The News: The Passion of Harvey

Hope she's nominated: Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There (Photo: The Weinstein Company)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

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

--While you heard it here first that Todd Haynes' new Bob Dylan experi-biopic I'm Not There will open Nov. 21 at Film Forum, the Weinstein Company's curious art-house release strategy has increasingly piqued the interest of local mainstream media monoliths. A few weeks after Lou Lumenick plugged Film Forum's booking as a "coup" (funny, that's what I called it) at the Post, John Anderson gets loose today in The Times with an entire feature about TWC's strategy for opening small. It's quintessential Weinstein, with key quotes including, "That’s exactly what I believe in. I'm Not There and some of the tougher stuff. ... It is my responsibility and, more importantly, it's my passion.” And, “I may be jumping the gun, but if Cate Blanchett doesn’t get nominated, I’ll shoot myself.” Which will no doubt stir a brief ethical debate at the Academy's headquarters out West, but I'm hoping for the best.

--If Harvey does wind up shooting himself, there is the outside possibility that Ira Deutchman could inherit his mantle as Official Film Industry Aspirant to World Conquest. A week after the Cinecom and Fine Line founder's current endeavor, Emerging Pictures, announced its film Honeydripper's nifty alliance with marketing students at Clark Atlanta University, the outfit was linked yesterday to Condé Nast. The publishing empire's Web arm, CondéNet, will feature its sites' lifestyle Webisodes as pre-show videos in Emerging Cinemas venues from New York to Newport. It's a shitload of commercials, basically, but someone has to pay for that Four-Eyed Monsters deal.

--Of course, it wouldn't be a news day without a Mumblecore item, so: The Reeler hears that Ti West's fine SXSW '07 alum Trigger Man, a featured title on Cinephiliac's vaunted Mumblecorps map, opens Oct. 17 at the Pioneer, with programmer (and Reeler Pinch Hitter) Ray Privett handling limited national distribution duties for West's producers at GlassEye Pix. Look for dates in Los Angeles and elsewhere soon.

Posted at August 21, 2007 8:38 AM