In Contention

Tag: Machete

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 30 — Reporting from Telluride and Venice

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, a one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change on route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    Today we’re chatting from the Telluride and Venice festivals respectively. The former is just gearing up while the latter has bowed a number of films already (I’m sure you’ve caught Guy’s coverage). So Anne has more to say about the movies today than I do, but this is what’s on the docket…

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  • VENICE: ‘Norwegian Wood,’ ‘The Black Sheep’

    Hey, did you get that I kinda liked “Black Swan?”

    I hope you did, because it’s really the only thing to write home (or, indeed, to you) about from my first official day at the Venice Film Festival – a day that looked better on paper than in practice, owing a little each to the films themselves, scheduling overlaps in the programme and my own neglect and/or incompetence. (I willingly sacrificed one screening slot to write my “Black Swan” review, but the next was less sensibly given over to a red-herring panic attack over a missing passport that, as it turned out, was merely out on an errand.)

    Having missed Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” for the less stupid of those reasons, I attempted to catch up with it at its midnight show an hour ago, but after spending 30 minutes standing in a motionless queue for a screening that was already running significantly late, I concluded that while there are some films I’d be willing to go to bed at 3 a.m. for, one directed by Mr. Rodriguez doesn’t really fit that description, however much fun several critics say it is. Hey, I tried. (Here’s Anne Thompson’s enthusiastic take on it.)

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  • Venice to host midnight premiere of ‘Machete’

    The full lineup  for the Venice Film Festival is due shortly, but several pieces are already falling into place. We know that “Black Swan” and “The Tempest” will be bookending the proceedings, while yesterday’s Toronto festival list indirectly gave away several of the titles we’ll be seeing on the Lido.

    Now comes a slightly less highbrow inclusion, as Venice organisers have announced that Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” will have its world premiere as a midnight screening on September 1, the opening night of the festival — right after Darren Aronofsky’s latest, in other words. Clearly, I’m not going to be allowed much sleep on my first day. Same as it ever was.

    Of course, the film opens Stateside only two days later, but it’s a nice little launchpad all the same. Good for the festival, too, which appears to be balancing populist and arthouse concerns quite ably. Full press release after the cut. Kris, meanwhile, reported on the film’s Comic-Con presence (and its red-band trailer) here.

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  • COMIC-CON: Red band ‘Machete’ trailer

    In all the back and forth and panel coverage, I’ve been trying to find time to post tid-bits like this.  With a few minutes’ rest before Marvel comes into Hall H and owns the joint, I figured I’d finally get to the recently released red band “Machete” trailer, courtesy of IGN.  Robert Rodriguez was here Thursday with some of his cast members serving tacos in downtown San Diego.  It was a modest but, I think, effective presence.  And now we get more blood and guts.  Click the image below to take a look or watch the embed on the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: Robert Rodriguez and the cast of ‘Machete’ want you to eat their tacos

    I was wondering if Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” would have much of a presence at Comic-Con this year, and it looks like it will.  And if you’re in San Diego for the convention this week, you’ll want to hear about this because it’s open to the public.

    Rodriguez and the cast of the film will be serving tacos at the “Machete” Taco Truck Thursday, July 22, from 5:00pm – 8:00pm on the corner of 5th Ave. and J St. at the 5 Star parking lot downtown.  Artwork on the truck was designed by famed graffiti artist Mr. Cartoon.

    Later, at 9:00pm, footage from the film will be shown on a giant outdoor screen. Doors for that open at 8:30pm.  Looks like they’re giving away posters and T-shirts, the full nine.  So be there or be square.

    Follow Viva Machete on Twitter for more updates, including a flyer that’ll get you a free taco.  And check out a message from Rodriguez after the jump.

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  • 8/14 Web Round-up

    Redbox• Drew McWeeny sits down with animation legend Hayao Miyazaki. [Motion/Captured]

    • Desperate to get theirs, Warner Bros. imposes a 28-day waiting period on its titles for Redbox kiosks and plans the same for Netflix unless the studio can squeeze some money out of it. [Company Town]

    • Anna Faris gets hitched. [CNN]

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