MovieSet brings you the another “Best of the Best” with a couple “Need to Watch” videos from Drag me to Hell and Land of the Lost.

Drag Me to Hell is gaining rave reviews since screening at Cannes. Here’s the synopsis:

DRAG ME TO HELL tells the story of Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, Professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) enters their lives…and everything begins to unravel. When her loan is denied and she loses her house, the shamed Mrs. Ganush places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell.

Here’s writer/director Sam Raimi discussing the Drag me to Hell story – there are 10 more behind the scenes videos for the film:

And here’s “cinema icon” Will Ferrell with a preview of Land of the Lost – with time travel, dinosaurs, a giant crab and lizard people! One of 16 Land of the Lost videos on MovieSet. Don’t Forget to enter our Land of the Lost Sweepstakes below to win prizes from the zany Will Ferrell movie based on the Syd and Marty Croft classic TV series.

Land of the Lost Sweepstakes!

Having fun on the run has never been this easy! As we celebrate the arrival of the incomparable Will Ferrell in the the highly anticipated ‘Land of the Lost’ movie in theaters June 5, 2009, we thought we’d give you some gear to have some fun in the summer sun! Take ‘Land of the Lost’ with you into the woods and zip up in your own private tent to watch the entire classic TV series on your own portable DVD player. You’ll also get a theatrical release one-sheet for your pad. Runner up prizes include the entire classic TV series of Land of the Lost and theatrical one sheets as well. Don’t get lost, enter now!

Dates: May 21, 2009 – June 14, 2009  – Enter for a chance to win!

Indeed a treat for romantics and poetry lovers, “Bright Star” may well be a joy forever marking Campion’s return to Cannes after her 1993 Palm d’Or winner, “The Piano” Tracing the love story between a young Keats and his Hamstead neighbour, Fanny Brawne, Campion never losses sight of period details. Scenes of Brawne with a fine needle and thread, Keats with his pen and paper creating poetic pleasure that much after his death helped the world realise his genius and the passion between the two only restrained by the rigid social mores of the day have been frozen on frame with a classic touch.

Photo: Seoul Times

Biteback: at Cannes
The Sunday Times, May 24, 2009
By Richard Brooks

I admired Bright Star, the story of the love affair between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, but was not smitten. Well acted, well directed and well shot, it lacked a point. I was amused when its producer, Jan Chapman, told me she was determined not to make a costume drama. What? Brawne (Abbie Cornish) parades in about 30 different outfits. I know she was a good seamstress, but she was only 18 and her mum was widowed, with two other youngsters to bring up. How was this not a “frocks” movie?

Dispatch from Cannes
Las Vegas Weekly, Thu, May 28, 2009
By Mike D’Angelo

Heavyweight auteurs mostly fail to thrill at the world’s top film festival, {snip} But in the end, despite its endless parade of auteurs, Cannes 2009 served up only a handful of truly memorable movies, none of them masterpieces. The first few days, in particular, were a long haul, as even the better films tread exceedingly familiar ground. Campion, who hadn’t made a feature since 2003’s critically reviled In the Cut, received respectful notices for Bright Star, her portrait of the doomed relationship between Romantic poet John Keats and his muse, Fanny Brawne, but seeing this once-ferocious filmmaker (even In the Cut has its queasy moments) reduced to a genteel literary biopic only made me sad.

Cannes. “Bright Star”
“The Daily” on IFC.com, 05/15/2009
By David Hudson

“Jane Campion has put herself in line for her second Palme d’Or here at the Cannes film festival with a film which I think could be the best of her career; an affecting and deeply considered study of the last years in the short life of John Keats [Ben Whishaw], and the ecstasy of loss which suffuses his love affair with Fanny Brawne [Abbie Cornish] – a love thwarted not due to illness, but to a pernicious web of money worries, social scruples and irrelevant male loyalties.” The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw: “Campion brings to this story an unfashionable, unapologetic reverence for romance and romantic love, and she responds to Keats’s life and work with intelligence and grace.”

“Refreshingly, ['Bright Star'] is free of the hysterics so often associated with films about writers and deftly avoids the distracting surface tendencies that can plague British period pieces set in the 18th and 19th centuries,” writes Time Out London’s Dave Calhoun. “It’s also remarkable in its lightness of touch: the film barely tries to persuade us that Keats is a valid object of this girl’s affection or that he is a fine literary talent; we are left to learn both incidentally. They’re wise choices, leaving Campion to concentrate on character and emotion rather than any special pleading about genius and its offshoots.”

Cannes 09 ‘Bright Star’ Press Conference with Abbie Cornish
MovieSet.com Cannes coverage, Monday, May 18, 2009
By Phillip Nakov

We sat down for a chat with Abbie Cornish this week at the 62^nd annual Cannes Film Festival to chat about her role as Fanny Brawne in Jane Campion’s latest work “Bright Star“. The movie is about the life, love and work of the famous English romantic poet John Keats.

As she draws near the table, she sits down slowly exhales. She is wearing a dainty lace top that looks delicate and light atop a darker black under shirt. I noticed immediately she is back to a lighter hair color as she was dark haired for the movie.  She smiles as we start to chat about working with Jane Campion, what it meant to her to accept this role and what she expects on the set of her next movie with Zach Synder which she starts shooting in June.

{snip}

Q: So what’s coming up next for you?

A: My next film is going to be “Sucker Punch.” Directed by Zach Snyder. He did ‘300′ and the ‘Watchmen‘. It’s totally different to anything I‘ve ever done. It’s going to be a little wild and a little crazy.

Q: Have you started already?

A: No, I start in June.

Q: Who will you be playing?

A: I play the character of Sweet Pea. Essentially it’s the story of five girls in the 1950’s who get together and try to escape a psychiatric ward. They are all in this thing and they are all like let’s get out of here. The interesting thing to me is that the films Zach has directed he hasn’t written. They haven’t been his concepts from the beginning. This is the first time he’s ever made a concept film that he wrote. I am interested to see what he does with it. I think he has an incredible talent in regards to contemporary cutting edge cinema. I think he is a bit of the master at the action sequences.

More on MovieSet

Jane Champion’s ‘Bright Star‘ stars Abbie Cornish, Thomas Sangster and Paul Schneider. Not much is know about the movie yet, but you can check out some stuff at the Official Page and in the vidcast “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Bright Star and Cannes Wrap-up – Behind the Scenes #42“.

Abbie Cornish Press Conference Photo Credit: MovieSet.com-  Actress Abbie Cornish smiles with director Jane Campion at press conference for ‘Bright Star’ - movie about poet John Keats

Shaun and Eric, hosts of the Behind the Scenes show, ask, “What did you like at Cannes?” Let us know and we’ll send you a official gift from the festival – just add a link to the Cannes 2009 sitelet.

To get your hands on our Cannes souvenirs, simply let us know what Cannes movies and coverage you enjoyed with a link to the Cannes 2009 sitelet in a blog post, Twitter update, Facebook mention, MySpace blurb, comment, whatever … Just make sure you point back to the Cannes 2009 sitelet so we can say thank you with an official Cannes poster, Cannes watch, Cannes backpack or Cannes film slate photo frame to remember the 62nd edition of this classic festival.

Some of the Cannes Movies we covered:

• Drag Me to Hell
• Hump Day
• Taking Woodstock,
• A Christmas Carol
• Agora
• I Love You Philip Morris
• Inglourious Basterds
• UP
• Bright Star

The MovieSet Cannes team is back and brought a suitcase of souvenirs for fans of the film festival and we wanna share the stash with you! Indeed, We Like to Be Seen so are asking you, “What did you like at Cannes?”

To get your hands on our Cannes souvenirs, simply let us know what Cannes movies and coverage you enjoyed with a link to the Cannes 2009 sitelet in a blog post, Twitter update, Facebook mention, MySpace blurb, comment, whatever … Just make sure you point back to the Cannes 2009 sitelet so we can say thank you with an official Cannes poster, Cannes watch, Cannes backpack or Cannes film slate photo frame to remember the 62nd edition of this classic festival.

Write about any movie we covered, a Behind the Scenes episode or share a photo – whatever you liked best.

Here’s a recap of Cannes Highlights and Films to get you started:

Cannes Round-ups

MovieSet’s Ultimate Cannes Round-Up!

And the winners are at the Cannes Film Festival…

Top Directors at Cannes

Starlets out and about in Cannes

On the Red Carpet at Cannes (preview)

Cannes Movies

Drag Me to Hell

Hump Day

Taking Woodstock,

A Christmas Carol

Agora

I Love You Philip Morris

Inglourious Basterds

UP

Bright Star

Collections

Stills

News

As we come to the end of the Cannes Film Festival, we are gonna do a quick re-cap on the top stories we covered at the Festival.

For those that missed the great coverage, check out this post to see the progress of the festival, as well as the awards and winners.

Our team at Cannes is very proud to captured some amazing footage of one of the best film festivals in the world!

The full list of winners follows. You can log on to Official Cannes Festival site to watch the press conference and photo call following the closing ceremony festivities in Cannes.

To check out exactly what each prize means, and more info about the festival itself, check out The Substream Filmlabs’ Cannes Video.

• Palme d’Or (Golden Palm): “The White Ribbon,” by Michael Haneke (Austria)
• Grand Prize: “A Prophet,” by Jacques Audiard (France)
• Jury Prize: “Fish Tank,” by Andrea Arnold (Britain) and “Thirst,” By Park Chan-wook (South Korea).
• Special Prize: Alain Resnais
• Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, “Kinatay” (The Philippines)
• Best Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds” (United States)
• Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Antichrist” (Denmark)
• Best Screenplay: Feng Mei, “Spring Fever” (China)
• Camera d’Or (first-time director): “Samson and Delilah,” by Warwick Thornton (Australia)
• Best short film: “Arena,” by Joao Salaviza (Portugal)

Here’s an introduction to the films we had an opportunity to cover, including press conferences and interviews with filmmakers and actors.

1) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The ‘Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus‘ is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. Dr. Parnassus with his extraordinary traveling show “The Imaginarium” offers to members of the audience an irresistible opportunity to enter their universe of imaginations and wonders, by passing through a magical mirror. But Dr. Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality.

Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr. Nick. Now it is time to pay the price…

Watch the Press Conference with Terry Gilliam and Actors.

2) I Love you Phillip Morris

The true story of an ex-cop, ex-husband, ex-insurance swindler, ex-model prisoner and eternal lover of cellmate Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) will do anything to avoid being separated from the man of his dreams. Which means not rotting away in prison.

How far can one go for love? Quite far if you believe the incredible story of Steven Russell, an escape artist whose romanticism gets the better of him. Based on the book by Steven McVicker, this jail-house, dark romantic comedy.

Read the Ultimate Review by Phillip Nakov

3) Agora

As the Roman Empire declines, philosopher and astromomer Hypatia struggles to preserve scientific knowledge amid the clash of zealots in Alexandria, whose rising Christian population grows increasingly militant toward Jews and worshipers of the Egyptian gods.

Check out the Press Conference with Rachel Weisz and Director Alejandro Amenabar

4) Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man.

Jim Carrey plays four separate roles in this updated version of A Christmas Carol. Carrey portrays Scrooge, as well as the three ghosts (Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come). His dynamic character roles keep the four characters as diverse as being played by four actors. Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy) has his chance to dabble in telling a story through the windows of time, as he directs the long-awaited remake. In theaters Nov. 6, 2009.

Check out this sneak peak teaser footage of the movie, showing off some of the CGI and the Press Conference with Jim Carrey and Robert Zemeckis and some Stills of the Premiere.

5) Bright Star

“Bright Star”. The movie stars Australian Actress Abbie Cornish, Thomas Sangster and Paul Schneider. Not much is know about the movie yet, but you can check out some stuff at the Official Page.

London 1818 is the year, a secret love affair begins between 23 year old English poet, John Keats, and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne, an outspoken student of fashion. This unlikely pair started at odds; he thinking her a stylish minx, she unimpressed by literature in general. It was the illness of Keats’s younger brother that drew them together. Keats was touched by Fanny’s efforts to help and agreed to teach her poetry. By the time Fanny’s alarmed mother and Keats’s best friend Brown realised their attachment, the relationship had an unstoppable momentum. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, the young lovers were swept into powerful new sensations, “I have the feeling as if I were dissolving”, Keats wrote to her. Together they rode a wave of romantic obsession that deepened as their troubles mounted. Only Keats’s illness proved insurmountable.

Take a look at this clip from the Press Conference in Cannes.

For everything Cannes Remember to check out the Cannes 2009 Sitelet!

Au revoir !

From Phillip, our man on the Crossiette ….

And that wraps it up for us and the whole MovieSet.com crew from here in the south of France. It has been a terrific, fast-paced and exciting two weeks. We’ve seen so many great movies, some not so great and some that we just wondered how they ever got made. There is no other festival like it in the world.

We thank the Festival de Cannes press accreditation committee for welcoming MovieSet.com so graciously at this year’s festival. We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the 62^nd Annual Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.  The response has been tremendous from around the world and so till next year.

Miss604 also mentioned MovieSet in her “Wednesday Morning Link Fest: Readers’ Choice“.

And we were pleased to see one of our other Cannes videos making the rounds – MarketSaw displayed  A Christmas Carol’s Press Conference on their blog and remarked:

“Isn’t Jim Carrey a likeable guy? Just watching his discussion here underscores what a treasure he is. Hope the kid never dies inside you man!”

We can’t help but agree.

Thanks all, for talking about us.

We encourage you to do share our content too.  In fact, there might be a prize in it for you…

Here’s the scoop:

We’re giving away 10 great Cannes prizes to bloggers only!  As you know, the festival ended yesterday – but we are continuing to post content beyond this date – and prize winners will be announced throughout our coverage.

So how can you enter?

Step 1:  Embed video, post stills, tweet our news from the Cannes Sitelet.  Essentially: share, share, share

Step 2:  Be sure to provide a link/trackback to our “Behind the Scenes” Cannes Sitelet.

Step 3:  Get ready to win cool, original prizes!

• Please tag posts: Cannes
• The twitter hashtag is: #Cannes
• And remember: you can also find MovieSet on Twitter
  

We’re thrilled to share our content.  And, we have to admit, we never shy away from attention.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this ‘coming of age’ milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles – and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all…

Highlighs from the Press Conference for Terry Gilliam’s ‘Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus’ and BREAKING NEWS about ‘Don Quixote’!

This morning we were fortunate to nab a coveted spot at the long-anticipated press conference for Terry Gilliam’s ‘Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus‘ here on the first of the three final days of the 62^nd Annual Cannes Film Festival.

Perhaps best known as the movie in which Heath Ledger began filming but never finished before his untimely death, Gilliam brought on Johnny Depp, Colin Farrel and Judd Law to fill in the void left for the role of Tony.

The ‘Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus‘ is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. Dr. Parnassus with his extraordinary traveling show “The Imaginarium” offers to members of the audience an irresistible opportunity to enter their universe of imaginations and wonders, by passing through a magical mirror. But Dr. Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr. Nick. Now it is time to pay the price… In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr. Parnassus must fight to save his daughter and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all!

Attending the press conference today were Terry Gilliam (Director), Lily Cole (Valentina), Verne Troyer (Percy), Andrew Garfield (Anton), Amy Gilliam (producer), Samuel Hadida (producer).

The conference started on a lighter note with Amy Gilliam, Mr. Gilliam’s daughter, joking about her relationship with her father, working with him on the picture and how they settled disagreements. She said it was hard to tell her dad no. But he advised her that she knew best… to which she replied, she did. (Laughter)

At which point the next question dealt with the untimely passing of Heath Ledger and how Mr. Gilliam came to decide to cast Judd Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrel to replace him. His initial reaction was to close the production down as he did not see how he could continue without him. Fortunately he was surrounded by really good people who said he could not be a lazy bastard and that he would have to finish the movie for Heath. He discussed for a long time how to replace Heath and finally decided it would be most respectful to not recast him with one actor. Since in the movie there is a magic mirror and Heath’s character passes through the mirror three times, he decided it would be three actors that would stand in for Heath. He started calling friends that knew and loved Heath. It had to be the nature. Everyone was determined to finish the film and it was people’s love for Heath that propelled the project forward.

The next question dealt with the Ledger family and their participation with Mr. Gilliam’s decision to continue the production following Heath’s death. His initial meeting was first all tears then switched to laughter. They were completely supportive of his decision and they have yet to see the picture so it will be a surprise for them when they see it.

Mr. Gilliam went on to state that although Heath passed away over a year ago, he was still alive and well on film and has been with Mr. Gilliam in the edit room every day as he saw him on screen as he edited the film for the festival here in Cannes.

There was an overall love fest when it came to discussions of working with Heath Ledger. The cast and Terry were extremely warm, kind and complimentary of his work and his style on set. Heath was described as extremely passionate, brilliant and energetic. He lifted everyone up and enthused everyone on the set.

It was also noted that it was difficult for the three actors who stepped in to fill his shoes… not only because he had such large feet… but because they were all friends of his as well and they were all moved and touched so much by him. But everyone rallied together to support each other and keep the Heath’s energy alive and strong on set.

A smart-alecky journalist from Iceland jokingly asked if Mr. Gilliam made a pact with the devil to get a movie made? (This is in reference to Dr. Parnassus in the movie having made a pact with the devil himself.) Laughter ensued from the press-corps and the guests on the dais. To which Mr. Gilliam’s wittily replied “I just made a movie with Sammy (Hadida), come on… that’s it!” “But we got the movie at the end,” added Samuel Hadida wryly with a smile.

Terry Gilliam wrote Verne Troyer’s part of Percy with him in mind. Gilliam stated that he was bored seeing Verne in all those comedies and wanted to show that he was a brilliant actor.

The actors spoke about the difficulty of working against a green screen and acting in environments that weren’t even there. It was a challenge but thanks to the direction and brilliant imagination of Mr. Gilliam made it so much easier.

None of the cast has yet seen the movie and Mr. Gilliam is excited for them to all see what he ended up making them look like. The premiere is tonight (May 22, 2009) and is screening out of competition.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the press conference was the confirmation by Terry Gilliam of the restart of ‘Don Quixote.’ The script has been rewritten and is back from the lawyers. They have rewritten it and Jeremy Thomas is producing and the plan is to begin shooting next spring time. He then stated that he had nothing more to add except that “we are at the beginning stage. Get the money. Get the bodies and let’s go.”

The press conference was then halted as that was the last question before Gilliam and his team posed for photos and signed autographs for a few minutes before being led out.

You can watch the full press conference and see the gallery of photos we snapped as well by simply clicking here.

Straight from Cannes is a video of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie being the sensation that they are. Thousands of fans crowd around the Inglorious Basterds Premiere to try to get some footage of the Dazzling couple.

Check it out Below.

Join us here at the Cannes Sitelet as we cover the remaining days of the festival and stay tuned to our Blog for the latest!

Synopsis: Christine Brown (Lohman) is a bank loan officer up for a big promotion from her strict boss (Paymer). To prove she can make the tough decisions, she denies a loan extension to an old lady (Raver) and the woman places a curse on the girl that will have her haunted by a powerful demon intent on dragging Christine Brown into the depths of hell.

Stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao, Adrianna Barraza

Written by: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Opening on: May 29th, wide

EXPECTATIONS

What I’d Seen – Fun, over-the-top trailers and a day spent on set put my hopes high, although I was thinking this might be more along the lines of Raimi’s The Gift rather than the beloved Evil Dead series.

What I’d Heard – This is Sam Raimi’s long-awaited return to horror after years away directing blockbuster material. Although, with a PG-13 rating, I wondered whether the talented director would be restrained from delivering the kinds of no-holds-barred material fans loved so much in the Evil Dead trilogy.

What I Wanted – Something to wash the bitter taste of Spider-Man 3 from my mouth once and for all.

EXPERIENCE

What Turned Me On -

When Sam Raimi first told us about his Ghost House production banner, it sounded like a great idea. Fun house horror movies along the lines of classic material by the likes of William Castle and Mario Bava. Unfortunately, what followed were a series of lifeless throwaway horror material like The Grudge and Boogeyman series. 30 Days of Night was good, but still didn’t feel true to the spirit of Ghost House’s kitschy horror promises.

Drag Me to Hell should serve as the blueprint for what a Ghost House Picture is supposed to be. Near-perfect in execution, Drag Me is a thrilling, gross-out, goosebump-inducing ride through the fun house from start to finish. It is an absolute blast and, believe me, they didn’t give away all the best bits in the trailer. Not by a long shot.

What Turned Me Off -

In all honesty, I have almost no complaints about Drag Me to Hell. It’s exactly what I wanted. If I had to criticize anything, it would be that this serves as yet another example of the MPAA’s consistent inconsistency in their ratings tactics. Personally, I probably wouldn’t let my 13-year-old see this and I consider myself pretty lenient.

AFTERMATH

I Left Thinking – That was so much fun that I can’t wait to see it again, and I never see anything more than once these days. Raimi may have been away from the horror genre for a long time, but he got back on that horse without so much as a hiccup anywhere in site. He can still turn stomachs and make audiences jump with the best of them.

I Left Saying – Does Raimi really have to go back and do another frickin’ Spider-Man movie after this? Does anyone really want that? Sure, the first two movies were good, but been there, done that. Lots of people are doing comic movies. What the fans really want is more films like Drag Me to Hell. The horror genre needs you, Mr. Raimi. Don’t make us wait to long before you come back again and show everyone else how it’s done.

Expiry Date – Drag Me to Hell should hold up quite well to multiple viewings and a long shelf life on home video. Now let’s just hope mainstream America comes out and supports one of summer’s few examples of original material.

First off we are in Cannes for the premiere of ‘UP‘, correspondent Phillip Nakov was AT the premiere! Its the first time an animated movie has opened the festival and its gotten pretty good reviews.

Its the movie about Carl Fredricksen. He spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

Next we have ‘Iron Sky’. This one is a bit of an enigma because its still in pre-production without funding! But it looks HILARIOUS so we’ll give it a shot!

Towards the end of World War II the staff of SS officer Hans Kammler made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity.

From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late ‘45 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the dark side of the Moon. This base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right.

Now it’s 2018, the Nazi invasion is on its way and the world is goose-stepping towards its doom.

Finally we end the episode with ‘Wrong Side of Town‘ which is a movie that MovieSet has Exclusive access to the set.  Check out all our videos of behind the scenes footage and the teaser trailer.

Ex-Navy Seal Bobby Kalinkowski lives apeaceful life as a landscape architect in an LA suburb with his wife Dawn and 16 year old daughter Brianna. On a night out with his wife Dawn is accosted a club owner, Ethan Bordas. When Bobby intervenes and accidentally kills Ethan defending his wife, his enraged older brother, Seth, puts a bounty on his head. Now Bobby must escape LA while being pursued by every criminal, wise guy and thug in the city.

By Phillip Nakov

Inglourious Basterds

Synopsis: The movie opens in on a farm in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

Stars: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, D.J. Novak.

Written and Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Produced by: Lawrence Bender

Distributed by: Universal & The Weinstein Company

Opening: August 21, 2009

EXPECTATIONS

What I’d Seen – A short, pointed yet remarkable introduction to the world of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ with Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine giving a small group fo eight Jewish American soldiers about to embark on a mission to hunt down and scalp Nazi solderis in German Occupied France. The tone and outrageous nature of the plot is both darkly comedic and classic Tarantino. I had also seen the poster, giant character banners on the front of the Carlton hotel and a few stills from the production all which promised a richly styled World War II era film with comedy, drama and violence.

What I’d Heard – That this was to be a departure from Tarnatino’s previous efforts but how much and in what way was to be discovered. I had read that the script was completed on July 2, 2008 and that once completed they had to immediately move into pre-production as Tarantino intended the movie to be ready for the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. That meant a vastly accelerated 14-week pre-production schedule and shooting in sequence in locations in France and Germany with an international cast.

What I Wanted – The energy, story complexity and character diversity of a true Tarantino masterpiece. I wanted to see a cool, new world reinterpreted by a directorial genius. I was looking forward to seeing Brad Pitt acting alongside a large group of international stars.

EXPERIENCE

What Turned Me On -

So much to recall! The locations, the costumes, the attention to detail, the advertisements and art on the walls, the characters and the way Tarantino seamlessly blends real historic people with fictional ones to create alternate endings to history. It’s both vividly amusing and disturbing at the same time. The richness of the Third Reich with its sumptuous use of red and black to mark its territory is both visually inspired and striking.
What Turned Me Off -

Much of the movie is not in English. Yes, it is very realistic to have Germans speaking German and French speaking French, bravo! But for following the story line in a two hour, thirty-two minute movie, it’s somewhat distracting and hard to understand all of the plot twists and character nuances. Luckily I speak French fluently so was able to follow a great part of the film without reading, except that there are subtitles running constantly which distracts one from the action on screen. Tarantino seemingly plays with us in the first scene of the movie where an encounter with a French farmer and a German colonel. The Colonel asks if it would be okay if they switched from French and spoke in English. This caused the audience to erupt in laughter. A nod to the audience by the director indeed! Except, moments later the characters are back to French and German!

For this being a war movie there is very little fighting or actual action. Save for a black and white film that was created especially for the movie and features vidily depicted war sequences, this movie does not weigh in heavily as a fighting war movie.

AFTERMATH

I Left Thinking – That ‘Inglorious Basterds’ is a pretty well-paced Tarantino pic. It did feel like it dragged in some places especially when groups of German soldiers would assemble together and just talk. It felt as if we were just witnessing a lot of extra plot lines being laid out to be completed later, although not as expertly as I would have hoped. There could have been some additional character development, especially of some of the more secondary characters.

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I Left Saying – Most of Tarantino’s fans will show up to see this… although some may end up staying away because of the somewhat stunted use of foreign language to drive the story in the film. I wish there was a greater number of pay-offs versus one event that everyone is working towards resolving. I can’t imagine too many of the die-hard Tarantino fans either checking this film out more than once. Though it is well-made, repeat business will most likely end up being far less significant than on his previous works.

Expiry Date – This movie will have an expiry date somewhere after the award season. It was made for entry into this year’s Cannes film festival. Its US release will be in August, just shy of the obvious start of award season yet close enough to be considered for all categories.  Although the DVD should feature a rich selection of behind the scenes footage and making of segments, only the really true Tarantino fan will buy the disc instead of just renting it.

Last thoughts – Overall I did like the movie and felt transported to the world of WWII France. However, the overuse of native languages and subtitles when it would have been so easy have to have the actors all speak in English or at least more than 50% of the time made for some hard work! Though a great work with some amazing performances, ultimately this movie will not reach the sort of mass audiences sees with past Tarantino offerings.

The story covers a lot of ground in its run time but it could still have been tightened up in certain places and we would not have missed a thing.

Screened at the Director’s Fortnight 2009 – Cannes, France

By Phillip Nakov

Synopsis: It’s been a decade since Ben (Duplass) and Andrew (Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife, and home. Andrew took the alternate route as a vagabond artist, skipping the globe from Chiapas to Cambodia. When Andrew shows up unannounced on Ben’s doorstep, they easily fall back into their old dynamic of macho one-upmanship.

Late into the night at a wild party, the two find themselves locked in a mutual dare: to enter an amateur porn contest together. But what kind of boundary-breaking, envelope pushing porn can two straight dudes make? After the booze and “big talk” run out, only one idea remains-they will have sex together…on camera. It’s not gay; it’s beyond gay. It’s not porn; it’s art. But how exactly will it work? And more importantly, who will tell Anna (Delmore), Ben’s wife?

Stars: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore

Written and Directed by: Lynn Shelton

Opening: July 2009

Reviewed at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes 2009

EXPECTATIONS

What I’d Seen – A hilarious poster of out of two out of shape guys, in boxers, against a white background, eyeing each other with less than amorous expressions on their eyes. The poster alone made me wonder what the hell is this about?

What I’d Heard – Absolutely nothing… which is the best way, in my opinion to see certain films. I entered with no preconceived notions, ideas or expectations. I sat down with a blank mind, ready to be entertained.

What I Wanted – A laugh-out-loud movie about two straight guys who aim to make a porn for the sake of art… seriously? The plot line alone seemed too good to be true. A story right out to left field which was at the same time charming as it was somewhat risqué.

EXPERIENCE

What Turned Me On -

The gritty, almost documentary style look and feel of the movie made me feel like I was hanging out with the characters in the movie and experiencing the events with them as they were happening. The movie felt very much like reality-movie with the characters relating to each other and talking like real people talk, not actors. The fact that neither of the lead characters are especially good looking or fall into the stereotypical category of ‘good looking’ lead actors in a film was refreshing and added to the comedy.

What Turned Me Off -

Though the realness and grittiness of the film was appealing, I felt as if some of the scenes were compromised to some degree for lack of a bigger budget. Though both of our leads are interesting and compelling to watch, we never go too far beyond their worlds. I would have loved to have seen more interaction with characters and perhaps have met some additional characters that would have helped broaden their  relationship.

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AFTERMATH

I Left Thinking - Wow… what a terrific plot… what fun characters… what a great way to start off the day. I saw this at a 9 AM screening and was laughing out loud with the audience. I wished I could start everyday with such a pick me up.

I Left Saying – This movie is going to get people in and will get them laughing. It is not your traditional big-budget comedy with broad situational slapstick. Hump Day is more of a character study featuring some truly amazing people who we get to know and begin to understand but who just happen to be fascinatingly funny.

Expiry Date – Hump Day will certainly please a certain segment of the movie-going audience. It certainly isn’t for everyone since it does deal with some rather serious issues and touches on the subject of gay porn. However, the topics and issues raised will have a shelf life well beyond 2009 and will certainly live on the shelves of many rental houses for years to come. It will be remembered as the straight guys who want to make a porno movie with each other movie. That poster is also unforgettable.

Hump Day opens in theaters nationwide July 17, 2009.

Oscar-winning director for Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee, was tongue-lashed in Cannes Saturday by a Brazilian reporter who decried the homosexual themes in Lee’s films.

During a press conference for the director’s latest comedy-drama, Taking Woodstock, a story about the legendary music festival which features a closet homosexual in the lead role, the reporter derailed the conference with a minutes-long diatribe of how Brazilians, he said, find the gay-themes repulsive.

The moderator eventually cut him off then offered Lee the chance to respond: “Mr. Lee, the gentleman seems to detect a threat of homosexuality.”

The soft-spoken Lee, almost on cue from the laughter of many among the hundreds of journalists, said accepting other people’s homosexuality is simply like the era portrayed in his film. “You just have to go with the flow,” he said.

“I think we [human beings] are composed with many elements inside. Everybody is very complicated.

“I’m fascinated by great stories — these just happen to revolve around homosexuality… I hate being categorized as a certain genre of filmmaker. I want to be seen as complicated.”

Asked later by Movieset if his remarks were intended to be hostile, the reporter brushed off the incident, saying he was joking with Lee, that his comments were designed simply to amuse his conservative viewers.

Taking Woodstock tells the true story of Elliot Tiber, played by Demetri Martin, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in New York. His homosexuality however is not central to the plot. He lands a deal to hold a small concert next to his parents’ property in order to save their farm from foreclosure. Three weeks later, half a million people arrive in White Lake, New York, and Tiber finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

Lee described Taking Woodstock as “a small film around the edges of a big event.”

“Woodstock is an iconic symbol. It’s been romanticized. It was dirty and it was filthy, but you have to give those kids credit. They had three days of peace and music. I don’t think you could do that today.”

As she draws near the table, she sits down slowly exhales. She is wearing a dainty lace top that looks delicate and light atop a darker black under shirt. I noticed immediately she is back to a lighter hair color as she was dark haired for the movie.  She smiles as we start to chat about working with Jane Campion, what it meant to her to accept this role and what she expects on the set of her next movie with Zach Synder which she starts shooting in June.

Q: Welcome, so, how is the festival? Having fun?

A: A lot of fun. It’s been a lot of really exciting. Showing the film the other night was the best feeling.

Q: Is this your first Cannes?

A: It’s my third. The first time in competition. The first time I was back packing throughout Europe.  Laughter. I had a film that was being sold here. I got myself a little badge and would sit in the theater and watch three films a day all week. Then I went and travelled through Europe. The second time was for Summersault which was in Un Certain Regard.

Q: How is this different that from the first time when you were a backpacker?

A: Well, I remember being on the Croisette and I remember watching Cate Blanchett walk down the red carpet. (Laughter). So it’s a little bit weird that I did that.

Q: Have you heard from your friends and family back home? They must be tremendously supportive?

A: Yeah. The Family is pretty proud.

Q: Did you love any poetry before going into this project and did you already know about John Keats ?

A: Actually I didn’t know them about John Keats. I had heard his name. But I didn’t know about his poems, I didn’t know about his life. After I read the film I remember jumping onto he net and checking it out.  And when we made the film it was quite beautiful to be exposed to this incredible poet. I mean he really is amazing.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your approach for selecting a role? What are the elements, whether it’s the story or the director or the cast?

A: Well it’s important to me it’s always the story and the character. And the director. Those are the three most important elements… then the cast and whose producing it also plays a part. You have to want to play that character. You have to want to put that story on screen. And you have to be in safe hands. It’s really important.

Q: Can we talk about that scene towards the end of the movie when Fannie breaks down when she hears of Keats’s death. Up till then she’s been very repressed since she is a 19^th century girl, but that’s a very impactful scene. Can you talk a little about that?

A: I think anyone who has ever lost someone that they love in their life understands that and I don’t think, I don’t feel like I need to explain it.

Q: Was it hard to prepare for or anything?

Then we experience a long, pregnant and quite pause. It’s as if she was contemplating how to best respond without being evasive.

A: No. No. It was difficult to do. But now, I didn’t prepare for it.

Q: What did you find was most surprising about working with Jane or what did you find most surprising that you didn’t expect to learn or have drawn out of you?

A: For me it was the rehearsal process. I was really frightened about how long it was. Three weeks of rehearsals is a lot. I was like how do you rehearse this for three weeks? After week one I was ready to go shoot the film. I think I had thought about the film so much and [processed it already. I didn’t want to sit in a room and over talk it and over analyze it. As an actor I like to just go it as long as the research is all there. So I kind of thought, gosh three weeks. During that time we learn a lot of each other. We went through every single scene in the movie. By the time we shot I know all my lines even the whole movie. You knew exactly what Jane wanted and what she was searching for and what she wanted to explore and she wanted to get across on to the screen. You kind of let go then of over analyzing the script or the dialogue.  That was a difference experience for me but that is unique to Jane. That is how she likes to work.  She likes intensity and focus and concentration.

Q: So what’s coming up next for you?

A: My next film is going to be “Sucker Punch.” Directed by Zach Snyder. He did ‘300′ and the ‘Watchmen‘. It’s totally different to anything I‘ve ever done. It’s going to be a little wild and a little crazy.

Q: Have you started already?

A: No, I start in June.

Q: Who will you be playing?

A: I play the character of Sweet Pea. Essentially it’s the story of five girls in the 1950’s who get together and try to escape a psychiatric ward. They are all in this thing and they are all like let’s get out of here. The interesting thing to me is that the films Zach has directed he hasn’t written. They haven’t been his concepts from the beginning. This is the first time he’s ever made a concept film that he wrote. I am interested to see what he does with it. I think he has an incredible talent in regards to contemporary cutting edge cinema. I think he is a bit of the master at the action sequences.

Q: So that is the secret behind your character? What’s your angle?

A: (Laughter) Well, she is actually sane. (More laughter) Even though she is in a psyche ward. She’s in with her younger sister. They ran away from home but her younger sister got into trouble and chucked in. So she went in with her to try and look after her and get her out. My character is in there just looking to surviving and looking after her.  And so it’s kind of cool to have this same girl in this totally wacky world. She is pretty strong. She is like the mother of the gang. Like she is the one who looks out for everyone. She is like the gang leader in a way.

Q: So it comes out next year? Yeah.

A: I think yeah, end of next year. But it’s going to be fun and it’s different. It’s going to be very physical. The film kind of switches in and out between reality and this kind of dream like world. So we have to train for it and learn martial art.

Q: So were those hands embroidering?

A: You know on the close up? Their not my hands. I said to Jane I don’t know if I want the pressure. I could have done it but also I didn’t want the pressure of having to make the perfect stich. That close up and so we’ll just get someone who is an expert to do it.

Q: Was is different to play with dark hair. Did it affect your play?

A: In a weird way, yeah. If I leaned forward what I would see and my peripheral vision was dark. And it makes a difference. It does. Even though hair styles and everything is slicked back. It’s not me.

Q: Will you be going to Comic-Con this year? Zach is typically down in San Diego in July.

A: (Laughter) Oh I don’t know… right… well we’ll probably be down there.

Q: Who are the co-stars?

A: Jenna Malone, Emily Browning, Jamie Chun and Vanessa Hudgens.

Interesting assortment.

Well, we look forward to seeing some behind the seeing some behind the scenes action as soon as it becomes available.

With that our visit with Abbie was over. We wished her all the luck with “Bright Star” at the festival and we look forward to seeing her in her next new film ‘Sucker Punch‘. This next project is expected in theaters in 2011.

Check out tons of production stills from Bright Star at the Sitelet, as well as our video coverage of the press event.

It’s the new film from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee – and it’s a trip! A 1969-set story, based on Elliot Tiber’s memoir, about a man, Elliot Tiber, who inadvertently played a role in making the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the famed happening it was.

Working as an interior designer in Greenwich Village during culturally and politically exciting times, Mr. Tiber felt empowered by the gay rights movement. But he was also still staked to the family business – a Catskills motel. Upon hearing that a planned concert had lost its permit from the neighboring town of Wallkill, NY, Mr. Tiber called producer Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) at Woodstock Ventures to offer his family’s motel, the El Monaco, to the promoters.

Soon the Woodstock staff was moving into the El Monaco; half a million people were on their way to Mr. Tiber’s neighbor’s Max Yasgur’s (Eugene Levy) farm in White Lake, NY; and Mr. Tiber found himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

Check out all the pictures at our Cannes Sitelet! You can also see the trailer for ‘Taking Woodstock‘ right here on MovieSet.

MovieSet correspondent Phillipe (feeel-eep) Nakov was AT the premiere in Cannes and got a chance to talk to the films director Pete Docter and the executive producer  of ‘Up‘, chief creative officer of Pixar himself – John Lassester.

Enjoy this video of the interview and be sure to visit the Cannes 2009 Sitelet for more.

The gist of the movie is … By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

Don’t forget to check out our continuous 24/7 Cannes Coverage at the sitelet, with tons of new content being updated as-it-happens throughout the festival.

The Starlets! The Stories! The Champagne! And the Cinema!

Is Cannes the best film festival in the world?

Mais bien sur!

Bonjour MovieSetters! MovieSet is going ALL OUT at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival from May 13 to the 24th in the south of France.

Follow us in this extraordinary eco-system, an intense dreamscape populated by a medley of money-men, hustlers, hacks and extra-terrestrial stars.

Our festival team will be producing exclusive still photos, videos, interviews, and blog content daily and on the MovieSet Cannes 2009 Sitelet

We’ll be keeping an eye on these films – Any others we gotta catch? Leave us a Comment

- Inglourious Basterds
- Taking Woodstock
- Up!
- AntiChrist (Lars Von Trier)
- Drag Me to Hell
- Imaginarium of Dr. Panassus

Behind the Scenes at Cannes

The Festival de Cannes has always been the reflection of its era: a centre for all cultures and hopes, a spring of effervescence and, above all, transmission. Join Shaun and Eric as they lead you behind-the-scenes on the latest at Cannes with a kick off episode of the vidcast featuring UP!, Taking Woodstock and Dr. Parnassus.

Like this episode? Check out More of Eric and Shaun on their BTS Sitelet

Canne’s do!

Looking for some more Info about the Festival?

Give the Official Cannes Film Festival Site a whirl, they have a great selection of information and history about the Festival, including:

- The Official Selection (full list of movies in screening in Cannes)

- The Juries (Judging the Festival, Who?)

Follow along on Twitter!

- Festival Cannes on Twitter

- 2009 Cannes Festival on Twitter

- Tagged posts: #Cannes09 Or #Cannes

- And of course MovieSet on Twitter

Come say hello to the MovieSet crew on the Palais

Meet Ryan, Phillipe, Massoud and the rest of the MovieSet team on the Palais throughout the festival at Stand # 26.03. They are assisting producers to set up promotional Sitelets and giving away MovieSet branded 1GB Flashdrives.

MovieSet is an official sponsor of the PRODUCER NETWORK and will be hosting the HAPPY HOUR on Sunday May 17th from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Producers Club (Village International – Pantiero, pavilion 210).

Au-revoir!

MovieSet is an official sponsor of the PRODUCERS NETWORK and will be hosting the HAPPY HOUR on Sunday May 17th from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Producers Club (Village International – Pantiero, pavilion 210).

First off are photos from the premiere of Disney/Pixar’s animated movie UP! which flies into theaters on May 29th.

The Carlton Pier has a special visitor as the house from UP! settles down for a short visit. UP opened the 62nd Annual Cannes Film festival marking the first time an animated feature opened this prestigious international event.

Among the honored attendees of the UP! premiere was Charles Aznavour who caused a media frenzy as he walks the pier at the Carlton in Cannes. This was the beginning of a staged photo opportunity for the Disney-Pixar animated comedy adventure for which M. Aznavour provided voice-over talents for the Franco-version.

Every film tries to grab some of the attention at Cannes with huge and creative advertising campaigns – Sacha Baron Cohen’s newest film Bruno is a great example of the huge artwork created to garner eyeball time. No doubt Mr. S.B.C. has little trouble gaining attention since the Borat juggernaut gathered so much buzz (and money!).

The MovieSet away-team will be sending video and stills to share with movie fans throughout the festival. Check out the Behind the Scenes show for the Cannes kick off episode with Inglourious Basterds and Taking Woodstock along with UP!.

Meanwhile in Cannes … Phillipe stands his ground as the MovieSet team chase down the latest news and photos from the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival.

Anything you need Phillipe to chase down for you? Any films you are eager to learn more about? Ask in the comments and he’ll do your bidding.