GAZER IN THEATERS NOW!!!
Gazer @ Angelika NYC + Reunion Live footage
Gazer opens at NYC Angelika today. Lots of Q+A’s. I’ll do the 415pm Saturday screening and moderate a convo with a lot of the cast + crew, Ariella, Ryan, DP Matt Bastos, composer Steve Carter, actors Renee Gagner + Jack Alperts. Ariella and Ryan are doing many more too. Come say hi. Long inspiring road from this being a why not project on weekends with cash cobbled together from day jobs…to a premiere at Cannes…to opening at the Angelika Theater Ariella used to work at (how I met her originally!). I’m really happy for them and thankful to have been along for the ride. I’m excited for more people to see the movie and get inspired to make their vision a reality the way this team did. It’s a true indie film story that should show everyone what’s possible. Check schedule. Lisa Dreyer, Griffin Dunne, Azazel Jacobs and more doing Q+A’s. https://angelikafilmcenter.com/nyc/movies/details/gazer
We performed a version on Monday at Reunion Live. It opened the night, so Ariella was in the room while the audience entered, and we had Steve Carter’s music turned into a sorta ambient room tone score. Ariella brought the voice recording scene turned nightmare to life with a combo of media in the room. It was really cool. And the night continued from there.
The tension and confusing discomfort we intended to generate with the trick we pulled on the Bad Shabbos piece played perfectly, and nobody knew what was going on, who was doing what. I won’t talk about it here, it’s really for the people who experienced it to tell should they choose. But I loved the audience reaction, and the performers were spot on.
Reunion performers The Brothers Gold want to share how to keep in touch for their new live cinema movie EP’d by the coiner of the term ‘live cinema’ Francis Ford Coppola himself: brotherverses.com/contact
The actor I cast to do the White Lotus piece dropped last minute thanks to dental surgery, so I had the choice to cut it or do it myself, decided to learn 6 and a half minute monologue on the day. Thank you to David Garelik for tag teaming it with me.
Allie Avital’s piece rocked, can’t wait for the movie. Our standups killed. Everything was so much fun. I’m making a point to not overexplain, I want people to just come to the next one. April 28. We filmed the whole thing but I really want it to be one time only special thing, if you were there, you got it, if not, you missed it. Just some tastes.
Thanks to Lillie Wojcik for running the show and elevating everything and Gospel for hosting us. Thanks to the many many people who made this thing. I haven’t felt so energized in a long time and it’s most certainly thanks to the support and collaboration with all of you. Truly, the energy from all the collaborators has continued to make this week so rich, I haven’t been part of a production with such warmth in a long time. I’m very very emotional from you all, and can’t wait to do more together.
April 28 is next! The plan is already so fun I can’t wait.
— Sean Glass @sdotglass
EVENTS (reunion.eventive.org )
NEWS
The important stuff on the important stuff. TL;DR + links if you want more.
RIP Val Kilmer [Variety]
Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, Josh Brolin, and More Remember Val Kilmer: He Was a ‘Joy to Know’ [IndieWire]
Val Kilmer obituary: mercurial A-lister who toggled between total immersion and resistance – Adam Nayman [BFI]
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Follow-Up in the Works With Brad Pitt Starring, David Fincher Directing a Quentin Tarantino Script [THR] Somehow wasn’t an April Fools gag. Still speculation on whether this is an expanded or reworked version of Tarantino’s scrapped The Movie Critic.
Sam Mendes’ Four ‘The Beatles’ Movies Are Coming Out In April 2028; Cast Confirmed [Deadline] Unfortunately not April Fools.
AMC, Dolby Ink Deal to Fuel Expansion of Dolby Cinema at AMC Locations [Variety] This is great. I don’t love the dynamic range they use, they brag about "true black" or whatever they call it, but I actually feel films lose a lot when everything past a certain point is one version of black. I like when black has shades. But this is still excellent, above the washed out ‘laser’ projectors whatever those are, and at least the Dolby screens run at full steam, vs the normal ones that sometimes feel like under 50% lumens or a burned out bulb. Dolby means quality control, so this is a win.
L.A. Soundstage Occupancy Declines to New Low of 63% in 2024 With No Signs of Improvement [Variety]
Coyote Vs. Acme officially saved by Ketchup Entertainment [AV Club] In a shocking turn of events, Warner Bros. has released Coyote Vs. Acme from their vault and handing it off to Ketchup Entertainment who recently found success with the latest Looney Tunes movie.
Even the Most Successful Indie Directors Can’t Make a Living. Why? [IndieWire]
49th Session of La Résidence du Festival de Cannes [Cannes] NYC’s Constance Tsang in there!!
David Mamet Releasing Shia LaBeouf Prison Drama Henry Johnson This Spring [Variety] Premiering at the Utah National Anti Woke Film Fest (reference to that Utah governor giving the hilarious statements about Sundance moving).
The Settlers Writer-Director Felipe Gálvez Sets Spy Thriller Impunity As Second Project [Deadline] Make it a Sam Spruell showcase.
Night Owl VIDEO store in Wburg soft opening tomorrow night! [BK Mag]
‘White Lotus’ Theme Song Composer Won’t Return for Season 4 [NYT] Some light Mike White drama. A bizarre power move when the show’s score does 90% of the heavy lifting in its most dull and derivative moments.
Cristobal Tapia de Veer even released an uncut version of this season’s theme.
Ice Cube Closes Deal for New Friday Movie at Warner Bros. and New Line [Variety] The day after Zaz talks about IP over auteurs.
WATCH: Our first look at The Rehearsal Season 2 and it looks insane.
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
WATCH
Gazer w/ filmmakers in person FRI & SAT [Angelika]
READ: ‘If It Throws Us on the Street, It’s Worth It’: They Risked Everything to Make Gazer [IndieWire]
New Directors/New Films 2025, through April 13 [Film Linc + MoMA]
Five Favorites from the 2025 New Directors/New Films Festival [Filmmaker Magazine]
A Minecraft Movie [wide] Sure, sure.
Hell of a Summer [wide]
Freaky Tales w/ filmmaker in person [Angelika] They should do a Cassavetes biopic starring 🐐 Ben Mendelsohn.
The Encampments w/ filmmaker in person [Film Linc + Angelika]
Eric Larue [Angelika] Michael Shannon directorial debut that’s been delayed
High Art, 4K restoration w/ Lisa Cholodenko and co. in person [IFC]
Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, 4K restoration [Film Forum]
When Fall is Coming [Film Forum]
The Luckiest Man in America w/ director in person [IFC]
Clerks, Clue, First Reformed, Rope in 35mm, and more at [Metrograph]
APR 9: Diner in 35mm w/ casting director Ellen Chenoweth in person [Paris]
APR 10: Whiplash w/ J.K. Simmons in person [Film Forum]
APR 11: Syd Mead: Illustrating the Future series [Metrograph]
APR 19: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 35th Anniversary [MoMI]
STREAMING
Holland [Prime]
One of Them Days [Netflix]
ON OUR MIND
Megan 2.0 by way of Terminator 2 meets Battle Angel Alita.
BAFTA’s “Most Influential Video Games of All Time”
Execs saying exec things.
Dogma 25th anniversary/ 4K restoration rerelease on June 5.
