I Heard You Paint Houses/ The Irishman

Started by MacGuffin, October 02, 2008, 01:02:06 AM

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ElPandaRoyal

It's funny because the first time I saw The Aviator, I also thought it kind of looked cleaner than I'd like, but after watching it again, I kind of understood it. The movie is shot (by Robert Richardson) as an old Hollywood big studio extravaganza, and it all looks beautiful. But that contrasts in a very interesting way with the mental degradation of Hughes. In fact, I'd say that scene where he's in the projection room, all naked, watching some movie, the light looks almost too beautiful, as Howard looks his worst. Perfect contrast between camera and character.

I also think that when you take a Travis and a Howard, you can't ask for that much similarity, because the characters come from completely different backgrounds. They are united by disease - they have a pathological need to be away from everybody else - but one is an ex-Vietnam fighter from New York, and the other an overly protected rich kid from Hollywood. But even The Aviator makes social comment, even though to a lesser extent (let's face it, John Logan isn't Schrader, and Scorsese didn't have much time to make adjustments to the script), but it's there. About capitalism, about censorship and in a sense about the decay of values in LA LA land, but it's all covered by that Hollywood gloss. I think the script deals very badly with some moments (yeah, Ava Gardner now wants to help Howard go to court, and he lets her, and cools on being a whacko for a while, just because the movie needs to), but if I enjoy that movie to some extent, it's because of Scorsese's contribution, it's shot like a Scorsese movie, edited like one and, in the smaller, most intimate scenes, Howard Hughes really looks like he's from a Scorsese movie.
Si

Alexandro

style is like handwriting. i still don't know of any of the big filmmakers who are not guilty of becoming apparent with their own style. but the film themselves are different usually. gangs of new york, the aviator and the departed have all of them a very different look and feel. gangs and the aviator are almost opposites, one being clean and the other being filthy.

MacGuffin

EXCLUSIVE: Robert De Niro Reveals Plans For Two-Part Film Of 'The Irishman' With Scorsese
Soutce: MTV

Earlier this week, MTV's Josh Horowitz had the rare privilege of speaking with screen legend Robert De Niro. The subject for much of the conversation was the Tribeca Film Festival, New York City's annual celebration of film which the actor co-founded in 2002 as a way to aid the recovery of the once-vital neighborhood. Josh did get to probe De Niro with a few questions about upcoming projects. He mentioned one particularly intriguing adaptation he's been working on with Martin Scorsese, called "The Irishman," which could have a unique twist that hearkens back to one of the director's great influences: Federico Fellini.

"It's based on a book called 'I Heard You Paint Houses.' It's a very simple, terrific story about [mobster Frank Sheeran], who supposedly killed [Jimmy] Hoffa and Joe Gallo and so on," De Niro said. The story might be simple, but the plans that the actor is cooking up with Scorsese are anything but.

"We have a more ambitious idea, hopefully, to make it a two-part type of film or two films," he continued. "It's an idea that came about from Eric Roth to combine these movies using the footage from 'Paint Houses' to do another kind of a [film that is] reminiscent of a kind of '8 1/2,' 'La Dolce Vita,' [a] certain kind of biographical, semi-biographical type of Hollywood movie — a director and the actor — based on things Marty and I have experienced and kind of overlapping them."

The two films De Niro references -- "8 1/2" and "La Dolce Vita" -- are works of the late, great auteur, Federico Fellini. The director is known for his unique style, blending reality and fantasy, fact and fiction. Echoes of his influence can be seen in Scorsese's formative work, "Mean Streets," which served up a semi-autobiographical story of Italian-Americans finding their way in mid-20th century New York City. The film also featured a notable early role for De Niro, his first collaboration with the director.

I think "8 1/2" is a big clue here for what we might expect. That film follows a fictional Italian director who is struggling with his latest effort, an elaborate sci-fi production. As he labors to bring his dream together, viewers are taken through a series of flashbacks and fantastical dreamscapes which weave their way into the director's present-day reality; as an added layer, much of the story features autobiographical elements from Fellini's own life.

This is pure speculation, but a Fellinian treatment of "The Irishman" could come in some way address Scorsese and De Niro's long history of collaborations in the telling of the mob assassin's story. Sheeran is not a great stretch for De Niro, who has frequently done wonders in wiseguys roles for Scorsese. So perhaps "The Irishman" will feature some meta elements, taking into account the duo's long history together and weaving it into the based-on-truth tale.

From the sound of things, "The Irishman" is coming along. "Steve Zaillian wrote the first script, which is terrific," De Niro said. "The other part, Eric [Roth] is supposed to do it. And we're hoping to move these things together."
"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

Gold Trumpet

OK, if I was a contemporary to Martin Scorsese the way Pauline Kael was, I would have also considered Bringing Out the Dead a final straw to him trying to reclaim his old self, but this is one of the most exciting ideas I've heard in a long time. A few years ago Oliver Stone considered making a film similar to this one but he's labored over doing a little so congratulations to Scorsese for pushing ahead with a good idea.

polkablues

It's been so long since De Niro pushed himself, I'm hoping he still remembers how.  I can imagine a situation in which this would be his swan song, one last great gasp before he fades away from a life of acting.  If he goes from this straight into another damn Fockers sequel, I might cry.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Alexandro

I bet Scorsese makes him shape up. This particular idea certainly sounds more exciting than pretty much every other that has been mentioned as a possible vehicle for any of those two in the last 10 years. They should do it as an indie with no budget, but with the star-director combination I'm sure I'm dreaming, yet it would just feel right to really go back to the roots. They should also star in it together.

jerome

Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino are making a mob movie together
Source: The A.V. Club

Here's some mob movie news with a little more stugots: Robert De Niro has confirmed to MTV that he will indeed reunite with both Martin Scorsese and Joe Pesci on the upcoming The Irishman, and as previously reported, Al Pacino will come along for the ride—and that's actually a delightful play on words, seeing as De Niro is playing Frank Sheeran, who may or may not have had something to do with the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, not that Jimmy Hoffa "disappeared," or that there was anything out of the ordinary there, we're not saying that. Earlier this week Scorsese announced that The Irishman would be his very next project after finishing Hugo Cabret, with production perhaps starting as early as next year, and things do seem to be moving forward rather quickly. Another frequent Scorsese collaborator, Steve Zaillian, is currently tweaking the script.

Fortunately, De Niro says he's now less sure about attempting the strange, Fellini-inspired meta-textual companion film he'd initially suggested doing with Eric Roth (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), which would shoot at the same time and approach The Irishman as a "semi-biographical" exploration of De Niro and Scorsese's relationship. But considering The Irishman itself is already sort of a Five People You Meet In Heaven reunion of everyone who's had an impact on De Niro's life (save Ben Stiller), that seems sort of unnecessary. Just give us one last Goodfellas or Casino and then you can go make all the weird self-reflective stuff you want.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/martin-scorsese-robert-de-niro-joe-pesci-and-al-pa,49132/

P Heat

CAME ACROSS THIS.

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11639

great interview with Bob and he talks about i heard you paint houses :yabbse-grin:
Quote from: Pubrick on September 11, 2012, 06:33:41 PM
anyway it was after i posted my first serious fanalysis. after the long post all he could say was that the main reason he wanted to see the master was cos of all the red heads.
:P

Reel

that's gonna be a classic. really exciting news  :)

MacGuffin

Martin Scorsese Says 'The Irishman' Could Shoot Next Year; DiCaprio Wanted for 'Sinatra'
Source: The Film Stage

The release of the wonderful Hugo has us in something of a Martin Scorsese overdrive this week. We've brought you a review of his latest film and two features on it — and that's not even counting news that he would direct an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's mystery novel, The Snowman. That lattermost bit is rather significant; now that he has something else out in theaters, it's time for him to move on to whatever might be next. To me, that's basically as exciting.

And of all the projects Scorsese has been cooking up, the one I'm most desperate to see is probably The Irishman, a mob film that would star a dream cast consisting of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and Al Pacino. As a result, it's been a little unfortunate that talk of the possible epic has been drowned out by the noise of so many other developments for the filmmaker. There's almost nobody I'd rather talk about than him, but a piqued interest is, almost by definition, something that requires quite a bit to be overcome, and not much else has managed to do that when it comes to him.

Then you can imagine that I'm filled with joy to hear Scorsese comment to MTV that he hopes to get The Irishman made "in the next year or so." What will seem like small words to some is a great relief to myself; I only hope he can cool down a bit on the whole attaching himself to projects phase and get this out when he hopes to.

Scorsese also filled us in on a project that's had an even quieter development, Sinatra. The last news on this film's front came in March when Scott Rudin signed on as producer, which is a good step — but not enough when nothing else has been made public for the better part of a year. His most recent comments, almost as if he were making up for lost time, are quite a handful.

First, Scorsese confirmed what everyone sort of knew: He wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Frank Sinatra. Now, I've loved almost everything they've worked on together, so I won't object. Some might, but that's their choice. Otherwise, it was noted that Phil Alden Robinson's script is being jettisoned in favor of a new one — they're "staring again with a new script," a process that will begin "in January or February." He couldn't say who's actually doing the new screenplay, so I'm thinking the Sum of All Fears helmer is out of the picture.
The bigger question is now what they'll do with the music. Scorsese's "first instinct" is to use the original recordings instead of having DiCaprio lip synch, since there's "no one that can [sing in his place]," simply because "you wouldn't accept it." The challenge is then shooting it in a way where it isn't obvious — where "you know it isn't him up there, at that moment," while still being "interesting narratively, you buy whatever's happening there."
I think he's got the talent to pull it off.

How about 3D? As he said, "Why not? Open your minds." He isn't joking, by the way.
"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

wilder

Wow.


Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' Is Headed To Netflix
via The Playlist

Given the climate of the film industry, perhaps this was inevitable. Martin Scorsese's next film, the long gestating "The Irishman" is heading to Netflix, in one of the streaming service's biggest power plays.

The project was originally set up for domestic distribution at Paramount, Scorsese's longtime home, for pictures like "Shutter Island," "The Wolf Of Wall Street," and "Silence," with indie upstarts STX acquiring significant foreign rights last summer for $50 million. The project was going to be fully financed by Gaston Pavlovich's Fábrica de Cine, but they recently exited due to the escalating budget, which essentially left any distribution deals up in the air.

Even more, the shakeup at Viacom and the exit of longtime Paramount honcho Brad Grey, left it unclear if Paramount would be able to release the film. Instead, Scorsese and his team, who are moving fast on "The Irishman," put together another package, and Netflix swooped in. "Scorsese's movie is a risky deal," a source told Indiewire's Anne Thompson. "And Paramount is not in the position to take risks. This way, he can make the project he wants."

Part of that risk is the budget of the movie, which is said to be around the $150 million mark, thanks to the cost of "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"-esque special effects that will be used to de-age Robert De Niro for portions of the film. There are no other confirmed cast members just yet, but Scorsese and De Niro are still keen on getting a reluctant Joe Pesci, and while Al Pacino, Bobby Cannavale and Harvey Keitel have all been rumored for roles as well, nothing as been confirmed (the latter said last summer he hadn't been asked to join the movie).

Whether Grey left or not, the move to Netflix isn't much of a surprise. Scorsese's "Silence" was an expensive money loser that has only earned $7 million worldwide against its whopping $50 million budget, and even a seemingly sure thing like the "World War Z" sequel with the tantalizing duo of Brad Pitt and David Fincher was living in a not-green-lit limbo — Paramount was hedging its bets.

"The Irishman" has been kicking around since 2008 and centers on a mob hit man who looks back on his career of high profile slayings, with rumored ties to the deaths of President Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa. Steve Zaillian ("The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," "The Night Of") adapted the screenplay from the book "I Heard You Paint Houses" by Charles Brandt.

Per usual, Netflix has acquired worldwide rights and is expected to give the film a theatrical release and awards push. Expect a limited run though as Netflix will likely still be using their service as the main method of distribution. No start date is set, but the film is aiming for a 2019 release.

Just Withnail

Wow indeed.

Why Netflix Will Release Martin Scorsese's Next Film
via The Atlantic

A $100 million gangster epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci has become too risky a proposition for major studios.

Martin Scorsese's next project, The Irishman, is as close as you can get to a box-office guarantee for the famed director. It's a gangster film based on a best-selling book about a mob hitman who claimed to have a part in the legendary disappearance of the union boss Jimmy Hoffa. Robert De Niro is attached to play the hitman, Al Pacino will star as Hoffa, and Scorsese favorites Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel are also on board. After Scorsese branched into more esoteric territory this year with Silence, a meditative exploration of faith and Catholicism, The Irishman sounds like a highly bankable project—the kind studios love. And yet, the film is going to Netflix, which will bankroll its $100 million budget and distribute it around the world on the company's streaming service.

Netflix's ascension in the world of film distribution has largely been on the margins. Its insistence on releasing movies online the same day they come out in theaters has thus far stopped its projects from being shown in most major cinema chains. The fact that a Scorsese movie—and one this expensive, with a cast this stacked—is opting to go to Netflix rather than one of the major studios is an indication of something seismic. Until now, big directors have avoided the company, afraid it would doom their films to only be seen in people's homes. But with Scorsese aboard, that could begin to change.

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Anne Thompson of Indiewire, who broke the news of the Netflix deal, noted that The Irishman had long been planned as a Paramount Pictures production. Paramount distributed Scorsese's last four movies, three of which were huge hits: Shutter Island ($294 million worldwide), Hugo ($185 million worldwide), and The Wolf of Wall Street ($392 million worldwide). Though all had big budgets, Scorsese's brand recognition is peerless. His name, and the A-list movie stars who work with him, are usually enough to attract audiences, even if the film is a baroque, profane, sexually explicit 3-hour comedy about a sociopathic Wall Street broker.

Yet, Scorsese's most recent effort, Silence, was a bomb. It cost some $40 million to produce and has grossed only $7 million, receiving just one Oscar nomination (Best Cinematography) after its late-December release failed to draw audiences. Paramount arguably botched its roll-out, though the studio was hampered by the crowded slate of awards films (including Arrival and Fences) and by being unsure until late in the season that Silence would even be ready for awards contention. The film itself is an undoubtedly punishing watch and probably would have benefitted from opening ahead of the usual glut of prestige Christmas films.

Though Silence's failure was very specific, it seems to have scared Paramount off. According to Thompson, an industry source put it this way: "Paramount is not in the position to take risks. This way, he can make the project he wants." There's no better indicator of how much the film industry is changing than the fact that a Scorsese gangster film starring De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci seems risky, and Netflix is the safe haven to make the big-budget picture of your dreams. Some of Paramount's upcoming projects might seem, on paper, riskier, such as a sequel to Daddy's Home featuring Mel Gibson; certainly, the chances at awards contention are miniscule. But that is the calculation executives made.

In the world of streaming media, Amazon has so far proven itself far more attractive to big-name directors, because it gives films a proper theatrical release and waits for months before moving them onto its online Prime service for viewers at home. That approach is how Amazon acquired Manchester by the Sea at last year's Sundance film festival and got it a Best Picture nomination, and turned Love & Friendship into one of the surprise indie successes of the year. Netflix, on the other hand, only puts its films in a handful of theaters to qualify them for awards eligibility. It mostly expects viewers to watch movies at home (an approach that has, so far, gotten the company ignored by Oscar voters and beaten to big acquisitions at Sundance and other festivals).

Making The Irishman is on a whole other scale than the small indie films Netflix has worked on so far. Though Thompson reported that the deal will include a "limited Oscar-qualifying release" in theaters, this is an expensive film that will be made for television screens first and foremost. There is a chance that the appeal of Scorsese would be enough to break the embargo big theater chains have imposed on Netflix's releases, but it's unclear if that's something Netflix even wants. After all, the primary purpose of these investments is to draw subscribers, not to make money in cinemas.

Scorsese is not the only big-budget director working with the company. This year, Netflix will release Bright, a $90 million sci-fi cop drama starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, set in a world where humans and Orcs co-exist. Directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad), it also sounds like the kind of film best served on a big screen. The same goes for Bong Joon-ho's Okja; the Korean director's follow-up to the acclaimed Snowpiercer is a "multi-lingual monster movie" that features Tilda Swinton, Steven Yeun, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Still, it makes sense that these filmmakers would be drawn to Netflix. Ayer's experience on Suicide Squad was one that saw Warner Bros. tinkering with different cuts up to the last minute. Bong fought with The Weinstein Company over the length of Snowpiercer, as the famously intrusive producer Harvey Weinstein tried to make it shorter and more accessible to a wider audience. Scorsese has wrestled with such intrusion for most of his career; Netflix is essentially offering him a blank check, and is the rare studio that couldn't care less about running time. The appeal is obvious, and if other artists follow suit and migrate to streaming companies, the impact on theatergoing culture could be profound.

Alethia


wilberfan

Nicely done.  Hope the film is as good as this teaser.

Alethia

Prediction: this will be Scorsese's biggest hit, and will encourage Netflix to engage more thoroughly with the theatrical market.

Am I naive? Maybe. But people WILL pay good money to see something like this in the theater. You can't convince me otherwise (can you?)