Very cool video featuring Waris Ahluwalia’s newest jewelry collection, Omnia Vincit Amor (Love Conquers All). More at House of Waris.
Noah Baumbach back at work
Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote The Life Aquatic and Fantastic Mr. Fox, is back at work on his next film according to JoBlo.com:
Prodigious director Noah Baumbach has quietly started shooting an untitled film in Los Angeles
starring Ben Stiller as Roger Greenberg, a man at a crossroads who ends up housesitting at his brother’s home in Los Angeles. It’s there that he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his brother’s assistant Florence (played by reta Gerwig), an aspiring singer. Rhys Ifans, Mark Duplass, Brie Larson, and Juno Temple also star.Baumbach wrote the script based on a story he conceived with Jennifer Jason Leigh, who co-stars and is co-producing with Baumbach and Scott Rudin. After Baumbach’s first film THE SQUID AND THE WHALE was nominated for an Oscar, the man was widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s hottest young directors. But after his next film MARGOT AT THE WEDDING suffered from a lukewarm reception, the boy wonder was left reeling. Early buzz on this next film is decent, so lets hope Mr. Baumbach gets back on track and lives up to the hype, LeBron James-style.
Press notes and credits for Fantastic Mr. Fox
from Hollywood.blog (Netherlands):
These are said to be the press notes and credits for Fantastic Mr. Fox. I cannot absolutely confirm their authenticity at this point but have no reason to believe that they are are a fabrication.
—
Based on the beloved story by Roald Dahl, the film tells the tale of the noble, charming and fantastic Mr. Fox, who uses his wits and cunning to outfox three dimwitted farmers who tire of sharing their chickens with the crafty creature.
“Boggis and Bunce and Bean. One short, one fat, one lean. These horrible crooks, so different in looks, were nonetheless equally mean.”
Wes Anderson (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) directs the stop-motion animation of Roald Dahl’s much loved children’s book. Fantastic Mr. Fox is voiced by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Michael Gambon, and scheduled for release in the fall of 2009.
Continue reading “Press notes and credits for Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Cool Wes-inspired DVD cover by Ian Dingman
Thanks to friend of the site Fahim for this great Wes-inspired DVD cover for the film Sasquatch! (Ian Dingman)
On the trail of Mr. Fox
This intelligence report is a community effort. Comment, tweet (@rushmoreacademy), or e-mail additions and corrections. I will add them to the post. Discuss the Fox over at the Yankee Racers forum!
Released by Fox Animation Studios (originally Revolution Studios)
Release date: November 6, 2009
Directed by Wes Anderson
Novel by Roald Dahl
Screenplay by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach
Animation by Mark Gustafson (originally Henry Selick)
Music by
Alexandre Desplat, composer (The Queen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Jarvis Cocker
Cinematograpy by Tristan Oliver (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run)
CAST
George Clooney as Mr. Fox
Cate Blanchett as Mrs. Fox
Bill Murray as the Badger
Jason Schwartzman
Anjelica Huston
Meryl Streep
Rushmore joins the Texas Film Hall of Fame
Rushmore has joined (can a film join something?) the Texas Film Hall of Fame. Luke Wilson accepted the honor.
Robert Wilonsky, from the Dallas Observer:
As promised this morning, here’s Luke Wilson accepting the Texas Film Hall of Fame award for Rushmore — though, as I vociferously and rather drunkenly pointed out to Texas Monthly president Evan Smith after the ceremony, Luke’s in the thing for all of the one scene, so how’d he get the honor? Hell, Andrew Wilson has a bigger role, and he was there last night — at least, I think that was Andrew Wilson behind Zac Crain’s beard. Maybe that’s why Luke didn’t really, ya know, talk about, ya know, Rushmore. (Besides, shoulda inducted the far superior Bottle Rocket. You know I’m right.) Anyway, nice to see Luke dressed for the occasion.
Rushmore is my favorite film of all time. It converted me (in a very real and religious sense) to Wes Anderson and film more generally. As for Robert’s concerns about Luke’s suitability: Luke was in the dinner scene! “These are O.R. scrubs.” I rest my case.
Some shaky video of Luke:
Thanks to Patrick Michels, the web editor over at the Dallas Observer.
Bill Murray talks the Fox
From ComingSoon.net:
Q: What is your role in Wes Anderson’s upcoming animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox”?
Murray: I’ll be playing the badger.
Q: What is your badger voice?
Murray: Unfortunately, my badger… I worked really, really hard on a Wisconsin accent, ’cause I thought that would be an appropriate badger voice. And for the first couple scenes I did this Wisconsin badger voice that I thought was so funny. I did the first couple scenes and then Wes goes, “Nah, I don’t think so. I would think it’s kind of a Savile Row badger.” Who here has seen a badger walkin’ down Savile Row? Anybody? (Laughter) Yeah. That’s what I said. But these are these new directors. You know, you just gotta give ’em their… you know, let ’em hang themselves. I’ve seen some pictures of it. I think it’s old-fashioned ’cause it’s taking ’em a very long time to get it done, but they’re very excited (complete interview).
Other articles of interest:
“Nico: the return of the rock’n’roll star” from The Independent (U.K.)
“After divorce, Bill Murray looks for renewal” from Associated Press
A few tidbits…
An interview with Life Aquatic animator Henry Selick (no mention of Wes or TLA, sadly).
Selick’s new film Coraline debuts in December. He was scheduled to work with Wes on The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but scheduling conflicts with Coraline prevented a second collaboration.
Wes was mentioned in a recent article in The Guardian (U.K.):
Soundtracks and musical scores fit a specific purpose. However, what I find interesting are scores that go beyond their specific purpose and take on multiple lives.
Film soundtracks have always had the power to impact culturally. From the obvious: Ennio Morricone’s theme to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, or dialogue from Scarface – to the less obvious: Wes Anderson reusing Sven Libaek’s Shark Theme in the Life Aquatic (a score that in turn found itself on a Volvo Advert).
Using a film sample or being under the influence of a score will almost always result in the adjective “cinematic” being used to describe a band’s sound. It’s a rich tradition in hip-hop, rock and dance, and I enjoy the approximation and interpolation of movies and music (link).
Friend of the site and contributor Derek Hill discussed the musicology of Wes Anderson in a recent guest blog post.
In the September issue, Paste Magazine choses Dr. Nelson Guggenheim (Brian Cox, Rushmore) as their third favorite cinematic high school principal (vote for Dr. G in their poll!).
Interview with Waris Ahluwalia
On Set Interview with Actor Waris Ahluwalia
(working on the URL… some technical difficulties)
Bill Murray, Poet
From this week’s Studio 360, from Public Radio International: Bill Murray at a Poets House event in New York.
Bravo, Bill.