Xixax Film Forum

The Director's Chair => The Director's Chair => Topic started by: Bud_Clay on June 19, 2003, 12:39:15 AM

Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Bud_Clay on June 19, 2003, 12:39:15 AM
Although I've only seen one of his films (The Last Picture Show), I am already highly impressed and curious to see more of his work...Anyone have any recommendations?...I;ve heard about "Targets" but I'm not so sure he really made the movie from his own free will.

I think I saw him on an episode of The Sopranoes one time.  Curious as to why I havent been seeing or hearing more about him lately.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Ghostboy on June 19, 2003, 12:47:28 AM
The only ones I've seen are The Last Picture Show and last year's The Cat's Meow, which was pretty good. LPS, of course, is amazing, and just for that he deserves his own thread. Let's get the discussion going...
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Bud_Clay on June 19, 2003, 01:05:26 AM
Yeah, it's very unfortunate but I think The Last Picture Show really is the best film Bogdanovich has ever and will ever make.  It's very sad and it reminds me of Jacques Demy's career...His first real film, "Lola", is an absolute gem and the only real gem he'd ever made.  It's very confusing and I wish I knew more about both of the downfalls of their careers.  Atleast the lost ambition and creativity Demy had.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Ghostboy on June 19, 2003, 01:27:10 AM
I just went and read Roger Ebert's review of Texasville, the sequel to Last Picture Show. He said that it was meant to be Bogdanovich's comeback, almost twenty years after the original. But even though the review is quite positive, he still says that it "lacks a genuine reason for  existence."

Via IMDB, I learned that following this film he directed a lot of TV movies. Before it, the only one that really stuck out to me was Paper Moon, which I haven't seen but have heard good things about.

It does appear that he's a sort of one hit wonder, but what a hit. He's also pretty well regarded in film history circles -- due at least in part, I'm sure, to his close friendship to Orson Welles.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: godardian on June 19, 2003, 01:46:45 AM
The best thing about Hollywood Ending was the Peter Bogdonavich joke about directing the TV movie.

My perception of him is that he was a wildly talented young director whose arrogance alienated most people in the biz; they waited for the one misstep that would lead to a creative exile with no recovery. He's had lower lows, I believe, than any of the other seventies directors.

I'd love to see The Cat's Meow and especially Paper Moon (I missed my widescreen chance on TCM and am now eagerly awaiting a DVD release). I adore The Last Picture Show.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on June 19, 2003, 02:19:31 AM
Quote from: godardianPaper Moon (I missed my widescreen chance on TCM and am now eagerly awaiting a DVD release).

Scheduled for Aug. 12.

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Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: godardian on June 19, 2003, 02:26:54 AM
Quote from: MacGuffin
Quote from: godardianPaper Moon (I missed my widescreen chance on TCM and am now eagerly awaiting a DVD release).

Scheduled for Aug. 12.

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Hooray! A pretty cover. And I just love movies about the Depression. In my mind, it's a companion piece to Days of Heaven. That's a lot to live up to.

Trivia: John Waters really hates him. Based on Mask, which, in Waters's estimation, is some sort of cinematic nadir.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SoNowThen on June 19, 2003, 08:56:08 AM
For those of you that haven't, please see Cat's Meow. It's a great little film, with wonderful performances all around. For my money, THAT'S his comeback film. Let's hope to get a few more gems from Bogs in the near future.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: soixante on June 19, 2003, 09:20:48 AM
Bogdanovich had a hot streak with his first four movies -- Targets, Last Picture Show, What's Up Doc and Paper Moon.  All four are worth seeing.  He was on top of the world, critically and commercially, and then he did two movies with Cybill Shephard, Daisy Miller and At Long Last Love.  Both were critical and commercial failures.  Nickelodeon and St. Jack closed out the 70's, neither was a hit.  They All Laughed barely got released in 81 or 82.  Mask was a comeback in the mid 80's.  He also directed River Phoenix's last film The Thing Called Love.

He was a respected critic and author before he became a director.  Targets is a great debut, and perhaps is his best film.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on June 19, 2003, 01:35:32 PM
i've only seen LAST PICTURE SHOW (Loved), and CATS MEOW (Liked), but,
Quentin Tarantino mentions Bogdanovich's "THEY ALL LAUGHED" on his sight and sound poll top 10.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Weak2ndAct on June 20, 2003, 02:07:01 PM
Ah!  Good topic.  I had never seen a Bog movie until a couple years ago, then I was treated to the infamous first four, all masterpieces in their own right.  Targets was a true shocker, and you gotta give the guy props for actually being able to make a good movie with Babs in it (I was prepared to truly loathe 'what's up doc?').  

Seen Saint Jack and The Cat's Meow as well, both very good as well.  I guess the question is, what of the other ones?  I'm almost terrified to rent them after hearing all the negative stuff.  I've held Daisy Miller in my hand many a-time, but couldn't bring myself to make the plunge.  Anyone have any thoughts on the ones that aren't considered 'the good ones'?  

It's nice to see the comeback of sorts, between the new film and acting gigs.  Gonna have to check out 'Out of Order' on Showtime one of these days.

Side note: It's no shock now why Wes Anderson gives the guy so much props, he practically apes the style (just an observation, not a criticism-- love Wes' flicks).  The inserts in Targets-- overhead shots/close-ups are straight out of all three movies.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: soixante on June 21, 2003, 04:27:25 PM
Daisy Miller was OK, I enjoyed it because I had read the Henry James novel it was based on.  At Long Last Love is as bad as its reputatin, although it's worth watching just to see how a talented director can make a bad film.  Nickelodeon I saw back in the 70's, I remember sort of liking it, but it has been so long, I don't know how I would like it now.  St. Jack was OK, saw it when it came out.  I recall liking They All Laughed, but I only saw it once when it came out.  Mask I saw a few times upon its initial release, I liked that one.  Texasville was dull, although it has its defenders.  The Thing Called Love was OK, good acting.  Cat's Meow was pretty good.  I hope someday he makes another movie like Paper Moon or Last Picture Show.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: EL__SCORCHO on June 22, 2003, 07:37:27 PM
Bogdanovich claims "They all laughed" (or something like that) is his best film. I've always been pretty curious to see it, but never gotten the chance to. He calls it his most personal film. This was the film he bought back form the studio and then bombed at the box office, leaving him broke.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Holden Pike on June 30, 2003, 04:52:49 AM
I love They All Laughed, and spin the cruddy old LD often (boy does this beg to be remastered for DVD). It should have made John Ritter a movie star. Oh, well. But sorry, Pete, it ain't your best movie. That self rating probably has as much to do with the good memories of being with Dorothy Stratten as anything else. Plus, it gets people talking about a movie that was unfairly ignored.

I actually enjoy The Thing Called Love (1993) quite a bit, though admittedly it is nothing but cliche after cliche. Worth a look sometime anyway, though it's always going to be known primarily as River Phoenix's last flick. Noises Off... (1992) is definitely fun, though tough to transcend the stage roots and make anything compellingly cinematic. Rent that one when you can't find They All Laughed. Illegally Yours is a mess, skip at all costs. The degenration of Bogdanovich's modernizing Screwball comedies can be traced from the excellent and inspired What's Up, Doc?, to very good and offbeat in They All Laughed, to unwatchable and embarassing in Illegally Yours (which has been running a lot on U.S. cable in recent months for some reason - punishment, I'm sure).
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on January 17, 2004, 09:15:46 PM
saw Paper Moon and Whats Up, Doc? tonite for the first time.  Paper Moon was really good.  it was a funny and interesting relationship between Ryan and Tatum.  pretty simple grifter story, but entertaining.  Whats Up Doc was okay.  wanted to be Bringing Up Baby at first, and then decided it wanted to be 3 Stooges or Marx Bros. by the end.  and just knowing i was watching a Streissand movie bothered me although Oneal was pretty funny doing his best 'dork' imitation.  but really has nothing on Cary Grant in that dept.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: cine on January 18, 2004, 02:25:42 PM
I love Bogdanovich, and I'm currently reading/loving this book:

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Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SHAFTR on January 18, 2004, 03:07:52 PM
There is a lot about Bogdonavich in Pter Biskind's Easy Riders Raging Bulls.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on January 18, 2004, 03:37:00 PM
Quote from: SHAFTRThere is a lot about Bogdonavich in Pter Biskind's Easy Riders Raging Bulls.
yeah he seemed like he turned into a giant asshole/snob and got his comeupence. (sp?)
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: cine on January 18, 2004, 03:51:28 PM
Quote from: themodernage02comeupence. (sp?)
comeuppance :wink:
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on January 18, 2004, 04:17:28 PM
wow, i was way off.   i dont think i ever tried to spell that word before.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: cron on January 18, 2004, 05:04:25 PM
this is an article Bogdanovich wrote about Wes Anderson:

New kid on the block

Director Peter Bogdanovich pays tribute to the quirky brilliance and wry wit of Wes Anderson

Although I asked Orson Welles in 10 different ways why he put his camera in a certain unusual place for one of his movies, I nearly always received the same basic answer: he simply thought the scene looked better from there. Occasionally, he apologised for being less than illuminating. When I asked why he had shown a moment from such an "odd angle", he said that to him it wasn't odd. Exasperated after a series of this sort of questions, Welles finally told me that he was actually just like the man in the joke who goes to his doctor and says: "I don't know what's the matter with me, doc, but I just don't feel right." So the doctor says: "All right - well, tell me everything you do from the moment you wake up till you go to sleep." The guy says: "OK - well, I wake up, then I vomit, then I brush my -" "Wait a second," the doctor says. "You mean right after you wake up every morning, you vomit?" The man says: "Yeah, doesn't everybody?" Orson smiled. "That's me and my supposedly strange way of seeing things. To me it all seems quite normal."

Similarly, Wes Anderson finds his own vision quite normal, yet it is as uniquely (and recognisably) his as Welles's, and equally without self-conscious pretensions. Also like Welles, Wes is one of those rare picture-makers who can see the whole movie in his head long before he shoots. Since he's already seen it in his mind's eye, this gift gives him a very strong sense of what exactly he wants during filming. The script of The Royal Tenenbaums - written by Wes and his usual writing partner Owen Wilson (who also gives a spirited, complicated performance in a key role) - is a perfect blueprint for the finished film.

The draft I read just before they started shooting is essentially the movie Wes made, and I thought the script was brilliant. The picture is superb. The amazing cast of star actors are each perfectly chosen for their roles, not surprising because Wes and Owen wrote pretty much all the roles with the same players in mind. Many people have a dream cast they write for but know they'll never get; Wes just wouldn't take no for an answer and finally got them all. His laid-back attitude seemed to be (this was unspoken) that he'd already seen them in the film and knew they were going to be great, so why would they not do it?

Apart from his gifts of visualisation, Anderson's determination to get his own way - his relentless tenacity - marks him conclusively as a born picture-maker. This is not a question of ego either, but rather an essential character trait in a field where 300 different opinions and 500 alternative possibilities have to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. All these muscular abilities are in direct contrast to the way Anderson looks or conducts himself personally. He is rail-thin, bookish, somewhat tweedy, polite, soft-spoken, shy - a terribly nice, intelligent, pleasant-looking, quick-witted, and insatiably curious young Texan from Houston. Wilson, on the other hand, who was first seen in Bottle Rocket (1996) - the first film Anderson and Wilson wrote and Anderson directed - has very quickly become recognised as a star performer of quirky dramatic and comic genius.

The Royal Tenenbaums grew directly out of Anderson's desire to make a film in New York City. He had moved here after the release of the wonderful second film Anderson and Wilson wrote, Rushmore (1998). I remember Wes telling me at the time that he wanted to do a movie about an eccentric family of New Yorkers living in a large house somewhere in Manhattan. I suggested a couple of plays or movies for him to check out, and he spent a long time alone and with Owen (who acted in a couple of movies in the meantime) - getting familiar with New York and stories of families in this city. The disparate influences on the final work might be apparent to some: JD Salinger's Glass family, Kaufman and Hart, Dawn Powell and Orson Welles.

But The Royal Tenenbaums is very much its own thing, and stands out as an exceptionally gifted, quirky and original director's triumphant third work - his best so far. There's the same wry wit behind all three Anderson pictures, and each has the same degree of self-confidence. Polly Platt - Anderson's first producer, along with James L Brooks - told me that on Bottle Rocket, she could immediately tell he was talented because of the total assurance he had about what he wanted, indeed his insistence on it - all to the good because the movie is a thorough going delight: a charmingly perverse, mordantly funny look at a particular boy-man's world that defines in microcosm an awful lot of the male syndrome.

The film attracted little audience attention but led none the less to Wes and Owen's breakthrough with Rushmore, the story of another kind of outsider, a sort of artistic overachieving freak of a teenager in a world of conformity. The idea of the overachiever is taken to even greater and more varied lengths in The Royal Tenenbaums, but what ties the three films together is not so much their thematic similarities as their particular style, which lies in the personality of the picturemaker. When I once asked Howard Hawks which directors over the years he had liked best, he replied: "I liked almost anybody that made you realise who the devil was making the picture...because the director's the storyteller and should have his own method of telling it." With a Wes Anderson film, you know who the devil made it, yet his style is as difficult to describe as only the best styles are, because they're subtle.

Perhaps the device of the book and the narrator which Anderson and Wilson adopted for The Royal Tenenbaums creates a more easily describable style but that's actually only a technique. It does, however, in some ways help to define the indirect, elliptical, yet often emotionally resonant Anderson touch. I'm especially glad that Wes is so young, because now we all have a great many Wes Anderson pictures to look forward to. He brings a particular quality to his people, a kind of warmth and humanity seen from a wickedly humorous perspective that is at the same time compassionate. Because his movies are exceedingly likeable, with a kind of knowing innocence, it could be easy to miss the underlying gravity, and perhaps the avant-garde will find Anderson's pictures too accessible.

I hope not. Anderson is bound to be misunderstood, but then that's a large club for artists, and he is a genuine one. After knowing Wes for a while (and being thankful that he is considerably film literate - in other words, that he has a clear sense of what has preceded him, also a rarity with directors these days) I quoted a line from a favourite picture of mine (and his, it turned out), applying the phrase to him. In Hawks's Rio Bravo (1959), John Wayne expresses to a friend his admiration for Ricky Nelson's youthful professionalism: "It's nice to see a smart kid for a change."
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Ghostboy on March 05, 2004, 12:47:04 AM
I just watched 'The Last Picture Show' for a second time this evening, and I'm kicking myself for not including it in my nominations for the decapentacon last year -- I think its easily one of the best films I've ever seen. I love how it bridges the gap between youth and middle age -- the kids and the grownups could switch places and there would be no difference in the story, since they're all stuck in the same rut or on the same precipice, and/or dealing with the same problems. One of the things I've noticed since I graduated from high school is that some of my friends will refer to certain things (arguments, crushes, etc) as 'high school shit' but I think high school shit is something you deal with all your life (I may be proved wrong, but I doubt it); it's just that high school is generally the first time you experience it and you so you always associate such drama with it. Anyway, that's what this movie meant to me on this viewing.

I just finished reading Easy Rider, Raging Bulls, and I wonder how accurate its portrayal of Bodonovich is. I'm sure he was indeed pretentious as all hell, but Biskind seemed to take a little too much delight in relating his fall from grace.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SoNowThen on March 05, 2004, 08:58:18 AM
You really think so? I know there's a lotta supposed bad stuff in there about him, but that's how I got introduced to Bogs (indeed to all of those directors, really). Biskind is really only able to describe the fall so well because he builds him up as being one of the most talented and (earliest) successful of that Hollywood new wave. He and Scorsese and Ashby seem to come off the best...



Anyway, great article above. PB's got that rare gift of the movie lover; thankfully he's not one of these older guys who wants to be an ass and rip on all the new young blood. BTW, thanks to David Chase, isn't it great to see him every now and again on Sopranos?!
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: cine on March 05, 2004, 09:21:47 AM
Quote from: GhostboyI just watched 'The Last Picture Show' for a second time this evening, and I'm kicking myself for not including it in my nominations for the decapentacon last year -- I think its easily one of the best films I've ever seen.
Ok, now you're obligated to go get the Paper Moon DVD. See if you like that more than LPS. It's without a doubt one of those movies I could watch over and over and over. You'll fall in love with Paper Moon, I'm sure.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: jasper_window on March 05, 2004, 09:42:48 AM
According to today's New York Post, Bogdanovich directed the sixth episode of the new Sopranos season.  Airs April 11th.  

I always wondered about how truthful Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is, Spielberg claims everything about him is a lie.  I'm reading His new book about Miramax, Sundance, Redford, I'm only a 100 pages in, but it's really good.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SoNowThen on March 05, 2004, 09:47:45 AM
While I'm sure the truth is "fictionalized" a bit, to make it more dramatic and interesting, I very much doubt if there's much lies about 'Berg. Maybe he doesn't like the book because he comes off as such a cancer to good cinema...


But I dunno for sure. It certainly fits in with my view of him. :)
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: jasper_window on March 05, 2004, 09:49:45 AM
I agree completely.  I can't imagine he'd say 'Oh yeah, it's true.'

You should check out Down and Dirty Pictures (Biskind's new book).
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SHAFTR on April 05, 2004, 02:02:41 PM
so after seeing The Last Picture Show (and loving it) I watched What's Up Doc? this weekend.  I have to admit, I didn't like it.  I think it's more to blame that I'm not a slap stick humor type of guy than on the actual film itself.  The chase sequence was fun, but my laughs were few and far between and in a film where every thing is supposed to generate a laugh, that's not good.

Next, either Paper Moon or Targets.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on April 05, 2004, 05:17:36 PM
yeah whats up doc was okay, but wanted to be a screwball howard hawk's thing a little too much and didnt quite get there. i havent seen targets yet but i recommend seeing paper moon.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on April 10, 2004, 01:34:27 AM
Bogdanovich doing the 'Hustle' for ESPN
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Oscar-nominated director-writer Peter Bogdanovich has been tapped to helm "Hustle," ESPN's original movie about baseball star Pete Rose's gambling-related downfall.

The sports cable channel has slated the premiere of the film, set to begin production May 17 in Toronto, for Sept. 25.

"Peter's name is synonymous with excellence in film direction," said Ron Semiao, senior vp ESPN Original Entertainment. "His visionary and creative approach is well documented and hugely successful."

Bogdanovich will direct "Hustle' from a script by Christian Darren. Orly Adelson is exec producing.
 
Bogdanovich was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing and directing "The Last Picture Show." His directing credits also include such hits as "Paper Moon," "What's Up, Doc?" and "Mask."

He most recently helmed ABC's three-hour movie "The Mystery of Natalie Wood."
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Weak2ndAct on April 17, 2004, 05:14:45 AM
So I finally made the plunge and rented 'Daisy Miller,' the infamous film that spelled the beginning of the long downward spiral that Bogdanovich's career never fully recovered from.

The closest thing I could compare to the movie's reputation/history is to 'Gigli'.  Peter and Cybil were always in the news and out professing their love (an anecdote is told on dvd where Cary Grant called Bogs to say 'shut up, no one wants to hear you're happy'), the egos were full blown, and everyone was waiting in anticipation for the crash-and-burn.  They got their wish.

'Daisy's reputation is quite unjustified... by no means is the film a disaster, I actually found it to be a simple, charming story of lonliness, outsiders, and clashes of culture.  And a well-made one at that.  It's almost a comedy of manners (not quite), almost a love story (not quite), and almost a tragic drama (not quite).  Barry Brown is an European-ized American smitten w/ the gawdy, boorish American girl (Cybil) who's travelling Europe with her mother and sugar-crazed brother (James McMurtry, son of author Larry).  The Miller's cause quite a ruckus with the other uptight Americans stationed here, not because they're bad people, they're just outgoing and 'do as they please,' as the movie states on occassion.

The film follows Brown's fascination/repulsion with Daisy, and his total lack of stones to actually do something about his feelings.  Not even Daisy's infatuation w/ an Italian shmuck can break him from this coma.  Sure, at moments, I found myself on the verge of yelling obscenities at the TV screen... but that's precisely the point.  Brown's Weatherborn has been so homogenized by high-class ethics and book-learning that he's simply forgotten to feel ANYTHING, good or bad (and ew, the similarities to my own life and others I know... this story rings true).

While some may lament Cybil's performance, I place those criticisms not her acting ability, but of her character.  Daisy's not the perfect girl, and it's blatantly obvious to everyone.  She was never meant to run off and get married to Weatherborn in the end, it would have never worked.  The story is truly about one man's re-awakening.  And it works.  The last scene particularly... the look shared between Brown and the young McMurty speaks volumes, and the last shot is a thing of beauty.

Let me finish by saying that I'll be highly surprised if anyone actually reads this, and even more surprised if anyone actually picks this flick up and digs it.  If you're a Bogdonavich fan, I'll think you might enjoy it... but what the fuck do I know.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: modage on April 17, 2004, 12:42:51 PM
wes anderson loves that movie.  i still havent seen it.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: SHAFTR on June 18, 2004, 08:56:38 PM
I just saw Targets, so I have now seen his first 3 films (next is Paper Moon).  I loved Targets, nearly as much as Last Picture Show.  Especially after finding out the task Corman gave him with this film, I'm even more impressed.  I wish Bogdanovich would have kept making great films.  I want to meet him, his first 2 films are great.
Title: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: soixante on June 19, 2004, 03:21:06 AM
I recall seeing Daisy Miller and thinking, why do people dump on this film so much?  I think if you achieve a great deal of success at an early age, like Bogdanovich did, then a lot of envious industry people will want to tear you down.

A word of caution for those who plan to see Daisy Miller -- keep in mind that it is set in the 19th century, when behavior was quite different from our current time.  There was a sense of restraint and inhibition that is incomprehensible to people today, who all want to feel pleasure right now and blurt out all of their feelings without any sense of shame.  Also, back then, things moved slowly and deliberately.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on April 21, 2006, 07:58:38 PM
Bogdanovich Cracks Code

Peter Bogdanovich has agreed to direct The Broken Code, a movie about Rosalind Franklin, the only woman involved in cracking the DNA code. What's that you say? Haven't heard of her? Exactly! Arguments can and have been made that she was instrumental in discovering and understanding DNA, and was screwed out of a piece of the Nobel Prize, at least partially because James Watson and Francis Crick downplayed her contributions to their discovery. Bastards.

The screenplay, which was written by David Baxter, is the first product of Tribeca/Sloan Development, a very cool-sounding program set up four years ago to develop "realistic stories about science and technology that challenge existing stereotypes." Casting for the film will begin in May, and it's hoped that production will start this fall.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: godardian on April 21, 2006, 08:51:16 PM
In my biology class last summer, I saw a weird old film--I believe made for British TV--starring Jeff Goldblum and someone else as Watson and Crick. In fact, though, the film did center around Franklin, so this is not completely new or shocking idea. I'm assuming that Bogdanovich can do better than the one I saw. It was definitely dry and "informative" enough for a class, not something I'd seek out on my own (made the class time go by quickly enough, though--and Goldblum was still bizarre!).

Quote from: MacGuffin on April 21, 2006, 07:58:38 PM
Bogdanovich Cracks Code

Peter Bogdanovich has agreed to direct The Broken Code, a movie about Rosalind Franklin, the only woman involved in cracking the DNA code. What's that you say? Haven't heard of her? Exactly! Arguments can and have been made that she was instrumental in discovering and understanding DNA, and was screwed out of a piece of the Nobel Prize, at least partially because James Watson and Francis Crick downplayed her contributions to their discovery. Bastards.

The screenplay, which was written by David Baxter, is the first product of Tribeca/Sloan Development, a very cool-sounding program set up four years ago to develop "realistic stories about science and technology that challenge existing stereotypes." Casting for the film will begin in May, and it's hoped that production will start this fall.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on May 11, 2006, 11:11:38 AM
Bogdanovich rooted in Petty anniversary docu
Source: Hollywood Reporter

You can hear the unmistakable introduction to Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" playing in the background as Peter Bogdanovich discusses his latest project on the phone. But the filmmaker -- who also counts Mozart among his musical favorites -- is talking about rock 'n' roll.

"I know a little bit about rock 'n' roll, but I'm not an expert," Bogdanovich confesses. "I thought I'd learn something because I'm not set in my ways."

The director of "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon" is taking a leap into rock with an as-yet-untitled film about Tom Petty.

The making of the picture coincides with the 30th anniversary of Petty's group the Heartbreakers, which he formed as Mudcrutch in Gainesville, Fla. The musician is putting the finishing touches on his new Warner Bros. solo album, "Highway Companion," which he is co-producing with former Traveling Wilburys colleague Jeff Lynne and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell. A solo tour kicks off June 9 in Charlotte, N.C.

Bogdanovich might not immediately spring to mind as the first choice to direct a rockumentary, but his involvement in the film came naturally.

Petty's manager Tony Dimitriades says: "Sometime last year, Tom and I discussed the fact that 2006 was the 30th anniversary of the band. I think Tom came up with the idea of doing a definitive film about the band. The first order of the day was finding the right person to direct it."

For advice, Petty and Dimitriades turned to George Drakoulias, the bearlike producer who helmed Petty's 1994 solo album "Wildflowers." Dimitriades says: "(Drakoulias) made a couple of suggestions, including Peter Bogdanovich, who happens to be a friend of his. Tom got excited because he's a huge fan of his work."

Although Bogdanovich knew Petty primarily through his hits -- some of which he had nearly used in his features -- he was drawn to the musician's music and its roots.

"I'm attracted to things that are very American -- basically Southern American -- and I think his songs have a kind of ambiguity and impressionistic quality that are very intriguing," Bogdanovich says. "It connected to some pop culture phenomena that I'm very interested in. He was bowled over by Elvis and inspired by the Beatles, and before that by the Western. ... That appealed to me."

With funding from Petty's label, the project began shooting late last year. Bogdanovich has captured Petty on the air at XM Satellite Radio and in sessions for "King of the Hill" (he voices local numbskull Luke) and already has conducted interviews with the musician, Lynne, drummer Steve Ferrone and MTV executive Bill Flanagan, with Campbell and founding keyboardist Benmont Tench on deck. The director also has amassed 15 hours of historical material.

A warts-and-all presentation is promised. The feature will cover the exit of original Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch, the firing of bassist Howie Epstein and the return of Ron Blair, who rejoined the band after a 21-year absence to replace Epstein, who died of a drug overdose in 2003. Bogdanovich says, "We got some very good stuff from Tom (about Howie) -- it was very touching."

Shooting will continue at least through the fall, when Petty will do a 30th anniversary concert, possibly in Gainesville. Bogdanovich says, "I've worked on documentaries before, and one thing I know is they make themselves in a way, and you don't know what you've got until you've got it all."
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on July 25, 2006, 01:02:26 AM
The Golden Age of Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich and ClickStar Inc. said Monday that the renowned filmmaker will curate the broadband distributor's newest artist-created channel, the Golden Age of Movies With Peter Bogdanovich. Bogdanovich will select the titles for the library from all genres and will provide expert commentary as well as personal anecdotes from his experience in the film industry. He also will select a different movie to highlight each week and will develop monthly programming themes in cooperation with ClickStar. "The golden age of movies was from 1912-62, as I conveniently figure it, and it's the foundation of the art," Bogdanovich said. "Even though most of the great work is available now for home viewing, most of the public is not aware of what to get. I mean, John Wayne made 200 pictures, and a lot of them are lousy, but a few of them are great."
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on February 12, 2007, 10:22:36 PM
I have seen both Paper Moon and LPS - both great.

unfortunately when i set my dvr to record LPS i cut off too early!

***spoilers***



can anyone remember what happens after the sweeping boy dies and then Sonny goes to the coach's wife and they sit down and he holds her hand and...
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Redlum on February 15, 2007, 10:44:20 AM
...I beleive thats where it ends.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on February 18, 2007, 12:22:54 AM
Quote from: Redlum on February 15, 2007, 10:44:20 AM
...I beleive thats where it ends.

ah, so it just cuts to the credits?
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: I Don't Believe in Beatles on February 18, 2007, 12:55:49 AM
From what I remember, a shot from the very beginning of the film is repeated
(this one: (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.silverscreens.com%2Fcinesaucine%2Fimages%2Fthelastpictureshow%2Fthelastpictureshow1.jpg&hash=f0d5bb4341a93f3a1e08905ce0218ef961b01e9a))
and then we cut to the credits.

Youtube clip of the ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__T3WJVmBY8
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on February 18, 2007, 01:20:04 AM
thanks for the youtube link, i'll watch it at work monday.

i had read/seen LPS mention several times over the years, and i guess since it was shot in b&w, i was expecting a very different film.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: I Don't Believe in Beatles on February 18, 2007, 01:23:58 AM
I actually can't get the clip to play past about three and a half minutes.  Maybe you'll have better luck.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on February 19, 2007, 09:56:54 PM
Quote from: Ginger on February 18, 2007, 01:23:58 AM
I actually can't get the clip to play past about three and a half minutes.  Maybe you'll have better luck.

it worked fine for me. interesting to have that tone for the ending and then bring in the video replay cast recall over a hank tune.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on January 20, 2008, 12:10:03 AM
After seeing Harold and Maude again recently, I searched TCM to see if any other Ashby films were coming on. Unbeknownst to me, when I set my VCR to record The Landlord (Ashby's first film), I just let it go and caught 3 debut films and all were good - The Landlord, Bad Company and Targets. I actually noticed that my tape was still recording and flipped over and Targets just happened to be in the middle of the first murder scene and I wondered, "what is this" and decided to leave it running.

Targets is crazy though. There is never the slightest explanation as to what starts the guy. Somewhere in the film Karloff makes a statement saying monsters are not scary any more, it's real life, and he points to a newspaper article in which someone has killed 6 people in a supermarket. That first murder scene really punches you in the gut because it's broad daylight, unprovoked and just plain creepy. The methodical clean up reminds me of Norman Bates. It really is relevant to the times. Apparently, it was inspired by the UT tower shootings.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on February 08, 2010, 08:17:34 PM
Peter Bogdanovich boards 'Century' film
Set to co-write, direct adaptation of Kurt Andersen novel
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Peter Bogdanovich will write and direct an adaptation of Kurt Andersen's 1999 novel "Turn of the Century" for Das Films. Bogdanovich's writing partner Parish Rahbar will co-write the screenplay.

The novel, which opens in early new-millennium 2000, follows the MacTiers, a Manhattan power couple with three kids who are managing their troubled marriage in a world where BarbieWorld has opened in Vegas and Charles Manson's parole hearing is live on TV.

Das Films' Sriram Das will produce along with Melanie Shanley. Filming is scheduled for next spring in New York.

"Peter is one of the great minds of cinema," Das said. "His vision for this film and passion for the novel will bring an incredibly funny and powerful story to audiences around the world."

Repped by Media Talent Group, Bogdanovich most recently directed the concert film "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream." He also directed "Mask," "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon."

Founded in 2007, Das Films is working from a development slate comprised of 19 projects based on best-sellers.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Pubrick on February 08, 2010, 08:42:29 PM
Quote from: MacGuffin on February 08, 2010, 08:17:34 PM
Das Films' Sriram Das will produce

"Peter is one of the great minds of cinema," Das said.

that's true, in that he likes to talk and think a lot about films. but other than a few times in the 60s/70s, bogdanovich hasn't really put his mind to very good use at all. obviously it was all the coke and sex with a young cybil shepard.. but Das Films needs to read past those chapters in Easy Riders Raging Bulls and catch up with the rest of his filmography, quicksmart.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: tpfkabi on April 17, 2011, 01:54:03 PM
http://blogs.indiewire.com/peterbogdanovich/

Has anyone followed his blog?

I was unaware of it until today. Scrolling through past entries I'm looking forward to see what he wrote about Alphaville.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: Pubrick on April 17, 2011, 10:45:05 PM
blogdanovich!

hahaha, of course.
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on May 25, 2012, 01:00:56 AM
Owen Wilson, Olivia Wilde & Brie Larson To Star In Peter Bogdanovich's 'Squirrel To The Nuts' Produced By Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach
Source: Playlist

Nothing ever truly dies in Hollywood, and even though intel about "Squirrel To The Nuts" dropped way back in the fall of 2010 without much heard of it since, it seems lots has been happening behind the scenes, with the pic now making some giant strides, with three of our favorite filmmakers helping it happen.

Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach are teaming to produce Peter Bogdanovich's first feature film in over a decade, "Squirrel To The Nuts." A pretty solid cast has been rounded up thus far with Owen Wilson, Olivia Wilde and Brie Larson set to star, and Jason Schwartzman circling, the Bogdanovich-penned tale is about a Broadway director (Wilson), who falls for a hooker-turned-actress (Larson) and uses her services despite being married to the star of the production. He later gives the hooker some money to pursue her dream of an acting career. As for Wilde, she'll play a therapist (presumably to Wilson's character), whose mother is being treated for alcoholism.

It sounds right in Bogdanovich's screwball wheelhouse—with a bit of Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Bullets Over Broadway" thrown in—and given the talent in front and behind the camera, it seems to fit everyone's sensibilities perfectly. But it's not a done deal just yet. The picture is still seeking financing and distribution, with a fall start being eyed. We wouldn't be surprised if financing comes through with distribution to be determined once the pic is in the can, as these kinds of projects tend to go these days. But either way, we like the start of this.

Bonus round: If you're in New York, the Museum Of The Moving Image is presenting the series "Paramount In The 1970s" from June 2nd to July 1st, and among the many great titles will be Bogdanovich's oustanding "Paper Moon" which you should drop everything and see on the big screen. Seriously. [Variety]
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: MacGuffin on June 18, 2012, 06:12:15 PM
Peter Bogdanovich Teams With Tom Sizemore For Sex Addiction Drama 'John Ledger'
Source: Playlist

With Wes Anderson and Noam Baumbach producing, and a top drawer cast coming together including names like Owen Wilson, Olivia Wilde, Brie Larson and Jason Schwartzmann, Peter Bogdanovich is set for a nice comeback with the upcoming screwball comedy "Squirrel To The Nuts." While that's cooking, though, the writer-director evidently has another project in the works that's a little more serious and will reunite him with a former collaborator.

Bogdanovich's absence from the silver screen since 2001's "The Cat's Meow" saw him tackle a few projects on television which included the Pete Rose telepic "Hustle" starring Tom Sizemore and, despite critical indifference to that feature, the actor evidently impressed Bogdanovich enough to earn a re-teaming on upcoming addiction drama, "John Ledger." 

Even with "Squirrel To The Nuts" front and center, this latest project sounds a little way off as the "Paper Moon" and "The Last Picture Show" writer-director is currently working on the script with Joey Camen. The story, however, will follow a car salesman from Southern California who battles his sex addiction while trying to maintain a normal life with his wife and teenage son. So "Shame" except an protagonist twenty years older, minus the gloriously troubled sister and add a wife and son as well? We'll see.

Financing still needs to come together on the  project which is being produced by Polimedia Films folks Charles Lago, Gabrielle Lui and Chris Johnson alongside scribe Camen. But it could mark an interesting avenue for Bogdanovich, and we'll be interested to see how this develops. Variety]
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: wilder on June 05, 2014, 09:24:13 PM
Peter Bogdanovich and Cohen Media Group Team Up
via blu-ray.com

Oscar nominated director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, At Long Last Love) has agreed to direct a TV miniseries adaptation of Edward Ball's 2013 book The Inventor and the Tycoon: A Gilded Age Murder and the Birth of Moving Pictures (http://www.amazon.com/The-Inventor-Tycoon-Gilded-Pictures/dp/0385525753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402021421&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Inventor+and+the+Tycoon%3A+A+Gilded+Age+Murder+and+the+Birth+of+Moving+Pictures). Bogdanovich will develop the project with Cohen Media Group.

Bogdanovich, CMG president Daniel Battsek, and Oscar winning producer Fred Roos (The Godfather Part II) will executive produce the miniseries.

Bogdanovich described the project as "a fascinating story about the origins of cinema/beginning of movies and the amazing series of coincidences that led to that creation."

Following the official announcement Charles S Cohen, chairman and CEO of Cohen Media Group, said: "We are thrilled that Peter Bogdanovich will direct this exciting project. He is truly one of the major figures of modern American cinema, and this exceptional story is tailor-made for him."
Title: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Post by: wilder on May 21, 2017, 06:23:22 PM
Cannes: Peter Bogdanovich to Direct Buster Keaton Documentary
via The Hollywood Reporter

Peter Bogdanovich is set to direct a documentary about silent-screen legend Buster Keaton.

Charles S. Cohen, chairman and CEO of Cohen Media Group, announced the news from Cannes. Cohen will produce.

Buster Keaton's career is legendary — from his start as a knockabout child performer in vaudeville, to his groundbreaking silent shorts and feature films, through his later work and personal struggles, and finally his critical elevation as one of cinema's towering artists. Bogdanovich will explore Keaton's life and work in the film, which will feature interviews with generations of high-profile actors, filmmakers and historians inspired by Keaton.

"While his own life was marked by pain and struggle, Buster Keaton left the world an amazing and cherished gift of comedy, and I'm excited to be able to pay tribute to him," said Bogdanovich.

Added Cohen: "We're happy to have a cinema lover like Peter turn his expertise to Buster Keaton. Longtime Buster fans and newcomers alike will be thrilled."

Cohen owns rights to all but two of Buster Keaton's films, which will allow Bogdanovich unprecedented access to the actor-director's body of work. Scenes from The General, Steamboat Bill Jr., The Paleface, Our Hospitality and other masterpieces will be intercut with Bogdanovich's interviews with contemporary stars, directors and others about Keaton's influence on comedy and all of cinema.

The film will also highlight his rarely seen work in talkies and even his TV commercials.