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Sean Byrne
My filmic influences were a real mash up. Structurally the film is closest to Misery but tonally there are shades of Carrie, Dazed and Confused, Footloose, The Terminator, Tarantino, Lynch and even Walt Disney.
Magnolia Pictures are Guno-ho on Joon Ho’s ‘Mother’
If Magnolia Pictures were interested in Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother, they sure took their sweet time deciding on whether the picture would be a good fit for their label or not. Sure it might need a little bit work in terms of marketing, but as I had mentioned here, the film was probably the only title left over from Cannes that was the consensus "why hasn't this been picked up yet" pick.
Chang-dong Finds Lead For ‘Poetry’
I'm not sure if it took much coaxing to bring actress Jeong-hie Yun out from her 15 year semi-retirement, but it helps that the last actress (Do-yeon Jeon) in filmmaker Lee Chang-dong's last film, Secret Sunshine, would win Best Actress in Cannes, and it also helps that the film, currently in production, is a sure shot for a Cannes slot.
Mundruczo Filming ‘Frankenstein’ in Multiple Seasons
A figure on the international film circuit but relatively still unknown outside of Europe, Kornél Mundruczó the helmer behind Johanna, Pleasant Days and most recently, the 2008 film Delta (a slow-paced, heavily dependent on natural surroundings pic that reminded me of Terrence Malick's work) is currently in production with, The Frankenstein Plan.
FIPRESCI Crowns ‘The White Ribbon’ as Best Film of the Year
Less than 24 hours after Germany nominated Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon, it is the world critics association of FIPRESCI and its 223 members (I'm not one of them) that have bestowed the "Grand Prix 2009 for the Best Film of the Year" to the Haneke's B&W delight.
