AFI Dallas..."Brothers Bloom" to kick-off glitzy Gala! Adrien Brody, Rian Johnson & Robert Towne to appear on red carpet! March 26th!

Opening night at AFI DALLAS is gearing up to be a must-attend event of the season, as festival organizers get down to the nitty-gritty to ensure the evening's festivities go off without a hitch.

In addition to the red carpet premiere of Rian Johnson's "Brothers Bloom", a handful of high-profile directors and actors will be in town to catch screenings of their landmark films being spotlighted by AFI Dallas commencing March 26th thru April 2nd.

When the glittering gala kicks off on the eve of March 26th at AMC Northpark - actors Louis Gosset Jr. and Adrien Brody - in addition to Directors Robert Town, Rian Johnson, Christopher Wong, Nicole Terre, and Aaron Marshall - are expected to trot down the carpet to the delight of filmgoers currently snapping up tickets.

"The Brothers Bloom" (Rian Johnson) is a fun romp about two of the best con men in the world who swindle millionaires in a haze of complex scenarios that make the head spin," according to the producers.

In one last job - in what amounts to a swan song - an eccentric heiress finds herself swept up in a romantic adventure that traverses the globe.

Actually, AFI Dallas is going to be like old-home week, to me.

Recently, I attended a mini-fest that Rian Johnson held at the New Beverly Cinema Hollywood.

During the Q & A, Johnson offered up a fascinating peak into the intriguing world of trickery and magic which was the inspiration for "The Brothers Bloom".

Post: 03/10/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/03/rian-johnsonbrothers-bloom-director-top.html

In addition to Johnson, Peter Bogdanovich will be honored at the prestigious Festival with the AFI Dallas Star Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cinema.

Just a few weeks ago, I also attended screenings of two of Bogdanovich's films - which he hosted locally - and was able to pen an informative article on his insightful thoughts on directing, industry professionals he's worked with, and other delightful musings on life.

Post: o1/24/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/01/peter-bogdanovichcher-pain-in-says-mask.html

The presentation will be made during a special Texas Day celebration of film that will honor the rich history of movies in the Lone Star State.

The legendary director will be presented with the award by Texas Governor Rick Perry.

I'll be front-row-and-center at the ceremony applauding the film genius wholeheartedly.

I also managed to have a word or two with James Toback a couple of months ago about much-anticipated documentary "TYSON".

On that occasion, he amused the rapt audience with a lot of scuttlebutt about Tyson, the making of the documentary, and his thoughts on the man.

Post: 07/28/2008

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/07/natassia-kinskiattends-screening-of.html

AFI Dallas will also be hosting a screening of TYSON on Thursday, April 2 (2009) at AMC NorthPark 15, which I plan to attend.


Tobak will be on hand in at a Q & A afterwards.

Thereafter, there will undoubtedly be a post and/or review of "Tyson", so stay in touch with this site.

This year, there will be a special tribute to the films shot in Texas.

And, it's going to be a big "to do".

"AFI DALLAS is proud to join forces with AT&T and Governor Rick Perry to throw the spotlight on the many film classics that were filmed in this state and the many wonderful film artists who call Texas home," an AFI spokesperson noted for the record.

For example, "The Last Picture Show" (which the festival organizers feel is a quintessential Texas Film) will be screened at the Texas Film Day Celebration at the tail end of the AFI Dallas event.

The Texas Day Film celebration is basically a capstone to the 2009 Festival, which will essentially promote and bring awareness to filmmaking in the great state of Texas.

The high-profile event kicks off with a lluncheon and panel discussion at the AFI DALLAS Festival Lounge in Victory Park and will be sponsored by Women in Film Dallas and the Dallas Producers Association.

Governor Rick Perry and other VIPs will put in much-ballyhooed appearances later at a cocktail reception AFI DALLAS at The House in Victory Park sponsored by the Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Studios at Las Colinas and the Texas Association of Film Commissions.

The paparazzi will probably turn out in droves for the red carpet arrivals at AT&T Plaza.

After Governor Perry makes a formal declaration about Texas Film Day, he'll summarily present the AFI DALLAS Star Award to Peter Bogdanovich in recognition of his extraordinary
contributions to modern cinema.

A screening of "Great Texas Moments in Film" on super-sized-screens in AT&T Plaza crown the ceremony.

The evening will be topped off with a star-studded gala and celebration Neiman Marcus.

All Texas Day events at Victory Plaza will be free and open to the public to participate and enjoy.
Whew, I'm going to be in a real tizzy, if I don't get organized tonight!

Later!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Rian Johnson..."Brothers Bloom" director top dog at AFI Dallas. Hosted fest at West Hollywood's New Bev Cinema...

Rian Johnson's "Brothers Bloom" (Adrien Brody) will screen at the opening night gala at AFI Dallas at the end of March.

Even still, the multi-faceted director treated locals to a sneak preview of the much-anticipated feature at the New Beverly Cinema about a week ago when he hosted a week-long festival of films which were billed as "Rian Johnson's Festival of Fakery".

The films focused on edge-of-your-seat tales of frauds, fakers, charlatans, hoaxters, huxters and - what the perky director deliciously referred to as - "unsavory sorts."

As the Q & A started up, Johnson entertained filmgoers with an amusing round of card tricks.

However, it was not until the first film - "The Lady Eve" - sprang to life on the silver screen that the sleight of hand tricks made any sense in respect to the festival of films.

In "The Lady Eve" (a fast-paced sophisticated comedy directed by Preston Sturgess) a couple of card sharks try to fleece a young heir (Henry Fonda).

Barbara Stanwyck, who gets top billing in the delightful studio offering, is in top form - glamorous, witty, and fascinating to watch.

Fonda is a real hoot, too.

In this fun poke at the idle rich fiasco, he plays a unwitting foil prone to get tangled up in hilarious pratfalls and slapstick schtick.

At times, I - for one - was simply amazed at young Fonda's comedic timing and charismatic screen presence.

Fonda, at the height of his male beauty, is a must-see in this entertaining farce!

And, Director Preston Sturgess's deft light touch - evident throughout - is a joy to watch.

According to Johnson, Preston's mother was a devil-may-care bohemian, who gave her son free reign to explore his creative side.

The talented gadfly started out as an actor on Broadway and then segued into directing at a time when the studio system was churning out an eclectic bill of faire in the heyday of Hollywood.

To break in as a director, it is alleged that Sturgess actually paid $1 to direct his first feature, The Great McGinty. Other memorable features followed.

Mr. Johnson, himself, is a fascinating character.

Not only is he keenly interested in the craft of directing, but the history of the cinema as well.

The last evening of the festival, for instance, the likable auteur shared a couple of rare short films created for the silver screen by one of the pioneers of the medium, George Méliès.

"Four Troublesome Heads" - a wonder - was well-received by a handful of director wanna-bees underfoot, in particular.

"Heads " marked Méliès’ most sophisticated bag of special-effects tricks.

Quite by accident, the zany director figured out how to facilitate rapid appearances, disappearances and transformations of objects on film.

Méliès was also touted for being the father of the "fade out".

That eureka moment occurred out-of-the-blue one day when the iris was being turned down (as usual) to prevent a build up of moisture on the lens and the naturally inquisitive artiste noticed it created a unique fade effect.

Méliès experimented with the technique, from which other novel ideas flowed, thereafter.

In fact, a myriad of techniques Méliès facilitated on celluloid still takes the breath of filmgoers away to this very day.

In "The Magician" (Le Magicien, 1898) Méliès used a combination of jump-cuts and cunningly-designed props (including a fake tripod stand that wasn’t as see-through as it appeared) to create the impression of a disembodied living bust.

In that scenario, the audience gets the impression they actually spy Méliès remove his own head and place it on a table, where it continues to talk as though nothing has happened.

But, Méliès - and his remarkable creations - were nearly lost to obscurity.

A handful of early films were sold for the silver content during economic hard times.

In fact, at one point, Méliès was forced to abandon his flirtations with film and take refuge in squalid conditions in a kiosk on the streets of Paris.

Fortunately, as Johnson duly noted in his presentation at the New Beverly Cinema, the filmmaker's creations were rediscovered in his twilight years, and consequently, preserved by Historians for generations down-the-line to savor forever more.

Johnson also gave a brief dissertation on the 16th & 17th Century practice of collecting rare and unusual objects.

In what was labelled as a "Cabinet of Wonders", blue bloods and royals often displayed intriguing collections which may have consisted of monkey skulls, one-of-a-kind gemstones, and oddities of nature.

The entertaining showman urged members of the audience to plan a day trip to the one-of-a-kind "Museum of Jurassic Technology" in Los Angeles.

"If you like the unusual objects like a figure of the Pope crafted out of a strand of hair, then you'll be intrigued by the artifacts on display there."

All told, it was a captivating night at the New Bev.

Try to catch the next one, eh?

http://www.julianayrs.com