While it may not be as prevalent as it once was, the Western refuses to go away. It’s genre that has evolved in the face of its waning popularity, clear cut battle of white hats against the back hats giving way to an entire deconstruction of the genre, and now recent years have seen a rise in movies celebrating the Western, from the knowing homage of Django Unchained or a loving tribute in the vain of The Salvation. Now, John McLean wades in with his directorial debut, Slow West, taking the spirit of the genre and giving it a spin all this own. A founding member of Scottish experimental musical group The Beta Band, McLean’s breaths an air of the eccentric into the familiar tale of Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit McPhee), a young immigrant who has travelled from “the cold shoulder of Scotland to the baking heart of...
- 6/27/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
Chicago – Now playing at Chicago’s Music Box Theater and on VOD (but best seen on the largest screen possible), “Slow West,” is a tight genre journey pic that invigorates the western while confirming that its territory remains open, despite the many who have passed through.
It’s a progressive western; recognizable for Fassbender’s Clint Eastwood impression, but offering something new with its ideas of gender and violence. Not for nothing, it also features “The Place Beyond the Pines” actor Ben Mendelsohn in a coat that will change the way you look at fashion.
The story follows a young man (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as he ventures across 19th century America in search of a woman (Caren Pistorius) that he loves. He receives some help from independent traveler Silas (Fassbender), while encountering unpredictable forces of nature (played by Mendelsohn) and brutal inhumanity.
Before his debut film, director John Maclean was in...
It’s a progressive western; recognizable for Fassbender’s Clint Eastwood impression, but offering something new with its ideas of gender and violence. Not for nothing, it also features “The Place Beyond the Pines” actor Ben Mendelsohn in a coat that will change the way you look at fashion.
The story follows a young man (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as he ventures across 19th century America in search of a woman (Caren Pistorius) that he loves. He receives some help from independent traveler Silas (Fassbender), while encountering unpredictable forces of nature (played by Mendelsohn) and brutal inhumanity.
Before his debut film, director John Maclean was in...
- 5/23/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Sometimes an actor and genre just seem right for each other. The Western, newly-resurgent on the big screen, and Michael Fassbender have that star-crossed feel. The new trailer for Slow West sees everyone’s favourite Irish/German acting talent in grizzled action in the badlands of late 19th century America.A classic Old West origin yarn, the story sees Kodi Smit-McPhee’s Jay Cavendish journey from Scotland to the new American frontier in the late 19th century to find the girl he loves, picking up mysterious "chaperone” Silas (Fassbender) along the way.On this evidence, Fassbender’s character looks a little too enigmatic to pin down to the genre’s tradition black hat/white hat categories. What’s his motivation for attaching himself to the young Scotsman? Can he prevent Ben Mendelsohn’s gnarled villain from inflicting mortal mischief on Rose? And what’s going on with his head in this new poster?...
- 5/13/2015
- EmpireOnline
While Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys has diverted into idiosyncratic documentaries for his film career, The Beta Band's John Maclean has opted for a full-blown Western for his feature debut. Following a couple of shorts, Slow West is actually his third collaboration with Michael Fassbender. Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Mendelsohn, Rory McCann and Caren Pistorius also star. And here's the new trailer.Playing to an enthusiastic reception at Sundance, Slow West is an off-kilter take on the genre that still manages to keep the bullets flying while Fassbender chomps an Eastwood-type cigarillo. Some early viewers have compared it to Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, while others have said it's more Wes Anderson.Whatever, the story involves Smit-McPhee journeying across the new American frontier in the late 19th century to find the girl he loves, picking up mysterious "chaperone" Fassbender along the way. Life, it's fair to say, is not peaceful there,...
- 3/25/2015
- EmpireOnline
While Michael Fassbender's bro-mance with Steve McQueen is well documented, he's tight with another filmmaker: John Maclean. The former member of The Beta Band has directed Fassbender in the short "Man On A Motorcyle" and in the upcoming feature "Slow West." But between those films, the two collaborated on "Pitch Black Heist" and today you can watch their work in full. Released in 2012, the simple yet effective effort picked up a BAFTA win for Best Short Film. Co-starring Liam Cunningham, the story centers on a couple of thieves who must pull off their next job in complete darkness. Here's the official synopsis: In John Maclean's Film4-backed short, Liam (Liam Cunningham) and Michael (Michael Fassbender) are professional safe crackers who meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe from its contents. The catch is a light activated alarm system impelling the men to embark on a pitch black heist.
- 3/20/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #7: John Maclean's 'Slow West' Puts a European Spin on the Western
Before making films full time, John Maclean made music. He was in a band called The Beta Band, whose music has been featured in a string of acclaimed films, namely "High Fidelity,""Igby Goes Down" and "It's All Gone Pete Tong." Maclean made his first short, "Man on a Motorcycle," in 2009, and then another, called "Pitch Black Heist," in 2011. Both shorts feature actor Michael Fassbender, who also stars "Slow West," the feature film that Maclean is bringing to Sundance and screening in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. What's your film about in 140 characters or less? Set in 1870 Colorado Territory, "Slow West" tells of a sixteen year old boy from the highlands of Scotland who crossed the wild West of America in search of the girl he loved. Now what's it really about? A European perspective of the West and young love, more info would contain spoilers. Tell us briefly about yourself.
- 1/13/2015
- by Shipra Gupta
- Indiewire
Slightly overshadowed by the Oscar nominations early this morning, the 2014 New Music Express Awards unveiled their list of hopefuls today (January 16).
In an interesting twist, the NME’s category for Villain of the Year included nominees like Russell Brand, Robin Thicke, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, David Cameron and Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the Worst Band contenders are 30 Seconds to Mars, The 1975, Muse, Imagine Dragons, One Direction and The Wanted.
Of course, there are also plenty of positive categories such as Hero of the Year, with nominees like Alex Turner, David Bowie, Pussy Riot, Lou Reed, Este Haim, and Russell Brand.
The 2014 NME Awards nominees are:
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Biffy Clyro
Disclosure
Foals
Palma Violets
Two Door Cinema Club
Best International Band supported by Austin, Texas
Arcade Fire
Haim
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Phoenix
Vampire Weekend
Queens Of The Stone Age
Best Solo Artist
David Bowie
Jake Bugg
Kanye West...
In an interesting twist, the NME’s category for Villain of the Year included nominees like Russell Brand, Robin Thicke, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, David Cameron and Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the Worst Band contenders are 30 Seconds to Mars, The 1975, Muse, Imagine Dragons, One Direction and The Wanted.
Of course, there are also plenty of positive categories such as Hero of the Year, with nominees like Alex Turner, David Bowie, Pussy Riot, Lou Reed, Este Haim, and Russell Brand.
The 2014 NME Awards nominees are:
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Biffy Clyro
Disclosure
Foals
Palma Violets
Two Door Cinema Club
Best International Band supported by Austin, Texas
Arcade Fire
Haim
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Phoenix
Vampire Weekend
Queens Of The Stone Age
Best Solo Artist
David Bowie
Jake Bugg
Kanye West...
- 1/17/2014
- GossipCenter
Former The Beta band frontman Steve Mason has hit out at Damon Albarn for dominating the main stage at Britain's Glastonbury music festival two years in a row, insisting he should have handed over the opportunity to another group. Albarn and his Gorillaz band stepped in as last minute replacements for U2 when Bono was forced to undergo emergency back surgery.
But Mason has criticized Albarn for accepting the honor to headline last weekend's event after playing on the main stage with his other band, Blur, in 2009. He tells NME, "I couldn't explain to you how little interest I had in whether U2 played or not. I could not care less. The only thing that's bad is that Albarn got to have a headline when he had one last year. He should have given it to someone else."
Albarn recently admitted performing at Glastonbury has been among the highlights of his career so far,...
But Mason has criticized Albarn for accepting the honor to headline last weekend's event after playing on the main stage with his other band, Blur, in 2009. He tells NME, "I couldn't explain to you how little interest I had in whether U2 played or not. I could not care less. The only thing that's bad is that Albarn got to have a headline when he had one last year. He should have given it to someone else."
Albarn recently admitted performing at Glastonbury has been among the highlights of his career so far,...
- 6/30/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Not to take anything away from The Beta Band, Black Affair, or King Biscuit Time, but when Scottish psych-pop veteran Steve Mason works under his own name for the first time on his new LP, Boys Outside, he’s more focused than ever. Mason continues the pursuit of the murmuring and incantatory that’s been his stock in trade since the Beta days, but Boys Outside is less flighty and experimental, and more about softly funky songs that insinuate themselves into the subconscious. Granted, Mason’s what-the-hell side has always been one of his defining characteristics, and without it, Boys ...
- 6/29/2010
- avclub.com
Remember the John Cusack of the late '90s? He had been one of the beloved teens from the '80s, from Sixteen Candles to Say Anything... He continued to work steadily through the years, but it wasn't until 1997 that he found his resurgence with the double-tough whammy of Grosse Point Blank and Con Air. By the end of the decade, Cusack was Being John Malkovich, and as we turned to the double-zero, he became Rob Gordon in High Fidelity.
It was the role that seemed like it was made just for him, one that so easily could have failed in anyone else's hands. Here we have the story of a slacker striving to not reach his potential. He's prone to childish bursts of rage intermingled with pitiful weeping and desperation, and in fact, much of the film just outlines exactly how crappy he is. But Cusack commands it in a way that we follow.
It was the role that seemed like it was made just for him, one that so easily could have failed in anyone else's hands. Here we have the story of a slacker striving to not reach his potential. He's prone to childish bursts of rage intermingled with pitiful weeping and desperation, and in fact, much of the film just outlines exactly how crappy he is. But Cusack commands it in a way that we follow.
- 6/24/2010
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Glen shares his appreciation for the 2000 movie High Fidelity, and lists his favourite songs from its eclectic soundtrack…
There aren't many finer examples of films that marry together music and movies as perfectly as High Fidelity. In many ways it's the ultimate movie for music geeks.
For my celebration of this excellent film, I thought I would keep with the spirit of High Fidelity and provide a couple of top five lists to show why I love it, and my top five tracks that feature in it...
Top five reasons why I love High Fidelity
5. Breaking the fourth wall
Characters in films addressing the audience can be a tricky one to get right. Sure, there are notable examples of where this works brilliantly, but get it wrong and it can come across as both cheesy and distracting.
Happily, High Fidelity is an example of where this works brilliantly, as Rob...
There aren't many finer examples of films that marry together music and movies as perfectly as High Fidelity. In many ways it's the ultimate movie for music geeks.
For my celebration of this excellent film, I thought I would keep with the spirit of High Fidelity and provide a couple of top five lists to show why I love it, and my top five tracks that feature in it...
Top five reasons why I love High Fidelity
5. Breaking the fourth wall
Characters in films addressing the audience can be a tricky one to get right. Sure, there are notable examples of where this works brilliantly, but get it wrong and it can come across as both cheesy and distracting.
Happily, High Fidelity is an example of where this works brilliantly, as Rob...
- 6/15/2010
- Den of Geek
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