Trailer - Celeste and Jesse Forever

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg star in Celeste and Jesse Forever, a dramedy about "a divorcing couple that tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people." Jones co-wrote the script with her writing partner Will McCormack (who has a supporting role) and gives her the opportunity to showcase her talent in a more raw, nuanced, multi-dimensional character. Jones' on-screen chemistry with Samburg is a perfect fit, making it an instant Reel Artsy favorite.

Celeste and Jesse Forever hits theaters on August 3rd. (NYC & L.A.)

Official Site: http://sonyclassics.com/celesteandjesseforever/

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Reel Artsy Watch

Reel Artsy is still alive... We've been enjoying the summer blockbusters and busy creating some new features for the site. We're committed to spotlighting the best of all things Quirky, Awkward and Offbeat in movies, TV, indie film and beyond.

In the meantime I've compiled a quick Ones to Watch List:

Aubrey Plaza - Signature: Deadpan charm.

Where You've Seen Her: She's great at making snarky remarks in Parks & Recreation alongside Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones (and the rest of the awesome Pawnee gang). In Scott Pilgrim vs. The World she offered some scene-stealing moments in the uber quirky Michael Cera flick.

Upcoming & Emerging: Safety Not Guaranteed pairs her alongside another Reel Artsy favorite Mark Duplass. This movie puts her in the leading lady role and that's exactly where her career needs. Time to level up!

Zoe Lister Jones - Signature: Co-writer/co-star.

Where You've Seen Her: In the heartfelt Arranged playing a Jewish bride-to-be and in Breaking Upwards as a disillusioned 20-something in NYC.

Upcoming & Emerging: Films like Lola Versus continue to put her on the map, showcasing her skills in front and behind-the-camera as screenwriter. She's the kind of filmmaker who is on the verge of crafting her own niche in Hollywood, and if things go right... she could get her own TV show like Mindy Kaling or Lena Dunham.

Trieste Kelly Dunn - Signature: Indie darling.

Where You've Seen Her: On the film festival circuit starring in Cold Weather (an offbeat brother/sister whodunit story) and The New Year giving a powerful performance as a woman in search of her place in the world.

Upcoming & Emerging: Her IMDb page doesn't have heaps of upcoming projects but given the right opportunity she could have a major break-through. If you haven't seen her in The New Year do yourself a favor and watch it via iTunes. You'll see the beautiful range of emotions she brings to small town life.

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Trailer - Damsels in Distress

Greta Gerwig (Greenberg, No Strings Attached) stars in a comedy about "a trio of girls set out to change the male-dominated environment of the Seven Oaks college campus, and to rescue their fellow students from depression, grunge and low standards of every kind." It also features Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation), Adam Brody (Jennifer's Body) and Zach Woods (The Office).

It hits theaters April 6th (NYC & L.A.).

Official Site: www.sonyclassics.com/damselsindistress

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Trailer - Return

Writer/director Liza Johnson's debut film has been earning rave reviews for Linda Cardellini's harrowing performance. Back from a tour of duty, Kelli (Cardellini) can't wait to rejoin her family in the Rust Belt town she's always known. She's ready to experience the feelings of everyday life but slowly her world comes to feel unfamiliar. Her friends love her but seem preoccupied with trifles. Her children need more focused attention than she can give, and as much as he tries, her husband Mike (Michael Shannon) doesn't understand what she's been through. It will open in select theaters on February 10th and will available on iTunes February 28th.

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TODAY: Live Q&A chat with Angelina Jolie for 'In The Land of Blood and Honey'

Angelina Jolie will be answering your questions today about her new film In The Land of Blood and Honey which she wrote and directed. Tune in, right here on ReelArtsy.com, at 8pm EST/5pm PST to watch the live feed. You can follow the hashtag #AngelinaJolieFilmChat Twitter to join in with other film fans.

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Live Q&A with Angelina Jolie for 'In The Land of Blood and Honey'

Who doesn't want to ask Angelina Jolie a question or two? Here's your chance...

We are proud to present Angelina Jolie in a Live online Q&A on Jan 12th. In The Land of Blood and Honey is the first film Angelina has written and directed. Fans will be able to ask Angelina questions LIVE!

We would love to extend the opportunity for you to host the live Q&A on your blog. In addition we would love to send you and one of your readers a Blood and Honey poster!

Get that? Ask a question and you could win a poster. Since I'm a fan of foreign films (especially love stories) and Angelina Jolie it makes sense to participate.

I posted the image of the poster last year and it looks pretty sweet. I appreciate when posters aim for a creative concept instead of just sticking a bunch of faces everywhere.

How to enter: Submit your questions in the comments section and be sure to include your email address. If you tweet about this giveaway via @ReelArtsy that will count as an extra entry in the hat. Winners will be picked at random.

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Reel Artsy's Screenwriter of the Year 2011: Elizabeth Meriwether

Who's that girl? It's Liz.

1. She's the show-runner of the hit TV show New Girl, that gives us weekly doses of Zooey Deschanel being "adorkable" in laugh-out-loud episodes like "Bad in Bed."

2. No Strings Attached was one of the most downloaded movies on iTunes. Opened at #1 in theaters and made over $70 million.

3. Long live The Fempire! - When a certain NY Times article about Diablo Cody's screenwriting buddies hit the web she was the newbie of the bunch. Now she's emerged into her own spotlight. Her unique writing voice shows signs of life (and originality) for aspiring screenwriters everywhere.

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We Need To Talk About Kevin (AFI Film Fest 2011)

We Need To Talk About Kevin is brilliantly creepy. It inhabits a place that few films venture to, and even fewer successfully convey a subtle darkness in a real and believable way. Tilda Swinton gives a remarkable performance as a mother dealing with the upbringing and after-math of her child's devious behavior. The actors who play her son at various ages (Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rock Duer) all give equally riveting portrayals of a wayward mind as it descends into a land of no return. If you're looking for a conventional, happy-ending kind of Hollywood movie, this isn't it. We Need To Talk About Kevin is a disturbingly memorable slice of cinema.

It opens in NYC and Los Angeles on December 9th. 

Official Site: www.oscilloscope.net

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Music Video - Shad 'Keep Shining'

Lovin' this track and video from Canadian rapper Shad.

"To me, the 'Keep Shining' video is an ode to the strong and often under-appreciated spirits of women. This video was designed as a candid and thought/emotion-provoking concept. My goals were to create a candid and uplifting experience that featured a wide diversity of women and girls and to also unearth what I felt lay beneath the lyrics: A call to claim one’s voice. Early on, I realized a key to this concept: Shad barely appears in the video. The ladies own the lyrics. For me, it’s as if Shad is saying take it, own it, your voice belongs to you. It was my intention to show strength, vulnerability, joy, catharsis and reclamation of the spirit of all those who appeared in these 3 minutes and 45 seconds. My hope is that it will speak to women, girls, men and boys and everything in between. Let’s all keep shining." -Sarah Michelle Brown (Director)

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Poster - Bridesmaids

[click for bigger version]

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Trailer - The Beaver

You have probably heard about Jodie Foster's new movie where Mel Gibson plays a guy who begins to talk through a beaver puppet. Really. Well the trailer has been released and it's actually not as ridiculous as the premise sounds. It shows a very dramatic and sentimental film. Still not sure how it will turn out and whether or not it will be able to resurrect Gibson's career. Opens February 11th.

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Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is a remarkable story about love, friendship and the meaning of life. Skillfully wrapped in a world of science fiction Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield offer compelling performances. The movie is quiet in tone with lush landscapes, a beautiful music score and scenes full of hauntingly poignant moments. It's definitely worth a watch! 

Now in theaters.

Official Site: www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego

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Love and Other Drugs (trailer)

Anne Hathaway's remarkable performance in Rachel Getting Married showcased her range, and now she returns to her romantic comedy roots in Love and Other Drugs alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie is about two people who bond over their ease with charming the opposite sex, but can they tame each other?

 In theaters November 24th.

Official Site: www.loveandotherdrugsthemovie.com

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Trailer - Black Swan

The trailer for the new Darren Aronofsky film starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis has arrived. Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a ballerina at a prominent dance company and her supposed rival in an eerie tale of mind over matter. I'm expecting a major plot twist or surprise ending but whatever the case the story looks intriguing and I'm looking forward to seeing Winona Ryder in a supporting role.

In theaters December 1st.

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Butterflies Are Free

Goldie Hawn plays a quirky leading lady in this 1972 Oscar-winning film. Butterflies Are Free is the story of a blind man  who moves to San Francisco in a desperate act to seek independence from his over-proctective mother. In the city he meets a beautiful next door neighbor (Hawn) and sparks fly. It's a cute film, totally worth a watch and I'm surprised they haven't done a remake. If they do, it would be a nice twist on that Katerina Graham and Jesse Eisenberg movie pairing I mentioned last week. 

Anyhow, here's the trailer:

Available on Netflix.

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Foxes! Dare to do What Others Dream Of

I went to a really fun event last week at the The Cinefamily the venue (also known as the Silent Movie Theater). I hope that most of you in L.A. know about this great place.

The night sleepover party themed. The main event was a double feature of a film released in 1980 called Foxes, which starred Jodie Foster, features a teenage skateboarding Scott Baio, and a creepy cradle robbing Randy Quaid.

There was complimentary wine provided by Bear Flag Winery and delicious gelato from Paciugo.

This trailer does not do justice at all to the insane campy brilliance of this film's dialog.

 

If your parents bought you cigarettes as a teenager. If you ever got mixed up with a tranny named Burt. If you have ever gone toe-to-toe with a pimp on the boulevard. If you love Donna Summers or if you love the movie "Nowhere" by Gregg Araki even half as much as I do. This movie is a must.

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Movies for Katerina Graham

Can I nominate Katerina Graham for some quirky roles? Perhaps a match-up with Jesse Eisenberg. Or how about a movie with Donald Glover where they play awkwardly cool nerds in a Los Angeles version of something like Before Sunrise or Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. That would pretty sweet, borderline epic.

She could start off with a couple manic-pixie-dream-girl characters, witty banter with a great soundtrack (think Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer and Natalie Portman in Garden State).   

Hollywood, indie cinema, let's make it happen. Thanks.

Paging Childish Gambino and Mr. Adventureland.You're on deck...

Graham plays Bonnie Bennett on The CW's Vampire Diaries. 

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Lorene Scafaria Chats Screenwriting

WriteLikeCody.com has a nice interview with Lorene Scafaria the screenwriter of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist where she talks about a multitude of things including the genesis of her career,  her music projects and a certain New York Times article about The Fempire (comprised of her, Diablo Cody, Dana Fox and Liz Meriwether).

"It came across like we all think we're so cool when really we're four self-loathers who keep each other from being cutters. Our full name was "Fempire Strikes Back" but somehow it got shortened. If nothing else, we really are such good friends and in a world of not many female screenwriters (for whatever reason), having them to read stuff and ask advice and make each other feel better when the internet says otherwise, it's truly invaluable."

She also points out a realistic aspect of screenwriting...

"I've written 16 [screenplays] to date, been paid for 10 of those, and only one was made into a film. It's amazing how much you can have a career and still not much real output."

Scafaria is currently working on a new adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie for Sony along with an original project.

"I'm also writing a script I'm doing to direct called Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. It's a romantic comedy set just before the apocalypse. We're still in the early stages of casting right now so hopefully it'll see the light of day... before the end of days." 

To read the full interview click HERE.  

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Megan Fox & Kristen Stewart in A Movie Together?

Can the world handle a film with both Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart?

They're the young starlets that movie critics love to bash on. They're easy targets thanks to their respective box office franchises (Twilight and Transformers) and they're both known to make headlines with "outlandish" quotes. But would they be good in a movie together? I think so. Here's why...

1. They're awkward, but in different ways. Stewart stumbles with her words, and Fox makes up all kinds of stories to keep people away from her true self. If they were to do a film together their characters would have to center around awkwardness.

2. Indie film, right director. In order for this collaboration to work they'll need someone like Aaron Katz, the Duplass Brothers or Jason Reitman at the helm to make sure the story finds the rhythmic balance of heartfelt and humorous with a bittersweet tone.  Cold Weather, Cyrus and Up in the Air all achieve that blend. The Stewart-Fox project should be a movie about sisters who take a road trip before they head in opposite life directions or something like that. 

3. Now is the time! If this project were to happen, it would have to be soon. Strike while the iron's hot and Twilight is still very much pop sensation, especially amongst teen girls. But would the Twilight-Transformers audience show up for an indie film like this? Maybe so, maybe not. But that's not the point. As Charlie Kaufman puts it:

When you go in with the intention of exploring something real, then that's what you'll get no matter what's around it. It may not even be successful—people may not like it and it may make no money—but that is what you'll have. And if you go into something with the intention of showing off and just being absurd for absurdity's sake, then hey, that's what you'll get. I'm interested in trying to find a real moment between people.

With the right material it's possible that a Stewart-Fox movie could give us something interesting and dare I say... real.

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Somewhere

Writer/director Sofia Coppola’s new film tells the story of Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), a bad-boy actor stumbling through a life of excess while living at Hollywood’s legendary Chateau Marmont Hotel. Cocooned in this celebrity-induced artificial world, Johnny has lost all sense of his true self. Until, that is, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) unexpectedly shows up and unwittingly begins to anchor him. Johnny’s fragile connection to real life slowly revives in her presence. It looks great and I love the use of the demo version of The Strokes' You Only Live Once, which has always been one of my favorite b-sides. It opens on December 22nd.

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