a great record to the marketplace, but it's the first opportunity we've had to aggressively market and promote their entire music catalog while the band is working," he says.