Four extraordinary film directors —Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston and Billy Wilder — received a stamping ovation today with the issuance of the Great Film Directors First-Class Forever stamps. The dedication took place at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center where some of their works were showcased. Available nationwide today, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-800-782-6724) or by visiting Post Offices.

“With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Corporate Communications in dedicating the stamps. “Movies offer a window into our history and heritage and tell the story of America. Similar to movies, stamps honor our past and celebrate our achievements while encouraging us to learn more about the people, places, and ideas that shape the American experience.”

Joining Pulcrano in dedicating the stamps were Jean Picker Firstenberg, American Film Institute president emerita and Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee chair; Dr. Bernie Cook, associate dean and director of media studies, Georgetown University; Ray Barry, director, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; Silver Spring Postmaster Tony Thompson; and, Arch Campbell, ABC television arts and entertainment critic who emceed the event.

“The American Film Institute’s mission is to preserve and showcase the cinematic treasures created by these and other directors and it is our hope that these Forever stamps will encourage Americans to see their classic movies that gave us a mirror on our country’s character and values,” said Firstenberg.

Following the ceremony, AFI Silver Theatre provided the audience with a screening of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment.

The four filmmakers received multiple Academy Award nominations, 15 Oscars, and numerous other honors during their lifetimes. But their greatest accomplishment lies in the vitality and artistry of the stories they told through film. Over a period of approximately 40 years, the quintessentially American filmmakers­ captured multiple contradictions, tensions, dark and light sides in deeply personal interpretations that conveyed the American experience as never before.

The stamp art combines a portrait of each director with a scene from one of his most iconic works. The background art for the stamp honoring Frank Capra shows a scene from It Happened One Night, a comedy in which a runaway heiress (played by Claudette Colbert) and a reporter (Clark Gable) compare their hitchhiking skills.

For the John Ford stamp, the background recalls a scene from The Searchers, an influential Western starring John Wayne and making Ford’s characteristic use of the American landscape.

The Maltese Falcon inspired the background art for the John Huston stamp. In this classic mystery, gumshoe Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) goes up against various unscrupulous characters (among them Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet).

For Billy Wilder, the stamp background artwork was inspired by Some Like It Hot, a farce about two male musicians (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) who seek refuge from gangsters by posing as members of an all-girl band featuring luscious singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe).

Art Director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, designed these stamps using art by award-winning illustrator Gary Kelley of Cedar Falls, IA, who created the images using pastels on paper.

You can view the Great Film Directors Forever stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps , through Twitter @USPSstamps  or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview - the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects.

Director Richard Lester (SUPERMAN II, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT) has been presented with the BFI’s highest accolade, the BFI Fellowship, following a screening of one of his best-loved films, Robin and Marian at BFI Southbank. The award was presented by BFI Chair, Greg Dyke.

Richard Lester said ‘When my career was just beginning, the elegant TV critic Bernard Levin came to see me in rehearsal with Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers. He wrote: ‘he seems an amiable young man who climbed into a lion’s cage and realised he’s forgotten his chair and his whip.’

Some 50 years later, I still haven’t found a whip, but with this extraordinary honour, the BFI has kindly given me a chair.’

Greg Dyke said, ‘Richard Lester has created a unique body of work which has enriched the lives of millions with his brilliantly surreal humour and innovative style. Although born in America he has lived in Britain for 60 years and created some of the most enduring and influential creations of British cinema.’

The BFI Fellowship is awarded by the BFI Board of Governors and it is presented for outstanding achievement in film and television. Previous recipients include Ralph Fiennes, David Cronenberg, Dame Judi Dench, Isabelle Huppert and Martin Scorsese. The full list is a roll call of the leading lights of the world of film and television.

Richard Lester is perhaps best known for his ground-breaking films with the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night (1964) and Help! (1965), which retain a vividly authentic flavour of the 60s zeitgeist. His quirky, surrealist humour is considered a key influence on the Monty Pythons. He is a boldly original filmmaker whose originality and creativity have inspired several generations of filmmakers and actors.

Although born in the USA in 1932, Lester came to England in 1956, having become a television director at the age of 20. He has remained resident in the UK ever since. Key to Lester’s creative output was his working relationship with Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers, seen in the television series A Show Called Fred (ITV, 1956), the eleven-minute short The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959) and the savagely absurdist The Bed-Sitting Room (1969), adapted from the play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.

Richard Lester’s work with Milligan and Sellers brought him to the attention of the Beatles and the films they made together A Hard Day’s Night(1964) and Help! (1965) were both huge international critical and commercial successes and they remain hugely influential. Lester won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965 for The Knack…and How to Get It, which starred Rita Tushingham and Michael Crawford.

Lester’s adaptation of the Sondheim stage musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) boasts Phil Silvers and Buster Keaton in its cast. He worked with many big budget Hollywood productions in the 1970s and 80s including a highly successful series of films based on The Three Musketeers starring Oliver Reed and Richard Chamberlain. Robin and Marian (1976) starring Audrey Hepburn and Sean Connery is a highly rated late work.

Richard Lester has a long association with the BFI. He presented the first John Player lecture in 1968, stepping in when Jean-Luc Godard refused to appear.

We here at WAMG are massive fans of Kevin Smith. Out of all of us, I’m definitely the biggest. Don’t believe me? Here’s the last article I posted on this site – 37 REASONS (in a row) WHY KEVIN SMITH SHOULD PRESENT STUCK LIKE CHUCK. As the title suggests, it is a list of 37 reasons why the new label created by Smodcast Pictures & Phase 4 Films should release my no-budget directorial debut. While caked in self-promotion, the article is fairly light-hearted and actually does offer some insights into the world of indie film. The day after I posted it, I received an email from Phase 4 requesting a screener. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I immediately sent a DVD their way and have been playing the waiting game since.

And with that bit of backstory established, we can move on to the meat of the article…

Tuesday March 20th marked the release of Kevin Smith’s new book TOUGH SH*T: LIFE ADVICE FROM A FAT LAZY SLOB WHO DID GOOD. Unlike his previous books, this one is not simply a collection of essays, blog posts or transcribed podcasts. TOUGH SH*T is a funny, inspiring and heartfelt autobiography from a man who is already known for being an open book. And with great books, come great signings. Smith is currently in the midst of a 6-city book tour that started in Ridgewood, New Jersey and ends in Chicago on March 30th. I caught up with him on Wednesday at his second stop, New York City.

I arrived at the Union Square Barnes & Noble around 4:20 pm; an ironic time for those who know Smith. The book signing was set to begin at 7 pm and the line was to start forming at 5. I waited on the line that was waiting to get in line. It was less than 30 seconds before I was in the middle of an insanely geeky but utterly fascinating conversation between the people in front and behind me. A bulk of our time was spent trying to guess from memory every Academy Award Best Picture Winner from THE ARTIST to WINGS. The game expanded as more people joined in. Yes, the people that show up to a Kevin Smith signing are just as nerdy as you assumed.

Eventually the time came for Kevin to take the stage. He started by saying there was a fine line between entertainer and being entertained, then read a tweet that someone in the room had sent out just moments earlier.

Waiting for @thatkevinsmith To speak at b&n in union square… If this sucks at least I can go visit the cats at Petco next door  – @Snowtreds

Kevin then asked the audience if we wanted to do a straightforward book signing or mostly Q & A. We ended up with roughly 90 minutes of Q & A followed by a signing. I did not know there would be a Q & A, nor did I plan to write this article, so I unfortunately did not take any notes. However, here are some poorly paraphrased highlights I do remember:

• Kevin likes that he doesn’t go the traditional route when making movies & that he doesn’t do what’s usually expected. In other words, he considers himself an “ass man” even when it comes to making movies.
• Gayle King (“you know, Oprah’s best friend”) loves TOUGH SH*T & read a vulgar passage out loud to Kevin when he was at a morning show taping.
• JERSEY GIRL will always have a special place in his heart, even if only because George Carlin loved his role & his experience on the film.
• He doesn’t think his version of Green Hornet would not have translated well on the big screen.
• Kevin likes to bond with his daughter Harley Quinn through the magic of song. More specifically, the song ‘Joseph Smith American Moses’ from THE BOOK OF MORMON. Their favorite part, “Joseph Smith, don’t f*ck the baby”
• He also gave a brief rundown of the entire play while re-enacting a few moments. He basically called it the greatest piece of art man has ever created. And yes, it was awesome enough to warrant two bullet points.
• While drunk on Pink Zinfandel, Kevin got a tattoo of the Mad Hatter because he is “always late.” When showing Scott Mosier afterwards, Scott reminded him that it is actually the White Rabbit who is always late.
• He would love to see a remake of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS but he is not the one to make it. Ironically, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS is one of the Best Picture winners that all of us had trouble remembering during our game. Every time he mentioned the movie, our row started laughing.
• He told a story about the first book signing he was part of at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. It was for John Pierson’s book SPIKE, MIKE, SLACKERS & DYKES. Prior to the signing, Michael Moore was talking about how he thought his career was over after CANADIAN BACON flopped. When Michael Moore was called on stage, the room went wild. Afterwards, Moore told Kevin & John that he thinks he might write a book. He witnessed the rebirth of Michael Moore at that signing.
• Kevin got a bit teary-eyed when talking about his father & telling a great story about a special way he said good night to his parents. He also talked about how he would get pulled out of school most Wednesdays to go to the movies with his dad. He said these stories were in the book so I’ll leave it at that so you can read them yourself.

After being told time was up, Kevin took 2 more questions before launching into the signing. A B&N employee announced that to save time, everyone would get only 1 picture & 1 non-personalized signature on the book cover. Their timesaving techniques were futile though since Kevin loves chatting with his fans. It was hilarious seeing the look of panic on the employee faces when he took over a minute with just one person. The next went up with a cell phone in hand so Kevin could talk with someone they called. Just before it was my turn to walk over, someone told me that he is taking too long and starting with me they want everyone to keep their encounter brief.

Screw that.

I walked over to Kevin, shook his hand, posed for a picture and he signed my book. I was a mess of nerves until I started speaking and a wave of calmness washed over me. I let him know that 6 years ago he gave me some advice that always stuck with me and is probably the single biggest reason why I even attempted to make my first feature film. He raised his hand as if to give me a high-five. I went for it but instead he caught my hand and held it up like a sign of victory. For a man as verbose as Kevin, he didn’t have to say anything. I’m sure it is a sentiment he hears often but he seemed to genuinely appreciate how much he has inspired me. We then talked a bit about the film, reviews, casting and even touched on my festival experience. I had become THAT guy the people running the event feared most. Finally Kevin asked what my flick was called. I told him STUCK LIKE CHUCK. His eyes widened and he responded, “You’re the cat who did STUCK LIKE CHUCK!”

Holy shit. My jaw-dropped. I could barely give him a positive reply. I felt like Jaimie in JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

“He knows my film”

He said that he heard a little about SLC, mostly on Twitter, and he even saw that 37 Reasons article I posted. I was in complete disbelief. We started discussing the new distribution label and he let me in on how the selection process works. Before I left, I gave him a DVD screener along with some SLC promo materials, just in case. I thanked him again and walked away. At least I think I walked away. I may have floated or skipped. To be honest, I don’t really recall any of the trip from the stage to the front of the store.

It is not often that you get the opportunity to personally thank a celebrity for being a major influence on your life. Then again, most celebrities are not like Kevin Smith. And for those of you out there sick of reading my posts about how Kevin Smith has inspired me, TOUGH SH*T.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

LOS ANGELES - The Directors Guild of America today announced that the 65th Annual DGA Awards will take place on Saturday, February 2, 2013 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.

The decision to move the date by one week was made during the process of securing the venue.

The DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as an accurate barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award’s inception in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.

Pictured: Michel Hazanavicius – 2011 DGA winner, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film (The Artist). 2010 DGA Feature Film Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron announced today that he will attempt to reach the world’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, nearly 7 miles (11.2 km) beneath the ocean’s surface, in the coming weeks. Cameron’s dive in his specially designed submersible marks the launch of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.

Cameron’s historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be the first extensive scientific exploration by a manned vehicle to the Mariana Trench’s lowest point, the “Challenger Deep.” Cameron plans to spend six hours at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean trench, some 200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam, to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.

Relying on advanced engineering and technologies created by Cameron and his team, successful field tests were completed this week off the coast of Papua New Guinea. They included untethered deep-water dives — including one to a depth of more than 5 miles (more than 8 km) — in the revolutionary, single-pilot DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, the result of an eight-year engineering effort and the deepest-diving manned marine vehicle in existence.

The public will be able to follow Cameron’s progress on the expedition at www.DEEPSEACHALLENGE.com; on Twitter by following @DeepChallenge or using #deepseachallenge; or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/deepseachallenge.

“The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration,” Cameron said. “National Geographic, which has been exploring the world for nearly 125 years, is the ideal partner to help usher in a new era of deep-ocean research and exploration that supports leading scientific institutions in answering questions about the deepest, unexplored parts of the Earth. Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It’s also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce.”

Cameron added, “Rolex is also a natural partner in this venture — unique in having reached the Challenger Deep 52 years ago and in its celebrated, century-long history of supporting exploration and helping push the boundaries of human and scientific endeavor.”

The Challenger Deep has only been reached once in a manned descent, on Jan. 23, 1960, by U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe Trieste. They spent approximately 20 minutes on the ocean floor before returning to the surface. Now, 52 years later, Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER represents breakthroughs in materials science, unique approaches to structural engineering and new ways of imaging through an ultra-small, full ocean depth-rated stereoscopic camera. Cameron’s CAMERON | PACE Group, which supplies 3-D technologies and production support services, has provided the capability to document the historic expedition in high-resolution 3-D.

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible begins its first 2.5-mile (4-km) test dive off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The sub is the centerpiece of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research.

“Some believe the golden age of exploration is behind us. On the contrary, I believe we are at the beginning of our greatest age of exploration,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs. “We salute James Cameron for his commitment to science and exploration, and we are delighted to be part of this groundbreaking adventure to the deepest and least explored point on Earth.”

In 1960, an experimental Rolex Deepsea Special watch was attached to the hull of the Trieste and emerged in perfect working order after withstanding the huge pressure exerted at 6.78 miles (nearly 11 km) below the surface. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible will carry a new experimental wristwatch, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, strapped to its manipulator arm, renewing the pioneering engineering challenge the Swiss watchmaker took up 52 years ago with the Trieste.

“Our affinity with the deep also extends to active and sustained support of renowned marine researchers, supporting excellence and innovation in the advancement of human knowledge,” said Gian Riccardo Marini, Chief Executive Officer of Rolex SA. “I am convinced that James Cameron is bringing us to the threshold of a long-delayed revival in marine exploration. We are proud to have such a passionate and longstanding admirer of Rolex, and to return to the Challenger Deep on this historic venture to help unravel the secrets of the ocean’s deepest places.”

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron talks with his crew in front of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER following testing of the submersible in Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, Australia. In the coming weeks the vessel will travel to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and is the centerpiece of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research.

Cameron was named a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence in 2011. While working on his film “Titanic,” he took 12 submersible dives to the famed shipwreck two and a half miles down in the North Atlantic. The technical success of that expedition led Cameron to form Earthship Productions, which develops films about ocean exploration and conservation. Since then he has led six expeditions, authored a forensic study of the Bismarck wreck site and done extensive 3-D imaging of deep hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the East Pacific Rise and the Sea of Cortez. Cameron has made 72 deep submersible dives, including 33 to Titanic. Fifty-one of these dives were in Russian Mir submersibles to depths of up to 3.03 miles (4.87 km).

Cameron has written and directed numerous films, among them “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “True Lies,” “Terminator 1 and 2,” “The Abyss” and “Aliens.” His films have blazed new trails in visual effects and have set numerous performance records, both domestically and abroad, including 11 Oscars for “Titanic.” “Avatar,” a 3-D science fiction epic reflecting five years of development of new production technologies, was nominated for nine Oscars and won three. “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film in history, surpassing the previous record holder, “Titanic.”

The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be chronicled for a 3-D feature film for theatrical release on the intensive technological and scientific efforts behind this historic dive, which will subsequently be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel, and documented for National Geographic magazine. Cameron also will collaborate with National Geographic to create broad-based educational outreach materials.

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic Crews continue in-water testing in Australia of DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, the submersible that explorer and filmmaker James Cameron will pilot to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The vessel is the centerpiece of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, is the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Project’s primary science collaborator. For nearly a decade, Scripps has been involved with James Cameron in developing new ways to explore and study the deepest parts of the oceans. With its decades-long history of deep-sea exploration, Scripps is recognized as a world leader in investigating the science of the deep ocean, from exploring the deep’s geological features to researching its exotic marine life inhabitants.

The expedition also is collaborating with the University of Hawai’i, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Guam. Additional funding for education and digital outreach has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports original research and public understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Scientific research permits for the dive have been secured from authorities in the Federated States of Micronesia.

NOTE:  In February, two members of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE team, world-renowned filmmakers and explorers Andrew Wight and Mike deGruy, were killed in a helicopter crash in Australia (Link to NatGeo News Watch story). The team will honor their memory by moving forward with the expedition as a tribute to them and their contributions to the project.

Photo by Brook Rushton Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron inside the pressure sphere simulator at Acheron Project offices in Sydney, Australia. The actual sphere where Cameron will sit aboard the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER during his descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench has an interior diameter of 43 inches and provides life support, communications and control of the submersible. The vessel is the centerpiece of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research.

In 2005 I waited over 5 hours on line in Red Bank, NJ to meet Kevin Smith. Not only did he sign my merch but he also spent a good 30 seconds trying to carefully remove a price sticker from my DVD slipcover. It amazed me that he cared about something so insignificant but it also perfectly illustrated just how much he cares about his fans. This actually calmed my nerves enough to work up the courage to ask Kevin for advice. He offered up a nugget of wisdom that changed my life forever.

“Write about stuff that matters to you because it always winds up mattering to someone else. And write cheap.”

Those words have been firmly planted in the back of my head ever since. A few years later I began working on my first feature, a no-budget rom-com about college life called STUCK LIKE CHUCK. It played a few festivals, won some awards and received some rave reviews but never saw an official release. When Phase 4 Films & SModcast Pictures announced the creation of a “Kevin Smith Presents…” distribution label, I knew this was the opportunity I have been waiting for. I submitted SLC the day I read the announcement but with thousands of submissions to sift through, it couldn’t hurt to stand out. So without further ado, I give you the official trailer for STUCK LIKE CHUCK, followed by 37 reasons why Kevin Smith & Phase 4 should release it!

1. Simply put, SLC wouldn’t exist without Kevin Smith. That is not to say that I wouldn’t still be making movies but my first effort probably would have been much different.

2. While heavily influenced by Kevin Smith, SLC is not some second-rate CLERKS. ripoff. It is also not a film just for fans of Kevin Smith. It stands on its own.

3. That being said, there are enough View Askew references in the film to make a drinking game out of it.

4. $2,500. That was our total production cost and we proudly wear that budget on our sleeve. In a world of million-dollar “indies” we truly are the underdog.

5. I hope to inspire people to get off their ass and make a movie much like Kevin Smith has done for me. This would be a pretty damn good way to start.

6. My favorite part of screening SLC is the Q & A that follows. I am not quite the public speaker that Kevin is but I did get an A in Basic Speech Communications in college.

7. B-movie icon Lloyd Kaufman called SLC “The best two person conversation since Louis Malle’s MY DINNER WITH ANDRE.” This is probably because he has a hilarious cameo in the film but it just may be that this film is actually a modern masterpiece.

8. Speaking of cameos, I cannot officially confirm that Chris Elliott has a brilliant surprise cameo as the world’s worst film professor but why would I even bring it up if it wasn’t true?

9. SLC premiered at the 2009 SINY Film Festival & took home Audience Choice Comedy. Later that year, SLC inspired the creation of the Indie Spirit Award at the Orlando Film Festival. In 2010, the award was renamed the Jerry Cavallaro Indie Spirit Award.

10. I am an open book. I’m willing to reveal anything about myself, especially if it is informative or at least makes for a funny anecdote. My two specialties are stories about how to fail in the industry and how my own insecurity sabotages every chance I get of having sex.

11. Related to #10, I am in fact a virgin and this could possibly get me laid. But probably not.

12. Extremely rare for an indie film with such a low budget, SLC features 3 lead actors who can actually act. Our very own Jocelyn DeBoer has even gone on to become a rising star at UCB & CollegeHumor.

13. Similarly, we have a pretty damn good soundtrack featuring bands like Army of Freshman, Alex Goot, Sail By The Stars and the comedy stylings of Stuckey & Murray. All of the music is cleared & used with full permission of the owners.

14. Close to 8 hours of bonus material already exist for the film including 33 minutes of deleted scenes, a Christmas special & a very unique behind the scenes doc that actually runs longer than the film.

15. In addition to our badass trailer above, a series of promo videos also exist including this infomercial-style teaser:

16. I’m 23 years old. The same age Kevin Smith broke onto the scene with CLERKS. Coincidence?

17. While the film’s target audience is the 18-35 demographic, the film has done surprisingly well with older crowds. After one particularly strange screening, an elderly woman told me the film was reminiscent of when her husband was “courting” her. In case you were wondering, it never gets less weird watching old people laugh at blowjob jokes.

18. The flick is gender neutral. It has traditional rom-com elements but also a lot of raunchy & geeky humor, which makes for a perfect date movie. I like to refer to it as a chick flick for guys.

19. I am a press whore with a degree in shameless self-promotion and no discernible social life.

20. As much as I love press, the press seems to love SLC a little more. Sites like Latino Review, Hollywood.com, Twitch, Cinematical, FilmSnobbery, Movie Cynics & more have all praised the film

21. SLC nametag stickers & “jackoff sock” door hangers are a huge hit at film festivals and colleges. I also have a custom nametag costume to wear outside of screenings. EVERYONE loves taking pictures with a guy in a dumb costume

22. Unlike most indie comedies, this one is actually funny. No pretentiousness or self-indulgence. The goal is for the audience just to have fun with it.

23. Admit it; STUCK LIKE CHUCK is a damn catchy title.

24. Bobby Bless of MovieCynics.com said, “The film manages to outshine any romantic comedy you’ll see in theaters.” So let’s take it to theaters!

25. I’ve been working the same part time job for over 7 years and this would be a great reason to finally quit.

26. A black and white version exists (and looks pretty damn good) if they decide to push the CLERKS. connection.

27. I had lunch with Bob Hawk once and he said I reminded him of Kevin Smith. He probably doesn’t even remember me but I will never forget that comment.

28. All the money for SLC came out of my own pocket so there are no producers to deal with. I own all the rights.

29. I never expected to make much money on this film. I just want people to see it & this is probably the best chance it has to connect with the right audience.

30. I designed all of the novelty shirts Charlie & Rob wear in the film, which means they can be recreated and sold to adoring fans. Merchandising!

31. Speaking of fans, I have nearly 4,000 loyal Twitter followers and at least 10 of them are not porn spam bots.

32. I finished third at the Netflix Movie Watching World Championship by watching movies for 68 hours 21 minutes 31 seconds straight while in a glass house set up in Times Square. We each got to contribute a movie to the list and my pick was CLERKS.

33. A movie that uses Tina Fey as a metaphor for love & features lines such as “She definitely wants some Charlie inside her brown” deserves to be seen.

34. While the film plays perfectly fine to an audience of one, it is best experienced with a large fun-loving crowd. I’ve always been a proponent of audience interaction. At my favorite screening so far, the audience joked around, yelled at the screen and even sang along to the catchy yet insanely raunchy musical number during the end credits.

35. I’ve been working my whole life for an opportunity like this and you can be damn sure that I will not mess it up.

36. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love JERSEY GIRL. Director’s Cut Blu-Ray please. Yes this is filler but give me a break; how could I end this on 36?

37. Because I’m a filmmaker who still fucks his art in a Denny’s bathroom.

Well there you have it. 37-ish solid reasons why Phase 4 & SModcast Pictures should distribute STUCK LIKE CHUCK. As you can tell from this list, Kevin Smith sort of already presents the film so why not make it official?

Please hit the share buttons below and send this post all over the web. Let’s see if we can get this in front of the right people or even Kevin himself. I promise to keep you all updated every step of the way. And for everyone still reading, thank you greatly for checking out what can only be classified as the most shameless display of self-promotion to ever grace this website. It truly does mean the world to me!

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck -  www.JerryCavallaro.com

Lionsgate and Tyler Perry have announced the commencement of production of MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION. The film marks the prolific filmmaker and multi-media tycoon’s 14^th feature film production with Lionsgate in seven years. The announcement was made by Perry with Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairs of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group.

Comic legend Eugene Levy (the AMERICAN PIE franchise, BEST IN SHOW) stars in the film as George, a high level CFO at the center of a Ponzi scheme in New York City who is enrolled in the Witness Protection program along with his family in the one place that absolutely no one will think to look for them: Madea’s house down South.  Perry wrote the script, is directing and producing the film, and will reprise three of his best loved roles – as tough talking grandma Madea, as Madea’s indelicate cousin Joe, and as plain-spoken attorney Brian, who places the family with Madea, resulting in the hilarious scenario that unfolds under her roof.

Rounding out the cast are Emmy®-winning actress Doris Roberts as George’s mother, Tom Arnold as his business associate Walter, Denise Richards as his younger wife Kate, and Danielle Campbell and Devan Leos as the family’s youngsters – for whom Madea has plenty of valuable lessons lined up. Actor and rapper Romeo also has a role in the film, playing Jake, a friend of Brian who was affected by the scam. John Amos plays Jake’s father in the film, and Marla Gibbs appears as Madea’s neighbor.

The film began principal photography on Monday, January 30^th in Atlanta,Georgia, at the filmmaker’s own 200,000 square foot studio compound, Tyler Perry Studios. Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Development and Production, will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. Ozzie Areu, President of Tyler Perry Studios, and Paul E. Hall are producing the film alongside Perry.

“This is the ultimate fish out of water story, and I believe the funniest Madea story yet,” said Paseornek. “We loved the witness protection concept from the second we heard it, but whenTylercast comedy icon Eugene Levy and put him under the same roof with Madea and Uncle Joe, he took this movie to a whole new level.”

When asked for her feedback on the project, Madea herself added,”Auh hell, now they want me to work with these white folks. Next thing you know they will be asking me to go on Dancing With The Stars. I need to talk to my agent.”

The film is being produced under Perry’s ongoing first look partnership with Lionsgate. Perry’s theatrical releases for Lionsgate have grossed more than $572 million at the North American box office alone, and his films, stage plays and DVDs are all distributed by the company. GOOD DEEDS, starring Perry with Thandie Newton, will be released by Lionsgate this February 24^th, with THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR in theaters on July 27^th, 2012.

Perry also produces two hit television shows, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” and its spinoff, “Meet The Browns,” which are distributed by Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury and continue to establish new standards of distribution and syndication success.  His third television show, “For Better or Worse” debuted on TBS in November.

With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate now has the two leading young adult franchises – the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and the HUNGER GAMES franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23.  Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.

About Tyler Perry

Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Perry’s strength, faith and perseverance would later form the foundations of his plays, films, books and shows. A simple piece of advice from Oprah set his career in motion as a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences led to his writing of a musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed, in 1992. Five years later with no money left, sleeping in seedy motels and his car, Perry’s faith in himself and God only got stronger, allowing him to forge ahead. In 1998, his perseverance paid off when the play began a limited church run.

The community came out in droves and Perry never looked back as he began an incredible run of eight plays in eight years. Madea first debuted in 2000’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself and spawned three more plays leading to Perry’s jump to the big screen with 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which debuted at #1 nationwide. He followed with Madea’s Family Reunion, Daddy’s Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, Meet the Browns, The Family That Preys, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Why Did I Get Married Too?, and For Colored Girls, which were all met with massive fan support and commercial success. Madea’s Big Happy Family, which was first a stage play, opened at over $25 million this past April.  In 2006, Perry’s first book, Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries On Life and Love, shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and claimed two Quill Book Awards.

In 2007, Perry expanded his brand to television with the series House of Payne, the highest-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time and followed that up with Meet the Browns, the second highest debut ever on cable, after House of Payne.  In November, Perry unveiled his newest television series on TBS, “For Better or Worse,” based on the characters from the popular “Why Did I Get Married” films.

He can next be seen in the lead role in Good Deeds, and played the title character in the Rob Cohen film I, Alex Cross.  Perry recently directed the upcoming Lionsgate drama based on his stage play of the same name, The Marriage Counselor.

Perry is represented by WME and attorney Matt Johnson from Ziffren Brittenham.  Levy is represented by Anonymous Content and ICM.  Talent deals for the film were negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Robert Melnik, EVP of Business and Legal Affairs.

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2011, and the recipients of the Guild’s 2012 Career Achievement Awards were announced tonight during the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Michel Hazanavicius won the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for THE ARTIST. Being his first DGA Feature Film Award nomination, Hazanavicius bested veteran directors Martin Scorsese – HUGO, David Fincher – THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Alexander Payne – THE DESCENDANTS, and Woody Allen – MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

James Marsh won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Documentary for PROJECT NIM. This was Mr. Marsh’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for MAN ON WIRE in 2008.

Following the welcome by DGA President Taylor Hackford to an audience of more than 1,600 guests, director/producer/actor Kelsey Grammer hosted the ceremony.

Presenters included (in alphabetical order): DGA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Apted; Berenice Bejo (The Artist); George Clooney (The Descendants); Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men); Laura Dern (Enlightened); Jean Dujardin (The Artist); DGA President Taylor Hackford; 2010 DGA Feature Film Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech); Stana Katic (Castle); Ben Kingsley (Hugo); Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy); Kathleen Robertson (Boss); Octavia Spencer (The Help); DGA Third Vice President Betty Thomas; Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn); and Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood).

The DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award’s inception in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.

The six exceptions are as follows:

• 1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!
• 1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA’s nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
• 1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
• 1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
• 2000: Ang Lee won the DGA Award for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Traffic.2002: Rob Marshall won the DGA Award for Chicago while Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for The Pianist.

Last weekend YOUNG ADULT opened on 8 screens with a solid $40k per screen average and it expands to wide release tomorrow. I recently attended a press junket for the film written by Diablo Cody & directed by Jason Reitman. Below are the highlights from the press conference with director Jason Reitman.

JASON REITMAN on Charlize Theron:  I was only going to make this movie if I could make it with Charlize. I had read the script and I thought it was phenomenal, but I knew how tricky this character was and I knew how easily it would be to misinterpret this character.  You know on the page she was written perfectly. She was nuanced and complicated and she wasn’t just some mean girl.  She was a woman with deep wounds that like anybody wanted to be loved and was searching for her place in life who really only knew how to find it by going back to high school to the last moment where things kind of made sense to her, but she was looking for an on road, you know, an on ramp to the highway. And it’s one of those things that in the hands of the wrong actress would just be a mean girl.

JASON REITMAN on Patton Oswalt:  I needed someone who was going to be the accessibility point to this movie and I think this movie works because of Patton Oswald.  I think the audience strangely sees the movie through Patton Oswald.  He says the things that everyone in the audience wants to say and his rare combination of like brilliant comedy, but also his pathos, his ability to go to these really sad places makes the whole thing work.

JASON REITMAN on Movie Night: I loved that Scorsese probably screens these great Italian films for his cast and the only thing I ever sent Charlize was season’s one of The Hills of Laguna Beach. Oh yes. Following in the footsteps of giants. I have a movie night at my house every Sunday night and it really came out of my own embarrassment of the amount of films that I had not seen and I presumed that if there were a lot of films that I had not seen that my friends perhaps had not seen them either. So what I did was every Sunday night I show a classic movie that you’re supposed to have seen that I have not seen and I just invite my friends and say hey here’s a moment for us all to stop being embarrassed and start seeing these films. And it started a couple of years ago and we watch films like and now I’m going to embarrass myself for all of you.  Cool Hand Luke, which I had never seen, Patton I had never seen, Say Anything I had never seen.  I know, that’s always the shocker.

JASON REITMAN on Casting Patton Oswalt:  When I went to do the table read for this film I called on friends at first and Patton is a friend and I said hey would you read this role?   And watching him do it was just so – - he was so perfect and then when he read it with Charlize they had this unbelievable chemistry. It was actually the moment I realized this was a romance was watching the two of them together and a heartbreaking romance.  It’s like a Romeo and Juliet because it’s a romance that cannot be.  But anyhow yeah, that’s, that was the research and that’s how I know Patton.

JASON REITMAN on Diablo Cody: I have the rights to Diablo’s life. In a deal that really benefits me more than her. I always feel and I’m not sure if directors or writers will get more upset at me for saying this, but I feel like they’re all part of the same thing.  I see my job as storytelling and that starts with simply an idea, a feeling I want the audience to have and it travels through writing, directing, shooting, cutting, post, doing this to the whole thing.  And so if I don’t write the script I get to personally skip one part of the process.  And with Diablo, I don’t know, we get along so well and we trust each other so much, there’s never been a question of whether or not she was going to be on set.  So when she could be on set it’s great.  I put her to work, you know.  I say, you know, I need this, I need a line, I need a scene and she does it.  But there’s also enough trust that if she’s not there, she knows I’m not going to screw up her script.  And I’m a writer myself and I strangely feel as a writer on set the job is to be a tailor.  It’s to, you know, and I know Sorkin would be pissed if I said this, but if an actor can’t say the lines, in my opinion it’s not the actor’s fault.  If you put on a pair of clothes that don’t fit, it’s not your fault, it’s the clothes fault.  And the clothes should be tailored and that’s how I feel about dialogue.  If I’m with an actor and they’re struggling with the words, then I tailor the words for the actor.  Very rarely would I say this is the line, you need to say the line.

JASON REITMAN on directing theater:  You know I spent last year in New York making this film from start to finish, including post. And it was a great moment for me ‘cause for the first time in my life I had seen most of the shows that were playing and it was really exciting to be able to get into a conversation and actually know what I was talking about for a very brief nano-second and certainly looking at great plays made me want to try to direct a play.  That said I know nothing about theater so it’s a little presumptuous of me to think I could do it. But yeah, although on the other hand what I love about directing movies is I have the final say, you know. I get to cut the performance and the idea that you just hand off the play to your actors, that seems insane. I mean I would literally be on stage.  Let’s do that again.  You know let’s just hold on audience and it would be a ten hour play of just me all right one more time, all right that was great, continue the scene from there.  That would be like me directing.  It would be a boring play.

JASON REITMAN on Women Behaving badly: Women behaving badly is, excuse me, I’m not trying to be rude, I think is just kind off a cheap term and look, I’ve always been interested in making movies about women. They interest me far more than men.  And I’m interested in honesty in filmmaking and I think the darker moments are far more interesting than the cheerful ones.  And I guess that’s my approach and I don’t know why they made Bride’s Maids and I don’t know why they made Bad Teacher.  That’s certainly why I made this movie.

JASON REITMAN on the film’s message: First and foremost I don’t have a message in any of my movies.  You know if I have a message and hopefully there’s a continuity of that in all my films it’s think for yourself and come up with your own opinions and I certainly don’t want to tell you what to think. That is the core theme of Thank You for Smoking and since then hopefully people draw their own conclusions and that’s always been kind of the case. On Juno pro life people thought it was their movie, pro choice thought it was there’s and I’ve certainly got a variance of opinions of where George Clooney goes at the end of Up in the Air and that makes me happy. That lets me know I’m doing my job.  I really just want to – I’d rather inspire the conversation than tell you what to think.  So on this movie I’m certainly not saying this is my message to women.

JASON REITMAN on writing: As far as how we treat her life, I thought it was a fairly true and, you know, I’m speaking to a room of writers, point view on what it’s like to write, which is it’s a really lonely existence, man or woman. Often it feels like a trip to Office Depot, makes me feel as though I accomplished something today. I did something and it’s the only – - and you do it for the pure reason of if I didn’t do this it really would feel like I did nothing, but I had an adventure.  I picked up toner. And being a writer is tricky in that your sense of accomplishment is always so varied. Is it by page count?  Is it by that you wrote something special? Will anyone ever read this? Will anyone ever see this?  And I don’t think that changes no matter how much success you have. Every time I write I feel like this is awful, no one will ever see this or if they do they’ll think it’s, you know, they’ll never hire me again.

JASON REITMAN on parental advice: There were a couple times we’re on set she would say something that was so mean that we just had to cut the line of dialogue. It was just, at that point it wasn’t even interesting anymore, it was just that’s really bitchy. I mean, you can’t, you know, the audience is just going to hate her for no reason and it all of a sudden is actually out of character and dishonest because it’s just so mean. It’s mean for no reason. All of this always goes back to a piece of advice that my father gave me and he literally gave it to me the night before I started shooting Thank You for Smoking. And he said “always remember it’s not your job to be funny. Your barometer for comedy is nowhere as good as your barometer for truth. And the only thing you’re trying to achieve on set is honesty.” You look at a performance, you look at anything the way people interact, the location, the way you’re shooting it, does it feel truthful because you’re not going to be able to tell if it’s funny. Ever once in a while it’s okay that’s hilarious, but you always know when it feels like bullshit or not. Even with people you know when they’re being truthful with you and so it’s the greatest piece of directing advice I’ve ever gotten and it plays, it feeds everything and if I’m ever unsure I can always go back to that and think about what my father told me and say all right does this feel honest. And that plays into is this too mean because if it’s so mean that it feels otherworldly then it’s not right.

JASON REITMAN on music selection:  You know one of the great parts about working with Diablo is that she’s so specific in her writing; the production design, wardrobe, specific as her dialogue seems, the description work is even stronger and the songs are there. And so the only question there is then, you know, do I agree with them or not and I usually agree with them. And on this movie, even though we love the same music and we come from the same era, there’s a few songs that I’m not a huge fan of including the Teenage Fan Club song.  But I knew it was right for the movie so that’s kind of all that mattered. [The song mentioned is The Concept]

JASON REITMAN on tone: I wanted – - to do something that I hadn’t done in my other films.  And I think as a director I try to grow with each film.  I try to do something different to the audience.   In the first movie I just wanted to make people laugh.  Second film, I wanted them to feel romance.  In the third film I wanted them to feel lonely.  And on this one, I wanted people to feel uncomfortable.  I wanted them to look at the screen and be so in the moment that they felt like they were standing there on the lawn watching Charlize break down right in front of them and they don’t know what to say because you feel sorry for her, you’re not sure if you’re part of the cause of this.

JASON REITMAN on audience reactions: I know with my films I don’t want to judge anybody. I don’t want to judge any of the characters. It’s very important to me. If the audience feels as though they know how I – - my judgment of a character that I considered, then I think I failed.  I think my job at the end of the day is to create honesty and truth and real moments that instead of telling you to think, just push you to think about something. And nothing gets me more excited than an audience arguing over what I was trying to say or having a thoughtful conversation about the film rather than walking out. I would be much more disappointed by someone walking out of my film and thinking and now I believe this because that strangely isn’t my job.

And finally, this next quote isn’t an answer to a question but rather Reitman’s response to receiving some praise prior to a question. I wanted to include it because it was so genuine & I really enjoyed seeing this reaction in personal.

JASON REITMAN: Okay. First of all, thank you for saying those really kind things.  That means a lot to me. That’s nice to hear. Sorry, I just, you know, I just did an interview earlier. I was just talking about how I became a director and I just remember a moment where I thought I’ll be lucky if I ever get to direct a commercial and that’s a really cool thing to hear. Thank you for saying that.

Check back tomorrow for highlights from the YA press conference with Diablo Cody, Charlize Theron & Patton Oswalt.

 Jerry Cavallaro – www.JerryCavallaro.com

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced that “Hugo” director Martin Scorsese will receive the Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award at the 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The show will air live for the fifth straight year on VH1 from the Hollywood Palladium on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.

Selected by the BFCA Board of Directors, the Music+Film Award honors a single filmmaker who has touched audiences through cinematic storytelling, and has heightened the impact of films through the brilliant use of source and original music. Beyond his unforgettable use of music in such classic films as “Mean Streets,” “GoodFellas,” “The Departed,” and most recently with “Hugo,” Martin Scorsese has taken his love of music even further by working with iconic artists on documentary/concert films including “The Last Waltz” with The Band, “Shine a Light” with the Rolling Stones, “No Direction Home” with Bob Dylan, and most recently the magical “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.”

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics’ organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics.  BFCA members are the primary source of information for today’s film going public.  The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

“This year’s Critics’ Choice Movie Awards marks another gratifying collaboration with the Broadcast Film Critics Association and our partners at VH1,” states Joey Berlin, BFCA President.  “With a very impressive lineup of films featuring the world’s biggest stars under consideration this year, we look forward to a truly spectacular show highlighted by the presentation of the Music+Film Award to Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.”

Since its inception in 1995, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards has been a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season.  Historically, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, for example, all four of the acting category winners at the Oscars – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo – first accepted their awards in the same categories at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.  In all, 18 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars were first Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominees. Quentin Tarantino received the inaugural Music+Film Award in 2011.

“The Critics Choice Movie Awards has grown into one of Hollywood’s biggest nights, often foretelling who will go on to win an Academy Award,” said Tom Calderone, President, VH1.  “We are proud to partner again with Joey Berlin and the entire BFCA to bring VH1 viewers an exclusive A-list experience that’s genuinely entertaining and high-energy as well.  We can’t wait to roll out our red carpet!”

The 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, honoring the finest in cinematic achievement among 2011 film releases, will announce its nominees on Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Nominating ballots went out to BFCA members on December 5, 2011 with a deadline for returning them on December 11, 2011. Once the nominees are selected, final ballots will be sent to BFCA members on January 8, 2012 with a deadline for returning final ballots on January 10, 2012.

For more information about the show visit CriticsChoice.VH1.com, “Like” VH1 on Facebook, and follow @VH1 on Twitter and use the hashtag #CCMA to talk about the awards!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of interviewing actor Brian O’Halloran. He is best known for playing the character of Dante in Kevin Smith’s CLERKS & CLERKS 2. He also recently appeared in BRUTAL MASSACRE and the upcoming CALENDAR GIRL. He was at the New York Comic Con this weekend signing autographs and agreed to an impromptu interview. We talked about the convention, theater, horror films and more. He even offered some great advice for indie filmmakers. After he interview, I ended up hanging around the booth another 15 minutes talking with him and some other fans who stopped by. Check out the full interview below!

Jerry Cavallaro – www.JerryCavallaro.com

Film Based on Nicholas Sparks Best-Selling Novel

(Beverly Hills, CA) June 16, 2011 – Relativity Media has closed a deal with Oscar® and DGA-nominee Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John) to direct their upcoming film SAFE HAVEN, based on the latest novel from best-selling author Nicholas Sparks, announced Relativity’s President of Worldwide Production Tucker Tooley. The film is scheduled to head into production this year.

Sparks’ previous books have been made into such hit films as The Notebook, The Last Song, Nights in Rodanthe and Dear John. His latest, Safe Haven, is a gripping love story infused with suspense and discovery. When a young woman escaping her past moves to a small North Carolina town, and falls for a loving widowed father, he heals her heart, and helps her escape the danger that threatens her.

“Lasse is an incredibly gifted director,” says Tooley. “He was the obvious choice to bring Safe Haven to life, as he showed incredible talent and affinity for Nicholas’ material on Dear John.” He added, “Relativity, Nicholas, Marty and Wyck are all thrilled to be working with him again.”

Alongside Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and author Nicholas Sparks, the film is being produced by Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.  Relativity’s Tooley will serve as executive producer. The screenplay is written by Dana Stevens (City Of Angels).

Hallström is repped by UTA.

On Sunday, Peter Jackson revealed to everyone on his official Facebook page that, “My first video post from the set of THE HOBBIT will be landing here soon!” Today the director posted the following explanation on how the film is being shot and promised said video very soon.

Time for an update. Actually, we’ve been intending to kick off with a video, which is almost done, so look out for that in the next day or two. In the meantime, I thought I’d address the news that has been reported about us shooting THE HOBBIT at 48 frames per second, and explain to you what my thoughts are about this.

We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps (films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920′s). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok–and we’ve all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years–but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or “strobe.”

Shooting and projecting at 48 fps does a lot to get rid of these issues. It looks much more lifelike, and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D. We’ve been watching HOBBIT tests and dailies at 48 fps now for several months, and we often sit through two hours worth of footage without getting any eye strain from the 3-D. It looks great, and we’ve actually become used to it now, to the point that other film experiences look a little primitive. I saw a new movie in the cinema on Sunday and I kept getting distracted by the juddery panning and blurring. We’re getting spoilt!

“Here’s me at our 3D video set up on the set.”

Originally, 24 fps was chosen based on the technical requirements of the early sound era. I suspect it was the minimum speed required to get some audio fidelity out of the first optical sound tracks. They would have settled on the minimum speed because of the cost of the film stock. 35mm film is expensive, and the cost per foot (to buy the negative stock, develop it and print it), has been a fairly significant part of any film budget.

So we have lived with 24 fps for 9 decades–not because it’s the best film speed (it’s not by any stretch), but because it was the cheapest speed to achieve basic acceptable results back in 1927 or whenever it was adopted.

None of this thinking is new. Doug Trumbull developed and promoted a 60 frames per second process called ShowScan about 30 years ago and that looked great. Unfortunately it was never adopted past theme park use. I imagine the sheer expense of burning through expensive film stock at the higher speed (you are charged per foot of film, which is about 18 frames), and the projection difficulties in cinemas, made it tough to use for “normal” films, despite looking amazing. Actually, if anybody has been on the Star Tours ride at Disneyland, you’ve experienced the life like quality of 60 frames per second. Our new King Kong attraction at Universal Studios also uses 60 fps.

Now that the world’s cinemas are moving towards digital projection, and many films are being shot with digital cameras, increasing the frame rate becomes much easier. Most of the new digital projectors are capable of projecting at 48 fps, with only the digital servers needing some firmware upgrades. We tested both 48 fps and 60 fps. The difference between those speeds is almost impossible to detect, but the increase in quality over 24 fps is significant.

Film purists will criticize the lack of blur and strobing artifacts, but all of our crew–many of whom are film purists–are now converts. You get used to this new look very quickly and it becomes a much more lifelike and comfortable viewing experience. It’s similar to the moment when vinyl records were supplanted by digital CDs. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re heading towards movies being shot and projected at higher frame rates.

Warner Bros. have been very supportive, and allowed us to start shooting THE HOBBIT at 48 fps, despite there never having been a wide release feature film filmed at this higher frame rate. We are hopeful that there will be enough theaters capable of projecting 48 fps by the time The Hobbit comes out where we can seriously explore that possibility with Warner Bros. However, while it’s predicted that there may be over 10,000 screens capable of projecting THE HOBBIT at 48 fps by our release date in Dec, 2012, we don’t yet know what the reality will be. It is a situation we will all be monitoring carefully. I see it as a way of future-proofing THE HOBBIT. Take it from me–if we do release in 48 fps, those are the cinemas you should watch the movie in. It will look terrific!

Time to jump in the car and drive to Bag End for the day. Video coming soon!

THE HOBBIT films are co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM. The two films are planned for release in late 2012 and 2013, respectively.

“The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Check out THE HOBBIT’s Facebook page HERE, Peter Jackson’s Facebook page HERE and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Official Facebook Page HERE. Visit the official HOBBIT blog HERE.

Legendary director Roger Corman will be in St. Louis to kick of the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival here in St. Louis !!! Mr.Corman has committed to being here to help St. Louis celebrate the 100th birthday of the most famous movie star to hail from our city. Roger Corman directed Vincent Price in eight classic films between 1960 and 1964, most of them based on the writings of Edgar Allen Poe: HOUSE OF USHER, TALES OF TERROR, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, TOWER OF LONDON, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, TOMB OF LIGEIA, THE HAUNTED PALACE, and THE RAVEN. The Hi-Pointe Theater will reserve its single massive (seats 400) screen to host the first three days of the film festival (which will be spread out over 8 evenings) and we will present two separate evenings with Roger Corman, Saturday May 21st and Sunday May 22nd. Mr. Corman’s appearances are firm but other details are still a bit fluid. We asked him which of his Price collaborations he would like us to show and he picked MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH so that will definitely be the choice for Sunday evening. Right now the pick for Saturday’s program could change but TOMB OF LIGEIA looks like the pick. Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog Magazine and author of the book Mario Bava, All the Colors of the Dark will be in St. Louis to moderate both evenings of questions and answers with Mr. Corman
Cinema St. Louis is throwing Vincentennial which, in addition to being a very comprehensive film festival, will also include two exhibits; One of Vincent Price artifacts, memorabilia, and collectibles at the Sheldon Arts Center and the other of Vincent Price artwork at the gallery at Star Clipper Comics on the Loop. There will also be a stage production of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES presented by The Magic Smoking Monkey Theater group to tie into the event and much more! All the details for Vincentennial can be found right here at We Are Movie Geeks.com, Cinema St. Louis website (HERE) and the Vincentennial facebook page (HERE)

Press Release From 20th Century Fox:

Twentieth Century Fox announced today that Ridley Scott will direct Prometheus, an original science fiction epic, for worldwide release on March 9, 2012. The initial draft of the script was written by Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) from Scott’s idea. Damon Lindelof (“Lost,” Star Trek) and Scott have since been working together on the current version which has expanded the story into new directions.

Story details are being closely guarded so as not to spoil surprises for moviegoers, but Scott explained the outlines of the film and its genesis as follows: “While ‘Alien’ was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of ‘Alien’s’ DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.”

“In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots,” said Lindelof. “I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie. It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true.”

Of the five major roles to be cast, Noomi Rapace is the first actor signed to star in the film. The young Swedish actress landed the role of scientist Elizabeth Shaw after Scott saw her portrayal of fictional Lisbeth Salander in the film The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, for which she was lauded by Time magazine as a 2010 Performance of the Year. Rapace starred in all three entries of the breakout global franchise based on Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy of books (The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest are the other two entries), which have collectively grossed more than $212 million worldwide.

The other major roles will be cast shortly.

Source: ComingSoon.net

Dave Poland over at Movie City News recently sat down with BLACK SWAN director Darren Aronofsky. In the course of a 30 minute interview about Black Swan (up on Movie City News as of 11/23), Aronofsky talked to Poland about why THE WOLVERINE is his production company’s, Protazoa Pictures, next film and the two-year deal with both Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Fox is reportedly looking to shoot THE WOLVERINE in April 2011 with a release date of 2012 most likely.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is reporting that APOLLO 18 has a new director.

Spanish-language director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego has stepped in to replace Trevor Cawood as the helmer of the Weinstein Co.’s sci-fi “found footage” project Apollo 18.

Cawood is the latest victim swept up in the space race to launch Apollo 18, which since its announcement at the American Film Market, has caused tremors in the burgeoning genre of “found footage” movies. It first caused Roland Emmerich to scrap his ultra-low budget sci-fi project The Zone, and then days later Warner Bros. dropped Dark Moon, a spec it bought concerning the Apollo moon missions to be directed in the found footage format by Olantunde Osunsanmi. Dark Castle then swept in to save it.

Apollo 18 is being produced by Timur Bekmambetov and was written by Brian Miller, a winner of a screenplay contest founded by the Wanted filmmaker. TWC picked up the project Nov. 7 with an ambitious plan: to shoot the project immediately, run it through post faster than a rocket traveling through a wormhole, and release it in early March in the hopes of beating Paramount sci-fi found footage movie Area 51, directed by Oren Peli of Paranormal Activity fame. That’s basically making a movie from casting the leads to delivering it to theaters in around three months.

That schedule may have proved too tight for Cawood, a visual effects guru who worked on the Matrix movies and would have been making his feature directorial debut. The pressure is now on Lopez-Gallego, the award-winning filmmaker who is best known for directing El rey de la montana (King of the Hill). The director, repped by ICM and Principato/Young Management, will be making his English-language debut with Apollo 18.

Apollo 18 is purported to be footage from a secret and covert mission to the moon which ends up in revealing evidence of new lifeforms. According to sources, the majority of the story takes place in the rocket in between the Earth and the Moon.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The film community(especially his home town of St. Louis) was stunned to hear of the death of director George Hickenlooper. The forty seven year old was found dead of natural causes in Denver, CO where he was helping his cousin John in his run for governor.

George left behind an impressive list of films. After making Super 8 movies during his years at St. Louis University High School, he continued his studies at USC School of Cinema and Television and Yale and interned with Roger Corman. George’s debut as a professional director was the 1988 short ART,ACTING,AND THE SUICIDE CHAIR:DENNIS HOPPER.  In 1991 George had great success with two feature length documentaries: PICTURE THIS:THE TIMES OF PETER BOGDANOVICH IN ARCHER CITY, TEXAS and HEARTS OF DARKNESS:A FILMMAKER’S APOCALYPSE (with Fax Bahr). Hearts, a look at the making of APOCALYPSE NOW, has been hailed as one of the greatest behind the scenes documentaries ever made and was singled out by Gene Siskel as his favorite film of 1991. For his fiction film debut, George directed the Civil War horror tale GREY KNIGHT(AKA GHOST BRIGADE AKA THE KILLING BOX) in 1993. The next year George brought Billy Bob Thorton’s Carl Childers character to the screen in the short film SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE. Soon he was back to features with THE LOW LIFE, PERSONS UNKNOWN, and DOGTOWN. George was finally able to film in his hometown when he directed an unproduced Orson Welles story, THE BIG BRASS RING in 1998. After THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS, George returned to feature length documentaries with a look back at early FM radio with THE MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP. His next film was a bio of Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick, FACTORY GIRL. Most recently George has been taking his latest work CASINO JACK to film festivals. Morgan Spurlock profiled George and three other directors in his AMC TV documentary on the Toronto film Festival COMMITTED.

I had the great pleasure of meeting George Hickenlooper thru a mutual friend almost twenty years ago. On one of my first visits to LA, George was kind enough to allow me to visit his Semi Valley set during the last days of shooting on GREY KNIGHT. I was very impressed to be on a professional movie set with real actors(Adrian Pasdar and Corbin Bernson) and George couldn’t have been friendlier. Months later I was able to set in on a screening of the finished film and joined George and my friends for dinner afterwards. I got to see him again a few years later when THE LOW LIFE played the St. Louis Film Festival. When I took my next LA vacation my friend and I were extras on PERSONS UNKNOWN. I was chosen by the stunt co-ordinater to help in a big fight scene involving the star Joe Montegna. When George yelled cut I was lying flat on a pool table after the stunt guys knocked me over during the brawl! After DOGTOWN was shown at the St.Louis Film Festival George joined me for a lunch and I coaxed to sit for me while I drew up a caricature of him. Of course I made him the typical, temperamental director complete with megaphone, jodhpurs, ascot, beret, and light meter neck-piece(I think I had a word balloon with him yelling ,”Kviet! Und….action!!”). When he returned to town to film THE BIG BRASS RING, George told me that the cartoon was snatched up by his family immediately. Oh, I was an extra on that film, too.

Got to see George again when the film was brought back to St. Lou for a screening. I saw him next on the IFC show Dinner for Five. He got big laughs from the other guests when he told a story about GREY KNIGHT and left Molly Shannon speechless when he asked her,”Why isn’t SNL funny anymore?”. There was some talk that George would take over hosting duties once Jon Favreau left, but the show ended. Just last week I watched the AMC documentary and chuckled as he got his hair cut and styled before the big Toronto screening of CASINO JACK.

Speaking of Jack, the movie is scheduled to screen in the next couple of weeks at the St. Louis Film Festival. I’m sure the event will be bittersweet, but I hope the evening will be celebration of George’s talents. He seems to get great performances out actors : Sean Astin is heart breaking in THE LOW LIFE as is Mick Jagger in THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS (with one of James Coburn’s final roles), so I’m looking forward to see his work with Jon Lovitz in Jack. His death at such a young age is a great loss to the film making community , but an even greater tragedy for those who were fortunate to spend time with him. I’m reminded of the story of the passing of director Ernst Lubitsch. One man said,”Well, no more Lubitsch!” . The other replied,”Worse, no more Lubitsch movies!”. I’d flip that around.No more Hickenlooper movies. Much, much worse, no more George. While he’s left us many great movies, the greatest gift George may have left is to remind us all to treasure our friends and family because life can be much too short. Hope to see you all at the Fest for CASINO JACK, the final work of an exceptional filmmaker and a man who is very missed.

Well kids, it official. Here’s the press release from New Line/Warner Bros.

OSCAR WINNER PETER JACKSON TO DIRECT “THE HOBBIT” IN TWO INSTALLMENTS
Peter Jackson Set to Direct J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” In a Two-Part 3D Production of Extraordinary Scope

(Los Angeles, October 15, 2010) The two films based on “The Hobbit” are now greenlit and will begin principal photography in February 2011, under the direction of Peter Jackson, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

“Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience” Jackson says, “It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo – and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM”.

“Peter is a filmmaker of incomparable ability; having him return to Middle-earth to produce and direct is a dream come true. A true original, Peter is a gifted story-teller, visionary director and pioneer in film technology,” said Emmerich. “Reuniting with Peter, Fran and Philippa truly makes it feel like we are going ‘there and back again.’”

“There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct these films,” said Horn. “Peter is incredibly talented and has the creative vision and experience to bring this beloved property to life in a way that no other filmmaker could. And the team of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens has proven through their work on the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy that no one is more skilled at transforming Tolkien’s written words into a vibrant, living language that makes the audience believe they are not merely visiting Middle-earth, but actually living in it. We couldn’t be more thrilled and look forward to seeing ‘The Hobbit’ take shape under Peter’s stewardship and the team he is putting together.”

“MGM is excited to move forward and add to the successful ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise,” said Cooper. “Under Peter’s direction, the films will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the original ‘LOTR’ trilogy and also bring the stories to a new generation of fans.”

Jackson, who directed all three “Lord of the Rings” films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of “The Hobbit” in two parts. Jackson will utilize groundbreaking visual effects and his incomparable story-telling to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel to the big screen. Both Hobbit movies will be filmed in Digital 3-D, using the latest camera and stereo technology to create a high quality, comfortable viewing experience. Jackson also co-wrote the screenplays with Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.

“The Hobbit” is being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens as co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer.

The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed LOTR trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office. In 2003, “Return of the King” swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy’s production was also unprecedented at the time.

ABOUT NEW LINE CINEMA:

New Line Cinema continues to be one of the most successful independent film companies. For more than 40 years, its mission has been to produce innovative, popular, profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line produced the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which is a landmark in the history of film franchises. New Line Cinema is a division of Warner Bros.

ABOUT PETER JACKSON/WINGNUT FILMS:

Peter Jackson is one of the world’s most successful filmmakers. His monumental achievement co-writing, co-producing and directing The Lord of the Rings trilogy (with fellow Academy Award winners and frequent collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) earned a total of 30 Academy Award nominations and 17 Academy Awards. Jackson and Walsh received their first Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for their acclaimed film Heavenly Creatures. Jackson, through his New Zealand-based Wingnut Films banner, also was responsible for the globally successful 2005 remake of King Kong which earned over $500 million worldwide and 3 Academy Awards. Jackson most recently directed the Academy Award nominated The Lovely Bones; an adaptation of the acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, which to date has earned nearly $100 million worldwide; and produced the global sensation, District 9, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He is also developing a trilogy of films with Steven Spielberg based on Tintin, the world renowned comic book series by Herge. In 2010 he received a Knighthood for his services to film.

ABOUT METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130 countries. For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com/.

It looks like Warner Brothers has found a director for the next Man of Steel epic and the choice seems like a perfect fit.

From Deadline New York:

UPDATE & EXCLUSIVE: I just spoke with Zack Snyder, who confirms that as soon as he completes post on Sucker Punch, he’ll move right into Warner Bros’ long awaited next Man of Steel movie in development with Chris Nolan and David Goyer. “I’ve been a big fan of the character for a long time, he’s definitely the king of all superheroes, he’s the one,” Snyder, who directed Watchmen and 300, told me. “It’s early yet, but I can tell you that what David and Chris have done with the story so far definitely has given me a great insight into a way to make him feel modern. I’ve always felt he was kind of awesome. I’ll finish Sucker Punch and get right at it.”….

Read the rest of the article here