Sundance Film Festival

New Trailer For Award-Winning, Independent Spirit-Nominated ‘Sleep Dealer’

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:41:03 -0700

CHICAGO – The winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Prize and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival, “Sleep Dealer,” finally has a preview and our contact at Maya Entertainment sent it over for your online pleasure.

The film, starring Luis Fernando Pena, Leonor Varela, and Jacob Vargas, was also nominated for Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, taking place Saturday, February 21st, 2009. Check out the preview below.

The official synopsis courtesy of Maya Entertainment…

“SLEEP DEALER is our tomorrow today, a corporation-controlled, militarized near future where the United States has successfully closed its borders. Finally. Through American technology we have developed a capacity, a digital network, to have all the work with none of the workers constructing our buildings, picking our fruit, manning our planes. There are no water shortages.

Memo Cruz (Peña) lives with his parents and his brother in the small, dusty village of Santa Ana del Rio , in Mexico . Santa Ana is an isolated farming community, the kind of place that seems frozen in time — except for the hi-tech, militarized dam that was built by a corporation, and now controls Santa Ana ’s water supply. Memo couldn’t care less about Santa Ana . He loves technology, and dreams of leaving his small pueblo and finding work in the hi-tech factories in the big cities in the north. But for now, Memo is trapped in Santa Ana del Rio .

One night, while using his homemade radio, Memo stumbles across something he’s never heard before – the communications of the security forces that are constantly patrolling the area around his village, to protect the dam from ‘Aqua-Terrorists.’ Unknown to him, or his family, Memo is now under the crosshairs. Security agents at the water company’s headquarters in the United States , have spotted Memo’s radio intercept, and conclude that it’s a threat. Memo is then forced to realize his dream of leaving Santa Ana in the worst possible way when his homemade radio - and his house - are destroyed in a reckless remote-control bombing.

Driven by feelings of guilt, and a need to earn money, Memo leaves his family and his pueblo to go north, find work, and help his family start again. He heads to the massive border city of Tijuana . On the way, Memo meets a young woman, sharp and beautiful, named Luz (Varela). Luz is an aspiring journalist who dreams of writing a story that might one day change the world. She’s curious about Memo, and she asks him a few questions as they approach Tijuana . As Memo arrives to Tijuana , “City of the Future,” we follow Luz. Alone in her apartment, Luz connects herself to the net, via implanted nodes in her body, and speaks. As she describes her day, the computer records visuals from her memories and the sound of her voice. She puts these recorded memories up for sale on the net — a blog, straight from the brain. The next day, to Luz’s surprise, someone, somewhere out there has bought her memory – and has paid in advance for more.

A strange and complex relationship is set in motion between Memo and Luz. She wants to learn more about him, to sell more memories to her anonymous client. But he is cautious about revealing the real reasons he’s come to Tijuana . All Memo cares about is getting work that pays – and to do it he needs to connect to the network too – he needs nodes. When the identity of Luz’s reader is revealed, a chain of events is set in motion that will connect three strangers, and change their lives — maybe even change the world — forever.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 29-Image Gallery For ‘Sunshine Cleaning’ With Amy Adams, Emily Blunt

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:41:46 -0700

CHICAGO – This 29-image slideshow contains the official press images from the Overture Films production of “Sunshine Cleaning,” starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Clifton Collins Jr., Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Jason Spevack. Written by Megan Holley and directed by Christine Jeffs, the film opens in limited release on Friday, March 13th, 2009.

Synopsis: “A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around in the off-beat dramatic comedy Sunshine Cleaning. Directed by Christine Jeffs (Rain, Sylvia), this uplifting film about an average family that finds the path to its dreams in an unlikely setting screened in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Sunshine Cleaning’s stellar cast includes Academy Award® nominee Amy Adams (Enchanted), Oscar® winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), Golden Globe® winner Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Steve Zahn (Happy, Texas), Clifton Collins, Jr. (Capote), Mary Lynn Rajskub (“24”) and Jason Spevack (Hollywoodland).

The film is directed by Jeffs from a screenplay by Megan Holley. Producers are Glenn Williamson, Jeb Brody, and Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach Films. Editor is Heather Persons. John Toon is director of photography. Production designer is Joe Garrity and art director is Guy Barnes. Costume design is by Alix Friedberg.

Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty-something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah, (Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes.

Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other…specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find new respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another—no matter what—while discovering personal healing in the most unexpected way.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Lacey Terrell and courtesy of Overture Films. All Rights Reserved.

Sunshine_Cleaning_01: Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_02: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_03: Jason Spevack, Amy Adams, Alan Arkin and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_04: Emily Blunt and Mary Lynn Rajskub star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_05: Emily Blunt, Jason Spevack and Amy Adams and star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_06: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_07: Clifton Collins Jr., and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_08: Amy Adams and Jason Spevack star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_09: Star Amy Adams with director Christine Jeffs on the set of Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_10: Emily Blunt stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_11: Jason Spevack and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_12: Amy Adams and Alan Arkin star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_13: Alan Arkin stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_14: Emily Blunt and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_15: Jason Spevack, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_16: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_17: Steve Zahn stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_18: Jason Spevack and Alan Arkin star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_19: Mary Lynn Rajskub and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_20: Amy Adams stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_21: Mary Lynn Rajskub and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_22: Emily Blunt stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_23: Mary Lynn Rajskub stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_24: Emily Blunt, Jason Spevack, and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_25: Emily Blunt stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_26: Jason Spevack, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_27: Amy Adams stars in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_28: Steve Zahn and Amy Adams star in Sunshine Cleaning.
Sunshine_Cleaning_29: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt star in Sunshine Cleaning.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Big Winners at 2009 Sundance Film Festival Include ‘Push,’ ‘We Live in Public’

BrianTT — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:22:26 -0700

CHICAGO – The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Awards were announced on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 and Lee Daniels’ examination of parental abuse and self-redemption in Harlem in the 1980s, “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. dramatic competition.

“Push” tells the story of an embattled teenageer living in 1980s Harlem.
Photo credit: Sundance/Variety

“We Live in Public” won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary. The Chilean film “The Maid” by Sebastian Silva, won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. The audience award in World Cinema went to “An Education” by Lone Scherfig. The film recounts a 16-year-old girl’s adventures in early ’60s London.

Other winning documentaries besides Ondi Timoner’s look at Internet pioneer Josh Harris were “Rough Aunties” by Kim Longinotto, which won the World Cinema docu grand jury prize. The doc focuses on a woman who look after abused and neglected children in South Africa.

The audience award for doc went to “The Cove” by Louie Psihoyos, a film about dolphin survival in Japan. The World Cinema audience award went to “Afghan Star” by Havana Marking. Her film tells the story of a talent competition in Afghanistan, where participating in such a competition could mean death.

The winner for directing for American drama was Cary Joji Fukunaga for “Sin nombre” and cinematography was awarded to John De Borman for “An Education”. World Cinema directing went to the great Oliver Hirschbiegel for “Five Minutes of Heaven,” which also won the screenwriting award for Guy Hibbert. Directing on the doc side went to Natalia Almada for “El General”.

Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi won the coveted Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for “Paper Heart”. A full list of winners, courtesy of Variety:

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“We Live in Public,” directed by Ondi Timoner

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,” directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY
“Rough Aunties,” directed by Kim Longinotto

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DRAMATIC
“The Maid” (“La Nana”), directed by Sebastián Silva

AUDIENCE AWARD presented by Honda: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“The Cove,” directed by Louie Psihoyos

AUDIENCE AWARD presented by Honda: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,” directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Afghan Star,” directed by Havana Marking

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DRAMATIC
“An Education,” directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“El General director,” Natalia Almada

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Sin Nombre,” written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

THE WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Afghan Star,” directed by Havana Marking

WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DRAMATIC
“Five Minutes of Heaven,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert

WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD
Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi for “Paper Heart”

WORLD CINEMA SCREENWRITING AWARD
“Five Minutes of Heaven,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert

U.S. DOCUMENTARY EDITING AWARD
“Sergio,” directed by Greg Barker and edited by Karen Schmeer

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY EDITING AWARD
“Burma VJ,” directed by Anders Østergaard and edited by Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas Papapetros

EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“The September Issue,” cinematographer: Bob Richman

EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Sin Nombre,” cinematographer: Adriano Goldman.

WORLD CINEMA CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Big River Man,” cinematographer: John Maringouin

WORLD CINEMA CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: DRAMATIC
“An Education,” cinematographer: John De Borman.

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ORIGINALITY
“Louise-Michel,” directed by Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY
Tibet in Song directed by Ngawang Choephel

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ACTING
Catalina Saavedra, “The Maid” (“La Nana”). Chile

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“Good Hair,” directed by Jeff Stilson

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE
“Humpday,” directed by Lynn Shelton

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ACTING
Mo’Nique, “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire”

2009 JURY PRIZE IN U.S. SHORT FILMMAKING
“Short Term 12,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

INTERNATIONAL JURY PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMMAKING
“Lies,” directed by Jonas Odel

HONORABLE MENTIONS IN SHORT FILMMAKING
“The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5,” directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra
“Protect You + Me,” directed by Brady Corbet
“Western Spaghetti,” directed by PES
“Jerrycan,” directed by Julius Avery; Love You More, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood
“I Live in the Woods,” directed by Max Winston
“Omelette,” directed by Nadejda Koseva
“Treevenge,” directed by Jason Eisener.

Alfred P. Sloan Prize
“Adam,” directed by Max Mayer

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards
Diego Lerman, “Ciencias Morales” (“Moral Sciences”) from Argentina; David Riker, “The Girl,” from the United States; Qurata Kenji, “Speed Girl” from Japan; and Lucile Hadzihalilovic, “Evolution” from France

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Melissa Leo Channels John Wayne in Sundance Hit ‘Frozen River’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:51:00 -0600

CHICAGO – Melissa Leo is a familiar face to admirers of the TV show “Homicide: Life on the Street”.

After playing Sgt. Kay Howard for five years on that popular series, she left the show to pursue character roles in such films as “21 Grams” and “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”. Taking on a leading role in her latest film “Frozen River,” Leo captures the desperation and strength of a woman with everything to lose.

“Frozen River” star Melissa Leo in Chicago on July 16, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

A scene from “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed Leo in anticipation of the film’s release. The actress candidly talked about her character’s direction and the nature of the unusual film.

“Frozen River,” which is an acclaimed Sundance Film Festival drama, refers to an upper New York state tributary that freezes so hard in the winter that vehicles are known to drive over it. Leo plays Ray Eddy: a resident of that Canadian border town whose husband has abandoned her with two children.

He also has stolen savings that would have been a down payment for a new trailer in which the family could have lived. Leo speaks about how she landed the role and how she collaborated with writer and director Courtney Hunt.

“The first thing Courtney said to me was: ‘Will you read my short?’ I happily did,” Leo said. “Then I called her and said: ‘Let’s do this.’ We shot the short. She edited it, showed it to me and said: ‘Good job.’ Then she said: ‘Would you like to do the feature?’ I didn’t even know she had a feature.”

Melissa Leo as Ray Eddy in “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Rating: 4.0/5.0

“Courtney knew much more about the characters,” Leo said. “There were unanswered questions in the short we didn’t even know. The characters at that time were the ‘native’ and the ‘blonde’. They had no names.”

Ray Eddy became the character’s name. She lives desperately hand to mouth. With her husband gone and her savings wiped out, she decides to begin running illegal immigrants in the trunk of her car. The way to Canada without a border check is by directly driving over the frozen river.

“Courtney gave me a valuable piece of direction right before we shot the feature,” Leo said. “Watch ‘The Searchers’ (1956) and ‘Rio Grande’ (1950). Watch John Wayne. That’s probably the most consistent piece of direction throughout the rest of the filming process. It’s a little bit of the Duke.”

Eddy partners with Lila (Misty Upham): a Native American who lives on a nearby reservation.

Director Courtney Hunt on the set of “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Charlie McDermott as TJ Eddy in “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Lila knows the particulars of the immigrant running. She and Eddy have parallel lives with Lila having a husband who recently died and a son being raised by grandparents. Both women are looking to make a quick score and get the money they need to move on with their lives.

“This was actually a matriarchal story,” Leo said. “The natives have a lot of female tribal heads. You see the portrayal of the tribal meetings in the film to be heavily female, which is an accurate portrayal of those types of meetings.”

Leo added: “In our film, this is women doing what women do to get by especially when the men have let them down.”

The film is heavy with thematic symbolism involving race, gender and class. Leo spoke about those elements while emphasizing another aspect of the overall experience.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Frozen River” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

“The strength of the film is the story – a story that most people haven’t heard before,” Leo Said. “It’s a rich story because it encompasses all those themes.”

The “rich story” also has – in what Leo describes – a “satisfying” ending. She added: “The two women have learned something, have grown and are better people by the end of the film because of the journey the audience watches them go through.”

She concluded: “We are here to grow into our best selves. That is my religion. Whatever can get you there and whatever the trials, that is what betters us. That is how the story of this film is played out.”

“Frozen River” from writer and director Courtney Hunt stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham and Michael O’Keefe opens in limited theaters on Aug. 15, 2008.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Hookup: 50 Admit-Two Passes to Two Screenings of Sundance Hit ‘American Teen’ in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:37:04 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two passes up for grabs to two separate Chicago screenings of the Sundance Film Festival hit film “American Teen” from writer, director and producer Nanette Burstein.

To win your free pass to one of two advance screenings of “American Teen” in Chicago, all you need to do is be one of the first 50 people to submit a comment in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it! There are 25 admit-two tickets available for each screening.

The first Chicago screening will be held on July 22, 2008 at 7 p.m. and the second Chicago screening will be held on July 31, 2008 at 7 p.m. When you submit your comment below, make sure to include which screening you’d like to attend. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“American Teen” is written, directed and produced by Nanette Burstein.
Image credits: Paramount Vantage

Here’s the “American Teen” plotline:

“American Teen” is the touching and hilarious Sundance hit that follows the lives of five teenagers – the jock, the princess, the heartthrob, the rebel and the geek – in one small town in Indiana through their senior year of high school.

We see the insecurities, the cliques, the jealousies, the first loves, the heartbreaks and the struggle to make profound decisions about the future.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include which screening you’d like to attend along with an answer to this simple question:

Which type of high schooler were you: the jock, the princess, the heartthrob, the rebel, the geek or none of the above?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: The first 50 people to comment below win! We will be in touch with the 50 winners to confirm your passes. “American Teen,” which stars Hannah Bailey, Colin Clemens, Geoff Haase, Megan Krizmanich, Mitch Reinholt, Jake Tusing and Ali Wikalinska, opens in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2008. A trailer for the film is below.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Director Jonathan Levine, Star Josh Peck to Appear in Chicago For Ben Kingsley’s ‘The Wackness’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:25:22 -0600

CHICAGO – We have learned that writer and director Jonathan Levine (“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”) and lead actor Josh Peck (“Ice Age: The Meltdown”) will publicly appear this Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the downtown Chicago Apple store at 679 N. Michigan Ave. to offer an insider’s look at their new film “The Wackness”.

Sir Ben Kingsley as Dr. Squires in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Along with Peck, “The Wackness” also features Sir Ben Kingsley (who played Gandhi in 1982’s “Gandhi”) and Olivia Thirlby (from recent “Juno” fame).

“The Wackness” director Jonathan Levine.
Photo credit: Robin Holland, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

In addition to showing clips from the New York-set film, Levine and Peck will also be taking questions from the audience.

“The Wackness” is an Audience Award winner at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film is scheduled to open in Chicago on July 11, 2008. Stay tuned for our upcoming interviews with Levine and Peck.

Here’s the plot outline for “The Wackness”:

In the summer of 1994, the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana. But change is in the air.

The newly inaugurated mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against “crimes” like noisy portable radios, graffiti and public drunkenness.

Set against this backdrop, Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) spends his last summer before college selling dope throughout New York City and trading it with his shrink (Ben Kingsley) for therapy while crushing on his step-daughter (Olivia Thirlby).

Famke Janssen, Mary Kate Olsen and Method Man round out the cast in this edgy, bittersweet and funny coming-of-age story.

Josh Peck (left) as Luke and Olivia Thirlby as Stephanie in “The Wackness”.
Photo by JoJo Whilden, © 2008 Occupant Films and courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

View our full, high-resolution image gallery for “The Wackness”.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Sundance Winner ‘Teeth’ Bites Right to Point of Men’s Greatest Sexual Fear

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:41:59 -0600

CHICAGO – In one of the great light bulb ideas that could only happen in association with making movies, along comes “Teeth” to bite us in the – well, to bite us hard. Writer and director Mitchell Lichtenstein has fashioned a one-of-a-kind horror epic (based, of course, on a Japanese film) that at the same time tangles with significant social and cultural issues.

Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Teeth” in our reviews section.

View our full “Teeth” image gallery.

Jess Weixler is Dawn: a bright and exceptional high school senior whose main charitable pursuit is called “Promise”. It’s an organization that promotes sexual abstinence for teens until marriage (complete with a ruby-red ring that’s to be replaced by wedding gold).

Her own virginity is in trouble, however, when hunky fellow Promise member Tobey (Hale Appleman) starts putting the moves on her. Dawn harbors a secret – a secret that even she knows nothing about. Her body possesses “vaginal dentata” (or a “toothed vagina”), which translates to having controllable biting teeth in her secret garden.

Jess Weixler in “Teeth”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Production Stills Surface For George A. Romero’s ‘Diary of the Dead’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:01:24 -0700

CHICAGO – The Weinstein Company has released 11 new production stills for George A. Romero’s “Diary of the Dead,” which will show at the Sundance Film Festival later this month and hits limited U.S. theaters on Feb. 15.

In the film, a group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own. “Diary of the Dead” is written and directed by horror master George A. Romero (“Land of the Dead,” “Day of the Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “Night of the Living Dead”).

Though the film’s primary cast relies on many actors you’ve likely never heard of, it interestingly features voice work from people including Wes Craven, Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo del Toro.

I’ve included a few of the production stills below. All of them can be found in our new “Diary of the Dead” image gallery.

The publicist for the film has informed us that “Diary of the Dead” will show at the Sundance Film Festival on these dates and at these locations:

Jan. 18, 11:30 p.m., Library Center Theatre
Jan. 22, 9 p.m., Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City
Jan. 26, 11:30 p.m., Holiday Village Cinema II
Jan. 27, 10 a.m., Holiday Village Cinema I

Click here to view the entire “Diary of the Dead” image gallery!

The trailer – along with a challenge from Romero to submit your own short horror film for possible release with the DVD version – can be viewed below. This was posted on our boards on Jan. 11. You can discuss these production stills at this new thread on our boards.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com