Screening Gotham: You (Not) Talkin' to Me?

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--Robert De Niro sits down for a chat about The Good Shepherd with Time Magazine's Belinda Luscombe. And what a chat! (SAMPLE Q: "Have you noticed that in both films you've made, the theme of honor and betrayal is very central?" SAMPLE A: "Mmm-hmm.")

--True item: Sylvester Stallone is marketing Rocky Balboa as a Christ figure. Which is impossible, if only because even Jesus would hate Philadelphia.

--The Times covers New York's war on movie piracy; as though the federal penalty (three years in prison on first offense!) is not enough, if a proposed state law passes, theater employees will be entrusted to detain accused pirates until police arrive to haul them to their certain torture and deaths. In other words: Your wait for popcorn just got about 30 minutes longer. (NB: Random Unsubstantiated Lobbyist Statistic of the Day: "City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. estimated that the counterfeit trade in the city totaled $23 billion a year and cost the city more than $1 billion a year in lost taxes." I'd say you can't make this stuff up, but evidently you can.)

--Publicity guru-turned-indie consultant Reid Rosefelt hands in a typically trenchant one-two punch of Herzog memories and other career musings.

--Via GreenCine, NYC part-timer John Waters reveals his half-mock, half-earnest list of 2006's top 10 films to Art Forum. His favorite? Here's a hint: "I have friends who would watch a snuff film, yet they refuse to see this great action picture—I don’t get why." And Shortbus as a Broadway musical! Be careful what you wish for.

--Why I love Vincent Musetto: While his colleagues are all but crapping on their keyboards, he takes off to Tokyo and files from a festival loaded with films that will likely never find US theatrical distribution. This may be the most substantial burst of cinephilia I've seen in the Post since Cindy Adams chewed up Jennifer Lopez.

--Also in Asian cinema coverage, Kaiju Shakedown's estimable Grady Hendrix dusts off his recollections of lost Chinese movie theaters. The Music Palace is included, but it reminded me of Hendrix's more expansive obituary here. Both are must reads.

Posted at December 4, 2006 8:44 AM