Screening Gotham: Naomi a Go Go No-Show

Today's (and yesterday's -- sorry about that) movie news of note from around New York:

--More on Abel Ferrara's work-in-progress Go Go Tales from Rush and Molloy, who refute the mostly IMDB-fueled rumor that Naomi Campbell (right) is set to join the cast. Per Matthew Modine: "She isn't in the movie. She asked for things that made it impossible to move forward." Campbell's publicist snaps back something or other about the difference between a screenplay and a contract, the world frets about the lost opportunity for a few minutes, returns to gazing at Britney Spears' labia.

--A modest proposal from the AV Club's Nathan Rabin (though he's got it all wrong about Marshall Curry).

--Steven Soderbergh, whom viewers assailed at last week's Good German screening in New York, has sadly backed out of his Dec. 7 bout with the patrons of the 92nd Street Y. The official word as of Thursday night was that he had "work to do on his next film in L.A." Whether this means recuts on the increasingly unpopular German or a bruised rush to the sanctum of Ocean's 13 is anyone's guess, but I might look into it.

--As you may have discovered, I have my own feelings about the Gotham Awards, but David Carr took the more neutral path in a series of posts over at The Carpetbagger. And look at all the friends it made him!

--This is interesting: Landmark Theaters is serving up what amounts to early-helping DVD extras for its sister label Magnolia Pictures' release of The Architect. Basically, you buy tickets online and get to go check out deleted scenes of Anthony LaPaglia brooding and/or Hayden Panettiere being hot (and, yes, I know, 16 or something, but still). And you can download the whole soundtrack for free as well. That crazy Mark Cuban kid; what'll he think of next? I mean, besides coaching.

--After what feels like years of vlogging, fourwalling, self-promoting and general indie-film anguish, Four Eyed Monsters gets a review in The Times. I can't quite tell if the last line is complimentary or backhanded -- it essentially says, "They make navel-gazing look easy" -- but I'm sure Susan Buice and Arin Crumley will take it. Congrats!

--Via ScreenGrab, here's The Guardian's Joe Queenan with the freshest take on Manhattan in years: "It is easy to forget that [Woody Allen's] onscreen liaison with borderline jailbait Mariel Hemingway already seemed disturbing in 1979. For years, detractors have been asking: who does this guy think he is? A more relevant question might be: who does this guy think he was? This is where Gershwin comes in." A fascinating read.

Posted at December 1, 2006 12:06 PM