Morgan Spurlock

Started by MacGuffin, February 11, 2007, 08:30:34 PM

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MacGuffin

Spurlock scares buyers into silence
Acquisitions execs made to sign non-disclosure pact
Source: Variety

BERLIN -- Morgan Spurlock, the guy who fed the world "Supersize Me," has got buyers here running scared.

Cinetic's John Sloss and Wild Bunch held a screening Friday evening of footage from Spurlock's latest docu feature. It's about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden -- and it's apparently comic in its tone. Spurlock's been filming in Afghanistan, among other palces.

But as some 50 acquisitions execs queued up to enter the theater, they were presented with a draconian non-disclosure agreement to sign before they were allowed to set foot inside.

"Basically, it said they are going to kill me, my company and my family if I say anything at all about this," said one usually forthcoming U.S. buyer with a shiver that wasn't due to the icy Berlin wind.

"It was shocking -- the agreement, not the footage," said one Brit.

Even Harvey Weinstein was purportedly in and then out and then back in the screening room -- raising the possibility a U.S. deal could be in the offing.

In any case, the heavy-handed tactics are working. No one among the normally gossipy acquisitions cabal would talk about their intentions. Only one suggested the obvious caveat: Were the Americans to actually capture Bin Laden, the doc's tone might sound a bit off.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Pubrick

Quote from: MacGuffin on February 11, 2007, 08:30:34 PM
Were the Americans to actually capture Bin Laden, the doc's tone might sound a bit off.

and if the americans were to elect bush a second time, Fahrenheit 9/11's tone.. ah who gives a shit, the whole country's clearly tone deaf.
under the paving stones.

72teeth

finally a little more news about this...

MSNBC News Services
updated 10:59 a.m. PT, Wed., Dec. 5, 2007
QuoteRumors are flying that filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of "Super Size Me" fame may have done what the United States government has failed to do for the last six years — find Osama bin Laden.

The speculation first began at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, where Spurlock showed a select group of potential buyers 15 minutes of footage from his new documentary, "Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?" The film follows Spurlock through the Middle East in his search for the elusive leader of al-Qaida. According to Slashfilm.com, The Weinstein Co. quickly snapped up the picture after seeing the clips.

Adding to the belief, Daniel Marracino, the film's director of photography, is quoted in Variety, saying of the movie, "We've definitely got the Holy Grail."

if true, that's crazy... than again, it's not like guvment was really looking for him in the first place...


Doctor, Always Do the Right Thing.

Yowza Yowza Yowza

Pubrick

ok, now that's immersive filmmaking i can appreciate.

title is stupid though.. unless he's saying kids could solve it with minimum knowledge of world geography/politics.

if true, the title and his whole persona as a douche is redeemed.
under the paving stones.

Sleepless

Now someone's just gotta find those WMDs!!
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

ElPandaRoyal

Quote from: Sleepless on December 06, 2007, 08:47:03 AM
Now someone's just gotta find those WMDs!!

They're there. Just dig deeper...
Si

MacGuffin

Directors join up for 'Freakonomics'
Documentarian team to adapt bestseller
Source: Variety

A group of documentary directors are teaming for a docu based on "Freakonomics," the bestselling book in which economist Steven D. Levitt uses theory and statistics to analyze pop culture phenomena.

Doc is being produced by Chad Troutwine ("Paris je t'aime") and Seth Gordon ("The King of Kong"), and they have enlisted Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me"), Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing ("Jesus Camp"), Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"), Laura Poitras ("My Country My Country"), Eugene Jarecki ("Why We Fight") and Jehane Noujaim ("Control Room") to each direct a docu segment on chapters in the book.

Written by Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, "Freakonomics" has sold more than 3 million copies by using economic theories to analyze issues ranging from whether Adam Vinatieri could realistically be called football's most clutch field goal kicker to more serious claims that teachers and sumo wrestlers cheat, that swimming pools are more dangerous to children than guns and that the drop in crime can be attributed to Roe v. Wade.

Jarecki will cover the last subject in his docu segment, while Gibney will focus on the cheating teachers and sumo wrestlers, the latter of which created a national scandal in Japan. The other directors are finalizing their topics. The 15 minute segments will be bound together to make a feature-length film.

Shooting will begin shooting in January and will be completed by summer.

Rafi Chaudry ("Paris je t'aime") will be co-producer, and Gordon will provide the intro and interstitials between each segment.

Gordon, whose docu "The King of Kong" is being turned into a feature by New Line and who's going to direct Vince Vaughn in the comedy "Four Christmases," said he sparked to the book because his parents are economics teachers and that made the theories familiar to him. He found a kindred spirit in Troutwine, who'll put up the financing if necessary, though distributors are already interested.

"I stalked the authors for a year because I saw cinematic appeal to the book as soon as I read it," Troutwine said. "It showed that conventional wisdom should always be tested and never trusted, and that is what documentaries are all about."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Morgan Spurlock will Direct Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope
Source: Slash Film

Back in February it was revealed that Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock was working with Joss Whedon on a documentary about Comic-Con. We now have the complete details on the film, which will be titled Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope.

COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN'S HOPE will begin shooting in June and culminate its principal photography at this year's Comic-Con in July. Morgan Spurlock will direct the film and Thomas Tull will produce alongside Spurlock's Warrior Poets producing partner, Jeremy Chilnick. Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and Harry Knowles will executive produce. The film will capture not only a moment in time that literally touches hundreds of thousands of people, but a world that inspires us all – but more than anything else, it will show us that whether at home or away, in costume or not, en masse or alone, we should all have the courage and confidence to be ourselves.

Read the full press release after the jump.


MORGAN SPURLOCK, STAN LEE, JOSS WHEDON, HARRY KNOWLES AND THOMAS TULL BRING COMIC-CON CULTURE TO LIFE WITH GROUNDBREAKING NEW FEATURE DOCUMENTARY: 'COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN'S HOPE'

Burbank, CA – May 20, 2010 – Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, producers Thomas Tull and Jeremy Chilnick along with comics icon Stan Lee, writer/producer Joss Whedon and online film guru Harry Knowles have joined together to bring audiences the feature length documentary COMIC-CON ESPISODE FOUR: A FAN'S HOPE. The concept for the film is spurred by the ever-growing influence that San Diego Comic-Con continues to have on comics, film, television and pop-culture. The feature documentary will follow seven different people from across America, and around the world, as they descend upon and the veritable Mecca of fandom and experience the rapture that is Comic-Con.

Stan Lee, who is the chairman of Pow! Entertainment, said "An incredible phenomenon is occurring throughout the world. The once-denigrated comicbook has become one of the mightiest pillars of today's culture. Many of our highest-grossing movies, best selling toys and most popular video games owe their existence to the increasingly influential comicbook. Truly, we live in the day of an ever-burgeoning, ever-growing comicbook culture."

"When I was a kid, comics changed my life and my world," said director Morgan Spurlock. "So when I got to San Diego, I felt like I was home. It was such an overwhelming experience for me, and I soon found out that I was not alone. So for me to get to share the experience of Comic-Con with fans all over the world will be an incredible opportunity."

Thomas Tull, who is producing outside of his day job as Chairman of Legendary Pictures, said "There is no age limit to a fanboy or girl; rather it is a mindset and a love of comics and all things inspired by them that make up this growing community. We look forward to capturing the spirit, energy and people that Comic-Con has infused into legions of fans, bringing these audiences and projects out of the Halls and onto a world stage."

Harry Knowles said "Comic-Con and the culture that swirls around it is such a beautiful, bizarre and varied universe to capture. I for one, cannot wait to have Morgan film and share it with the world. I've been going to Comic-Con since 1974 and have been amazed that nobody has mounted a serious attempt at documenting what it is that happens there. This is an incredibly exciting project, one that I'm very proud to be a part of!"

Added David Glanzer, spokesperson for Comic-Con, "Since our first convention in 1970 our attendees have long known that comics are as viable form of art and entertainment as any other. We look forward to Morgan sharing this message with an even broader audience."

COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN'S HOPE will begin shooting in June and culminate its principal photography at this year's Comic-Con in July. Morgan Spurlock will direct the film and Thomas Tull will produce alongside Spurlock's Warrior Poets producing partner, Jeremy Chilnick. Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and Harry Knowles will executive produce. The film will capture not only a moment in time that literally touches hundreds of thousands of people, but a world that inspires us all – but more than anything else, it will show us that whether at home or away, in costume or not, en masse or alone, we should all have the courage and confidence to be ourselves.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Sleepless

Remember when we all thought Morgan Spurlock was the cool new documentary kid on the block?

LOL
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

md

"look hard at what pleases you and even harder at what doesn't" ~ carolyn forche

pete

favorite comment in the comments section:

Quote"I can't believe that One Direction have done this - they're all about musical integrity and talent."
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton